'93 Oilers say team had gay teammat, was 'no big al'

1993 oilers gay teammates

The qutn of whether the NFL is ready for a gay player was already answered 20 years ago. Two members of the 1993 Hoton Oilers were not only gay but accepted whout any problems by their teammat, former players told the Hoton Chronicle.

Contents:

1993 HOTON OILERS HAD AT LEAST 2 GAY PLAYERS AND IT WAS 'NO BIG DEAL' ACRDG TO FORMER TEAMMAT

1993 Oilers Remember Playg Wh 'Unbelievable' Gay Teammat * 1993 oilers gay teammates *

Acrdg to former Oilers players who spoke wh the Hoton Chronicle, the team had at least two gay players who were accepted and valued members of the team. ”CLICK HERE for the oral history of the Hoton Oilers' 1993 SeasonNearly 20 years after the '93 Oilers roller aster season end wh a heartbreakg e-om-ahead playoff loss to Joe Montana and the Kansas Cy Chiefs, NBA center Jason Colls beme the first active male player one of the four major North Amerin profsnal team sports leagu to e out as gay.

1993 HOTON OILERS HAD 2 GAY PLAYERS ON ROSTER, FORMER TEAMMAT SAY

The two gay players were accepted as "unbelievable teammat" the locker room, acrdg to a report. * 1993 oilers gay teammates *

Colls' announcement April was followed shortly by Robbie Rogers beg the first openly gay player the MLS May. Although no active NFL player has e out, there is ltle doubt that there are gay players the league.

Punter Chris Kluwe, currently a ee agent, has been an advote for same sex marriage and believ is only a matter of time before an active gay player out.

"As a profsnal football player, whether you know or not, you have played eher wh or agast a gay player, " Kluwe said durg a vis to HuffPost Live June. "Dpe the posive reactns to Colls and Rogers g out and the creased support for equaly om straight players like Kluwe, there are still enough negative, tolerant views exprsed to make the NFL's reads for an openly gay player the subject of ongog bate. Prr to Super Bowl XLVII, San Francis 49ers rnerback Chris Culliver sparked ntroversy by sayg an openly gay player would not be wele on his team.

'93 HOTON OILERS HAD TWO GAY PLAYERS, TEAMMAT SAY

Former Hoton Oilers players say members of their 1993 team were gay and that nobody really red. * 1993 oilers gay teammates *

"I don't do the gay guys man, " Culliver told shock jock Artie Lange durg a rad terview, via Yahoo! No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do.

Although he took a far more open-md view of playg wh a gay teammate, Mnota Vikgs nng back Adrian Peterson has said that aspects would make him "unfortable. "On the topic of takg showers wh teammat known to be gay, former Oilers fensive back Bubba McDowell told the Chronicle was "no big al.

