In a front-page piece posted Sunday afternoon on NYTIMES.com, Suns President Rick Welts reveals that he is gay, as “he wants to pierce the silence that envelops the subject of homosexuality in men’s team sports.” Welts: “This is one of the last industries where the subject is off limits. Nobody’s comfortable in engaging in a conversation.” Welts shared his intent to go public with NBA Commissioner David Stern, Bill Russell, Val Ackerman and Steve Nash. Welts said Stern “was supportive but didn’t ask questions. And the litigator in him was already directing a response.” Stern: “What I didn’t say at the time was: I think there’s a good chance the world will find this unremarkable. I don’t know if I was confusing my thoughts with my hopes.” The story is currently the fifth-most e-mailed piece on NYTIMES.com (N.Y. TIMES, 5/16).
Suns coach Alvin Gentry: "I'm happy for Rick because I think it takes a ton of weight off his shoulders" (ESPN.com, 5/16). ESPN’s Bill Simmons wrote on his Twitter feed, “I thought Dan Barry's NYT story about Rick Welts was really well done. And sad.” WMG Chair & CEO Casey Wasserman tweeted, “Beautiful article about a dear friend of mine...let's do everything we can to eliminate homophobia, we can be better.”
