Falcons’ “gender-based” questions may have been “widespread”

[gmf1369]

The Falcons apologized on Friday for asking Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple whether he “likes men.” The Falcons may need to be issuing more apologies.

D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Falcons’ behavior was not isolated to Apple.

“A few players told me the Falcons were asking gender questions,” an unnamed source told Ledbetter under a headline indicating that the practice may have been widespread. “After [Michael] Sam and the Jonathan Martin situation, teams want to be careful.”

The explanation is confusing. It almost sounds like an effort to justify what happened. If so, someone may now need to try to justify the effort at justification.

What are teams being “careful” about in the wake of Michael Sam and Jonathan Martin? Avoiding the possibility of accidentally drafting a homosexual? Or simply knowing whether they are? (If that’s the case, leave it to football coaches to think that directly asking “do you like men?” will crack the case.)

And how does Jonathan Martin even factor into this one? Is it a concession that, because he was not regarded as being “tough” by some teammates, he is widely regarded within the football community as being gay?

The NFL, which issued a statement on Friday describing the question to Apple as “disappointing” and “clearly inappropriate,” had nothing to add when asked by Ledbetter for a response to the possibility that Apple wasn’t the only one who was asked “disappointing” and “clearly inappropriate” questions. Whatever the league does, it needs to be more effective than anything the league has done in the past, because Ledbetter’s report speaks to a mindset that no memo issued or training provided by the league is going to easily eradicate from the NFL.

 

[BlindsideD'Brick]

This is unbelievable. I understand thorough background checks from a team perspective. But asking a young man if he's gay is inexcusable. What century are we in?

And asking about your mother participating in prostitution is pretty abhorrent, too.

 

[SackExchange]

Remember, the Jets could have waited and hired Dan Quinn. This could have been us, and the public outcry would have been enormous.

 

[mykcuz]

This is unbelievable. I understand thorough background checks from a team perspective. But asking a young man if he's gay is inexcusable. What century are we in?

And asking about your mother participating in prostitution is pretty abhorrent, too.

Maybe they wanted to see his reaction. As a pro, the press asks all types of gotcha garbage questions. Maybe the coaches are exploring how kids respond to personnel questions. I'm sure he's not on a mission to avoid any gay players in Atlanta.

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[BlindsideD'Brick]

Maybe they wanted to see his reaction. As a pro, the press asks all types of gotcha garbage questions. Maybe the coaches are exploring how kids respond to personnel questions. I'm sure he's not on a mission to avoid any gay players in Atlanta.

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It may very well be that the team wanted to avoid a homophobic player, based on his reaction to the question. And from that angle, I get it. If the player says "hell no I'm not gay!!", it can reveal something about his personality, i.e. Intolerance.

But generally speaking, there is no doubt that a certain percentage of the league is gay. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt. A person's sexual preference should have no bearing on his standing in this league. It's complete BS that any NFL team should consider that criteria as important in drafting a player.

I understand that some people are uncomfortable with it. Even today. But it's still unacceptable.

 

[Mugatu]

Maybe they wanted to see his reaction. As a pro, the press asks all types of gotcha garbage questions. Maybe the coaches are exploring how kids respond to personnel questions. I'm sure he's not on a mission to avoid any gay players in Atlanta.

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I seriously doubt this.

That isn't a question the press would ask, so why use it as a "gotcha"???

I am quite sure that it's simply a team looking to avoid any headaches that they associate with having a gay player on their roster

 

[TebowCan'tThrow]

This is a pretty ridiculous story. You can't ask anything in this country anymore without some faction of it being offended.

 

[jetgreen13]

It may very well be that the team wanted to avoid a homophobic player, based on his reaction to the question. And from that angle, I get it. If the player says "hell no I'm not gay!!", it can reveal something about his personality, i.e. Intolerance.

But generally speaking, there is no doubt that a certain percentage of the league is gay. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt. A person's sexual preference should have no bearing on his standing in this league. It's complete BS that any NFL team should consider that criteria as important in drafting a player.

