Popular Post Paddywhack Posted January 8, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted January 8, 2014 Meh, good for him. Can't wait for when this isn't newspaper worthy. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 true but id expect he probably doesnt want to be all over media as well. Have to blame the media for overhyping these things just like with Tom Daley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chappy Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Can't wait for when this isn't newspaper worthy. This Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC_Hitz Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I think I love him even more now. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icouldtelltheworld Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Massive respect him, it looks as though he was out to his team mates at a number of clubs for some time which is very encouraging. I still think with the attitudes of a lot of fans were a while away from someone being publically out whilst still playing; I guess you could do without giving tens of thousands of people an extra thing to taunt you with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted January 8, 2014 Moderator Share Posted January 8, 2014 true but id expect he probably doesnt want to be all over media as well. Have to blame the media for overhyping these things just like with Tom Daley The media will only hype to a salivating audience. If genpop didn't give a shit, they'd soon stop hyping it. Hopefully it becomes commonplace enough that it stops being newsworthy. But as Rev says, opposition fans will definitely make a player's life harder and good luck to the clubs & FA policing everyone who chants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post briny_ear Posted January 8, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted January 8, 2014 Th anti-gay "jokes" at the start of this thread indicate just how hard it must be for gay footballers to be honest about their sexuality while working as professional footballers. Good on him for going public now, hope it helps to bring at least a few fans to a more enlightened approach to these matters. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 8, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted January 8, 2014 Good on the lad for coming out. I don't think it constitutes front page news on the BBC website though. It shouldn't constitute news at all really. It IS news now though, and rightly so. It needs to be made news until it isn't news, if that makes any sense. The sport needs some high profile gay icons. But that's easier said than done because they'd essentially be martyrs, taking a load of abuse for the next few years until it's tackled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Good on the lad for coming out. I don't think it constitutes front page news on the BBC website though. It shouldn't constitute news at all really. It IS news now though, and rightly so. It needs to be made news until it isn't news, if that makes any sense. The sport needs some high profile gay icons. But that's easier said than done because they'd essentially be martyrs, taking a load of abuse for the next few years until it's tackled. Yeah I did think about that. Then I thought the BBC could be giving it more weight than it's due because of it's long running campaign to 'out' gay footballers (all be it in a positive way). I appreciate what you're saying, the media are basically demonstrating that it's absolutely fine to be gay, and making a big point of it. But even still, I think it gets too much attention. A footnote in the day's news is what it should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dAVe80 Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 As others have said, it's a shame that this is even a news story. Much love and respect to Hitz though. It doesn't change a thing for me. He's still Der Hammer, and he'll always be a Villa man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Good on the lad for coming out. I don't think it constitutes front page news on the BBC website though. It shouldn't constitute news at all really. It IS news now though, and rightly so. It needs to be made news until it isn't news, if that makes any sense. The sport needs some high profile gay icons. But that's easier said than done because they'd essentially be martyrs, taking a load of abuse for the next few years until it's tackled. thinking about it its probably be more high profile than Robbie Rogers as Hitz is definitely the highest profile player to announce it. Hopefully it will help others to be made more comfortable about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 8, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) Hitz is retired though, he'll get no abuse so it'll never be tackled. I've given this analogy before, but it would be as if we somehow hadn't had any black footballers yet. Then suddenly next week one popped up. Racism in football would then suddenly emerge. It would have existed before but no one would have been there to take the abuse. I don't think until targeted homophobia in football exists (the only people targeted with homophobic abuse these days are people who aren't actually gay, like Le Saux was or Matthew Upson) then it can't really be tackled. We can be told it's wrong, but I don't think that will erradicate it before it exists. Edited January 8, 2014 by Stevo985 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Yeah that does make sense. I do think there's a difference between the 2 scenarios, you'd like to think that as a society we are far less homophobic than we were racist 'back in the day'. But yes, I suspect the hill has yet to be climbed with regards to tackling homophobia in football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Shouldn't be news in this day and age, but hopefully this helps other footballers to come out and be happy. Fair play to our adopted brummie. Gay or not he was a decent footballer for us I 100% agree with you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 8, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted January 8, 2014 Yeah that does make sense. I do think there's a difference between the 2 scenarios, you'd like to think that as a society we are far less homophobic than we were racist 'back in the day'. But yes, I suspect the hill has yet to be climbed with regards to tackling homophobia in football. Yeah i totally agree. The groundwork has been laid, in a way, to say that Homophobia is wrong. We're at a better starting point with regards to homophobia than we were with Racism, I'd wager. But I still don't think it'll stop abuse totally until it happens. If a chant erupted today at am English ground of something like "John Smith is a fag" do you think much action would be taken? I don't reckon it would. But if the chant was "John Smith is a n**ger" then all hell would break loose. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packoman Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Tonev should watch this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNrwplJmuTk 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I wonder what Hitzelsperger thought of the chants Matthew Upson received from Villa fans. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hev Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I am a bit surprised as I thought he had a girlfriend at Uni here in Brum at the time he played for us? However, I remember a long time ago (when JPA and Hitz played for us) being at Bodymoor Heath waiting to get some autographs (the old training ground) - it was pouring with rain and the Hitz commented how devoted I must be to stand around in the pouring rain like that - I remember saying to my friends afterwards what a nice lad he was - concerned for my welfare. I always liked HItz . Fair play to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhatAboutTheFinish Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 If a chant erupted today at am English ground of something like "John Smith is a fag" do you think much action would be taken? I don't reckon it would. Didn't people actually get taken to criminal court on the back of calling Sol Campbell a 'gay boy' (not the infamous chant which contains all sorts of phobias!) from the stands a few years ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electric Avenue Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Won't change my opinion of him. Nice bloke and a good player for us. Good luck Der Hammer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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