Robbie Rogers made headlines in February when he came out and promptly retired from the game of soccer.
“I will always be thankful for my career,” Rogers wrote on his website. “I will remember Beijing, The MLS Cup, and most of all my teammates. I will never forget the friends I have made a long the way and the friends that supported me once they knew my secret. Now is my time to step away. It’s time to discover myself away from football.”
Now, after a few months away from the sport, Rogers is set to become the first out male athlete to play in Major League Soccer and the first active player to compete with an American professional sports team. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Galaxy (the former team of David Beckham) announced a multiyear deal with the winger that involved trading one of the team’s fan favorites, Mike Magee, to the Chicago Fire.
The decision to come out of retirement was prompted after talking to kids at the Nike Be True LGBT Youth Forum.
“I seriously felt like a coward,” the player told USA Today. “These kids are standing up for themselves and changing the world, and I’m 25, I have a platform and a voice to be a role model. How much of a coward was I to not step up to the plate?”
As Rogers deals with his fears and trepidation, his new teammates have already lined up to support him.
“Everybody wants it to go a certain way on the field, but in my opinion it’s already a success whether he plays 1 minute or 1,000 minutes or 10,000 minutes,” Landon Donovan told The New York Times. “It’s already a big step in the right direction for our society as a whole. I’m proud to be a part of it.”
[Photo: Reuters/NYT]
D P
Yay! Kudos to Mike Magee, too! The condition was that since he’s leaving LA Galaxy, the first refusal should go to Robbie Rogers.
I luv ’em both!
mz.sam
A BIG HIGH-FIVE!…Our hometown Huntington Beach boy does not only good, but AMAZING. Congrats, Robbie!!!
Kieran
America can tolerate, even celebrate, certain kinds of gays that fit the stereotype…..Liberace, RuPaul, Richard Simmons…. But is the country ready for gay athletes like Robbie Rogers and Jason Collins that challenge the adolescent boy “Saturday Night Live” image of gay men? I’m not so sure America has matured enough yet.
jfabz
Kudos to Robbie Rogers for going back to the game. But he is not the first out player in the MLS, that would be David Testo who played for the Columbus Crew, Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact from 2004-2011.
balehead
He did it for the book/movie deal……
balehead
Plus does this mean only the “whitest” gays will get all the contracts/endorsments?….
Cagnazzo82
@balehead: Assuming you consider Brittney Griner, female – black – lesbian – WNBA player, as being white… then no, the contracts/endorsements don’t only go to the ‘whitest gays’.
Link for the lazy: http://www.essence.com/2013/04/29/brittney-griner-signs-endorsement-deal-nike/
balehead
I’m talking about the men in sports……why do the out of shape gays keeping missing that??
balehead
How typical ..gays throwing their support to another Black woman…..Beyonce anyone??…
balehead
How typical ..gays throwing their support to another Black Diva…..Beyonce anyone??…
NotStr8Acting
Oh buy a loaded gun and shoot yourself already, you wasted troll. Your r acism and homophobia is hilarious. It’s not upsetting anyone. It’s just making everyone feel sorry for you. Including on towle road where you’re making the same r acist homophobic comments against the ICONIC brilliance that is Robbie Rogers. Put yourself out of your misery and either take the pills or jump off a bridge and get it over with already. And I sincerely mean that. You’re taking up space on this planet.
Back to Robbie…you are beautiful, amazing and it is an HONOR having you part of our community! Congrats on all your many successes!
NotStr8Acting
@balehead: Oh buy a loaded gun and shoot yourself already, you wasted troll. Your r acism and homophobia is hilarious. It’s not upsetting anyone. It’s just making everyone feel sorry for you. Including on towle road where you’re making the same r acist homophobic comments against the ICONIC brilliance that is Robbie Rogers. Put yourself out of your misery and either take the pills or jump off a bridge and get it over with already. And I sincerely mean that. You’re taking up space on this planet.
Back to Robbie…you are beautiful, amazing and it is an HONOR having you part of our community! Congrats on all your many successes!
Scott Johansen
@balehead: You have some seriously deep rooted psychological and emotional issues, and I agree with the poster above, either you need to get help or just do away with yourself, because people like you are way passed the point of return. Cancer is a beautiful thing though for some people to get. Here’s to hoping your hateful karma catches up with you in the form of a terminal illness.
Scott Johansen
I sincerely love everything about Robbie Rogers. His talent, his interviewing skills, his smile, his kind adorable face, and every quote he has out there. Strong, talented, beautiful young man.
D P
@Scott Johansen: – I agree! In fact, I was thinking that same thought just looking at his picture used in this article: what a warm, winning smile Robbie has!