Robbie Rogers: Former USMNT Player Announced He is Gay, Has “Stepped Away” From Soccer
Former USMNT midfielder Robbie Rogers revealed that he is gay on his website, and has decided to “step away” from soccer at 25. From his statement on the site…
Secrets can cause so much internal damage. People love to preach about honesty, how honesty is so plain and simple. Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay. Try convincing yourself that your creator has the most wonderful purpose for you even though you were taught differently.
I always thought I could hide this secret. Football was my escape, my purpose, my identity. Football hid my secret, gave me more joy than I could have ever imagined… I will always be thankful for my career. 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. It’s 1 A.M. in London as I write this and I could not be happier with my decision. Life is so full of amazing things. I realized I could only truly enjoy my life once I was honest. Honesty is a bitch but makes life so simple and clear. My secret is gone, I am a free man, I can move on and live my life as my creator intended.
Rogers, who won a 2008 MLS Cup title with the Columbus Crew, had been playing for Leeds United in England’s Championship until last month when the club released him. Rogers was a free agent, though his “MLS rights” had been traded to the Chicago Fire.
He has 18 caps and two goals for the USMNT (including the first of the Klinsmann era). He was one of the final players omitted from Bob Bradley’s 2010 World Cup squad. He also played for the U.S. at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
[Photo via Getty]
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54 Responses to “Robbie Rogers: Former USMNT Player Announced He is Gay, Has “Stepped Away” From Soccer”
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February 15th, 2013 at 1:08 PM
“A gay soccer player? I’m shocked!” – No one, ever
February 15th, 2013 at 1:09 PM
HA! This dude is a friend of a friend. Never heard that chatter
February 15th, 2013 at 1:09 PM
If you follow him on twitter, it’s always been clear that he wasn’t a single minded guy, focusing on soccer. He’s got a clothing line, and just recently took a gig at Mens Health in the UK.
Should also point out that he says stepping away, nothing about retirement.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:09 PM
Stick it out pal, don’t retire.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:10 PM
Can one retire when they aren’t employed?
Good for this kid, although walking away from soccer isn’t going to please the fringe LGBT types. I am glad he is doing this for himself.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:15 PM
Good for this kid, although walking away from soccer isn’t going to please the fringe LGBT types. I am glad he is doing this for himself.
Indeed. I walked away from soccer when I was 10 and never looked back. I know how good this guy must be feeling right now
February 15th, 2013 at 1:16 PM
This news would thrill me more if I actually knew who he was. I held my “secret” until age 30. I can identify with the liberating feeling he says he feels.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:16 PM
If he wanted to, he could play for a MLS club. Seems like he just wants to retire and being gay has nothing to do with it.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:18 PM
Chris Culliver approves.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:19 PM
Only took one comment.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:21 PM
Only took one comment.
Says the guy that constantly bashes college hoops.
/prior thread’d
February 15th, 2013 at 1:22 PM
Only a gay would call soccer “football”.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:22 PM
Holy shit that seems like a long time. My favorite “coming out” story was a co-worker of mine who said when he told his parents they started laughing and said they’d known for years and had a bet on when he would finally come out. I thought that was funny.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:23 PM
I’m not sure thats the case. Yes, he has other interests, but from his blog post its clear that 25 years of secrecy took it’s toll on him, and I can’t imagine he’d want to go from relative anonymity to being the center of a world wide media circus day in and day out, when he’s probably still at some level, coming to terms with this
February 15th, 2013 at 1:23 PM
Can one retire when they aren’t employed?
If so, then I’d like to announce my retirement from the world of male modeling.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:23 PM
That’s what you got out of this. Like… seriously?
February 15th, 2013 at 1:24 PM
said they’d known for years and had a bet on when he would finally come out. I thought that was funny.
Dayem. That sounds straight up mean. Your co-worker had hid that forever from his parents and they already knew. Sounds like he did a lot being shamed when it wasn’t necessary.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:24 PM
Yes, it’s kind of comical the number of lisping, sashaying gay guys who think nobody knows their secret.
