Since we’ve been talking Cowboys here on Instant Tea this week, I figured I’d alert you to this interesting excerpt from an interview with Jeff Pearlman, the author of “Boys Will Be Boys, the Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty.” In ths Q&A posted on the New York Times’ NFL blog, Pearlman is asked what he thinks of Skip Bayless, the former Dallas Morning News columnist who erroneously outed ex-Cowboys QB Troy Aikman as gay. Read Pearlman’s response to the question after the jump.
“Well, as a pure writer I think Bayless is an amazing talent; one of the best of this generation, skill-wise. But what he did with Aikman was truly wrong … First off, he couldn’t have been sure Aikman was gay, because everything he was dealing with was speculation and gossip. Second, even if he knew, for a 100% fact, that Aikman was gay, you only write it if the man wants his sexuality out there. We do a lot of questionable things in this business—make tough choices every day of what to go with, what not to go with. But outing someone? And he’s not even gay? Evil. Absolute evil.”
I have heard the “Troy is gay” rumor from so many sources it isn’t even funny. Several say the have “direct knowledge” but that mostly consists of innuendo and supposition. In the end, who cares. If Aikman is gay and in the closet, what good will it do anyone? If he isn’t gay then the rumors are just wishful thinking on the part of horny fans.
Troy has had plenty of chance to “come out” and that hasn’t happened. Though I think it would be a good thing for closeted sports figures to come out, the reality is hey may never do so. If he had been a political figure, who was actively bashing the LGBT community, I would be all in favor of outing him, but as it is I don’t see the point.
Now as a fantasy…!
It is no rumor and topic is quite trite!