Dan Savage, co-founder of the It Gets Better project, said late Thursday he has “removed the (San Francisco) 49ers ‘It Gets Better’ video” from the project’s website after two of the team’s player who appeared in the video said they were unaware they were participating in a project to support LGBT youth.
Just hours after 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver faced the media to apologize for anti-gay remarks he made on a radio broadcast, linebacker Ahmad Brooks and defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga — approached by USA Today — “strangely denied” appearing in the video that was released by the 49ers last August.
Ahmad Brooks and Isaac Sopoaga, appearing in an “It Gets Better” video last August, now claim they were unaware the project was in support of LGBT youth.
Culliver was widely criticized this week for saying that a gay player would not be welcome on the 49ers team; critics were quick to point out that the 49ers were the only NFL team to produce an “It Gets Better” video, and that Culliver’s remarks stood in contrast to his team mates.
But when approached by USA Today on Thursday, Brooks and Sopoaga denied being part of the project.
“I didn’t make any video,” Brooks said. “This is America and if someone wants to be gay, they can be gay. It’s their right. But I didn’t make any video.”
Then, when shown the video, they said they didn’t realize the aim of the production was to fight the bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teens.
“Oh, that. It was an anti-bullying video, not a gay (rights) video,” Brooks told USA Today.
Sopoaga also denied making the video, even while teammate Will Tukuafu tried to refresh his memory.
“No,” Sopoaga said. “I never went. And now someone is using my name.”
After being shown the video, Sopoaga was asked by USA Today if he’d like to comment on it — he simply answered, “No.”
The video (below), which is still available on the 49ers YouTube page, featured Brooks and Sopoaga, along with defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois and safety Donte Whitner — Whitner is actually the only team member in the video to specifically reference LGBT youth.
Watch:
The “It Gets Better Project,” which has compiled more than 10,000 online videos, was launched by Savage, a Seattle-based activist and author, and his husband Terry Miller, in response to the increasing number of teen suicides of kids who were bullied for their perceived sexual orientation.
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Bunch of douchebags >.>
Fuck the 49ers!!!!!!
hmmmm…. SAN FRANCISCO…. Castro District….. 49′ers….. priceless! BOYCOTT!
Neanderthals…
Right they just do video’s with no idea what the content of them is, like they don’t have lawyers and a billion other people okaying this stuff and explaining it to them.. give me a break.
it’s people like them that get in the way of things “getting better…’
//
Disgusting.
what did they think they were doing this for christian sunday. what a lot of idiots
>implying the It Gets Better program was only about gays.
So wait they think it’s okay for a black dude to marry a white chick but it’s not okay for a white guy to marry a black guy?
So the 49ers were unaware that they were making an It’s Get Better video promoting a positive message to the gay youth? Man, thats as bad as saying “I forgot to use soap and water while taking a shower”
What a bunch of morons. xD
Omg…. I think they’re starting to get a case of Romnesia!!!!
Wow! It does get worse. How could they not know!! Idiots
I wrote to these players and challenged then for their paycheck if they are wrong.
Well, that’s a shame.
All I can say is “WOW” what great role models……smh it’s really sad
Seriously?!?! Id be more embarassed to admit that Id made a video not knowing the full scope of the message….
These guys have a combined IQ of about 78 and a vocabulary that is on a level with a 3 year old, but what do you expect with these types of guys who are all brawn and muscle and who were hired for just playing football and were never educated well and talk like a common gang member thug. Neither of them will ever be a brain surgeon but probably could become a politician if they ran on the reTHUGlican party. They should have been left in the ghetto and NEVER brought to San Francisco of all places, maybe they could play with the redneck bible thumpers in the Jacksonville Jaguars.
no one ever would mistake football players for smart or kind people. If I remember high school correctly, most of the bullies were on the football team…
…and Let the shitstorm of frivolity begin.
Sadly, this type of behavior is expected from people like this. But lets remember their opinions in this situation do not matter; all that matters is what we know is true: Man and Man and Woman and Woman can love each other and it is beautiful
Pathetic
Oh, boy. Looks like the IQ level at the 49ers has gone downhill since the Joe Montana days! How are these dweebs ever gonna win the Superbowl? How many concussions have they had? I may have to root for the Ravens, instead this year. :(
Karma is going to get them in the end,
Ewww.
Totally lost all respect for the 49ers.
Lmao. But there has to be SOME guys on the 49ers who knew.
Go Ravens.
Too many blows to the head. Mohammed Ali was pretty palsied and drooling by the time he was 60 from all the head blows he took in the ring. Even with a helmet these guys are getting some serious slams and concussions. Too bad for them they now just look pitiful and like they are standing around with their finger up their nose.
Go Ravens!
Ignorant fucks.
:(
I hope Baltimore kicks their collective butt now.
People like this make it worse.
these 2 will be working at KFC or McDonalds after their “careers” in football are over
I personally hope the Ravens win, just for amusement sake. Its ‘boys’ like these that make young men their age look like collective @sshats because they’re too worried about their reps(which are worthless anyways) than they are worried about upsetting a whole community. The 49′ers team better think of issueing some sort of apology or all you’ll hear when the 49′ers come out is very VERY loud boo’ing.
huh.
SMFH
Go Baltimore, Go Brendon Ayanbadejo!
seriously? I thought the campaign was for anti-bullying? i did not know it was an exclusively lgbt issue…and get your head out if your asses 49′s….i am so disappointed in them.
what idiots
I always thought football players weren’t exactly bright bulbs before this but now I wonder if they can find the “on” switch to function. . . Pity they are spoiling it for the whole team. Now we know not to believe a word coming out of their overpaid mouths.
These guys are paid for their physical abilities, not their brains. We shouldn’t be too surprised when they act stupid.
One of the morons even said ” including LGBT teens” during the flipping video! What idiots! How do you go to do a video for a campaign “that was all the rage” this past Summer (one even featuring President Obama) and not know what the fuck you are talking about? I think some audits of these guys college transcripts should be done. 49er describes them perfectly… well, at least their IQ’s.
One of the morons even said ” including LGBT teens” during the flipping video! What idiots! How do you go to do a video for a campaign “that was all the rage” this past Summer (one even featuring President Obama) and not know what the fuck you are talking about? I think some audits of these guys college transcripts should be done. 49er describes them perfectly… well, at least their IQ’s.
yep, living proof homophobes are idiots.
Ugh.. They didnt even try to be smart about denying or “not knowing” what “it gets better” is. They simply denied it and got the video thrown right in their face. Ignorant as hell! LGBT is all about showing your true colors and im glad theres were shown. Take that ignorance elsewhere cause you guys got called out real quick and didnt have one thing to say about it…
They, need to go sit their black asses down somewhere and shut the f up
liers ! they knew well enough what this video was for .
wierd!
how could they NOT know!?!…………strange!
i think my IQ has dropped from reading the title…..INTERNET
How can they say they have no idea……
Okay, the stereotypical dumb jocks…..
Douchebags
Sometimes it does get worse before it gets better, but it does get better!
fucking terrible
Stupid does as stupid is.
Idiots!