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Loading ...NBC’s Bob Costas Discusses Gays in Sports
Billy Bean, Tiim Hardaway/Photo credit: Jean Baptiste Lacroix Wire Image
BC: Yeah. And it might have been the kind of thing that could have been handled in a two or three minute profile. You know – Here’s this athlete: ba-boom.
AE: And you wouldn’t have been reluctant to do that?
BC: Oh, God, no.
AE: Do you see from a gay perspective how enormously powerful this would have been for the gay community to have one of their members acknowledged in that way in that moment? And although certainly this wasn’t what this was all about for Mitcham, it was a part of it, because he had given these interviews prior to the games.
BC: Yeah. I agree with you on all of that. And it certainly seems to me like a worthy topic. I just don’t want to appear as if I’m criticizing any of my colleagues.
[Costas is informed that interview will run as Q&A with entire questions and answers in full so that everything he says will appear in context.]
BC: What’s more important from my perspective – since I don’t know all the ins and outs of this specific thing – but from my perspective, I think that these issues are more than valid. And if a person is already out and willing to talk about it, then certainly that’s significant in its own way. Just as it is significant if someone is the first African-American coach in the SEC [a Southern college football conference]. Or if someone is the first woman to hold this position or that [position]. These are significant issues, and they’re interesting.
Certainly the American culture at large – I mean there may be pockets of resistance and resentment, some of them large pockets – but by and large discussing issues related to gay people is no longer taboo in the mainstream media. It hasn’t been for a long time. So I don’t see why there should be any particular reluctance where appropriate to discuss them when it comes to sports.
While you can’t do this on game coverage or event coverage, you can in magazine coverage like ESPN’s Outside the Lines, or Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, or my show on HBO. The general issue on gays in sports is something that could be addressed more. And we have addressed it, and I would plan to address it more in the future.
And I think there’s always a reasonable question as to whether you discuss people who have not publicly come out. I happen to believe that is that person’s prerogative.
AE: There are certain situations where it’s part of the story, it becomes the story. There may be an issue in their personal life which is having an impact on their game play, and you can’t discuss that because they’re not out. Whereas you would discuss that with a straight person, revealing that they’re straight. Do you see any kind of double standard?
BC: That would depend. … How much I would discuss a straight person’s personal circumstances. That’s a judgment that you make case to case according to those circumstances.
AE: Let me make it more specific then. Have you ever not covered a story because in covering it you would have to ‘out’ someone?
BC: Not that I’m aware of.
AE: Of course the larger issue that’s hanging over this whole conversation is the fact that in almost all male team sports in America there are no professional out gay athletes, which is amazing in 2008.
BC: You figure that some of them may believe that it would impact their marketability and endorsement opportunities. Which is A) sad if that’s true. And B) sad also that even if it is true that some people aren’t willing to run that risk to take a more honest and principled stand. So it’s on both those levels.
AE: Do you also think that there’s concern for their safety? Especially in football?
BC: Yeah, in team sports. Esera Tuaolo [an NFL player who came out in 2002 after leaving the sport] who we’ve had on the air at HBO, he said he was concerned [about safety]. It’s a hyper macho atmosphere. A number of players – I don’t know that they represent the majority – but a number of players expressed almost Neanderthal views about sharing a locker room with a gay person, and being a teammate with a gay person and what the consequences of that would be.
Is this really news? Who cares…
why is it we continue to challenge the media on certain issues, it obvious that this athlete did have personal issues to overcome, and that he did and cam back to win gold..excellent…the community is always pushing for equality in every way, which is great but im sure that many of the other athletes probably also had personal issues to overcome, but we should not have to mention the details. i take my hat off to matthew, and wish him all the success in the future. we have to realise that the us media has always felt awkward about the whole gay issue in sports, its crap, but it is what it is..!
Where’s my barf bag? I read only the first page of the Costas ivu, and had enough of his bullshit. I couldn’t go on to another page. “Oh, gee, if only I’d thought to report facts . . .” “But other commentators should have thought to do so . . . What’s the matter with those guys?”
