Sunday, January 5, 2014

TOW #14: Written Text- Homophobia in the World of Sports

As 2013 concluded it seemed to be another great year in the sports world, however with the recent news regarding Chris Kluwe and his former coaches some are having second thoughts on how great this past year was in sports. This article addresses the homophobic attitude that seems to be present in several sports across the board, even though there have been many courageous statements from famous athletes who have told the media that they were indeed homosexual. One athlete, Chris Kluwe was interviewed after his head coach clearly stated his anti-gay beliefs during practice one day.

The article is written by Hudson Taylor, a coach who also gives back to the community by helping those who are having a tough time admitting they are homosexual, therefore he sees how cruel the world is toward these individuals on a daily basis. With the context being today, the article is suggesting that possibly this next year of sports can be successful on the scoreboard and also for every athlete, no matter their personal beliefs. The audience is not a specific group, however with it being CNN it can be inferred that it is for the public to know because this issue is found throughout the world, not just in sports.

The purpose of the text is to inform the public of this issue of the sports world in which homophobia is present among many of the coaches, players, and even some fans. Taylor uses compare and contrast as a rhetorical device in order to achieve her purpose by using two different athletes in his text, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and previously stated Chris Kluwe. By comparing Rodgers (An elite quarterback) to a not so famous punter who supports same sex marriage, it helps Taylor with her purpose because Rodgers is loved by millions yet Kluwe is not known by many and Kluwe is more of the average player who is actually a free agent as of now. Therefore the league and fans show support against homosexuality, which is the main purpose that Taylor is trying to inform his audience in his text.








Former punter for the vikings Chris Kluwe, who was targeted by his coaches for believing in same sex marriage. The link to this article can be found at http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/05/opinion/taylor-sports-homophobic/index.html?hpt=op_t


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