Pro tennis players

[johnjohnston]

Key word is today. Martina Navratilova lost millions in endorsements in the 80s and early nineties. Closer to now, Michael Sam, who in college football was named defensive player of the year during his last year at Mizzou. He went up for the NFL draft and was chosen LAST. Remember he was the defensive player of the year in all of college football so the man could play, but he came out in college and he’s been on a couple of pro football practice teams. Practice teams don’t play in real games and certainly don’t make the millions that such a highly respected player should have made. He has still never made the money or make an official team when nearly all football analysts agree that had he not come out he’d probably be making millions and playing every Sunday. He played in the Canadian for a minute but he should be in the NFL making tens of millions in salary and endorsements. But he’s not and we know why. He was incredibly brave but paid a very high, homophobic price. Things are improving but it’s just not yet true that in the big 5 professional us league sports that coming out actually makes more money or gets more endorsements. Ask Michael Sam

A loss of endorsement deals probably has little to do with anything nowadays. It’s more about being worried about traveling in overtly homophobic/anti-queer countries. And while players talk a big game to the press, there’s the fear of being ostracized by a percentage of players. You also have whether you come from a religious or hetero expectations driven family. You also have internalized phobia, toxic masculinity, making sure you’re seen as a “real man”. Then there’s potentially dealing with dimensions or fluidity or contractions or not really being confident in where you are in the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, commitment spectrum, which can make it difficult to be confident in your sense of self and how you present yourself to others. Then there’s the fear of being “out” eating up your whole image and being what you become most known for.

Just like when it comes to non public figures, there’s a lot of reasons why athletes stay closeted or simply don’t express their queerness publicly.

 

[RobRossiFan]

Marcos was playing in short tee all match so it never covered his butt

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highlights from 1st round
can he put it on all the time with that white tight shorts.

 

[aus1989]

A loss of endorsement deals probably has little to do with anything nowadays. It’s more about being worried about traveling in overtly homophobic/anti-queer countries. And while players talk a big game to the press, there’s the fear of being ostracized by a percentage of players. You also have whether you come from a religious or hetero expectations driven family. You also have internalized phobia, toxic masculinity, making sure you’re seen as a “real man”. Then there’s potentially dealing with dimensions or fluidity or contractions or not really being confident in where you are in the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, commitment spectrum, which can make it difficult to be confident in your sense of self and how you present yourself to others. Then there’s the fear of being “out” eating up your whole image and being what you become most known for.

Just like when it comes to non public figures, there’s a lot of reasons why athletes stay closeted or simply don’t express their queerness publicly.

Yeah... i think the "friendly face" that gets put on the tennis tour is all well and good with what... maybe 5-10 men out of the top 100 who have been willing to say they would hypothetically support a gay male player (which is not exactly an impressive number) and yeah... a ton of players are homophobic, doesn't take much to notice the deafening silence from players when Rune (who is young and going to be on tour for a long time to come) and Fognini used the F slur. but the reason there might actually not be a gay player in the top 100... is more likely at the Futures and Challenger level where you're going even more off the beaten path than the ATP Tour would dream of ... I sincerely doubt any of the "support" is the case - so a ton of of gay players are probably not even getting to the ATP level or being driven out in the juniors through bullying, homophobic environments, tournament staff, coaches etc...

Also the tennis fan base (especially online) is toxic af and I doubt it would be a good experience

 

[Kell_yyyy]

Fabien Reboul
PM me if you are up for trade

 

[ptb2018]

Retired player Jan Michael Gambill. Highest rank #14. Homophobia and loss of endorsements keep many esp gay male players from coming out during their active career. View attachment 93311151

Lucky Malek.

 

[alecara]

Lucky Malek.

both are lucky, wouldn't mind to spy them on bed

 

[slowburner]

Hot shot of Maxime Cressy

 

[ZacJ20]

Marcos was playing in short tee all match so it never covered his butt

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highlights from 1st round
can he put it on all the time with that white tight shorts.

Incredible

 

[ZacJ20]

Imagine if they still wore shorts like this?!