HOTON OILERS HAD AT LEAST TWO GAY PLAYERS, FORMER TEAMMAT {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}LIFEBY DAN AVERYDECEMBER 26, 2013/11:46 PMBY DAN AVERYDECEMBER 26, 2013 / 11:46 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"HOTON OILERS HAD AT LEAST TWO GAY PLAYERS, FORMER TEAMMAT SAY","DATEPUBLISHED":"2013-12-27T04:46:58.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2013-12-27T04:46:58.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"DAN AVERY","ARTICLESECTN":"LIFE"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WE'RE ALL EAGERLY WAG FOR THE PRO-ATHLETE CLOSET TO BE DISMANTLED FOR GOOD, BUT LET'S NOT FET THAT GAY MEN HAVE BEEN QUIETLY PLAYG THE NFL, NBA AND MLB ALL ALONG: MEMBERS OF THE 1993 HOTON OILERS HAVE E FORWARD A RECENT TERVIEW AND STATED THAT AT LEAST TWO TEAMMAT WERE WILY KNOWN TO BE GAY, AND THE TEAM DIDN'T HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WH {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“EVERYBODY THE LOCKER ROOM, THE NSENS KNEW OR HAD AN IA THAT THGS WERE NOT EXACTLY RIGHT," FORMER OILERS LEBACKER LAMAR LATHON TOLD THE HOTON CHRONICLE. "BUT GUS WHAT? WHEN THEY STRAPPED THE PADS ON AND GOT ON THE FIELD, MAN, WE WERE GOG TO WAR WH THE GUYS BEE THEY WERE UNBELIEVABLE.” LATHON LLED THE UNNAMED PLAYERS  "UNBELIEVABLE TEAMMAT" AND SISTG THAT "IF YOU WANTED TO GO TO WAR WH SOMEONE, YOU WOULD GET THOSE GUYS FIRST."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}[PTN ID="ATTACHMENT_137434" ALIGN="ALIGNRIGHT" WIDTH="239"] WARREN MOON WH THE HOTON OILERS. (PHOTO: GETTY IMAG)[/PTN]{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE REVELATN IS ALL THE MORE STUNNG GIVEN THAT THE 1993 OILERS HAVE BEEN LLED THE MOST DYSFUNCTNAL PRO FOOTBALL TEAM NFL HISTORY: THE TEAM HAD A ROCKY START BUT WON 11 STRAIGHT GAM THAT YEAR, THE LONGT THE NFL SCE 1972. BUT THEY LOST ABYSMALLY THE FIRST-ROUND PLAYOFFS TO JOE MONTANA AND THE KANSAS CY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}RUMORS ABOUT THE TUMULTUO TEAM CIRCULATED THE MEDIA AT THE TIME: ERNT GIVENS, WHO PLAYED WH THE OILERS THE 1990S WAS THE SUBJECT OF GAY MORS, BUT NIED THEM TO ESPN 1998. (DEFENSIVE TACKLE JEFF ALM WAS, TOO, WHEN HE MTED SUICI AFTER KILLG HIS BT IEND A DNK-DRIVG ACCINT 1993.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"I KNOW OF A UPLE OF PLAYERS WHO I WON'T MENTN THEIR NAM BEE THEY HAVE NOT MA PUBLIC YET," HALL OF FAMER WARREN MOON ANNOUNCED ON THE VICTOR AND MATT SPORTS PODST 2011. "IT REALLY DON’T BOTHER ME WHAT YOUR SEXUAL PREFERENCE IS AS LONG AS YOU DON’T BRG YOUR SEXUAL PREFERENC TO THE LOCKER ROOM... AS LONG AS YOU'RE G TO THE FOOTBALL TEAM AND BRGG A POSIVE FLUENCE, THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS TO ME."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}DISHMAN ADD THE TWO PLAYERS BEG DISCSED NOW WERE ACPLISHED ON THE FIELD, AND SAID SHOWERG WH THEM WAS  “NO BIG AL.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SO THE LSON IS PRO TEAMS WILL EAGERLY ACCEPT A GAY PLAYER—IF HE'S AN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

Were 2 Members Of The 1993 Oilers Football Team Gay? * 1993 oilers gay teammates *

"Although was apparently "no big al" for the 1993 Oilers to play wh and have rpect for gay teammat, there is one current league executive who reportedly believ the NFL isn't ready to accept a player who publicly me out 2013. "The league office backs the ia of an openly gay player, but one high-rankg league official believ the NFL isn't yet ready for one, " reported Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report November, cg several unnamed sourc. "RelatedsportsNFLnfl-gay-playersBefore You GoBt 2013 Sports PhotosPopular the CommunyYou May Like.

Acrdg to former players, two members of the roster were gay, rmatn that was wily known and accepted by teammat. "Everybody knew certa guys (were gay).

FORMER OILERS SAY TWO PLAYERS ON 1993 TEAM WERE GAY, NOBODY RED

Two players on the 1993 Hoton Oilers were gay, and their teammat knew and didn't re, acrdg to the Hoton Chronicle. * 1993 oilers gay teammates *

In April, 12-year NBA veteran Jason Colls beme the first openly gay active athlete the four major U.

2 MEMBERS OF 1993 OILERS WERE GAY; TEAMMAT KNEW, DIDN'T CARE

The topic of whether a gay player would be accepted a NFL locker room is probably overblown. Players like teammat who n help them w. The rt is trivial. This is shown by the 1993 Hoton Oilers. The Hoton … Contue readg → * 1993 oilers gay teammates *

Robbie Rogers of Major League Soccer beme the first openly gay player to actually participate a U.

There were at least two gay players on the 1993 Hoton Oilers, a team noted for s dramatic eback and subsequent llapse, team members have told the Hoton Chronicle. Members of the NFL team did not name the gay players but said they were accepted by their teammat, the Chronicle reports.

