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That was more or less my thoughts, too. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt that he doesn't necessarily want the spotlight but the money is going to be hard to turn down.stlouie_lipp wrote:I think he's realizing that he can really cash in with this. Can't say I really blame him. There are no guarantees that he'll make much money playing football.
ghostrunner wrote:Perhaps as a person who has felt it necessary to hide in the past, he thinks there is value to others in announcing it publicly.
trill wrote:Perhaps he wants to show young kids who may be ashamed of who they are that they don't have to be. Perhaps he wants to be part of the slow destruction of stereotypes that cast gay men as effeminate and not potent athletes. Perhaps he just wants to be famous. Probably not, but it's possible though I don't see why anyone would rush to believe anyone would have wrong intentions for just being themselves.
Transmogrified Tiger wrote:- Depending on how he lived before that time, it might be disingenuous to just start "living his life" without calling attention to the fact that he's gay. It's not a trivial thing, and making sure everyone in his immediate circle is aware of it might require some sort of formal announcement to best communicate that change. Coming out isn't a thing because it's attention seeking, it's a thing because it's important in people around you understanding why "living your life" now means something very different.
- Athletes at high levels that have come out in any way are extraordinarily rare, for a multitude of reasons that aren't terribly important to this specific point. As a result, a high level athlete being gay is going to garner a lot of attention.
- Because of those two things, it simply makes practical sense to make that announcement and speak to the media hungry for that story in one step. It also allows to better control the story itself, and has the previously discussed side benefits of being an example to others.
I'm sure both Sam and Gordon wish that such an announcement were so trivial that it didn't make sense to publicize it or potentially come off as attention seeking. But until there's many more like them in high level sports, that day isn't here yet.