Who to root for? Truth be told, I will be rooting for scores that match blocks on my work’s football pool, but I’ll still be rooting for players over teams, some for and some against.

Baltimore Ravens

I so admire our straight-ally Brendon Ayanbadejo (Ravens linebacker) who has voiced his support for marriage equality and anti-bullying campaigns, but I look down on Matt Birk (Ravens center) for being an anti-gay, anti-equality, hater-in-the-name-of-Christ bigot.

[UPDATE — Thanks Nick!] — Go Ravens!
Terrell Suggs (Ravens linebacker) followed up on Culliver’s bigot remarks, answering the question, would the team would have a problem with a gay teammate,

 “Absolutely not.” “We wouldn’t have a problem with it,” Suggs said. “We don’t care. Our biggest thing in the locker room is to just have fun and stay loose. We don’t really care too much about that. We’re a football team. I said it yesterday; everybody deserves a certain amount of privacy. Who cares? Whatever a person’s choice is, it’s their choice.”

I don’t care for his word choice “choice”, but it’s obvious where his heart is.

And then there is was this root-for-the-local thing for us with the Ravens. Joe Flacco. Not only is he a frickin’ hottie, he grew up in Audubon, New Jersey, just 20 minutes from our town of Voorhees. However, while pretty to look at, he is pretty much an asshole.

San Francisco 49ers’

I despise Ahmad Brooks (49ers linebacker) and Isaac Sopoaga (49ers “nose tackle”, what?) who essentially don’t care if LGBT youth kill themselves, as well as homophobe Chris Culliver (49ers cornerback) who doesn’t want gay players in football (“don’t do the gay guys, man. Ain’t got no gay people on the team. They gotta get up outta here if they do. Can’t be with that sweet stuff”). He’s just a wee (pun intended) too concerned about the locker-room and his wanker. Even though Culliver has since apologized, it is obvious he was forced to. It is reported that he is now going to work at a crisis center for at-risk gay youth after some sensitivity training and education.

Culliver’s forced statement,

“The derogatory comments I made yesterday were a reflection of thoughts in my head, but they are not how I feel. It has taken me seeing them in print to realize that they are hurtful and ugly. Those discriminating feelings are truly not in my heart. Further, I apologize to those who I have hurt and offended, and I pledge to learn and grow from this experience.”

The 49ers responded to Culliver’s comments,

“The San Francisco 49ers reject the comments that were made yesterday, and have addressed the matter with Chris. There is no place for discrimination within our organization at any level. We have and always will proudly support the LGBT community.”

Dan Savage has since pulled the 49ers It Gets Better video from the campaign,

Funny how everything is getting all gay just days before the big game.

Kwame Harris, former (2003-2007) 49ers offensive tackle, who came out recently and of course, after his football career, is currently facing assault charges from an ex-boyfriend… over soy sauce and underwear. You just can’t make this stuff up.

Go Ravens!
(but if they lose,
… let it be all Matt Birk’s fault)