Monday, February 12, 2007

Coming Out if the Closet: A Good Business Decision?

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently told a local Dallas newspaper,

From a marketing perspective, if you're a player who happens to be gay and you want to be incredibly rich, then you should come out, because it would be the best thing that ever happened to you from a marketing and an endorsement perspective. You would be an absolute hero to more Americans than you can ever possibly be as an athlete, and that'll put money in your pocket.

This is a hard pill for me to swallow. I don't think that the American publics view on homosexuality has come to a point where someone coming out of the closet would be viewed as a hero. They may get some press, but I don't think it would go over well with middle-class America.

Recently on a sports talk show, a commentator was commenting on Amaechi coming out of the closet. I couldn't believe that he compared Amaechi to Jackie Robinson. Robinson was a pioneer for the his race and culture, paving the way for many African Americans to come in all sports. Amaechi is simply telling the world his sexual preference, which honestly, I don't care to know about.

If I was in the NBA I guess I would be the player that paved the way for all the guys to follow that liked athletic blonds. Give me a break.

What do you think?

5 comments:

Ken said...

I'm sure their merchandising would do well among the gay community. However their on the field stats would suck. I guarantee that they wouldn't get a whole lot of balls sent their way. Well, not that kind of ball anyway.

Author said...

Yea but they would probably take a bigger hit than the gay community could compensate for. You know how much flack a kid at school would take over wearing an Amaechi Jersey?

Horse Whisperer said...

Hey man, I agree with you. I don't think coming out of the closet makes someone a "hero" to most of America. Of course, the media will play it up like that person is a hero, or a Jackie Robinson-like person, but it's all bullshit.

I hate how ESPN has played up this player coming out. My take on it: who cares? I could care less about a person's sexual preference. In sports, all that matters to me is on the field performance, and things off the field that affect the on the field stuff (i.e. steroids).

I like your blog, I'm linking yours to mine for sure. Keep up the good work.

Ken said...

Wearing an Amaechi jersey? Was he good enough to have a marketed jersey in the first place???

Author said...

No, it was an example. This one might be easier for you.

Say Lebron, the most popular and most marketed player going right now, came out of the closet.

Do you think over all, it would hurt or help his merchandise sales and publicity?

After he announced his gayness, you wouldn't see high school kids wearing his jersey anymore.

Im sorry, but I dont think the American mainstream public opinion thinks its cool to be gay.....yet.