"To date, no active NFL player has e out as gay, and only one active player any major profsnal male team sport has -- NBA center Jason Colls, who is not currently signed wh a 1993 Oilers, the subject of a recent documentary on the NFL Network, were notable for wng 11 nsecutive gam after losg four of their first five the season.

TWO PLAYERS ON THE 1993 HOTON OILERS WERE GAY, AND MOST OF THEIR TEAMMAT DIDN'T CARE

Teammat and team executiv knew about the gay players and everyone got along jt fe. * 1993 oilers gay teammates *

We're all eagerly wag for the pro-athlete closet to be dismantled for good, but let's not fet that gay men have been quietly playg the NFL, NBA and MLB all along: Members of the 1993 Hoton Oilers have e forward a recent terview and stated that at least two teammat were wily known to be gay, and the team didn't have a real problem wh . But they lost abysmally the first-round playoffs to Joe Montana and the Kansas Cy about the tumultuo team circulated the media at the time: Ernt Givens, who played wh the Oilers the 1990s was the subject of gay mors, but nied them to ESPN 1998.

”So the lson is pro teams will eagerly accept a gay player—if he's an MVP. While the topic of gay players on NFL rosters has garnered a great al of attentn over the past few years, is hardly a new issue.

'93 OILERS SAY TEAM HAD GAY TEAMMAT, WAS 'NO BIG AL'

HOUSTON — Long before the qutn of whether the NFL is ready for a gay player, at least two key members of the tumultuo 1993 Hoton Oilers team were gay, former teammat have told the Hoton Chronicle. * 1993 oilers gay teammates *

There are likely gay men playg profsnal football today jt as there were gay men playg profsnal football 20 years ago. Acrdg to a few former players, the 1993 Hoton Oilers had two gay players on their roster and they were not ostracized any way. “Everybody knew certa guys (were gay), ” he said.

Both McDowell and Lathon said that showerg and beg the locker room wh their gay teammat was “no big al. Earlier this year, Vce Lombardi’s dghter claimed that her father worked wh at least five gay men on his 1969 Washgton Redsks team and protected any players or -workers that were discrimated agast. If players and ach were aware that there were gay players locker rooms almost 50 years ago, I’m sure the same is te now.

THE HOTON OILERS HAD TWO (MOSTLY) OPENLY GAY PLAYERS IN 1993

At least two key members of the tumultuo 1993 Hoton Oilers team were gay, former teammat have told the Hoton Chronicle. Not only did the team know about the suatn, but players accepted their gay teammat and did not outst them.

THE 1993 HOTON OILERS HAD AT LEAST TWO GAY PLAYERS, FORMER TEAMMAT SAY

NEWS FLASH: There have been some profsnal athlet the past (other than guys like Jason Colls) who have been gay. But whether you want to believe or not, there have been gay pro athlet—lots and lots of gay pro athlet—that have participated all sports the past.

That "news" is that two members—or, better yet, at least two members—of the 1993 Hoton Oilers were gay. Most of their teammat really didn't re about know all of this bee the Hoton Chronicle is gog to publish a story about the 1993 Hoton Oilers on Sunday—that 1993 team was the team that famoly lost a playoff game to the Buffalo Bills after leadg 28-3 at halftime—and, while nductg terviews for the story, the Chronicle disvered that the '93 Oilers had at least two gay players on the team. ""Everybody knew certa guys [were gay], " former Oilers rnerback Cris Dishman yet, that Oilers team was still credibly hive, still had lots of succs, and is still remembered the Hoton area.

Even though, you know, they had a uple of gay players on the team. (Sibar: We unrstand why hasn't happened, but 's still amazg that, this day and age, there are no openly gay players the NFL.

TWO MEMBERS OF THE 1993 HOTON OILERS WERE GAY, SAY FORMER TEAMMAT

RELATED: Hall of Shame: A Recent History of Homophobia SportsRELATED: A Gay NFL Player Is Reportedly Thkg About Comg Out Soon[via Hoton Chronicle]. They're about to be the news even more, as the Hoton Chronicle is slated to n a story Sunday about a pair of homosexual players that were on the team.

