NFL.com: Chris Culliver (49ers CB) wouldn't accept openly gay player

The recent arrest of former San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Kwame Harris for alleged domestic assault against his ex-boyfriend raised an interesting question during this Super Bowl week. How would an openly gay NFL player be accepted in the locker room?

Comments made by 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver made it clear he would not welcome a gay teammate.

"I don't do the gay guys. I don't do that," Culliver told Artie Lange on his radio show Tuesday, via Yahoo! Sports, when asked if a gay teammate would be welcomed.

Culliver was asked if there were any gay players on the 49ers.

"We don't have any gay guys on the team," Culliver said. "They gotta get up outta here if they do. Can't be with that sweet stuff."

If a player was gay, Culliver suggested the player should keep that fact to himself.

"Yeah, come out 10 years later after that," Culliver said.

The 49ers weren't amused. They quickly released a statement Wednesday afternoon: "The San Francisco 49ers reject the comments that were made yesterday, and have addressed the matter with Chris. There is no place for discrimination within our organization at any level. We have and always will proudly support the LGBT community."

Culliver will take deserved criticism for his remarks, but the honest comments hardly should come as a surprise. Homophobia runs rampant in professional sports; Culliver is just less guarded about his actual feelings than some players. I suspect those feelings won't change until years after a gay player has the courage to come out with his sexuality in public. More than 65 years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, unfortunately it's difficult to imagine a player coming out of the closet.

Of course, not all players agree with Culliver. Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendan Ayanbadejo has spent part of his Super Bowl week promoting gay rights and equality. Culliver's comments are a reminder that Ayanbadejo and other gay rights activists have a long way to go.

UPDATE: Culliver released a statement late Wednesday apologizing for his comments.

"The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel," the statement reads.

"It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience."

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000133011/article/chris-culliver-wouldnt-accept-openly-gay-49ers-player

I personally think this brings up an interesting debate that isn't widely discussed. Besides being absolutely appalled by the way he expressed his feeling, I think there is a major amount of homophobia that is rampant in the NFL. I get that it's a testosterone filled game, but who the hell cares where a player leans in his sexual orientation?

What do you guys personally think of this? Do you agree? Disagree?

EDIT: For Redskins fans, I think is a particularly interesting discussion because of one of our greatest players in history, tight end Jerry Smith. It is widely believed that although his numbers are Hall of Fame worthy, he's being kept out of Canton due to his sexuality. That, on itself, irks the hell out of me.

I just posted this about this in another thread and this was my thought:

My favorite aspect of this story is that he goes from this:

"I don't do the gay guys man"

"I don't do that. No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do."

"Can't be with that sweet stuff. Nah…can't be…in the locker room man. Nah."

To this:

"The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel," Culliver said in a statement. "It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience."

He is entitled to be as hateful as he wants, there is no law against being an *******, but he is playing for the wrong team.

Thats because the release of the second statement was likely written for him by the PR department. I'm sure he didn't have a sudden epiphany. My opinion on the matter, I don't fault him for his PERSONAL views on homosexuality. You can't expect everyone to be on board with the lifestyle, life just doesn't work that way. I do fault him for being so wreckless with his comments. He had to know this was a member of the media interviewing him, therefore his response would hit the press... too bad for him, #Live&Learn

I just posted this about this in another thread and this was my thought:

My favorite aspect of this story is that he goes from this:

"I don't do the gay guys man"

"I don't do that. No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do."

"Can't be with that sweet stuff. Nah…can't be…in the locker room man. Nah."

To this:

"The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel," Culliver said in a statement. "It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience."

I noticed the sudden change in style and prose as well. Odd, that.

I got news for Culliver. He's more than likely is playing with a gay player right now.

Thats because the release of the second statement was likely written for him by the PR department. I'm sure he didn't have a sudden epiphany.

I would just like to let it be known that I was aware of this. Haha.

I got news for Culliver. He's more than likely is playing with a gay player right now.

Or at least used to play with one....

Anyway, dude is an idiot. Even if that is how he feels, which is wrong I might add, he picked the worst time to say something about it.

I got news for Culliver. He's more than likely is playing with a gay player right now.

Not sure about that, but the "There isn't a gay guy in our locker room" part of his statement was funny, because even if there was, even in 2013, he wouldn't know it.

Or at least used to play with one....

Anyway, dude is an idiot. Even if that is how he feels, which is wrong I might add, he picked the worst time to say something about it.

I'm just going by statistics. Out of 53 guys, one of them is probably gay.

Two comments on this.

1. His problem is compounded becasue he plays in San Francisco, with the most active and robust gay community of any NFL city.

2. It's interesting to me that this story breaks on Jackie Robinson's birthday.

Chris Culliver is a homophobe, therefore he's either thought about being gay or had a gay experience that he's "ashamed" of.

I'm sure he isn't the only sports player out there with those feelings. You can't just throw them out there the way he did.

I would qualify with what I said by saying that I do believe everyone is entitled to their opinion, so long as they aren't acting on them in a hateful manner. I do think that his statement is a bit of a kneejerk reaction that comes with the machismo culture of the NFL.

That said, I would again say that it really shouldn't matter if your teammate is gay or not. What if a guy like Vernon Davis, Joe Staley or Frank Gore turned out to be gay? You really think Culliver is going to have the balls to tell them to "get up outta here"?

On the field, it's performance and how good of a teammate you are that counts. And yes, I am aware of how idealistic I sound.

This was actually the first time I'd ever heard fo Chris Culliver.

I hope San Fran wins now.

This is just what Ray Lewis needed, someone to say something dumb so the Superbowl story is no longer about his PED story.

He is entitled to be as hateful as he wants, there is no law against being an *******, but he is playing for the wrong team.

This is how I feel. It isn't, and shouldn't be, illegal for someone to be homophobic. It's his opinion and he's entitled to it, though I vehemently disagree with it.

Now, if he feels the need to "beat the gay" out of a future teammate, then we've got a major problem.

I have the audio of this, and we will likely make fun of him heavily on the next BCRH podcast. (Not tomorrow's show. Tomorro's show we have Freb Smoop signing the jailhouse blues among other things.)

~Plug

I think it's a very ignorant point of view, to which he's nonetheless entitled. What would Culliver be saying if the biggest, meanest, scariest guy in the NFL were gay? Probably not much.

If Ray Lewis is gay, now is the time for him to come out. :evilg:

Two comments on this.

1. His problem is compounded becasue he plays in San Francisco, with the most active and robust gay community of any NFL city.

2. It's interesting to me that this story breaks on Jackie Robinson's birthday.

http://www.google.com/logos/2013/jackie_robinsons_94th_birthday-1015005-hp.jpg

Jackie Robinson was gay? I didn't know that!

i think anybody should have the right to be openly gay in the nfl but i also feel that teammates have the right to feel uncomfortable around them in the locker room.

how would this be any different than an openly heterosexual man in a women's locker room.

I hope San Fran wins now.

I hope Culliver is the MVP.

I must say that I like the 49ers' statement, being in a large gay community and all. It's much more refreshing than the women's pro b-ball league acting like lesbians don't play on the teams or that their fan base contains large numbers of lesbian fans.

As to this player's statements, he's entitled to his opinion except for telling possible gay players not to come out or to get off the team.

I hope Culliver is the MVP.

I don't think I've ever heard of that guy. Must play Right Bench.