Can NFL teams ask Manti Te'o if he's gay? Depends on which teams are doing the asking

[venom]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--ca...024157625.html

Which NFL franchises can and can't ask a player if he is gay?
Can	Can't
Atlanta Falcons	Baltimore Ravens
Arizona Cardinals	Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers	Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals	Denver Broncos
Cleveland Browns	Green Bay Packers
Dallas Cowboys	Minnesota Vikings
Detroit Lions	New England Patriots
Houston Texans	New York Giants
Indianapolis Colts	New York Jets
Jacksonville Jaguars	Oakland Raiders
Kansas City Chiefs	San Diego Chargers
Miami Dolphins	San Francisco 49ers
New Orleans Saints	Seattle Seahawks
Pittsburgh Steelers
Philadelphia Eagles
St. Louis Rams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Washington Redskins

[BnG_Hevn]

Is there truly any doubt that he is gay? Is there any doubt that all the players coming to the NFL are gay?

If you were about to start a career in the NFL, wouldn't you be gay? Hell, I'd be ecstatic.

[Devilsdancefloor]

I really could care less if he is gay, but his combine workout and how he couldnt make tackles in the championship game is what NFL teams should be focused on

[Dwinsgames]

his combine workout and how he couldnt make tackles in the championship game is what NFL teams should be focused on

this

[st33lersguy]

I think it is ridiculous to think he is gay and that article is stupid and pointless

[zulater]

I think it is ridiculous to think he is gay and that article is stupid and pointless

I think it's very plausible that he's gay. The whole thing could have been made up by him and his boyfriend to cover up why he wasn't dating. Now the boyfriend is taking the bullet and saying he duped Te'o so his career wont be put in jeopardy.

Not saying that's the case, but it makes as much sense as the story Te'o has tried to sell, if not moreso.

An openly gay man will have no problem in the league if he gets out in front of it. But a closeted gay man who tries to pretend he's straight when it's obvious to his teammates that he's lying is potentially going to have any number of problems. So if I was a team thinking of investing a high draft pick on such a player it would be very relevant.

[Godfather]

New England Patriots

How did I know they would be on the "can't" list?

[steeldawg]

the better question is why would an nfl team care if hes gay?

[fansince'76]

I find it a little hard to believe that any team would be stupid enough to ask as they could potentially be opening the door for a HUGE discrimination lawsuit against themselves and the league. And this is not some grey area like the concussion class action suit - they would pretty much assuredly lose and lose BIG.

[tube517]

The poster boy of the league is openly gay and likes goats. What's the big deal?

[86WARD]

Sure they can. The media distraction alone if he was wouldn't be worth the pick...

[ALLD]

The whole gay thing is creepy.

[vader29]

Maybe he is metrosexual.

[86WARD]

Lol...

[GBMelBlount]

Not a big deal imo.

However if he starts popping boners in the shower THAT is not cool.

[Godfather]

the better question is why would an nfl team care if hes gay?

Football is a very macho culture. Being gay is considered very unmanly. Could create issues in the locker room.

[steeldawg]

still doesnt give an nfl franchise the right to doscriminate against him.

[fansince'76]

still doesnt give an nfl franchise the right to doscriminate against him.

No, it doesn't. And as I stated previously, if any team does and it can be reasonably proven that discrimination took place, they could very well open themselves and the league up to a massive lawsuit that they WILL lose.

[Count Steeler]

Can you see the whole Gay Activism Movement getting behind a player and going up against the NFL?

Goodell better get a handle on these interviews or else these concussion suits are going to look like People's Court, once the guns start a blazing.

[Godfather]

still doesnt give an nfl franchise the right to doscriminate against him.

Agree, but you'd have a tough time proving that was the reason. The nonexistent girlfriend can be used as a pretext. They can question his ability to fit into their defensive scheme. They could look at a tape of the BCSCG and question his ability to play at the highest level. They could even say other positions were a higher priority. There are plenty of valid reasons for any one team to pass on Te'o, just like they'll pass on 300 other players.

If a team is dumb enough to ask "Are you gay?" or admit to that being the reason they didn't want him, they deserve whatever they get.

[steeldawg]

Agree, but you'd have a tough time proving that was the reason. The nonexistent girlfriend can be used as a pretext. They can question his ability to fit into their defensive scheme. They could look at a tape of the BCSCG and question his ability to play at the highest level. They could even say other positions were a higher priority. There are plenty of valid reasons for any one team to pass on Te'o, just like they'll pass on 300 other players.

