The regrettable questions asked to Colorado tight end Nick Kasa at the NFL Scouting Combine regarding whether he "liked girls" raise a few uncomfortable realities about life in the NFL:
- Teams care whether you are gay or not. Why else would they ask?
- Players are better off saying they are straight in order to help their draft stock.
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo is a vocal gay rights activist, and even he admits the second point.
"Selfishly, I think players need to say that they're straight right now," Ayanbadejo said during an appearance on "The Ed Show" on MSNBC Wednesday. "You need to get drafted as high as you can get drafted, get the money while you can ...
"The way things are going right now with the bigotry that still exists and discrimination that still exists within the locker room and sports arena in general, I think you need to say, 'Hey, I'm straight, I love women,' and keep things so-called normal. Maybe later, once you've established yourself and when we break down some of these walls in the NFL, players will be more comfortable to be who they are."
It's a sad statement on the state of affairs in the NFL, but it's not surprising. There are gay players in the NFL, of course, but no one has come out publicly.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement that league policy prevents teams from considering sexual orientation. But the questions to Kasa and Michigan State running back Le'Veon Bell, via SI.com, show that not all teams are following policy.
The league will investigate; Aiello noted that any teams that inquire about impermissible subjects are subject to discipline.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