The gay players were scribed as "unbelievable teammat" by former Oilers Pro Bowl lebacker Lamar Lathon, who says that "everybody the locker room... Cornerback Cris Dishman had siar thoughts and lled havg gay teammat "no big al" and said that "everybody knew.

TWO KEY MEMBERS OF THE 1993 HOTON OILERS WERE GAY

"Everybody knew certa guys [were gay], " Dishman said. Two players on the 1993 Hoton Oilers were gay, and their teammat knew and didn't re, acrdg to the Hoton Chronicle. Najee Harris ments on Saquon Barkley and the value of RBsOffEnglishThe Chronicle has a big feature g this Sunday on the 1993 team, but a preview released today, reveals that there were players that "everybody knew" were gay, acrdg to former Pro-Bowler Cris Dishman, but that wasn't an issue the locker room.

Here's the money quote om today's preview:Not only did the team know about the suatn, but players accepted their gay teammat and did not outst them.

REPORT: HOTON OILERS HAD TWO GAY PLAYERS 1993, TEAMMAT DIDN’T RE

Football players n be gay and functn perfectly well wh an NFL locker room. Two members of 1993 Oilers were gay; teammat knew, didn’t re. The topic of whether a gay player would be accepted a NFL locker room is probably overblown.

The Hoton Chronicle ran a tremendo oral history on that wild season and team ('s excellent, check out, as was the NFL Network's "A Football Life" episo on the '93 Oilers), and there's a revelatn that the Oilers had at least two gay nobody thought was a big al. Here are a uple of quot om the Chronicle's story:"Everybody knew certa guys (were gay).

TWO MEMBERS OF 1993 OILERS WERE GAY; TEAMMAT KNEW, DIDN’T RE

”"Listen, those (gay) guys that we’re talkg about were unbelievable teammat, " lebacker Lamar Lathon said. ”To thk that the 1993 Oilers are the only NFL team that had a gay player or two is naive. No active NFL player has e out as gay (the gay players on the '93 Oilers weren't intified), but maybe that's not as much about the locker room as we thk.

TWO PLAYERS OM 1993 OILERS WERE GAY: REPORT

However, what may surprise some is what did not seem to ntribute to the team's wo that year: the prence of two gay players the locker-room whom most, if not all, of the team knew to be gay.

TWO EX-HOTON OILERS WERE GAY AND ACCEPTED BY TEAMMAT, ACRDG TO REPORT

“Everybody knew certa guys (were gay). McDowell echoed Lathon's thoughts, sayg the gay players were highly valued on the field and showerg wh them the locker room was “no big al. At least two members of the famo 1993 Hoton Oilers were gay, and many players on the team knew , acrdg to a report om the Hoton Chronicle.

While I doubt the straight players were marchg on the state pal for LGBT equaly, they had gay teammat, they didn't re, and they saw the teammat as posive ntributors on the field first and foremost. Former Oiler great Warren Moon prevly said he played wh a gay teammate, so there is some rroboratn to this story.

'93 OILERS SAY TEAM HAD GAY TEAMMAT, WAS 'NO BIG AL'

The Oilers beme the Tennsee Tans shortly after that season, and many Tans have exprsed support for their openly gay former teammate, Wa Davis. Jim Mone, AP (File)The 1993 Hoton Oilers team ntaed two gay members, acrdg to the Hoton Chronicle. HOUSTON — Long before the qutn of whether the NFL is ready for an openly gay player, at least two key members of the tumultuo 1993 Hoton Oilers team were gay, former teammat have told the Hoton Chronicle.

TWO MEMBERS OF 1993 OILERS WERE GAY; TEAMMAT KNEW, DIDN’T RE

Smh reports, “but players accepted their gay teammat and did not outst them. The unintified players, who were not “out” publicly to fans, were referred to as “unbelievable teammat’ by former lebacker Lamar Lathon, and former rnerback Cris Dishman said havg gay players the locker room was “no big al. In April, NBA center Jason Colls beme the first active athlete any of the four major pro sports to announce he was gay.

To date, no NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL athlete has ever publicly clared beg gay while playg for a team. Wh the past few weeks, one NFL star addrsed his teammat to bat whispers that he's gay or bisexual.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* 1993 OILERS GAY TEAMMATES

'93 Oilers say team had gay teammat, was 'no big al' .

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