Comments on: Gay athletes in sports: why you should care about Brendan Burke http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2010/02/gay-athletes-in-sports-why-you-should-care-about-brendan-burke/ News, Opinions, Arts and Culture | The Nation's LGBTQ News Magazine Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:04:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jerry Pritikin aka The Bleacher Preacher http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2010/02/gay-athletes-in-sports-why-you-should-care-about-brendan-burke/comment-page-1/#comment-929 Jerry Pritikin aka The Bleacher Preacher Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:14:47 +0000 http://www.lgbtqnation.com/?p=5849#comment-929 At 73, I still play softball once a year, for the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association's Senior Cup... and won the Oldest Active Player Award in their Senior Cup Tournament several times. Looking back, I was lucky to be involved in the first gay sponsored softball league in the country, back in the early 1970s. It started with 6 teams, and with each new season came more teams and controversies. The Pennant was a coveted prize. In 1978, I pitched for and was the player rep for the Championship "Oil Can Harry's team, that won the rights to represent San Francisco in the Gay World Series at New York. However, our team was disqualified for having too many "straights" on our roster! Mayor Moscone, gave our club a citation for its diversity that he said was the "Hall Mark" of that great city. I happen to believe being gay, does not make one a better athlete, politician or hairdresser. When I was a kid... Hank Greenberg was my idol, because he was Jewish like me. However, I found that one did not have to be Jewish to root for him, or Italian to cheer for Joe DiMaggio, or black to do the same for Jackie Robinson. It's nice to have something in common with them...however, their stats and good sportsmanship should also be part of the reason,too. It is obvious that Brendan Burke's father is a great sportsman and father... and that shows. I recall when Tommy LaSorta, all but abandoned his son, when he came down with AIDS. As far as coming OUT during an athletes playing days should be entirely up to them, and I understand why most athletes do not do during their career. However, when that time comes... I hope it has the same effect on sports, as Jackie Robinson had on MLB, civil rights and helped to change the status quo. There is no room for bigotry in sports, or any place elsewhere. At 73, I still play softball once a year, for the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association's Senior Cup... and won the Oldest Active Player Award in their Senior Cup Tournament several times. Looking back,
I was lucky to be involved in the first gay sponsored softball league in the country, back in the early 1970s. It started with 6 teams, and with each new season came more teams and controversies. The Pennant was a coveted prize. In 1978, I pitched for and was the player rep for the Championship "Oil Can Harry's team, that won the rights to represent San Francisco in the Gay World Series at New York. However, our team was disqualified for having too many "straights" on our roster! Mayor Moscone, gave our club a citation for its diversity that he said was the "Hall Mark" of that great city.

I happen to believe being gay, does not make one a better athlete, politician or hairdresser.
When I was a kid... Hank Greenberg was my idol, because he was Jewish like me. However,
I found that one did not have to be Jewish to root for him, or Italian to cheer for Joe DiMaggio, or black to do the same for Jackie Robinson. It's nice to have something in common with them...however, their stats and good sportsmanship should also be part of the reason,too.
It is obvious that Brendan Burke's father is a great sportsman and father... and that shows. I recall when Tommy LaSorta, all but abandoned his son, when he came down with AIDS.
As far as coming OUT during an athletes playing days should be entirely up to them, and I understand why most athletes do not do during their career. However, when that time comes...
I hope it has the same effect on sports, as Jackie Robinson had on MLB, civil rights and helped to change the status quo. There is no room for bigotry in sports, or any place elsewhere.

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