I understand that some people are uncomfortable with it. Even today. But it's still unacceptable.

agreed.. completely unprofessional line of questioning.. & you're absolutely right that a percentage of the NFL is gay.. at least the law of averages says as much..

NE's QB has been accused of being gay on jet message boards for years but that has nothing to do with my disdain for him.. frankly it's non of my/our business what his sexual preference is so long as we are talking about consenting adults..

 

[Elias]

Unreal. Just got around to reading this. These questions are so unnecessary. it's 2016, gay players exist and I am not so sure the fans care or anyone cares for that matter. It's what you do on the field.

 

[mykcuz]

I seriously doubt this.

That isn't a question the press would ask, so why use it as a "gotcha"???

I am quite sure that it's simply a team looking to avoid any headaches that they associate with having a gay player on their roster

I didn't say the press would ask this question, just that maybe Atlanta felt the need to ask surprising questions of draftees to judge how they would respond to the a hole press Corp.

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[mykcuz]

It may very well be that the team wanted to avoid a homophobic player, based on his reaction to the question. And from that angle, I get it. If the player says "hell no I'm not gay!!", it can reveal something about his personality, i.e. Intolerance.

But generally speaking, there is no doubt that a certain percentage of the league is gay. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt. A person's sexual preference should have no bearing on his standing in this league. It's complete BS that any NFL team should consider that criteria as important in drafting a player.

I understand that some people are uncomfortable with it. Even today. But it's still unacceptable.

There's nothing more provocative than asking a macho gym rat if he's gay.

I don't know, I'm not the sensitive type, so this doesn't bother me.
Atlanta:are you gay?
Player: not your business.
End of story.

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[Mugatu]

I think it's worse than asking Dez if his mother was a prostitute....

At least that question was based on some sort of research on his past. It was a horrible question but specific to his case.

It seems like Falcons were the only team using this question to screen potential draftees and using it across the board to determine the sexuality of the potential players.

Not a good look for them.

 

[Mugatu]

I didn't say the press would ask this question, just that maybe Atlanta felt the need to ask surprising questions of draftees to judge how they would respond to the a hole press Corp.

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Not sure why you're stretching to find excuses for the Falcons asking such an inappropriate question.

 

[Mugatu]

I guess these teams are going to force the NFL into having a monitor in the room during interviews at the combine. Or the NFL will eventually supply a pre determined list of canned questions that will be the only ones that teams ask.

One bad apple alway ruins it for everyone.

 

[mykcuz]

Not sure why you're stretching to find excuses for the Falcons asking such an inappropriate question.

Not sure I'm stretching anything. I doubt the falcon administration is anti gay. Instead of being reactionary, I think what reason would someone have to justify went the wanted to ask the question.

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[Mainejet]

I see nothing to connect this to football and whether or not a team should draft said player. It has no relevance whatsoever.

 

[SackExchange]

This is a pretty ridiculous story. You can't ask anything in this country anymore without some faction of it being offended.

It's a pretty offensive question, considering sexual orientation is irrelevant to playing football.

 

[TebowCan'tThrow]

It's a pretty offensive question, considering sexual orientation is irrelevant to playing football.

I guess I just don't care. It's your team so ask whatever you want.


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[SackExchange]

I guess I just don't care. It's your team so ask whatever you want.


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Well, it's your team, but if these are essentially job interviews, you are theoretically bound by certain laws of what you can and cannot ask.

A company's owner can't just ask any questions in a job interview.

 

[TebowCan'tThrow]

Well, it's your team, but if these are essentially job interviews, you are theoretically bound by certain laws of what you can and cannot ask.

A company's owner can't just ask any questions in a job interview.

So am I allowed to ask if someone is a child molester or is that offensive to pedophiles?? I know I'm being difficult here, but I'm just trying to make a point that people are so sensitive nowadays.