On a landmark day for the rights of homosexuals in America, one player chose to make it a negative.
One team chose to make it a celebration.
The 49ers just tweeted out a simple message in the wake of today’s Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, their logo in white over a rainbow flag, with the message "#LoveWins.”
San Francisco might be the first market you’d expect to see such a message of diversity pop up, but it’s still stands out when a team in the money-driven corporate world of the NFL take any stand that could be considered controversial.
Of course, the idea that any humans should have the same rights regardless of sexual preference might be controversial is still somewhat odd, but the 49ers deserve credit for taking the stand.
Unlike the craven decision of Vikings cornerback Josh Robinson, who made his feed private after equating homosexuality to pedophilia and incest, the 49ers aren’t likely to delete this one later.
While they might represent a city more open to alternative lifestyles than most, not all of their fans are going to agree with it. They did it anyway. And like the Panthers calling for the removal of the Confederate flag in the wake of the Charleston church shootings, it’s a strong use of a strong platform.
And that’s something not enough players, and not enough teams in a sanitized-for-TV league are willing to risk.
Photo credit: 49ers official Twitter account