Amaechi’s revelation won't change much

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I have no doubt Stern wishes that were so. But I know he’s fibbing. First of all, if “Have you got game?” is the most frequently asked question in the NBA, then the Boston Celtics would only have about three guys on their roster.

Stern is smart enough to say that, but way too smart to ever believe it.

The climate doesn’t seem ideal for gays and lesbians in the United States these days, what with the denial of partner benefits, a refusal to take them into the armed services even though recruiting is down, etc. That’s why the Snickers controversy seems so absurd. You would think there’d be more important battles to put effort into than a commercial that pokes fun at two apparently straight men who inadvertently kiss.

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Into that atmosphere comes Amaechi’s disclosure, which simply serves to identify the barriers in place for gays and lesbians rather than help to bring them down.

If a current player came out today, he would have a much bigger problem gaining acceptance than someone who came out in another profession, simply because the culture of athletics contains a more virulent strain of intolerance than the type that exists in everyday circles.

Athletes are conditioned to believe they are the epitomes of the human male. Part of that equation involves a commitment to heterosexuality that is often so ardent that in many cases it manifests itself in promiscuity. Given statistics, it only stands to reason that a small percentage of professional athletes are indeed homosexual. But if one were to reveal himself as being gay, it would cause consternation among his less-than-enlightened teammates.

Naturally, that wouldn’t be the case with every heterosexual athlete. Many of them might not care at all. Many others might shrug and declare that someone’s private life should be just that.

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But for most, especially young men in their 20s, a gay teammate would be a target of ridicule and maybe even harassment — at least initially. In a perfect world, a gay player would come out, endure his share of jokes, heckling and ugliness, ride it out, and then wait until everyone around him realizes that his sexuality is a small part of who he is, that it’s none of anyone else’s business anyway, and maybe the real priority for any professional athlete is to do what one is paid to do. Such a scenario would require one incredibly courageous individual.

Amaechi’s book is yet another example that we don’t live in a perfect world. He was a journeyman player who probably didn’t feel during his pro career that his job was secure enough for him to serve as a test case. So he kept quiet and waited until he had moved on to become the British TV personality and basketball entrepreneur overseas that he is today before announcing that he is gay.

That’s fine. In fact, that’s more than fine. It’s his right to announce his personal business whenever he wants to.

But it’s not news.

The news will come when sports and homosexuality are linked by something more significant and far-reaching than a former player or a Snickers bar.

Michael Ventre writes regularly for MSNBC.com and is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.

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