Atlanta Falcons apologize for asking NFL draft prospect if he is gay

[joeybee12]

During an appearance on CSN Philadelphia Friday morning Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple says the Atlanta Falcons asked him a jaw-droppingly offensive question about his sexual orientation at the NFL scouting combine.

“The Falcons coach, one of the coaches, was like, ‘So do you like men?’ It was like the first thing he asked me. It was weird. I was just like, ‘no.’ He was like, ‘if you’re going to come to Atlanta, sometimes that’s how it is around here, you’re going to have to get used to it.’ I guess he was joking but they just ask most of these questions to see how you’re going to react.”

Let’s take a minute to unpack everything wrong in this scenario. First off, it’s strictly against league policy to ask draft prospects about their sexual orientation.

As shocking as that is, the Falcons coach then followed it up with a thinly veiled homophobic statement about things just being that way in Atlanta.

To the team’s credit Falcons head coach Dan Quinn quickly issued an apology.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/03/atlanta-falcons-eli-apple-do-you-like-men

[KamaAina]

1. "a thinly veiled homophobic statement about things just being that way in Atlanta."

News flash: Atlanta is among the most LGBT-friendly cities in the land. To be sure, things are different "outside the Perimeter" (the ATL's version of a beltway), but in the city itself? That dog won't hunt.

[joeybee12]

2. He asked it and then followed implying that there was

something wrong with being gay-friendly.

[KamaAina]

3. Then again, the Falcons' complex is in Gainesville, well outside the Perimeter

about as far from the ATL as Santa Clara is from SF, actually.

[joeybee12]

4. In a way this doesn't matter...

The Falcons will stink again this year!

[KamaAina]

5. Actually, their recent history has been kind of up and down

Sort of like the baseball Giants, they have a way of following up a clunker like last year with a playoff season, although it would almost certainly be a wild card unless the Panthers completely choke it away!

[joeybee12]

6. True, but I think last year will be the norm for a while...nt