/hopefully that wasn’t me
February 15th, 2013 at 1:25 PM
Indeed. I walked away from soccer when I was 10 and never looked back. I know how good this guy must be feeling right now
Phenomenal.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:25 PM
Totally this dude. I met him during my interview and knew right away. My boss later said she had no clue, so I asked if his speech changed at all post-coming out and she said know. I then thought perhaps my boss was a retard.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:26 PM
Oh no, I wasn’t criticizing him. Just reading that statement, it sounded like he just doesn’t want to play soccer anymore. He was talking about how it is time to do other stuff away from soccer.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:26 PM
As a soccer player/fan I have to admit this was a good one.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:26 PM
My experience is the lisping/sashaying increases exponentially once out of the closet.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:27 PM
I’ll just say I find it amazing that you could think this after reading his statement.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:29 PM
Sad that a guy that’s roughly my age still has that kind of mindset. But soccer is a couple steps behind as it pertains to racial issues, so maybe it’s the same thing.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:29 PM
Soccer jokes aside, until an active Big-4 sport athlete comes out, it’s really not going to have much of a societal impact. Good for him though.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:30 PM
Shut it down. Fantastic.
As far as Rogers goes…good for him.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:30 PM
Sadly it needs to not just be a B-4 athlete, but a good one.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:32 PM
Soccer jokes aside, until an active Big-4 sport athlete comes out, it’s really not going to have much of a societal impact. Good for him though.
Jeff Gordon already came out.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:32 PM
Having lived in Ga for so long, I can’t imagine living in a state that is more religious. Apparently 6 of them are, however.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:32 PM
He was talking about how it is time to do other stuff away from soccer.
Sounds to me like he’s thought about the myriad ways this plays out, steps back for a bit, and then revisits playing domestically so he can be accepted on his terms and not as a social issue poster boy.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:33 PM
Texted the mutual friend. He is shocked by the gay aspect, but says Rogers discussed not really enjoying soccer in high school
February 15th, 2013 at 1:34 PM
Good news can mean lots of different things I suppose.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:34 PM
Or just do another 4.
/Navy SEAL’d
//Other day’d
February 15th, 2013 at 1:35 PM
You can add boxing/mma to this depending on who it is, just based on the nature of those respective sports.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:35 PM
I understand your point, but it’s not “soccer” that is behind, its the countries that play it. I’m sure there are racist things done at spanish basketball games, and english rugby matches as well
February 15th, 2013 at 1:37 PM
Sorry if my comment came across as crass, but I’m currently pissed at my homosexual brothers and sisters. The asshole that keeps calling in that runs the fry station at night is gay, so forgive me for my anger.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:40 PM
So he’s a fryer, not a flamer?
February 15th, 2013 at 1:41 PM
Nice try…queens would never work the fry station. Too messy.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:44 PM
Dudes rolling around together in speedos is gay as hell.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MMgACW-e4HA/UFCGXEqvSmI/AAAAAAAAAT0/_FBp9kxcJPI/s1600/ufc-is-gay.jpg
February 15th, 2013 at 1:44 PM
Memorable San Francisco moment: I’m walking down Post Street on the way to work one morning, and a few steps behind me, two guys are arguing over which one of them is more gay: “I’m the most gay ever.” “No, I’m the most gay ever.” In that highly stereotypical lisping/high-pitched-voice manner. I wanted to turn around and say, “You both win.”
February 15th, 2013 at 1:45 PM
Kip is awesome.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:50 PM
You might have thought you kept it for 30 years, but Jill Craybas knew.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:54 PM
LOL. She wanted me. Bad.
February 15th, 2013 at 1:56 PM
Epic Jill Craybas reference. HTown you have that signed photo out someplace?
February 15th, 2013 at 1:56 PM
Epic Jill Craybas reference. HTown you have that signed photo out someplace?
February 15th, 2013 at 2:03 PM
look, I don’t mean to pick nits, but this guy is full of shit. there’s NO WAY he’s been carrying this secret for 25 years. I mean, when do you even think he leared about sex and where society said he was supposed to put his penis and that sounded disagreeable to him and he realized he really liked other penis too? 10? 13? 8? 25 years though? moar like 12 to 17 years, amirite???
February 15th, 2013 at 2:04 PM
Nope. And I don’t have her epic win over Serena on Center Court at Wimbledon saved on a VHS tape somewhere, either.
February 15th, 2013 at 2:08 PM
Walking through Chicago this summer, we somehow found ourselves in the “gay” district. I forgot what it was called, but there were poles with rainbow colors, and the stores and people walking around that lived there weren’t exactly subtle about it. NTTAWWT, just odd we found our way there
February 15th, 2013 at 2:10 PM
Uh-huh.
February 15th, 2013 at 2:12 PM
PeerLess Prices at the shrink’s office.
February 15th, 2013 at 2:19 PM
Dammit
February 15th, 2013 at 2:58 PM
That would be Boystown.
February 15th, 2013 at 3:57 PM
been trying forever