DENVER — Former Major League pitcher Mark Knudson says that the best thing that gay professional athletes could do for their teams is to stay in the closet.
Writing for Mile High Sports, Knudson — who played for eight seasons in Major League Baseball from 1985 to 1993 — says that it is “absurd” to think that “there wouldn’t be any sort of physical attraction for a gay athlete toward any of his straight teammates,” and that would result in “very uncomfortable situations.”
Mark Knudson
“In a normal work environment, people are individuals with jobs. In pro sports, it’s all about as George Karl puts it, ‘teamness.’ Individualism and personal agendas might be okay in a normal workplace, but it’s not okay in team sports. Teamness is what fans demand from the teams they pay to watch. Any individual with an agenda that’s even slightly different from that of the team hurts that cause.“Just as absurd as comparing workplace environments is the ridiculous claim by some in the gay community that there wouldn’t be any sort of physical attraction for a gay athlete toward any of his straight teammates – which would cause those very uncomfortable situations. He’s gay; he’s not dead. He can’t just flip a switch and turn off his feelings when he walks into the locker room.
“Of course he’s going to have feelings of attraction toward a teammate or two. It’s human nature. These are some of the most physically fit and desirable human beings on the planet. The gay athlete isn’t going to notice that? … Attractive people know when they’re being “checked out” and it leads to those very awkward moments. It’s human nature for people to be attracted to other people and it’s not going to stop happening because the workplace environment is a locker room rather than a typical office setting.”
Knudson concludes that “it remains the best option for any homosexual athlete in a team sport to keep his orientation private. He’s doing what’s best for himself by doing what’s best for the team.”
Besides, he says, “there will be plenty of time for pronouncements and getting that nice book deal after the playing days are over.”
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i bet he loved looking at the bats int he showers..
24-29 record, career ERA near 5.00. Mediocre comments from a mediocre athlete.
Mark Knudson can suck my dick!!!
So what’s to stop the gay athlete from being attracted to “some of the most physically fit and desirable human beings on the planet” if he or she hides in the closet? “He’s gay; he’s not dead. He can’t just flip a switch and turn off his feelings when he walks into the locker room.”
Who?
And he should tie his cock in a tight knot.
Never heard of him. I don’t follow the volleyball.
s othis FOOL who was NO star…thinks being i nthe closet is right? how about ugly people people of color and other NON standard people? wha t if the MLB required clea nshaven pitcherS? would he revolt? whata jackass
depends on who you define their team as being
Then they should also stay in the damn closet!
fuk him. What an arrogant ass hole.
Ignorant fuck, I mean really.
I understand when articles are written because someone in power does or says something hateful, or when someone who has influence on others does, but why put this guys negative energy into our consciousness? all this article does is remind us that there’s bigots, and we already know that. Not only do we look to athletes wayyy too much as celebrities and role models in society (when theyre just entertainers) but this guy isn’t even a current or star player, all this article can do is anger people. We shouldn’t care what any athletes do or say because it’s not our business, and we shouldn’t give them the forum to speak so much, they shouldn’t be celebrities… and we definitely shouldn’t pay any mind to what people like this who don’t matter have to say. I’m sure the only people who heard what this guy has to say are the people he’s hoping to piss off, and because he can’t get attention any other way, he’s happy about it.
I can only think of Billy Bean. After he quit playing pro baseball and came out, a lot of guys said, had they known, they wouldn’t have cared. No one should try to speak for everyone.
Grrrrrr. I hate bigots
Fuck him and his internalized homophobia
how is staying in the closet helpful?
I have just one word for Mark Knudson: SHUTUP!!!!!!!
Athletes are too insecure about sexual orientation. Knudson may be right, but I spent 40 years in the closet & it is not a good way to live.
Do the words piss off sound reasonable? Yep. :)
Ha no one even remembers who he is. Glad there are guys like Matt Cain, Yovani Gallardo and Kevin Youkilis who have spoken about their support for gay baseball players.
Who the hell is he? From the 80′s? When USSR and communism was still around? Get real
Mark Who?
Interesting how no one knows about this guy until he spews hate. Maybe he should do something worthy of being in the news.
Who the Hell is that? Why should I care?
Who cares what some douchey, unknown sports figure says? Like his opinion has any weight…
Idiot athletes would serve the world better by not playing (or maybe opening their minds and hearts and letting everyone else in the world have fun and be happier)
Obviously not the brightest bulb in the package ….,..
hes an ex player so his opinion matters not at all in the now world
and ingnorant baseball players serve their teams best by keeping their mouths shut!
I’d like to put you in a closet, lock it and throw away the key.