Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article was first posted in 2014.
Former Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban is one of the only players to win 10 SEC championships and seven national titles. There will be no problem His team had an openly gay player.
Saban said this at a pro-am golf event in Shoal Creek, Alabama, in 2014, shortly after NFL prospect Michael Sam came out publicly.
“I expect everyone to be very respectful of things that are private to most people and to treat that person with dignity and respect,” Saban said at the time. That requires them to be good people on our team.
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“I can’t speak for everyone, but that’s what I expect from the people we manage in our organizations and teams.”
It’s not surprising that no one associates Alabama with progressive views on gay issues. Saban wanted to win more than anything, so he didn’t care if the player was gay or a vegan atheist, as long as it helped the Tide win.
This reflects nearly every head coach in college football, including Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder, who embraced Scott Frantz when he came out as gay.
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I suspect most ‘Bama fans would too, especially if a gay player was able to chase down an Auburn runner and prevent the game-clinching touchdown.
al.com I want to remind everyone that after Michael Sam was drafted on Saturday, Crimson Tide safety Haha Clinton-Dix tweeted this:
Clinton-Dix would later wear an Orlando United shirt under his Green Bay Packers jersey during games in solidarity with the victims of the Orlando Pulse.
At the end of the day, for soccer coaches, players and fans, winning comes before everything else. And inclusion helps.
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Source: Outsports – www.outsports.com
