Hockey PSA Campaign Aims to End Homophobia in Sports

[William769]

You Can Play, a new public service announcement campaign founded by the family of the late Brendan Burke, wants to make sports culture welcoming to gay athletes.

The New York Times reports on the campaign, which launched Sunday when the first message aired during NBC’s broadcast of the Bruins-Rangers game. The campaign features 35 N.H.L. players including starts such as Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers, Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks and Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators.

Patrick Burke, a founder of the project and scout with the Philadelphia Flyers, lost his younger brother

Brendan Burke, who came out while serving as general manager of the Miami University hockey team, died in a car accident in 2010. His older brother Brendan Burke, a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers, is a founder of the You Can Play Project. Their father, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager, Brian Burke, marched in the city’s gay pride parade with Brendan and again after he died.

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2012/03/05/Hockey_PSA_Campaign_Aims_to_End_Homophobia_in_Sports/

[closeupready]

1. Does anyone want to venture any speculation, why are athletes so homophobic?

Obviously, I'm not referring to Burke or the handful of others who are either openly gay athletes or who support having openly gay athletes play.

Or Martina, etc.

I mean, why is it that in 2012, when so many other human arenas (almost all, it seems) have made progress in being more GLBT-friendly, that professional sports continues to be a place that encourages the closet, and penalizes openly gay athletes?

Having never ever been a sports fan or enthusiast, I really don't think I can even venture a guess.

[William769]

2. Heterosexual males insecure of their manhood. NT

[closeupready]

3. If true, then it's just remarkable that sports as a profession draws so many, insofar

as they seem to completely, utterly dominate sports culture.

[joeybee12]

4. Why are so many sports figures Repukes?

They grow up in a very closed environment, their whole lives are their sports...they don't necessarily grow up being curious about other people or other points of view.

[closeupready]

6. Good guess, Joey. That probably is a huge part of why.

nt

[Fearless]

7. I think it has to do with poverty and where the sports are popular...

Sports is seen as the only real escape for non-bookish high schoolers, particularly in the south. You'll notice, in baseball for example, that a large number of athletes come from Texas/Pennsylvania and other working class and conservative battlegrounds, although of course it's not universal. (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/birthplace.php) For football you see the south in general. (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Friday-night-stars-California-and-Texas-produce?urn=nfl-272416) Look to where you see the good college football programs... The south.

Hockey is slightly different, because of the cost to have a hockey team. It's also much more popular in the north, which tends to be wealthier (and colder). (http://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/state-totals/nhl-players-2010-11-stats.html) Look where the big US hockey schools are... New England and the Rockies mostly. A decidedly different demographic. So, it doesn't surprise me that they were the first in professional sports to do this in the US... granted European football (soccer) teams are light years ahead, although not perfect.

[joeybee12]

5. KNR...that is still so sad about Brendan Burke...

He was only 20, I think.