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And it would show those countless boys and young men who are closeted and want to keeping playing football that they will be supported, too. There will, of course, be those who won't accept Nassib because of how he was born, but if Carr, his team and the league make it crystal clear that Nassib is supported, it would go a long way toward others doing the same. But the reality is that Carr, who's the face of the franchise, as well as Raiders brass and the NFL are the ones who set the tone for how Nassib will be received by fans. I want to win a championship here with Carl and the rest of our teammates," Carr told reporters. We always say we are a family in that Raider locker room, and we mean that too.
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Quarterback Derek Carr did tell reporters via text last week that he contacted Nassib privately to express support, but Carr hasn't said anything publicly via his verified Twitter or Instagram accounts. We're pleasantly surprised the NFL did a great job with their "football is gay" video in the wake of Carl Nassib coming out. Seeing him share his truth with the world, in the most nonchalant way, had to have been such a relief for so many of those young players. The bulk of those came with Tampa Bay, but in fairness to Nassib, not many Raiders were getting sacks last season (only 18 as a team). Nassib isn't a superstar, but he's no slouch either, with 15 sacks over the past three seasons as a part-time starter for the Buccaneers and Las Vegas. Yes, they may know about Ryan O'Callaghan and Wade Davis and Michael Sam, but O'Callaghan and Davis didn't speak their truth until after they'd retired, and while Sam's decision to reveal his sexuality before the draft was historic, at least two former teammates who were with him with the Rams have said Sam just wasn't that good, so he didn't stick long in the league. When I saw Nassib's announcement, I thought of the countless numbers of boys and young men who play football and who know they are gay but are terrified to have anyone realize it because of the über-macho (read: toxic) culture the sport has fostered for so long. The NFL released a video, a public-service announcement of sorts, in which it announced "football is gay."Īnd lesbian. My world has temporarily been thrown off its axis. Thanks to the bravery of Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman Carl Nassib, who last week told the world via Instagram that he is gay, the NFL was presented with the chance to do the right thing.Īnd it did. On Monday, the NFL - which changed its vaunted shield avatar on Twitter to rainbow colors at the start of June to recognize Pride month - actually showed that the colorful logo wasn't just pandering. Not in response to some really negative attention.