NFL Network: Top 10 Recieving Corps, 1960's Redskins #5- Jerry Smith was gay??

[RenegadeTK]

Just because someone hasn't heard of someone before doesn't mean they are just a casual fan. That was WAY before my time, and just because I didn't study all of the old players of the Redskins' from the 60's doesn't mean I am just a "casual" fan. I play football 7 out of 7 days a week and watch it every time it's on, and anytime I'm watching tv 75 percent of the time its on NFL network...

I am SURE there are alot of young people who are just as diehard of fans as you are. So what are you talking about??? :doh:

agreed.... :logo:

while i understand AAARedskin's rant, i don't agree with it.

[LaRonDontLikeUgly]

No offense, (hey we're all Skins fans here) but some of you young guys really need to stop looking at the world from just what's at the end of your nose. If you've never heard of the great Jerry Smith, then you're just a casual fan.....and that makes you quite boring. Jerry Smith died of AIDS, and he was gay. When he passed, Dave Butz (have you at least heard of him? Played on the D-line....) said of him,"I considered Jerry a friend of mine when we played together, and I still consider Jerry Smith a friend."

I don't think that's fair. The guy was not a Hall of Famer, nor will he ever be.

A casual fan to me is someone who has never heard of Khary Campbell or Ryan Boschetti. You can't blame us 'young guys' for not knowing the all the players on a roster in the 70's. I think that would be a little EXTREME.

[Zzj]

are you gay? or did you read an article about homosexuality in the NFL? or did you write something about it?

i don't intend to offend you in any way. i'm just curious, you seem to know more than the "average fan" about it.

i'm not gay. but i wrote a paper about societal pressures on closeted individuals about a year ago. it's a tough stigma for people in the queer community to overcome because that which identifies them as an object of scorn isn't, well, easily identifiable...

in matching uniforms, you couldn't pick out the gay players from the straight. neither by how they spoke nor by how they performed on the field. these guys were athletes first, and their private lives were not seen by them as their defining characteristics.

it's sort of like... people didn't think doug williams would be a good QB because he's black. obviously it's a stupid opinion, but doug was identified that way because of the color of his skin. such a big deal was made over the fact that he happened to be a black guy, when all he seemed to care about was winning the super bowl like any one else who's ever dreamed of playing in the nfl.

so gay athletes have to deal with that and worse. because skin color isn't ever debated as being someone's choice. because the privacy we associate with sex gets mixed in with homosexuality as the core of someone's identity. and because gays are seen in opposition to their genders, while sports for men tend to be glorified as pinnacles of physical achievement.

i dunno man. i just hate seeing people get messed around with for things that shouldn't be of concern to anyone else. choice or natural inclination shouldn't even factor in to the sexuality question. just let two consenting adults do as they please. we all have lives outside of the bedroom.

(not to turn this into a sexual-politics forum.... i hope...)

[RenegadeTK]

i'm not gay. but i wrote a paper about societal pressures on closeted individuals about a year ago. it's a tough stigma for people in the queer community to overcome because that which identifies them as an object of scorn isn't, well, easily identifiable...

in matching uniforms, you couldn't pick out the gay players from the straight. neither by how they spoke nor by how they performed on the field. these guys were athletes first, and their private lives were not seen by them as their defining characteristics.

it's sort of like... people didn't think doug williams would be a good QB because he's black. obviously it's a stupid opinion, but doug was identified that way because of the color of his skin. such a big deal was made over the fact that he happened to be a black guy, when all he seemed to care about was winning the super bowl like any one else who's ever dreamed of playing in the nfl.

so gay athletes have to deal with that and worse. because skin color isn't ever debated as being someone's choice. because the privacy we associate with sex gets mixed in with homosexuality as the core of someone's identity. and because gays are seen in opposition to their genders, while sports for men tend to be glorified as pinnacles of physical achievement.

i dunno man. i just hate seeing people get messed around with for things that shouldn't be of concern to anyone else. choice or natural inclination shouldn't even factor in to the sexuality question. just let two consenting adults do as they please. we all have lives outside of the bedroom.

(not to turn this into a sexual-politics forum.... i hope...)

thanks for not taking offense to the question. interesting opinion. i agree with the comparison between skin color and sexuality. this is sports, no one should be persecuted for their sexual preference because it has nothing to do sports.

[ljs]

are you gay? or did you read an article about homosexuality in the NFL? or did you write something about it?

i don't intend to offend you in any way. i'm just curious, you seem to know more than the "average fan" about it.

I agree that the "average" fan probably doesn't realize that there are gay people who play professional sports. At least they don't think so of a big, burly football player. I have heard of the Tuaola guy, as I've seen him do interviews in the recent past. I just learned during the show today about Jerry Smith and David Kopay.

I've heard rumors of baseball or basketball players (men) who were gay, but I can't recall off the top of my head exactly what their names were. I'm sure there are many more than anyone realizes. If there were even 5 out gay football players in the NFL, that is less than a half of a percent of total players. I've heard that research says there are 1 out of every 10 people are probably gay.

Still think its a totally bogus reason for him to not be in the HOF.

[stoshuaj]

maybe we should put up a statue

or

rename the stadium..................

[Potato Sack]

It's ashame that the NFL may be pointing a finger at a great TE's sexual preference just to keep him out of the HoF. Jerry Smith belongs there IMHO.]

I wish I could have watched him play honestly. All I know is what I read about.

His stats speak volumes!

[MWCREDSKINS]

Posse only Number 8, what are these people looking at. Who was ranked higher and don't even say the Greatest Show on Turf, the Posse kill them

[Jimbo]

I'm just flattered that at 33 I'm still a youngster..you all know how to make a lady feel good.

I love going to the liquor store and getting carded.

Yes ma'am. At 33 you still qualify as a youngster in my book.

Read up a little on Jerry when you get a chance. One funny story was how Jerry showed up at Training Camp under Vince Lombardi with long hair and a guitar. Lombardi asked who he was and when told said, "Jerry Smith? Tell him to get a haircut but he can keep the guitar. He's a good one".

[Commander Adama]

I'm just flattered that at 33 I'm still a youngster..you all know how to make a lady feel good.

I love going to the liquor store and getting carded.

We're old but just don't know it yet

[MassSkinsFan]

You don't intend to offend? Yeah, I usually call someone gay in a public forum when I'm not intending to offend them...

:doh:

are you gay? or did you read an article about homosexuality in the NFL? or did you write something about it?

i don't intend to offend you in any way. i'm just curious, you seem to know more than the "average fan" about it.

[youngestson]

He played 12 years in the NFL - all with the Skins. From 1967 to 1970 he averaged 9 receiving touchdowns per season (the NFL played 14 games per season then).

He played till 1977.

He was one of the nicest players I have ever meet (though Vernon Dean was the only one I had contact with and would call a grouch). Terrific cut to the ball and could catch almost anything.

[MassSkinsFan]

Ahem... EXTREMESkins... Ahem

:laugh:

You know who he is now though, right? The edumacation continues!

HTTR

I don't think that's fair. The guy was not a Hall of Famer, nor will he ever be.

A casual fan to me is someone who has never heard of Khary Campbell or Ryan Boschetti. You can't blame us 'young guys' for not knowing the all the players on a roster in the 70's. I think that would be a little EXTREME.

[MassSkinsFan]

Hey RenegadeTK,

I just read your post about Zzj's response, and I'm sorry for jumping to a conclusion.

[Zzj]

You don't intend to offend? Yeah, I usually call someone gay in a public forum when I'm not intending to offend them...

:doh:

you know, i kind of wish that the word "gay" would have less power as an insult nowadays...

i remember once i heard a conservative talk-show host screaming about how he didn't want a "girly-man" to be the next president. so i called in and asked him if, by his logic, an actual girl would be even worse than a "girly-man." I got cut off. It's funny how often people don't see past the surface of the words they use in order to consider their entire meaning.

[pjfootballer]

Jerry Smith was just one of those guys who flew under the radar. For you youngsters who never heard of him or barely heard of him, you likely would have heard more had a pass from Billy Kilmer not hit the goalpost in Super Bowl VII. Jerry was wide open and would have caught the first TD in Skins Super Bowl history had the goalpost been at the back of the endzone like it is now.

That pass likely had a lot to do with the NFL moving it to the back of the endzone for the 1973 season. Unfortunately for Jerry and the Skins it was one year too late.

As great a player as he was, I never understood why he never got more HOF consideration.

Good point about the goalpost in SB 7. I think that would have changed the game because at that point we were hanging with them. Also, I've always said, if Sonny didn't rupture his achilles, he would have beat them.

And the goalposts were moved back in 1974.

[ljs]

Yes ma'am. At 33 you still qualify as a youngster in my book.

Read up a little on Jerry when you get a chance. One funny story was how Jerry showed up at Training Camp under Vince Lombardi with long hair and a guitar. Lombardi asked who he was and when told said, "Jerry Smith? Tell him to get a haircut but he can keep the guitar. He's a good one".

Considering that I'm home for a few weeks recoving from ACL surgery, I have had a lot of time to surf the internet. I did read a bunch on Jerry yesterday after I caught the show. Any other players that might be forgotten that I should know about??

I could always use a suggestion or 2 for something to research...lol ( i have a thread going on my surgery/recovery in the tailgate)

[ljs]

We're old but just don't know it yet

lol. oh so true. as I sit here popping percocet and icing my knee after surgery. But not too old to get yelled at by mom...she is here helping me out this week and told me to go to bed cause I was still awake at 3am. :laugh:

[ljs]

maybe we should put up a statue

or

rename the stadium..................

oh no, it's a carry over from the ST threads.

(I got your joke..btw:silly:)

[cathartic-j]

Any other players that might be forgotten that I should know about??

I could always use a suggestion or 2 for something to research...lol ( i have a thread going on my surgery/recovery in the tailgate)

Chris Hanburger. I wonder if any nine-time Pro Bowl selectee has received so little post-retirement attention...

i remember once i heard a conservative talk-show host screaming about how he didn't want a "girly-man" to be the next president. so i called in and asked him if, by his logic, an actual girl would be even worse than a "girly-man." I got cut off.

:laugh::laugh::laugh: Awesome.

[ljs]

Chris Hanburger. I wonder if any nine-time Pro Bowl selectee has received so little post-retirement attention...

Thanks. I found this so far, "As a pro he was considered as one of the best linebackers of his era and was elected to the Pro Bowl nine times during his career, the most in Washington Redskin history."

you are right, can't believe he isn't mentioned more.

[RenegadeTK]

Hey RenegadeTK,

I just read your post about Zzj's response, and I'm sorry for jumping to a conclusion.

it's all good.... thanks for catching it before i had to point it out. but either way, it shouldn't be viewed as an attack in any way. i realize some people would take offense to it, which is why i prefaced the comment with "i dont intend to offend"

[Big Mac Patty Wack]

That's why he didn't make the HOF.

[ljs]

That's why he didn't make the HOF.

I think we established that. So i'm curious of your opinion. Do you think it's right to hold him back because of his sexual orientation? personally, I don't.

[Chief skin]

WOW Theres a name from the past 87 TE Jerry Smith, I remember in high scholl there was a friend of mine, she was crazy about him (women thought he was a cute guy) helluva TE. I have his autograph in George Allen's book future is now