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Sharp writing in story on NBA executive coming out

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by inthesuburbs, May 15, 2011.

  1. dooley_womack1

    dooley_womack1 Well-Known Member

    It really wasn't played as breaking news; it wasn't meant to be the story shockey wants. As an account of life in the closet in an often homophobic demimonde, I thought it worked
     
  2. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    That is odd that everything would be hand-delivered. Also in this light, it's interesting that the reporter is not from the sports department or anyone who would seem at first blush to have a connection. Maybe he has another way of knowing Welts, or maybe this was forum-shopping by a group.

    For a few years now everyone has been predicting that a major team sport athlete would come out, which is the one story that's going to send the issue to nuclear status. I think every outlet is positioning itself to try to be the one that gets that story, and proving to be good partners in stories like this is done with that ultimate goal in mind.
     
  3. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    If ESPN gets it, hopefully they don't arrange a press conference at The West Village Boys club.
     
  4. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    That is strong, Boom.
     
  5. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Interesting. I didn't catch that the author wasn't from the sports department.

    Where did it run in the paper, does anyone know? (And, if it ran in sports, how does that work when it's not written by a sports reporter?)

    My problem with the idea that they're trying to show themselves as good partners is that it makes them on par with Entertainment Weekly and People Magazine. That's not how the Times should be positioning itself.
     
  6. Reuben Frank

    Reuben Frank Member

    Dana's story is superb. She handled the complexity of Will's relationship with his dad beautifully. Wonderful piece of work.
     
  7. shockey

    shockey Active Member

    that's the goal. and i certainly hope there'll be a time when a star athlete wouldn't have to worry about being outed because it's no longer an issue.

    will that happen in my lifetime? i don't think so. i'm pretty sure some players will be outed, but fear the public reaction to it will only keep it sports 'secret list' and the outing of a player will continue to be a big story... sadly.
     
  8. gingerbread

    gingerbread Well-Known Member

    A CNN anchor (no, not that one) also used the NY Times Sunday to announce he's gay.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/16/don-lemon-comes-out-cnn-anchor-gay_n_862308.html

    The only sentence that struck me in the piece about Welts was this one. Thought it should have read "miss dance classes ..." but then I realized maybe it was just missing a comma.

    His growing responsibilities with the Sonics allowed him to miss class dances and other awkward obligations, but even alone, he felt out of place.
     
  9. 21

    21 Well-Known Member

    Saw that, although it was common knowledge among his colleagues. Still, it made me wonder if all of these announcements are a great sign that more people are finally getting over the stigma, and just don't care.
     
  10. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    Maybe it has to do with the end of the world on May 21
     
  11. zagoshe

    zagoshe Well-Known Member

    Actually, we HAVE yawned at this story and the story about the Villanova guy and every other story like this since Doogie Howser and Ellen were on the front of People making the same declarations.....

    And the reason is simple - because WE DON'T CARE.

    And more importantly, all of these stories are so orchestrated and receive so much cheerleading by the people pushing them - who have an obvious agenda - that they might as well be press releases for other gay rights movement because there is very little actual journalism going on and every one of them is written from the left-wing, liberal agenda's perspective.

    And in each one, you can actually read between the lines that there is this whole group, waiting, hoping, just praying that one of these famous male professional athletes comes out so their lifestyle can somehow be validated, as if they need are still looking for a champion for their cause, even though Freddie Mercury started declaring championships for the gay rights people in 1977.

    This is indeed a yawn of a story and here is another reason we know this - nobody is talking about it.

    And here is one other thing that nobody wants to talk about - the story is supposed to be that the sporting culture is a bastion of homophobia and evil bigots, yet in this story it is very clear that Welts gayness was not a secret among all of his peers and even players, yet he was well respected, very well liked and never had an issue getting to the top.

    And then, in the Villanova kid story, he told his roommate during his freshman year that he was gay and his roommate was one of his teammates, yet his roommate was and still is his best friend and many of his other teammates and players around philadelphia knew, and yet they didn't hang him, didn't treat him like crap, didn't threaten his life - didn't do all those things we're told the homophobic macho athletes will do to gays in the locker room.

    So in short, perhaps it is time for those pushing this agenda to admit the bogeyman they've created in the sports culture doesn't really exist to the extent they'd like us all to believe.

    Again, a non-story.
     
  12. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    NY Post has story today. Welts went to PR agency first.

    http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/gay_exec_learn_from_kobe_slur_qj1VuH6rzWQioMr3tkhYlM
     
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