Two members of 1993 Oilers were gay; teammat knew, didn’t re | HBCU Sports Foms

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• THE NFL'S BEEN OKAY WH GAY PLAYERS FOR 20 YEARS? YEAH RIGHT
• 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
• TWO MEMBERS OF 1993 OILERS WERE GAY; TEAMMAT KNEW, DIDN’T RE
• WARREN MOON HAD SEVERAL GAY TEAMMAT, SAYS IT WAS NOT AN ISSUE
• HALL OF FAME QUARTERBACK WARREN MOON SAYS HE PLAYED WH GAY TEAMMAT
• LEADG RSIAN ACTOR ON GAYS: ‘I'D BURN THEM ALL ALIVE OVENS’

THE NFL'S BEEN OKAY WH GAY PLAYERS FOR 20 YEARS? YEAH RIGHT

Former Hoton Oilers players says the 1993 roster was okay wh two spected gay teammat, but their ments aren't as supportive as they've been ma to Hoton Oilers 1994. (AP / Lynn Sladky)The Hoton Chronicle ran a 9, 000-word oral history of the 1993 Hoton Oilers last week, and ments om former players Lamar Lathon and Bubba McDowell regardg gay teammat, a ty part of the story, garnered the most attentn om natnal the Chronicle:McDowell: “Everybody knew certa guys [were gay].

”As more and more retired athlet have e out recent years, homosexualy and spots has bee a high-profile topic lately. Sce this story surfaced, Lathon’s and McDowell’s ments have been ced as support for the ia that NFL might be ready for openly gay players.

Sports, for example, led s verage by sayg “The topic of whether a gay player would be accepted a NFL locker room is probably overblown.

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

”Remend ReadgWhile that seems to be the general takeaway om the Chronicle piece, some have treated as a evince that locker rooms have been reasonably iendly environments for gay players for two s.

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

The New York Daily News opened s story, “The qutn of whether the NFL is ready for a gay player was already answered 20 years ago. The language ed—vague ments alludg to tchg them the proverbial closet durg hotel stays and lunch breaks, and most of the team knowg “thgs were not exactly right”—tells a different story, one where homosexualy was kd of, sort of, but not exactly, okay.

It sounds like beg gay was only excable bee was kept somewhat secret and bee those guys were beasts on the that Lathon and McDowell are the only players quoted, we don’t really get a full picture of what happened. Still, if the ments are te—that generally no big issu arose om havg (somewhat closeted) gay players the locker room, uld shed light on what might be like for the first active player who cis to e the ments om another member of that 1993 Oilers team offers a different visn of what life might have been like for a gay player the ‘90s, and by extensn, what uld look like today.

WARREN MOON HAD SEVERAL GAY TEAMMAT, SAYS IT WAS NOT AN ISSUE

For years, Ernt Givs, a two-time Pro-Bowl receiver, was acced of beg gay. But when you start stereotypg athlet, start puttg that gay thg on them, that hurts more than anythg.

Regardls of whether he was one of the athlet McDowell and Lathon were talkg about, he pated a much bleaker picture of what was like to be a (actual or imaged) gay football player at the time: Beg a crimal and puttg liv at risk was more acceptable than lovg another Lathon’s and McDowell’s ments aren’t proof that the NFL has been ready for gay players for 20 years. They’re, at bt, jt another remr of how far the NFL, and profsnal sports general, still has to go when to acceptg gay was always slightly ahead of the tim when me to social progrs, and many ways has been a platform for men and women to break racial and cultural barriers before those barriers were broken wir society. But, at a time when 18 stat have legalized gay marriage, and when we have openly gay teachers, rporate CEOs, and policians, sports is, perhaps for the first time, behd the rt of the culture the move towards openns and one of the four major US sports has an openly gay athlete currently playg.

HALL OF FAME QUARTERBACK WARREN MOON SAYS HE PLAYED WH GAY TEAMMAT

Rhos, who ni he’s gay, has explibly found himself out of the league, and ’s hard to image ’s bee of lack of talent—he’s one of the bt the Febary, San Francis 49ers rnerback Chris Culliver was wily cricized for makg homophobic ments, sayg “a’t got no gay people on the team. ”The cricism of Culliver pots toward the league’s movement away om s former reputatn as a bastn of homophobia.

Culliver’s “sweet stuff” ments show the root of the difficulty for gay athlet: Too many people are stuck on the ridiculo notn that toughns (or weakns) directly rrponds to sexual orientatn. He hasn’t played a game sce October, and ’s unclear whether he’ll ever take the field a sport nsired to be Ameri’s apex of manls, where masculy n be seen as directly rrelated wh sexual orientatn, ’s not surprisg that gay players rema reluctant to speak up, pecially when uld mean their job.

“Thgs were not exactly right, ” was how Lathon phrased his spicn that those two players back ’93 were gay, but he might as well have been talkg about the league self—then and now. 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 .

LEADG RSIAN ACTOR ON GAYS: ‘I'D BURN THEM ALL ALIVE OVENS’

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. Wh the past few weeks, one NFL star addrsed his teammat to bat whispers that he's gay or bisexual.

Kramer - Is beg gay one of the worst thgs that uld be said about an athlete? Kramer - If somebody said Ernt Givens h his girliend, wouldn't be as bad as somebody sayg Ernt Givens is gay?