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Reuben glo Oscar said:
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
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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.
 
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joeblowfl said:
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.
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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.
 
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johnjohnston said:
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.
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Not aware of any paying endorsements Carl Nassib received after coming out. Point is it will probably hurt your career if you are in the public eye more than help by coming out. Sad but true.
 
joeblowfl said:
Not aware of any paying endorsements Carl Nassib received after coming out. Point is it will probably hurt your career if you are in the public eye more than help by coming out. Sad but true.
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You specifically mentioned brand deals/endorsements. If that’s your focus as a tennis player and you’re a consistent top 50 player or even consistent top 100 player then, no, being “out” will not hurt your money making opportunities. There are a lot of companies waiting to give unabashedly out, relevant male athletes money. In many cases, being “out” would help their money making opportunities.

Homophobia, identity, image, being “out”, people’s lifestyles and family dynamics and psychology, sports sociology, financial opportunities, the male ego, sexual dimensions, the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, commitment spectrum- they’re all more complicated and individual than that. So, trying to make it mostly about brand deals is not only simplifying things but also in many cases, it’s just not true.
 
johnjohnston said:
You specifically mentioned brand deals/endorsements. If that’s your focus as a tennis player and you’re a consistent top 50 player or even consistent top 100 player then, no, being “out” will not hurt your money making opportunities. There are a lot of companies waiting to give unabashedly out, relevant male athletes money. In many cases, being “out” would help their money making opportunities.

Homophobia, identity, image, being “out”, people’s lifestyles and family dynamics and psychology, sports sociology, financial opportunities, the male ego, sexual dimensions, the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, commitment spectrum- they’re all more complicated and individual than that. So, trying to make it mostly about brand deals is not only simplifying things but also in many cases, it’s just not true.
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Ok, 100% disagree. Unless they are a secret Carl Nassib has earned no $$ other than football salary and bonuses since coming out. He has made several endorsements but none that pay him. I responded with my opinion about someone stating coming out would get you more endorsements. I think that is proven to be completely false. I also think all the other things you mentioned can still hurt public figures especially athletes the most more than help them.
 
Martina Navratilova is on record as saying in all her time in the game while many other female players have come out not one single male player has ever confided in her or come out.
my feeling is homophobia is all about straight guys getting naked in the showers or changing rooms with a guy who is gay fear they might find themselves interested and unable to say no. For crying out loud before Christianity, homosexuality or at least bisexuality amongst young men was the norm. I've only ever met one truly heterosexual guy in my entire 60 years, a guy who really only liked women, even as friends, didn't have even one male friend. If a guy has a really close male friend he's displaying a gay side of himself even if he doesn't have sex with him. Time religion and heterosexuals got over themselves. Not all gay guys want to have sex with every man they meet. And don't forget religious nuts both Jesus and the Prophet surrounded themselves with young male followers! and the sin of Sodom was the terrible inhospitality and unwelcoming attitude they had towards strangers, nothing sexual at all.
 
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