Mike Pucillo announcement

[manyak 184]

http://news.theopenmat.com/2015/03/pucillo-leans-on-friendship-to-ease-difficult-decision/

 

 

Mike Pucillo nervously held his phone 15 months ago as he sat in his apartment trying to find the right words.

For months, the NCAA wrestling champion from Ohio State had tried time and again to share his biggest secret, but he couldn’t bring himself to verbalize two words.

Finally, on a December morning, Pucillo reached for his phone and tapped out a lengthy text message to his best friend and college teammate, Reece Humphrey.

The gist of the message was this: I’m gay.

 

I hope this leads to a more tolerant environment at wrestling rooms and locker rooms around the country.

[tommygun 52]

Good for him. Too bad this even has to be "news" in 2015.

[CollegeWrestling4444 7]

What's there to tolerate?

 

Someone makes a decision to CHOOSE a certain lifestyle that isn't natural or moral and we have to treat them as special or brave????

 

Its sad more then anything that this behavior is being accepted as ok. It's not ok.

[silver-medal 670]

Not gonna lie.  I was shocked as I read the article simply because I had no idea.  But it changes nothing in my estimation of him as a great competitor.  More importantly, I respect the courage he's showing by sharing who he is.  

[silver-medal 670]

What's there to tolerate?

 

Someone makes a decision to CHOOSE a certain lifestyle that isn't natural or moral and we have to treat them as special or brave????

 

Its sad more then anything that this behavior is being accepted as ok. It's not ok.

“Why would someone choose a life that is completely ridiculed their entire life? To me, people can’t wrap their head around that, there’s no point in me trying to talk to them. I’m not going to change the way their mind thinks,” said Pucillo.

[BobDole 1,229]

What's there to tolerate?

 

Someone makes a decision to CHOOSE a certain lifestyle that isn't natural or moral and we have to treat them as special or brave????

 

Its sad more then anything that this behavior is being accepted as ok. It's not ok.

WOW

[PAFAN01 54]

What's there to tolerate?

 

Someone makes a decision to CHOOSE a certain lifestyle that isn't natural or moral and we have to treat them as special or brave????

 

Its sad more then anything that this behavior is being accepted as ok. It's not ok.

I guess you are like the guy who believes you go to prison straight and come out as gay.

[BigRedMachine 210]

 

What's there to tolerate?

 

Someone makes a decision to CHOOSE a certain lifestyle that isn't natural or moral and we have to treat them as special or brave????

 

Its sad more then anything that this behavior is being accepted as ok. It's not ok.

 

Edited March 27, 2015 by BigRedMachine

[DuckFor2 216]

the fact that Humphrey lived with him and had no idea is astonishing.

 

not that any athlete admitting this is easy, but a high class wrestler must be really, really, difficult to live with. Wrestlers hear gay jokes all the time, making fun of dudes rolling around on a mat together, etc...

 

Kudos to Pucillo.

[WildTurkey44 321]

This thread should be deleted before it gets out of hand.

[Billyhoyle 2,500]

One thing that I think is interesting is the mention of how religious Tom Ryan is, yet how completely supportive he is.  Just goes to show the type of person he is and possibly the progress that has been made among many of the very religious.  

 

Like others have said, the locker room banter must have been difficult with how ubiquitous it is...It's the type of stuff Hudson Taylor is working on, although habits are difficult to stop...and being forced to be too PC is an issue as well. 

[LemonPie 1,368]

the fact that Humphrey lived with him and had no idea is astonishing.

 

not that any athlete admitting this is easy, but a high class wrestler must be really, really, difficult to live with. Wrestlers hear gay jokes all the time, making fun of dudes rolling around on a mat together, etc...

 

Kudos to Pucillo.

Exactly my thinking. Not only is the sport stigmatized, but there are many individuals within the sport who resent homosexuals for that reason.

 

Pucillo is a badass for sticking with the sport and doing so well. Good story.

[CollegeWrestling4444 7]

Ryan is supportive as his coach as far as his wrestling career goes.

 

Ryan never said anything about supporting his lifestyle choice.

 

A real Christian who believes in the bible will care about the person and try to help them work through this issue, but they won't support his lifestyle choice, and knowing how strong Ryan's faith in Christianity is, I guarantee you he doesn't support his lifestyle choice

[Grecojones 206]

This thread should be deleted before it gets out of hand.

Things like this should be able to be discussed openly. If someone cant communicate their opinions like an adult, it's on them. If feel your opinion is right you should be able to convey it in a way that is cordial and convincing. I personally support MP. Good for him. I'm sure there are many competitors to this day that have to stifle themselves and hide their personal lives in order to get by. 

