Viva Las Espuelas
02-12-2007, 07:39 PM
hopefully, this hasn't been posted yet
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Report: Cuban also praises Amaechi's decision
Cuban also praises Amaechi's decision
FOXSports.com
Posted: 56 minutes ago
Mark Cuban seems to feel that English center John Amaechi set a wise example by announcing he is gay.
The Dallas Mavericks' owner told the [i]Fort Worth Star-Telegram for Monday's editions that any NBA player would stand to reap huge financial rewards by simply telling the public that he is a homosexual.
"From a marketing perspective, if you're a player who happens to be gay and you want to be incredibly rich, then you should come out, because it would be the best thing that ever happened to you from a marketing and an endorsement perspective," Cuban told the newspaper. "You would be an absolute hero to more Americans than you can ever possibly be as an athlete, and that'll put money in your pocket."
But Cuban also seems to feel that it could be equally unwise to speak out as a critic of homosexuals.
"On the flip side, if you're the idiot who condemns somebody because they're gay, then you're going to be ostracized, you're going to be picketed and you're going to ruin whatever marketing endorsements you have."
Amaechi's decision last week to effectively announce his homosexuality on Feb. 7 drew praise from Cuban.
"When you do something that the whole world thinks is difficult and you stand up and just be who you are and take on that difficulty factor, you're an American hero no matter what," Cuban told the Star-Telegram. "That's what the American spirit's all about, going against the grain and standing up for who you are, even if it's not a popular position."
Amaechi details his life in his autobiography Man in the Middle, which will be released on Feb. 14.
In an interview with The Associated Press said he hoped his coming out would be a catalyst for intelligent discourse and took a measured approach to NBA players' reactions.
"I think they illustrate the diversity of opinion," Amaechi said. "Some of them illustrate a great deal of naivete, and an oversimplification of the issue. And some of them don't speak with much thought at all.
"But there are some really well-spoken, provocative things that people have said that are positive. And they should be added to the conversation."
Add Mark Cuban to that list.
"He just became my friend," Amaechi said after hearing Cuban's comments.
His admission comes three years after his playing career ended, making him the sixth professional male athlete from one of the four major U.S. sports — basketball, baseball, American football, ice hockey — to openly discuss his homosexuality.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Report: Cuban also praises Amaechi's decision
Cuban also praises Amaechi's decision
FOXSports.com
Posted: 56 minutes ago
Mark Cuban seems to feel that English center John Amaechi set a wise example by announcing he is gay.
The Dallas Mavericks' owner told the [i]Fort Worth Star-Telegram for Monday's editions that any NBA player would stand to reap huge financial rewards by simply telling the public that he is a homosexual.
"From a marketing perspective, if you're a player who happens to be gay and you want to be incredibly rich, then you should come out, because it would be the best thing that ever happened to you from a marketing and an endorsement perspective," Cuban told the newspaper. "You would be an absolute hero to more Americans than you can ever possibly be as an athlete, and that'll put money in your pocket."
But Cuban also seems to feel that it could be equally unwise to speak out as a critic of homosexuals.
"On the flip side, if you're the idiot who condemns somebody because they're gay, then you're going to be ostracized, you're going to be picketed and you're going to ruin whatever marketing endorsements you have."
Amaechi's decision last week to effectively announce his homosexuality on Feb. 7 drew praise from Cuban.
"When you do something that the whole world thinks is difficult and you stand up and just be who you are and take on that difficulty factor, you're an American hero no matter what," Cuban told the Star-Telegram. "That's what the American spirit's all about, going against the grain and standing up for who you are, even if it's not a popular position."
Amaechi details his life in his autobiography Man in the Middle, which will be released on Feb. 14.
In an interview with The Associated Press said he hoped his coming out would be a catalyst for intelligent discourse and took a measured approach to NBA players' reactions.
"I think they illustrate the diversity of opinion," Amaechi said. "Some of them illustrate a great deal of naivete, and an oversimplification of the issue. And some of them don't speak with much thought at all.
"But there are some really well-spoken, provocative things that people have said that are positive. And they should be added to the conversation."
Add Mark Cuban to that list.
"He just became my friend," Amaechi said after hearing Cuban's comments.
His admission comes three years after his playing career ended, making him the sixth professional male athlete from one of the four major U.S. sports — basketball, baseball, American football, ice hockey — to openly discuss his homosexuality.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.