Hey look at me! Im gay.. now please buy my hardcover book for 20 bucks

So this is sort of a week old story, but hey I just started this blog yesterday and I wanted to comment on it. John Amaechi, a former journeyman in the NBA admitted that he was gay in a news interview last week. To my knowledge, John is the first NBA player to come out of the closet and say it publicly. Amaechi claimed that while playing for the Utah Jazz, his coach, Jerry Sloan and/or owner found out his "secret" and decided to trade him. Although he just came out, anyone who had eyes could tell that he was gay.. I mean look at the guy.. but in all seriousness, it takes seeing things like this to realize how far our society HASN'T come yet. In an era where we are supposed to be more accepting of everything from different races, religions, points of view, and yes, sexual orientation, this just proves how "caveman" like some people still are. Saying that, I don't doubt that Jerry Sloan was born sometime at the end of the stone age.. That anyone would ever trade a serviceable NBA big man, which us Timberwolves fans will tell you, is VERY hard to find, just because he likes dudes is just ridiculous. I have never had a problem with homosexuals since I was old enough to have a decent opinion of people. I think every person in the world likes different things and different people and personally, I will always be accepting towards that choice of lifestyle.
The only problem I have with this certain gay man is the timing of his announcement. His newsworthy admittance came, coincidently, at the same time he was releasing his book. Hmmm, curious timing I would say. I understand that it must have been hard to come out when you were in the league, especially if you already supposedly got traded from one team for being gay. I understand if you were still contemplating it a couple months after you had left the league. What I cant understand though, is if you have wanted to come out for so long, and if you wanted to help other active NBA players feel comfortable with the idea that some of their fellow players, might be (gasp!) gay, then why come out now? Why discredited this big announcement by coinciding it with the release of your book? I have a problem with that.
This is also not the first time that a former athlete has come out in the media. Esera Tuaolo, a former NFL athlete and Minnesota Viking, admitted that he was gay on HBO's Real Sports. This announcement also happen to come out around the same time he came out with his book.
I'm don't think I'm being naive here and saying that its easy for an athlete at any level to come out to everyone. Both of these men recalled hearing numerous gay jokes and anti-homosexual remarks in the locker rooms. I know that it would be extremely difficult to admit being gay in professional sports, where players are supposedly to be the epitome of what a "man" is supposed to be like. I just wish I would see someone come out just because he felt like it, not to sell things. I'm waiting for that day because then I will look at that person and say, finally! But alas, with the nature of how things are still perceived by some, we will probably never get to that point, so theres no reason to hold your breathe.