John Amaechi’s Sexy

Bravo to Salon! While People magazine shines a light on the over-hyped “sexy man” Matt Damon, the website used their “Sexiest Men” to feature some less conventional celebrities. Sure, Damon makes an appearance, but he hardly comes out on top. That honor goes to Mad Men‘s uber-handsome Jon Hamm. Hamm’s all well and good, but we’re especially excited by the inclusion of gay former b-baller John Amaechi, a man the journo Thomas Rogers describes thus:

For those of us with distaste for the machismo and egocentrism that often accompany professional sports, and, despite that, a predilection for tall athletes in shorts, Amaechi’s self-deprecation is beyond refreshing — it’s hot. Combine that with a British accent, a sharp sense of humor, a delightfully screwy dental structure, and a history of vocal opposition to the National Rifle Association, and you’ve got my vote for the gay male heartthrob of the year.
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Professional basketball doesn’t just need more openly gay players. It needs more John Amaechis. And so do we.

Yes, it would be nice if there were more Amaechis in the world, but then it would drive down the value of the original. No one wants that.

[We erroneously credited this scintillating list to Slate, when it actually comes from Salon. Sorry, Salon. You're our number one sexiest website. Next to ourselves, of course.]