If a team is dumb enough to ask "Are you gay?" or admit to that being the reason they didn't want him, they deserve whatever they get.

It will be hard to claim all that if they ask the question, i just dont see why an nfl franchise would care.

[zulater]

It will be hard to claim all that if they ask the question, i just dont see why an nfl franchise would care.

Easy, because many NFL players care. So if you think something could possibly cause a disruption in the locker room you want to at least be prepared to deal with it in a forthcoming manner.

Just because you ask a player whether he's gay doesn't neccessarily mean it would stop you from drafting him. But if he was I think it's something that a team's knowing could potentially help, even if the player doesn't want to go public with it.

Also let's not dismiss that a closeted player could be subject to being blackmailed. If it's a player who's got a ton of endorsement deals or has spent time going about grooming a so called wholesome image, imagine what a gambler who comes across that information could do to that player? Maybe even get him to fumble or commit a bad penalty etc...

So to say that the information has no relevance to a team is wrong.

[Godfather]

Easy, because many NFL players care. So if you think something could possibly cause a disruption in the locker room you want to at least be prepared to deal with it in a forthcoming manner.

Just because you ask a player whether he's gay doesn't neccessarily mean it would stop you from drafting him. But if he was I think it's something that a team's knowing could potentially help, even if the player doesn't want to go public with it.

Also let's not dismiss that a closeted player could be subject to being blackmailed. If it's a player who's got a ton of endorsement deals or has spent time going about grooming a so called wholesome image, imagine what a gambler who comes across that information could do to that player? Maybe even get him to fumble or commit a bad penalty etc...

So to say that the information has no relevance to a team is wrong.

I'd arrange for him to stay in the closet. I'd get a Victoria's Secret model to marry him as a cover. Other players on the team would be given the task of keeping her satisfied, thereby boosting team morale.

[zulater]

I'd arrange for him to stay in the closet. I'd get a Victoria's Secret model to marry him as a cover. Other players on the team would be given the task of keeping her satisfied, thereby boosting team morale.

Isn't that like stealing from the Patriots playbook?

[zulater]

http://www.sportspickle.com/news/155...ve-hes-not-gay

NFL teams are reportedly concerned that draft prospect Manti Te'o could be homosexual and are asking the former Notre Dame linebacker to clarify his sexual orientation.
"We're just not sure an NFL locker room is ready for, you know … one of those," said one NFL personnel director. "We need to know what we could possibly be faced with if he comes out or whatever. I know I would feel a lot more comfortable drafting him if he had a date rape or sexual assault on his record. And to be clear: a rape or sexual assault of a female. Not a male. Definitely not to a male. That would be gross."

That feeling is shared by many throughout the league. Several teams asked Te'o to prove that he is heterosexual.

"I interviewed Manti and wanted to get to that issue without being too direct about it. You know, have to be politically correct or whatever these days," said a scout. "So I called my secretary in and told Manti to grab her ass and say degrading things to her. He refused. So, yeah, that really raised some red flags for me."

Te'o famously carried on a months-long online relationship with a girl who turned out to be male. In an interview last month with Katie Couric, however, he denied that he is gay.

"It's just a concern," said one team's general manager. "It is. What if he just acts all, you know, gay or whatever. I'm used to having rapists and felons on the team. As long as they produce on the field and stay away from my wife and kids, live and let live, you know? But a gay player would just be … I don't know … different."

According to sources close to Te'o, at his pro day next month in front of NFL scouts, he is considering feeling a girl up, getting slapped and then responding: "Bitch. You know you want this," and then grabbing his crotch.

"If he does that, I think he's a Top 10 pick," said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

[XxKnightxX]

Football is a very macho culture. Being gay is considered very unmanly. Could create issues in the locker room.

hahaha, I find this hilarious because of the shit that goes on in locker rooms. Im sure to say that theres some questionable antics going on in locker rooms across NFL teams as well as in college locker rooms. Just saying.

[tube517]

hahaha, I find this hilarious because of the shit that goes on in locker rooms. Im sure to say that theres some questionable antics going on in locker rooms across NFL teams as well as in college locker rooms. Just saying.

What does Najeh Davenport have to do with all of this?

[venom]

[GBMelBlount]

If they ask him in a politically correct way I think it is OK.

For instance:

"Soooooo Te'o, do you putt in the rough?"