Tony Dungy: Still Pretty Homophobic

Former NFL head coach and current NBC Sports analyst Tony Dungy isn't in the closet: For years he's been pretty open about not being that cool with gay people and their "lifestyle." So when he was asked about St. Louis Rams rookie Michael Sam, the first openly gay player in the NFL, it's not surprising that he took the chance to let everyone know, again, that homosexuals are different and kinda weird.

"I wouldn't have taken him,'' Dungy told the Tampa Tribune. "Not because I don't believe Michael Sam should have a chance to play, but I wouldn't want to deal with all of it. It's not going to be totally smooth… things will happen.''

Holding up the "it'll be a distraction" flag has long been a crutch for cultural conservatives in the sports world to insinuate that gay men shouldn't be allowed in the locker room without bringing the Bible or open bigotry into it. I think gay people are just as good as anyone else, but… how would they handle the showers? Just raising questions, guys. In a recent issue of ESPN the Magazine, Dave Fleming pointed out that everyone catches glimpses of everyone in the team shower, it's impossible not to—but that doesn't mean gay players are turned on by the nudity. He talked to several out athletes in different levels of sports, and the overwhelming consensus is that the players all see each other as part of a family, and most people aren't attracted to their family members.

In case it needs to be said: Tony Dungy is wrong. After last season's bullying scandal in Miami, Chris Kluwe's ongoing feud with the Vikings, and the Saints' Bountygate fiasco several seasons ago, teams are hyperaware of what is happening in their locker rooms and coaches' offices. "Things" aren't going to happen with Michael Sam on the team. And remember that Dungy was one of the main advocates for Michael Vick a few years ago, back when the just-out-of-prison quarterback was one of the most hated athletes in sports. In that case, however much a distraction Vick's conviction for dog fighting was, it was more than outweighed by his on-field abilities; the same will likely be true of Sam, who was projected as a mid-round pick before coming out publicly.

Given Dungy's past position against gay marriage, his quote about Sam almost looks like a public softening of his homophobic tone. It still seems archaic and mean-spirited—and at this point, if any NFL team hires Dungy as a coach or front office executive, his history of anti-gay comments will only be a distraction.

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