Response to John Amaechi's 'coming out'

Every basketball fan understands athletes have personal issues which are difficult for them to confront or discuss publicly. Admitting a secret truth is uncomfortable and stressful for anyone. Former Utah Jazz Center, John Amaechi took a bold step by coming out and announcing to the media and the world that he's gay. Personally, I don't remember ever seeing him play, but what he did takes character and guts which must have reflected on some part of his game. His new autobiography tell-all book, "Man In the Middle" discusses his experiences in the NBA, dealing with his sexuality and how others treated him. I'm sure it's a real eye-opening perspective for everyone, especially heterosexuals.

Amaechi goes into detail about the whole locker room scene, stating how teammates wore expensive, tailored clothes, showcased their rings and necklaces, sometimes trying each other's clothes on, doused their face with cologne while at a mirror, and bragged about their sexual conquests. He thought that was funny since he was the one who was gay. I imagine star players in any sport flash their salary and have close bonds with teammates in a non-sexual kind of way. The 6'10 center also talks about his relationship with Jerry Sloan. I didn't realize what an asshole Sloan was until reading an excerpt from the book on ESPN.com.

Berating players in practice is common for certain coaches, but the ugly name calling from Sloan in games was indecent. I don't blame any player for not putting up with that crap. It goes to show fans that some coaches aren't who they seem to be in real life. As a player it takes a lot of restraint to avoid using violence. I now understand why Latrell Sprewell choked his coach years ago. Other athletes have and will continue to harass Amaechi for his lifestyle. I say who cares if he doesn't bother anyone. The bottom line is people just need to accept it or keep their mouth shut about the self-exploit if they have a problem with it.