Tom Daley: The Last Cliché

A friend made contact last year and said that he knew of a footballer, in the Barclays Premier League, who was thinking of coming out of the closet. Did I think it wise? How could it best be handled? What sort of backlash might he expect?

[Yeah, this happened...]

The journalist in me thought “absolutely, he should do it tomorrow and he should definitely do it in The Times”. The caring side (yes, even Fleet Street reporters have feelings) was considerably more wary on the player’s behalf, and understands why it has not yet happened after months of agonising.

Perhaps yesterday the moment when he, or another gay footballer, might dare to go public inched a little closer. Tom Daley revealed he is gay and, after more than a million hits on YouTube and thousands of supportive messages, can have felt only relief.

He did it, maturely, sincerely, with touching homeliness into a camera phone rather than a bought-up world exclusive — and, actually, his revelation may not make the slightest difference to his working life. The world of diving never struck one as brutally macho...

The Times.

Fagburn doesn't think he will ever tire of a journalist saying some gay coming out thing is "the last taboo."

A hat-trick of sports balls, rugger bugger Gareth Thomas in the Mirror (and the Times), ref Nigel Owens in the Guardian, and basketball player John Amaechi in Manchester Evening News.
Amaechi always talks much sense.
Thomas? Prfft...