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Report: Vince Lombardi willingly accepted gay players
on his team
Speculation has run rampant
lately about how a gay NFL player would be received by teammates and coaches.
The announcement made by NBA veteran Jason Collins has further fueled the
ongoing debate. Some have offered words of support while others have condemned
Collins for publicly revealing he is gay.
One man who apparently would have been okay with having a gay player on his team was former Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi. In fact, the legendary coach reportedly knowingly and willingly embraced gay players during a time in which the topic was even more controversial than it is today.
One man who apparently would have been okay with having a gay player on his team was former Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi. In fact, the legendary coach reportedly knowingly and willingly embraced gay players during a time in which the topic was even more controversial than it is today.
"My
father was way ahead of his time,” Lombardi's daughter, Susan, told ESPN
New York. “He was discriminated against as a dark-skinned Italian American when
he was younger, when he felt he was passed up for coaching jobs that he
deserved. He felt the pain of discrimination, and so he raised his family to
accept everybody, no matter what color they were or whatever their sexual
orientation was. I think it’s great what Jason Collins did, because it’s going
to open a lot of doors for people. Without a doubt my father would’ve embraced
him, and would’ve been very proud of him for coming out.”
Not only did Lombardi accept
gay players on his team, but he also went above and beyond to ensure nobody
else on the team messed with them. According to an excerpt from the Lombardi
biography When Pride Still Mattered, author David Maraniss wrote that
the late coach once told one of his assistants to work with a running back
named Ray McDonald, who was previously arrested for having intercourse with
another man in public, to help him make the team. Lombardi added, "And if
I hear one of you people make reference to his manhood, you'll be out of here
before your ass hits the ground."
One thing important to note here is that Lombardi's brother Harold was gay. Harold Lombardi passed away in 2011 and left behind a surviving partner of 41 years. Vince Lombardi passed away in 1970 with knowledge of his brother's relationship with another man. [emphasis added]
So, if Lombardi and his players could embrace gay peers by adhering to the conservative standards of the 1960s, it isn't far-fetched to believe the same can be done in the 2010s.
One thing important to note here is that Lombardi's brother Harold was gay. Harold Lombardi passed away in 2011 and left behind a surviving partner of 41 years. Vince Lombardi passed away in 1970 with knowledge of his brother's relationship with another man. [emphasis added]
So, if Lombardi and his players could embrace gay peers by adhering to the conservative standards of the 1960s, it isn't far-fetched to believe the same can be done in the 2010s.
Read a more detailed article
about Vince Lombardi’s support of gay rights at ESPN NY: Lombardi:
A champion of gay rights
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