I don't own an NFL team so why does my opinion matter? That's like me saying there is a hurricane coming and you saying I hope you agree hurricanes are a bad thing. I'm just telling you what the situation is on the ground.
That's just sort of a lame argument. We're allowed to have opinions and beliefs about things we don't directly control. Would you say the same thing if a baseball team refused to hire black players?
Ummm... and how would a baseball team hiring a black player be a media circus in 2014? Also what you fail to realize is we are allowed to not have opinions on things we don't control.
But, what if it was? There's something called doing what's right, which is not discriminating in the basis of race or sexual orientation. A business should practice non-discrimination, whether it benefits them or not. If I'm a business that operates in a really prejudiced, racist town, I can't decide not to hire a black person because I'm worried that people will react badly to their race. This is the same principle. So, are you against employment discrimination legislation for race as well as sexual orientation? Being against any regulation or public condemnation of discrimination isn't having no position.
I thought it was very odd for someone to come out of the closet at this juncture. It doesn't seem like the best career move. But it doesn't seem like it was his choice.
That's why he's being brave and doing something good for society.
So because it wasn't his choice it's "brave." I don't follow. Read the story. He quite clearly says he felt he was going to get outed and he wanted to get out and take control of his story. I read nothing that indicates he did this by choice. Sounds to me if he had a choice he would have put it off till later.
You're conflating two different things. He made this decision to come out on his terms. But, before that he decided to come out to a smaller number of people and to start having sexual relations with men. Once he did that, he was worried that people would out him. At every level it was his decision, but once he did the first two things, the public statement was a natural step. He wanted to have agency in letting the world know. But, the decision to make a public statement and deal with the scrutiny was brave. That's not inconsistent with the fact that living as a gay man but being in the closet is risky and he was therefore under some pressure.
Let's clarify this: You're the one saying he should have hid his sexual orientation and kept his life a secret from his friends and family. My position is that it was totally up to him to decide when to come out, but it was a good thing for him because now he's out of the closet which is a great thing in its own right and he's a role model and a brave person for taking on homophobia and the media circus. At the same time, it's difficult to date a man, go to gay bars and live as a gay man while you're in the closet, especially as a public figure like a pro athlete. So, he was under pressure to come out, but it doesn't diminish what he did.