Top football players in the UK refused to take part in an anti-homophobia campaign for fear of humiliation by fellow players:
"The PFA was hopeful that some of the Premier League's stars would put their names and faces forward to support the campaign. But the Independent claims that the PFA have been unable to persuade anyone to take part.
The newspaper reports that players feared being ridiculed by both opposition players and supporters for appearing in the video, and being subjected to taunts and chants.
The Football Association eventually produced a generic 'viral' anti-homophobic video at the start of this week but now that has been pulled pending a full review of the entire campaign."
Pretty pathetic.
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Watch: UK Football Association's Anti-Homophobia PSA [tr]
It has more to do with losing endorsements than taunts and geers...Man up!!!
Posted by: alan brickman | Feb 12, 2010 9:05:05 PM
It also has to do with the fact that these guys are still young. 20something men in this day and age are still children and full of fear of what others think. The endorsements point is accurate too, but if the players were mature and they all took part, the endorsements would still be there.
Posted by: Sargon Bighorn | Feb 12, 2010 9:07:58 PM
So why do we keep hearing about how manly, masculine and macho these spineless pussies are?
They could learn a lot about what it really means to be a man from some of the gay men that they are too weak and afraid to stand up for.
Posted by: Zachary | Feb 12, 2010 9:25:13 PM
I wish some of these guys would loose endorsements for NOT appearing in the PSA.
Posted by: Steve | Feb 12, 2010 9:25:58 PM
Apparently they left their balls in the locker room. What cowards.
I knew athletes in high school who were a lot braver than that on the very same issue.
What a disappointment.
Posted by: jesse james | Feb 12, 2010 9:29:28 PM
At least the PFA tried to make such a campaign. Can you see the NFL or MLB bothering with something like this? Im shocked anyton still thinks pro athletes are role models or anything special.
Having said that, there are individuals, like Scott Fujita and Gareth Thomas, who are people we should respect. Not because of what they do on the field, but because of how they act off it.
Posted by: dizzy spins | Feb 12, 2010 10:06:14 PM
These guys are true sissies. They are overpaid and interested in raking in more. Real men stand up to wrong ideas and situations and help to change things for the better. Sadly these kinds of guys are heroes to alot of people but it goes to show you how little most people have going on other than to bully certain people and adore pussies like this.
Posted by: Dieter | Feb 12, 2010 10:13:10 PM
Twentysomething football professionals? Maybe they should look to a couple of 21 y.o.'s for inspiration - Matthew Mitcham and Brendan Burke (RIP).
Posted by: Hue-Man | Feb 12, 2010 10:36:01 PM
The more I think about it -- What a betrayal of their gay teammates. How do they look them in the eye after this? Because I'm sure there are more gays than just the few that have come out publicly.
All of a sudden rugby doesn't seem so ruggedly masculine anymore.
Posted by: jesse james | Feb 12, 2010 10:40:58 PM
@jesse james, where does rugby come into it? This is a story about football.
Posted by: Colette | Feb 12, 2010 10:51:54 PM
luckily, no one cares about soccer, anyway.
Posted by: everette | Feb 12, 2010 11:08:32 PM
You're an idiot, Evertte. There's a major sporting event in about 5 months that will be the focus of 5 billion people across the earth.
Posted by: Jane Roe | Feb 12, 2010 11:21:33 PM
Great. Now "five billion people across the earth" can watch a bunch of pussy fucktards play ball.
Posted by: HW In SoCal | Feb 12, 2010 11:31:31 PM
Quite so. Perhaps everette should have qualified the remark by saying that no one that matters cares about soccer. That's about right.
These guys are wimps. Wussy wussy wimps. But, if you're going to defend the closet for actors, you better be prepared to do it for sports figures, too.
Posted by: TANK | Feb 12, 2010 11:32:43 PM
What's up with the fags on a gay blog calling other people pussies and cowards?
You gays are a bunch of catty bitches. So a few soccer players don't want to do some PC PSA and now a sport popular the world over gets trashed. PMS must a bitch, ladies.
Posted by: Jane Roe | Feb 12, 2010 11:40:40 PM
Eat shit, jane. Your true colors (a hue of pond scum) always seem to rise to the top in your comments. This is about the reason why they don't want to do a PSA: homophobia. And fuck soccer. It's for pussies. And no one that matters cares about it, i.e., americans couldn't give a flying fuck.
And what's up with "fags" on a gay blog calling other people wussies? Woman, you got no fuckin' clue.
Posted by: TANK | Feb 12, 2010 11:47:27 PM
I am no sports fan, but even I know the wide audience soccer has--and yes, I call it "soccer" instead of football on purpose. Jeez! Get a grip, Jane. This whole thing is sheer cowardice and blatant homophobia, plan and simple. Jane, go back to watching Fox News and enjoy a casserole.
Posted by: everette | Feb 12, 2010 11:56:19 PM
Sheesh!---lotsa hatin', ladies--can we lighten it up a bit? A few good points made ahead: these are youngin's who are making huge salaries. Maybe they are protecting their monies, maybe they still don't fully know who they are, really. They need some older, established mentors to teach them about these things; & those are publicly very few & far between.
Posted by: terry | Feb 13, 2010 12:34:49 AM
Yes, these poor, poor soccer players. We should feel so much pity for them in their plight, in the much the same way we're supposed to forgive Michael Vic, who is so very sorry he drowned and electrocuted those ill-performing pitbulls. No. I will not.
Posted by: everette | Feb 13, 2010 1:00:04 AM
Weak.
Posted by: Randy | Feb 13, 2010 1:05:10 AM
Pussies, plain and simple.
Posted by: Perry | Feb 13, 2010 1:12:29 AM
Soccer matches have the worst fans you will ever see. Because they take it so seriously, probably because it's the only professional team in their area, or country - whereas in NA their are many different sporting leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) - they act like criminals.
their words can be so vile, and sometimes to their own players. you think certain phildelphia teams are too harsh when they boo their own players? Nothing compared soccer fans in Europe. They wish cancer to the kids of these players and say the N word etc.
I understand why they have avoided this, but like others have said, who cares about soccer? It's that annoying sport you played as a kid and quickly outgrew.
Posted by: sammie | Feb 13, 2010 1:56:59 AM
Please. I don't think too many of you would risk losing those types of paychecks either. Proof? How many GAY soccer players are doing the PSA?? oh, that's right, NONE OF THEM ARE OUT.
But somehow we're suppose to let them off the hook. talk about pussies.
Posted by: marty | Feb 13, 2010 3:26:52 AM
I think the real reason that they don't want to participate in this campaign is simply because straight men generally don't really care about homophobia. Gay issues are for gay people to deal with in their view. They just don't feel strongly enough about it, plus there is also that element of 'will people suspect me of being gay' that affects the thinking , behaviour and attitudes of a lot of straight men in many situations.
Posted by: Den | Feb 13, 2010 3:42:24 AM
If the gay players ain't doin' it why should the straights?
Stop looking to straight guys to save you. Gay men need to "man up" or is that an oxymoron?
Posted by: aL | Feb 13, 2010 4:11:39 AM