Outsports Radio

"I think a lot more athletes and people in the sports world will need to come out before we really see the change." Those are the words of Golden State Warriors Coach Steve Kerr when asked about acceptance of gay people in sports. We examine the conumdrum of why more pro athletes don't come out. Is it fear? Media attention? Locker room dynamics? We also explore the often tone-deaf coverage the gays in sports debate gets from the mainstream media, where even getting the names right is hard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been quite a week for Manny Pacquiao. The boxer started it off by saying gay people are worse than animals because they have sex with people of the same gender. Then when Nike dropped its endorsement deal with him, he posted a Bible verse on Instragram saying gay people should be put to death. He deleted the post, but not before 18,000 people liked it and a media outlet picked up on it. The damage was done. We analyze the steps that led to this place for Pacquiao, and whether there's any way out of it for him (if that's even something he wants). We also talk about the delicate balance some Christian athletes are encouraged to find in today's culture.  Plus, a couple of great coming-out stories this week including track athlete Jack Strickland who won an award at a Christian college, and Pac-12 football referee Steve Strimling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our guest is Luke McAvoy, a defensive lineman for the University of Minnesota from 2011-14. He wrestled with a secret for years -- he was gay. McAvoy hid it fearing rejection but when he summoned the courage to come out, he was met with acceptance and support from teammates. "It was the acceptance from my teammates that I will remember," he writes. "Being part of a family that did just about everything together for four years was amazing. Being part of a family that turned out to be so much more accepting and supportive than I could have imagined made me realize that I had nothing to fear. The only thing I should have been afraid of was what was in my own mind." We discuss McAvoy's journey and Outsports' trip to the Super Bowl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why was it so cool that NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall had his fingernails painted by Stephen Colbert? Football players aren't supposed to do things like this. Yet more and more we see barriers breaking down in big-time football, including the NFL. This week we had a former running back at Montana State come out on Outsports. Brandon Davis talked about being afraid to be his true self at Louisiana Tech and finding a home with the rugby team at Montana State after leaving football. The Buffalo Bills today announced the hiring of the NFL's first full-time female coach. We discuss all of this, plus some thoughts on this weekend's games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Longtime Los Angeles Kings fans Brad Parr and Andy Evans got their moment on the team's kiss cam and it meant a lot to them. "I wanted to let you know the L.A. Kings were awesome and put my boyfriend Andy and me on kiss cam -- to loud cheers from a crowd of 18,230. I'm pretty sure that this was the first time the Kings had ever had a same-sex couple on Kiss Cam, and I don't think it happens very often in any sport." We have long been critical of kiss cams that make fun of same sex couples but we discuss the change in tones of sports teams. Plus, a look at the pro-gay Rams moving to Los Angeles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was taunted on the field several weeks ago with gay slurs, it left many wondering about the root of homophobia in the NFL and why Beckham retaliated with dangerous, potentially life-threatening hits.  On MSNBC's Melissa Harris Perry show last week, Jamil Smith of the New Republic said the root of homophobia is a hatred of women. Jamil joins us as we explore the connections between homophobia and sexism and how far we can go when connecting those two with the word "hate."  We'll also invariably touch on the NFL playoffs, Billy Bean's new promotion and what lies ahead for Outsports in the new year.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Odell Beckham of the New York Giants was suspended a game after repeated altercations with members of the Carolina Panthers. After, reports said that Beckham was subjected to gay slurs before the game and ex-players said the receiver has been subjected to such slurs all season. The matter was dropped at Beckham's appeal but many questions remain. Were slurs used? How frequently" Why were they not brought up at the hearing? What is it about such slurs that allow them to still carry a lot of weight in sports? We also look back at the year in LGBT sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Three men in sports chose to come out publicly this week: NBA referee Bill Kennedy, Dodgers executive Erik Braverman and Connecticut Sun head coach Curt Miller. Each of them has a different story, but they all have one thing in common: Many people in their profession and their personal lives knew they were gay. So why did they come out to the media now? And what do they hope to accomplish? Kennedy's coming out was in response to Rajon Rondo calling him a gay slur multiple times. The NBA first hid that fact, then acknowledged it once Kennedy came out. We talk about Rondo's suspension and the handling of the situation by NBA commissioner Adam Silver.  Plus, we have some year-end awards we've given out, with more coming. We'll recap why the honorees have been selected, and we'll give a preview of the rest of the awards.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Phil Claudy had lost all hope of accepting his sexuality. But running saved his life and now he wants to help other LGBT people struggling with depression. The Dartmouth athlete battled severe depression, which parlayzed him to the point of considering suicide. But through running he learned to accept himself and his sexuality. In November, he ran the Philadelphia Marathon and raised $8,000 for the Trevor Project, which helps LGBT youth who are at risk of suicide. We ask Claudy about his struggles, the power of running and coming out and why he ran the marathon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrea Barone is working toward his dream of being an NHL ref. But he first had to find peace with himself. "I don’t want anyone to feel as alone and depressed as I did," he writes in a first-person account for Outsports. Barone, 26, is the first openly gay referee in pro hockey and he talks about fitting into a culture that prizes masculinity. He dealt with his own homophobia and over time learned to accept himself. He is now out and wants to be a role model for others in the sport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Major League Baseball is recruiting LGBT people for team front offices, and they want you. Billy Bean and MLB exec Wendy Lewis have not been quiet about their efforts to ensure opportunities for out LGBT people to find careers in baseball as they have been reaching out to the community about their upcoming Diversity Business Summit in March. Our article this week highlighted their efforts and introduced people to two current out gay MLB team execs - Orioles' Greg Bader and Nationals' Steve Reed - who have been widely accepted by their teams. How much of an impact do these efforts have? And will that translate into more opportunities? When Gus Kenworthy came out on the cover of ESPN The Magazine, he got tons of attention for breaking a barrier in a "bro" sport and doing it as an Olympic medalist. Yet one other pro skier didn't much like how Kenworthy came out and the seeming attention he was drawing to himself for being gay. Is there such thing as too much attention for a gay athlete? And do this other skier'

