Questions of Sex in the NFL
By
Sengbe Ben Yosef
The National Football League one of America’s prized sporting contributions to the world and one of the most watched sports in the country is finding itself in a bit of a pickle with the recent rise in questions surrounding sexual orientation . The NFL is supposed to be a family sport that the whole family can enjoy together but as of late it has become a platform to talk about sex. I myself fail to see what sex or sexual orientation has to do with the game football or any sport for that matter. If American football is supposed to be good wholesome clean funny for the entire family how does the subject of sex even come into play? The NFL is a sports organization what place does it have trying to inform the public about sex? Why is the NFL putting itself in the position to promote sex to its audience?
Back when Janet Jackson’s breast was exposed the NFL and the public was in an uproar about the breast of a woman being exposed on national T.V. so much so that they made tons of changes to ensure that explicit sexual content would be kept from their viewers. They were right to do so because children could be watching and parents should be able to have control over what their children are exposed too. I saw nothing wrong with Janet Jackson’s breast but I feel the NFL took appropriate steps to safeguard young viewers. However, the NFL seems to step away from protecting young viewers when the conversation turns to sexual orientation. This seems to be a double standard and I can’t see how the NFL can on one hand say no sex but then turn and promote conversations about sex and sexual preference.
Everyone should by now know about ex- University of Missouri football player Michael Sam and the NFL’s first openly gay player. Sam’s was a great college player in the sport but he doesn’t seem to have what it takes to be successful at the next level and to me his athletic abilities should have been the focus not whom he chooses to sleep with. Why does the NFL allow itself to be dragged into sexual conversations when it claims to want to provide a product that is inclusive for all ages? Are top NFL officials afraid of being confronted by the LGBT community? The sex life of NFL players has no place in the game. Just the other day a 2016 draft prospect Eli Apple former Ohio State cornerback was asked by an Atlanta Falcons official if he likes men; to which the young man responded no. Why was that even a question or better yet what does that question have to do with football or one’s ability to play the game?
In closing let me say this article has nothing to do with promoting one lifestyle over another or what people do sexually and the choices they make as far as their personal preferences. This article is only seeking to understand as to why a so-called family -oriented sport is talking sex. The NFL is a sports organization that governs a particular sport and it should stick to that. The National Football League should not be undertaken the sexual education of its viewers that has no place in sports. The NFL should be working to teach the world about American football and if it is really concerned with the image being produced then it should focus on removing the sex talk from its format. The NFL is great entertainment but I think we have allowed them to think they are more than that. The league is out of line and we need to say something because all this sex talk is getting out of hand. No one wants or needs sports organizations telling us about the bedroom politics of its athletes. And no one asked the NFL to try and educate us the ins and outs of their sexual preferences, for me this is an inappropriate subject for a family center sport to be discussing.
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