Raven's Linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo:Carrying a Cause to the Super Bowl(gay marriage)Ellen answered

[Are_grits_groceries]

<snip>
Or you can look in a much different direction: to the rough-and-tumble, testosterone-charged world of professional football, and to a succinct but extraordinary email that Brendon Ayanbadejo, a linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, sent only hours after his team defeated the New England Patriots on Sunday night and gained passage to the game of all games, the Super Bowl, to be played this year in New Orleans.

It was almost 4 A.M. Monday morning Eastern time when he wrote the email. He’d just arrived back home in the Baltimore area from the Boston area, where the Ravens-Patriots contest had taken place. He was pumped up, heart bursting with excitement over the Ravens’ good fortune, thoughts racing about the two weeks leading up to the Bowl. And those thoughts turned not just to a possible victory, but also to same-sex marriage and his continued efforts to promote it.

With his team now headed to New Orleans, and with sports reporters eager to lap up each player’s every word, had he just been handed a louder megaphone than he’d ever possessed before?
He tapped out an email to Brian Ellner, a leading marriage-equality advocate with whom he had worked before, and Michael Skolnik, the political director for Russell Simmons, a hip-hop mogul who has become involved in many issues, including same-sex marriage.

Ayanbadejo wrote: “Is there anything I can do for marriage equality or anti- bullying over the next couple of weeks to harness this Super Bowl media?” The time stamp on the email was 3:40:35 A.M.
<snip>
http://bruni.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/22/carrying-a-cause-to-the-super-bowl/?hp

This man is straight up. I cannot remember another high profile athlete stepping out for gay rights like this. Chris Kluwe of the Vikings is right behind him. Between the two of them, they have given more outright support for gay rights than the NFL in all the previous years combined.

I heard him in an interview. He is a great ambassador for gay rights. He said he gets some teasing from teammates. However, they do not mess with him because they respect him. Many have had serious and thoughtful discussions with him.

(He's pictured with Ellen because he wants to be on her show and take his message there. I have a feeling he will get his wish.)

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

1. God Dammit!!!

I HATE the Ravens. Now I'm going to have to like them at least a little bit.

Shit.

[bullwinkle428]

2. Same here! Was pulling for the 49ers, but may have to reconsider now!

K&R.

[Are_grits_groceries]

9. LOL

Pulling for the player while rooting against the team aren't mutually exclusive. However, i do think the Ravens have been decent too by not clumsily trying to shut him down. He would probably make more noise, but some organizations would still try.
Belichek would have him on the first train to Siberia.

[RedstDem]

3. Another reason I love the Ravens

plus they're the local hero's

Go Ravens!!

[Marrah_G]

4. Good for you Brendon!

[Bluenorthwest]

5. Not only does the subject matter please me to no end, it is wonderful to see a few athlete using

their fame and wealth for any larger goal. So much negativity in sports of late, people like Ayanbadejo and Kluwe bring something good to the table. Good upon them both, and may others follow their examples in this and other areas of social and political change.

[LibertyLover]

6. The Ravens Rock!!!

The Ravens organization is known here for the community outreach it does in Baltimore and the surrounding counties. Ravens players have gone to my daughter's elementary school to promote not just being active but also education and reading. They support the Polar Bear Plunge and other charitable activities, not just with money, but with time and personnel. I really like and admire the team, not just for how the play the game of football, but for things like this. Mr. Ayanbadejo is a true class act. GO RAVENS!!!

[wiggs]

7. Kluwe and Ayanbadejo are both UCLA bruins....nt

[mountain grammy]

8. I think, in the memory of the great Harvey Milk,

the 49ers need to jump on this wagon. Come out, come out, NFL players!

[Doctor_J]

10. He's the one that fired back at that DINO last year

Some idiot in the MD legislature was exposing on the anarchy that would ensure should GM become legal, and Ayanbadejo called him out.

Big for progress.

[WilliamPitt]

11. FUCK.

Now I have to root for them.

[wildeyed]

12. He has a pretty amusing Facebook feed.

https://www.facebook.com/BrendonAyanbadejo

He posts about marriage equality, but also pictures of his kids, French bulldogs and even football occasionally

[frylock]

13. hope he hooked Kluwe up with a ticket!

[Are_grits_groceries]

14. Ellen answered!

@TheEllenShow:
Hey @Brendon310, I want you here and I want you here now.

You go Brendon!