As mentioned.As remembered.As forgotten.
No one remembers the USA company..had the balls to air a movie. A gay swimmer. Annoyingly aired by Mario L.
As I don’t think NBC was trying to be bad.They just wanted to play safe. To favor neither side. Dammed if you do, damned if you don’t.
Yes it be nice to know because such things are nailed, taped, blocked to be aired. Especially anything gay.And often if it is, it is negative that is only aired. No offense to this site, gay.com or other shows who continually do this.(TNT) Few shows have been positive, out about the people there airing.WE, and as the house, clothes, make over shows.But sure some can see the cliches traits in them.
I can appreciate the point that is trying to be made in reference to what many feel NBC should’ve done with regard to Matthew Mitchum. Two things I will point out: 1. If they HAD mentioned is being gay, or referenced his partner, there’d be an outcry from gays and straights alike about “Why does it matter? Let him just dive!” 2. Watching Mitchum in the later dives as he gained ground and was coming closer and closer, you could tell by the way he expressed his excitement that he was gay. I’m thrilled as a gay man to see another gay man win an Olympic gold medal. But then, I’m thrilled when anyone, regardless of their sexuality, achieves greatness. Also, Costas’ comment about heterosexuality being part of a persona and homosexuality becoming one’s identity seems right on target. To me, in this instance, I would label Mitchum and Olympic athlete before labeling him gay. In this scenario, I just don’t think it amounts to much.
You can’t change history. NBC as well as most major news outlets did not cover Matt Mitcham’s historic win. Back in 1936 Jesse Owens’ gold medal wins at the Berlin Olympics were major news stories. A parade in New York City was held in his honor and he recieved many endorsement deals. NBC knowingly omitted Matt’s story. For that I cannot forgive them.
At the very least, you gotta give Costas credit for being willing to be so forthcoming.
I was so interested in Matthew’s performance and lucky enough to watch the whole 10m final live on BBC in the UK (who incidentally did not mention Matthew’s partner or sexuality either at that time). It was a hugely emotional moment for Matthew and for me and for any gay person. I was overwhelmed. I also thought that maybe one reason Matthew performed o well is precisely BECAUSE he was out. I noted that maybe there were other divers in the final not out who whose performance may have suffered due that fact and to the presence of an out gay man beside them!
You didn’t see the camera pan in on the Mitcham family of his boyfirend and mother, where normally you would hear “oh there’s his girlfriend, and mother” or some such other reference. Here you had a bona fide out gay sports hero, who would be a great role model for gay youth around the country, and no mention made. Why doesn’t Costas want to criticize his colleagues? or NBC? or himself? He says he guesses he was aware that Mitcham is out. Costas misses the boat, and we shortchanged again!
I hate to say it, but Bob Costas left a very negative impression on me that has stayed to this day. It was in about 1990, and he had some kind of late-night (not sports-specific) interview program. He has interviewing one of the two men who portrayed the “Mens on Film” in the recurring skit on “In Living Color.” Many people, including me, considered (and still consider) that skit to be mocking, derisive, and harmful. The emotion behind it seemed to be contempt. (I was in a gay men’s rap group at the time, and you should have seen the pain in a c. 18 year old African American gay man’s eyes when the subject of that skit came up.) Anyway, Mr. Costas mentioned criticism of that skit, and was very sympathetic to the interviewee (Damon Wayans, I believe) and quite disrespectful of those who objected. It was like the two of them were allied in feeling self-righteous and proud of their homophobia, and defended their right to be homophobic and publicly express homophobia, while refusing to try any empathy or understanding relative to people who were complaining. I was very, very unfavorably impressed.
Imentioned that Bob Costas would be a good choice to speak out on this story at the time it happened. You can read for yourselves my blog on Aug. 28 under the headline NBC talks about failure to mention. My stance is still the same. Maybe someone saw it and thought it would make a good article. I hope so. Peace