Opinion: NFL’s declaration that ‘Football is gay’ signals league’s ongoing evolution – USA TODAY
The 30-second clip had no frills. It didn’t need it.
The issuer – the National Football League – opted for direct simplicity while declaring its commitment to inclusivity.
“Football is gay,” the ad began – white words on a black screen with faint cheering in the background. From there, the message continued.
“Football is lesbian. Football is beautiful. Football is queer. Football is life. Football is exciting. Football is culture. Football is transgender. Football is queer. Football is heart. Football is power. Football is tough. Football is bisexual. Football is strong. Football is freedom. Football is American. Football is accepting. Football is everything. Football is for everyone.”
The statement came just less than a week after Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib announced to the world that he is gay, making him the first active NFL player to be out. And as Pride Month draws to a close, the NFL – which had already expressed support for Nassib via various social media channels – opted to further drive home the point: Be whoever you want to be, love whomever you want to love. America’s most powerful sports league welcomes you with open arms.
Bold marketing ploy? Or authentic reflection of evolution from rigid, ultra-conservative machismo to a pursuit of understanding and all-encompassing inclusion?
Maybe both.
But one thing is certain: The belief that “Football is accepting. Football is everything. Football is for everyone,” certainly sums up the thinking of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and his top assistants, who have worked in recent years to solve the league’s glaring weakness of denying people of color head coaching and general manager positions and promote greater overall diversity.
Goodell and Co. have essentially provided owners talent-scouting services for candidates of color while offering incentives in the form of draft picks for teams that develop and promote people of color through their coaching and front-office ranks. And now, with the latest ad campaign, league officials aim to ensure that the NFL wraps its arms not only around Nassib but other gay players who to date have kept their sexuality private, and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole.
A willingness to do so seemingly reflects a shift for the league. Rather than cater to deep-pocketed conservatives, many in NFL leadership positions have adopted the belief that an arms-wide-open approach benefits everything from rosters to coaching staffs, front offices and even earnings.
This apparent move toward greater acceptance didn’t happen overnight. Instead, it reflects years of slow but gradual progress in the areas of diversity and inclusion at all levels.
The signs of such groundwork have been there:
- Would the NFL have reached this point had it not been for Michael Sam, the Mizzou defensive lineman who announced he was gay leading up to the draft in 2014? Despite the seemingly less welcoming culture at large, two teams gave him a shot: the St. Louis Rams drafted him in the seventh round, and the Dallas Cowboys and traditionally politically conservative Jerry Jones later signed Sam to a practice squad contract after he failed to earn a roster spot with the Rams.
- In recent years, the league has welcomed an increasing number of women to coaching staffs and scouting departments.
- Numerous owners have joined players in their fights for social justice.
- That support only strengthened last year when Goodell admitted that the league was “wrong for not listening to players” peacefully protesting racism and systemic oppression.
Now, here we are with the league taking steps to convey support for people of all walks of life – whether employees or fans.
This isn’t your father’s NFL.
When asked about Nassib’s announcement, numerous players, coaches and front-office employees who spoke with USA TODAY Sports surmised that there has never been a better and safer time in the league for people of diverse walks of life to speak their truth.
And that partly explains why many players across the league expressed support both publicly and privately when Nassib made his announcement
Nassib wasn’t the first gay player in the NFL, and he certainly will not be the last.
There’s a belief among some who work within the NFL that many within the league have started to understand that just as the color of a person’s skin has no impact on their ability to contribute to the success of a franchise, neither should sexual orientation.
Time obviously will tell just how much progress is made on this front.
Despite the diversity-hiring efforts implemented by the NFL office on approval of the owners, people of color in the coaching and talent-evaluation ranks still find themselves waiting to fully experience such a pro football world. No doubt, gay players and staffers, who have kept their sexual orientations private, have craved similar respect.
So, as the NFL declares, “Football is gay. … Football is accepting. Football is everything. Football is for everyone,” the long marginalized would welcome a shift where eventually, they truly know what it feels like to compete and work for a league where they are 100% free to be themselves.