Dale Scott celebrated his 30th year as a Major League Baseball umpire, and his first as an openly gay man. Scott talks about how little was made of his sexuality this season, and why that's a good thing. "I am extremely grateful that Major League Baseball has always judged me on my work and nothing else and that's the way it should be." Scott also realizes the power of coming out based on the amount of email he received from other LGBT people thanking him for his honesty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Houston voters this week overwhelmingly voted to end Houston's equal rights ordinance, which gave non-discrimination protections to LGBT people, among others. With 61% of the vote, it's clear that voters in Houston very much want the ability to discriminate against LGBT people, particularly the T. Immediately there were calls for the NCAA and NFL to move their upcoming men's Final Four and Super Bowl. Yet both organizations very quickly said, "nah, we're good." Despite both groups doing some work to help end anti-LGBT bias and homophobia in their organizations, the legalization of discrimination in Houston simply wasn't a big deal. What message are they sending to Houstonians and other anti-LGBT groups in other cities? Will they empower other cities to rescind their non-discrimination laws? Also, Ryan Mizner, a graduate assistant for the Central Michigan Univ. men's basketball team, has come out as gay. He shared his story with Outsports and talked about the support he has received from his team. Anothe

There are rumors swirling around the English Premier League that gay pro soccer players may be coming out publicly soon. Should we believe the speculation? And have these kinds of rumors panned out in the past? The New York Giants have been ahead of the curve on LGBT issues for almost a decade. Now they add a You Can Play video with several Giants players to their inclusion portfolio. We first met Harrison Wilkerson last year when he was still in high school, the star kicker of his school's football team, closeted and scared. He had been the target of some bullying and feared what the repercussions would be if he came out to his friends and teammates in North Carolina. Since Outsports ran his story earlier this week, he has been inundated with supportive messages, even getting a wonderful Facebook post from his grandmother. He's also heard from some people struggling with depression as he once did.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gus Kenworthy made a name for himself by winning a medal in freestyle skiing at the Sochi Olympics and then saving five stray puppies. Now, he comes out as gay, saying he doesn't want to hide any more. His story is a reminder of the shame of the closet. Also, New York Mets star Daniel Murphy is setting baseball records for playoff home runs but we remember him as a person who said that he doesn't agree with the "homosexual lifestyle." Should he be applauded for his honesty or critcized?   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bobby Petrino Jr. knows what it's like to be a gay football player in a high-pressure environment. As the son of a head college football coach, Petrino Jr. excelled on the field until an injury ended his career. At the same time, he was wrestling with the realization that he was gay. He is now publicly out and he discusses life in the locker room as a gay player. After coming out publicly last month, Petrino has gotten nothing but support.   "I wish I could go back and tell my younger self that it was going to be like this," he says. "I received numerous Facebook messages from other guys that would tell me their story and how much they could relate to mine." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Burns, an assistant men's basketball coach at Bryant University, has come out as gay, making him the first publicly out men's college basketball coach. Burns shared a personal story on Outsports and USA Today did a feature story interviewing Burns and others at Bryant. It's been a long time coming for Burns, who has been dating men since college. It's also a big deal for the coaching profession in general, as Burns has broken a key barrier in sports. And, like virtually every male athlete or coach to come out publicly over the last 15 years, Burns has been widely accepted and supported by people around the team and across the college basketball media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Outsports ran a letter from a closeted Division I college basketball player who is gay, who is wrestling with whether he should come out. "I would like other people to see another gay athlete successfully playing in Division 1 athletics. I would like for a teenager battling the same things I struggled with to see that things will work out and to not stress about something that seems so major but is really something minor. I would like to see the LGBT community grow within athletics." Yet he is still weighing his ultimate decision. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kiss Cams have been a staple of fan entertainment at sporting events in the United States for years. You know the drill: Somebody in a control booth directs a camera onto two people in the stadium or arena and those two people are pressured to kiss one another. It's used to highlight romantic couples, but it's also regularly used as a source of comedy, often taking advantage of allegedly uncomfortable situations to ellicit laughs and cheers from the audience. Recently the Kiss Cam has come under fire as people allege it promots both homophobia and sexual assault. The New York Mets recently changed their Kiss Cam policy after being called out for using homophobia to embarrass players of opposing teams by showing two men on the Kiss Cam together. And Syracuse University has stopped using the Kiss Cam all together after a letter-to-the-editor claimed it encourages men to sexually assault women.  Are Kiss Cams harmful? Or just good old-fashioned fun?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.

Mason Darrow has been embraced by the Princeton football team since he told them he’s gay. He has decided to come out publicly in the days before the season opener. It's a different strategy from what is normally suggsted -- that an athlete wait until the offseason. We examine Darrow's story and how it has unified his team and made him truly happy for the first time. We also look at a survey showing 34 of 35 NHL players would accept a gay teammate. So why doesn't anyone come out? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices