Many closeted gays athletes fear that coming out of the closet could ruin their careers or cut them off from lucrative endorsements and sponsorships. Nike and the NFL are out to change that perception. Indeed, the first pro athletes to come out could well find them selves reaping a financial windfall as Nike and others embrace them. Bloomberg looks at the situation and one can only hope that soon players will come out and tear down the pro sports bastion of homophobia. Here are some highlights:
By the time former Phoenix Suns executive Rick Welts’s I-am-gay announcement appeared on the front page of the May 15, 2011, New York Times, he already had revealed his secret to friends, co-workers and business associates.
Among those told before the article was published were NBA Commissioner David Stern and senior executives at Nike Inc (NKE)., the world’s largest sporting-goods company . . . . Nike asked Welts to deliver a message to anyone thinking about becoming the first openly gay athlete in major U.S. team sports -- the company wants him as an endorser.
“They made it clear to me Nike would embrace it,” Welts, 60, now president of the National Basketball Association’s Golden State Warriors, said in a telephone interview. “The player who does it, they’re going to be amazed at the additional opportunities that are put on the table, not the ones that are taken off.”
According to Bob Witeck, 61, a gay-marketing strategist and corporate consultant, the first openly gay team-sport athlete -- provided he’s a recognizable name -- would earn millions in endorsements and speaking engagements from companies seeking to capture more of a U.S. lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adult population whose annual buying power he pegs at almost $800 billion.
“We’ve passed the tipping point to where national advertisers are no longer afraid of the gay market,” said Mark Elderkin, chief executive officer of the Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Gay Ad Network.
The National Hockey League isn’t backing away from the issue. Yesterday, the league aligned itself with a gay-rights organization in a partnership aimed at fighting homophobia in sports.
Witeck says a gay athlete endorser makes most sense for a company in the beverage, automotive, financial or technology fields. “There’s higher reward than risk right now,” he said. “The first time you do something you get most of the benefit.”
It will be interesting to see when someone summons the courage to come out. It will certainly be a step in breaking down the stigmatizing stereotypes our enemies seek to paint of gays. And needless to say the One Million Moms Bitches will go batshit crazy when it happens.
No comments:
Post a Comment