Lez Keep It Real

My official last post for Lez Keep it Real. It’s a doozie!

A few weeks ago, when the NCAA tournament was wrapping up its 2008 run, ESPN aired a six-minute segment called “the whispers” about negative recruiting tactics in women’s college basketball on their investigative reporting show, Outside the Lines. Two days later, the segment was nowhere to be found.

The six-minute bit was filler, if not a less important part, of a longer, more in-depth look at the rivalry between legendary coaches Pat Summit and Geno Auriemma. Aired on Sunday with the segment intact, the powers that be at EPSN decidedly removed “the whispers” as if it never even existed. The video clip could no longer be found on the website and subsequent airings of the Geno and Pat feud ran without it included.
“The whispers” simply became just that — whispers.

What I don’t understand about this is the fact that ESPN took a brave step in initiating a conversation about a practice that is prevalent in women’s basketball only to sweep it under the rug a day or two later. Why even bother? Why open Pandora’s box if you are just going to close it.

Well, the answer is as good as any I suppose. It seems that any conversation in sports that centers on homosexuality is taboo. A big no, no. An elephant in the room. Whatever cliché you prefer, it doesn’t matter.

For those of you who didn’t see the segment or weren’t able to look it up online, I’ll gladly fill you in. “The whispers” made the blatant link between homophobia and the decline in the number of women coaches. Ever since the Pokey Chapman incident in March 2007, parents and athletes alike are more wary of attending any basketball program headed by a woman who is not married or has not yet developed a solid, wholesome reputation. If there are “whispers” surrounding her sexuality, well, that’s enough of a reason to play for some other school. Some colleges and universities use this to their advantage. They steer top recruits away from other programs by claiming their team and staff is free and clear of homosexuality. The “climate” is wholesome, the coach is a family-oriented and no, you will not be exposed to any lesbian predators at our school.

Like it or not, this is what happens day in and day out in the world of women’s college basketball recruiting. Gone are the days of saying, “Our program is better because of academics and discipline.” Now it comes down to this — “Our program is better because we don’t believe in homosexuality.”

When I first saw the segment, my first thought “it’s about time.” I applauded ESPN for putting it out there, for trying to turn “whispers” into full on conversations, for opening a dialogue that is long overdo. And then, the titan of the sports media world crumbled in the face of adversity and cowered to whatever public outrage the segment must have produced. Why else would they have removed it? Someone must have complained. A sponsor perhaps? A university spokesman? Whoever it was must have surely had the upper hand. I mean, come on. This is ESPN, the most-watched sports network of the century! They wouldn’t just bow down to anybody, would they?

Imagine if every one of us who has come out of the closet decided to suddenly go back in. That’s exactly what this feels like. The conversation was started, the closet door opened and we were finally going to discuss the existence of homosexuality in women’s basketball instead of ignoring as we have done for years. Then the closet door abruptly closed and it’s as if the conversation never even existed.
ESPN aptly titled the segment “the whispers,” because now that’s all that exists — whispers. There are whispers about Pokey Chapman. There are whispers about lesbian coaches and players. And there are whispers about homosexuality in the WNBA and college basketball. Unfortunately, until we full address these whispers, that’s all they will remain. Whispers.

espn, the whispers, pokey chatman, pokey chapman