 

[slowburner]

Imagine if they still wore shorts like this?!


View attachment 93455111

I and others on here have thought about that too. Zac

OMG. Please bring these shorts back! Can you imagine Rafa in a pair of those? This illustration helps
View attachment 76283311View attachment 76283321

 

[ZacJ20]

I and others on here have thought about that too. Zac

It would be pornographic lol

 

[Ponyboyneyney]

to me, he has a lot of homophobic frat boy energy

What implies homophobic? Y'all need to get over your victim complex

 

[Low]

Recently bumped across this photo of Nole in Rome last year…

All I can say is that daddy’s packing

 

[Brittain02]

What implies homophobic? Y'all need to get over your victim complex

Ah yes b/c gays are doing so well throughout the world.

 

[RobRossiFan]

Sabotaged by rains Houston still has one 1st round match undone and full 2nd round on friday
this is crazy - I'm going to record Marcos next match
I cannot miss his next bootylicious bumburner

 

[ptb2018]

It would be pornographic lol

Remember Ivan Lendl? Hardly seemed to be wearing shorts so tiny were they.

 

[slowburner]

Remember Ivan Lendl? Hardly seemed to be wearing shorts so tiny were they.

 

[ZacJ20]

That's what they should be wearing

 

[joeblowfl]

Key word is today. Martina Navratilova lost millions in endorsements in the 80s and early nineties. Closer to now, Michael Sam, who in college football was named defensive player of the year during his last year at Mizzou. He went up for the NFL draft and was chosen LAST. Remember he was the defensive player of the year in all of college football so the man could play, but he came out in college and he’s been on a couple of pro football practice teams. Practice teams don’t play in real games and certainly don’t make the millions that such a highly respected player should have made. He has still never made the money or make an official team when nearly all football analysts agree that had he not come out he’d probably be making millions and playing every Sunday. He played in the Canadian for a minute but he should be in the NFL making tens of millions in salary and endorsements. But he’s not and we know why. He was incredibly brave but paid a very high, homophobic price. Things are improving but it’s just not yet true that in the big 5 professional us league sports that coming out actually makes more money or gets more endorsements. Ask Michael Sam

The ultra homophobic Tony Dungy (ex NFL coach and current broadcaster) to this day spouts vile anti-gay and trans rhetoric in social media and interviews with no consequences. Unless you're a top ten player unfortunately coming out is probably going to hinder endorsements.

 

[johnjohnston]

The ultra homophobic Tony Dungy (ex NFL coach and current broadcaster) to this day spouts vile anti-gay and trans rhetoric in social media and interviews with no consequences. Unless you're a top ten player unfortunately coming out is probably going to hinder endorsements.

Most of those players don’t get substantial, big money brand deals anyways. While being currently on tour unabashedly queer guy will likely get you some brand deals in and of itself. We saw that with Carl Nassib. No one knew him. Once he “came out” he got endorsements. If your primary focus is brand deals and/or notoriety, being unabashedly queer would assist with that not hurt. As long as you legitimize your sports career first, you can leverage “coming out”/your queerness to make more money.

That’s why I say being “out” for atheletes (especially male athletes) is way more complicated than being worried about “brand deals”. That’s an aspect that has legit changed in the past decade. A lot of guys simply don’t want to be the “gay mascot” on tour or on their team. They don’t want to deal with constant queer questions. They don’t want that to be what they’re known for. They don’t want people questioning their masculinity. A lot of it is basic male ego, male sociology and masculine insecurities. And yes, there’s still worry of hateful comments or potential homophobic confrontations. While there’s likely many male athletes who have queer dimensions but aren’t fully, confidently homosexual and conventionally “gay” and has dealt with questioning, fluidity, paraphiliacs, internalized phobias, uncertainty about their place in the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, commitment spectrum. So, they don’t feel the need to be unabashedly “out”.

Y’all keep trying to make it mostly about “brand deals” when there’s a lot of reasons why guys in general, but particularly male atheletes, are not unabashedly queer during their careers.