So former NBA baller, Big John Amaechi is gay. Run for the hills! The major new media outlets in this country were expecting, perhaps even hoping, that John Amaechi's coming out revelation would generate all sorts of controversy. But upon soliciting comments from current and former NBA players, did they have some big, controversial story on their hands? Absolutely not. Instead, we find that most players could care less (Charles Barkley, Tracy McGrady). Of course, there will always be a few ignorant reactions or oddball comments about trust issues amongst teammates (LeBron James).
But more importantly, the anticipatory coverage of this issue only seems to further implicate major news media as an aging, bigoted behemoth that has completely lost touch with the younger generation of America. Generations X-Y-Z, which includes most professional athletes, grew up in a world entirely more tolerant and open-minded than their generational predecessors. That's not to say racist and homophobia don't exist, but we've certainly come along way.
If big news media want to investigate the issues of homosexuality in sports, they should also point the finger at themselves and report about the complexities facing gay and lesbian news reporters. The major network television news studios share just as much of a locker-room mentality as sports teams, minus the showering.
Most younger Americans are simply not enamored by the whole "gay athlete" sensationalist news coverage. But once the media has drained every last drop of news from the John Amaechi sponge, they will predictably turn their coverage to gay athletes in all sports. Perhaps then, someone will finally notice the WNBA.
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