[Billyhoyle 2,500]

This thread should be deleted before it gets out of hand.

Hopefully people can control their opinions and avoid ad hominem etc...We're not talking about Iowa or Penn State after all.   I think it's an important story for people to see, especially wrestlers who may be in a similar situation and/or coaches who want to improve the locker room environment for their teams.  

[silver-medal 670]

Ryan is supportive as his coach as far as his wrestling career goes.

 

Ryan never said anything about supporting his lifestyle choice.

 

A real Christian who believes in the bible will care about the person and try to help them work through this issue, but they won't support his lifestyle choice, and knowing how strong Ryan's faith in Christianity is, I guarantee you he doesn't support his lifestyle choice

“Why would someone choose a life that is completely ridiculed their entire life? To me, people can’t wrap their head around that, there’s no point in me trying to talk to them. I’m not going to change the way their mind thinks,” said Pucillo.

[WildTurkey44 321]

Hush 4444. Don't speak for someone else. I have a member of my family that is homosexual. I am 100% positive he did not CHOOSE to be that way.

[Billyhoyle 2,500]

Ryan is supportive as his coach as far as his wrestling career goes.

 

Ryan never said anything about supporting his lifestyle choice.

 

A real Christian who believes in the bible will care about the person and try to help them work through this issue, but they won't support his lifestyle choice, and knowing how strong Ryan's faith in Christianity is, I guarantee you he doesn't support his lifestyle choice

I am only going off of the quotes in the article, where he seems supportive.  You are going off of your own personal opinions and are assuming his are the same. 

[NJWC 305]

I couldn't care less about this one way or the other, to me it's a non story.  As I get older, I find myself more of the "live and let live" mentality, life is challenging enough without creating problems by worrying about what others do (when it doesn't affect my family).

That said, I do understand that there is an enormous part of the population (certainly globally) that is offended by this lifestyle,

and feel it's a behavioral abnormality that disgusts them.

I think that a little tolerance from both sides would lead to better understanding and communication.

[CollegeWrestling4444 7]

I am only going off of the quotes in the article, where he seems supportive.  You are going off of your own personal opinions and are assuming his are the same.

 

I read the article and he never said anything about supporting his lifestyle choice, not once, just general support as a friend.

 

What do you expect Ryan to say? He has to toe the PC line because if he doesn't all the activist groups will be calling for his dismissal.

 

It's clear that he doesn't support his lifestyle choice.

 

It's a choice. Nobody, not one scientist has ever found the "gay" gene that causes people to be gay. It's like any other sickness or mental health issue.

 

It's clearly not a natural way of life.

[Glane18 73]

What's there to tolerate?

 

Someone makes a decision to CHOOSE a certain lifestyle that isn't natural or moral and we have to treat them as special or brave????

 

Its sad more then anything that this behavior is being accepted as ok. It's not ok.

Just curious...  What part of the country do you live in?  Not trying to attack anything here, but I'm honestly just curious.  I'm in California and it's extremely rare to hear this side. 

[oldsuper 46]

“Why would someone choose a life that is completely ridiculed their entire life? To me, people can’t wrap their head around that, there’s no point in me trying to talk to them. I’m not going to change the way their mind thinks,” said Pucillo.

 

Silver-medal, the obvious response to this is that this particular "choice" isn't always completely ridiculed. In some cases, it can be advantageous.

[CollegeWrestling4444 7]

I have lived all over the west coast but reside in Nevada now. I use to live in Portland and also lived near Berkley.

 

I use to work with 3 gay men who handled my way of thinking much better then straight people who feel the need to be PC ever do.

 

We agreed to disagree and there was respect. However they always knew how i felt.

[oldsuper 46]

I am only going off of the quotes in the article, where he seems supportive.  You are going off of your own personal opinions and are assuming his are the same. 

 

Billhoyle, I read the article, and Ryan doesn't mention anything about the morality about Pucillo's sexuality. I know people who would say the exact same thing as Ryan, but would maintain that that lifestyle is actually immoral. 

[silver-medal 670]

I read the article and he never said anything about supporting his lifestyle choice, not once, just general support as a friend.

 

What do you expect Ryan to say? He has to toe the PC line because if he doesn't all the activist groups will be calling for his dismissal.

 

It's clear that he doesn't support his lifestyle choice.

 

It's a choice. Nobody, not one scientist has ever found the "gay" gene that causes people to be gay. It's like any other sickness or mental health issue.

 

It's clearly not a natural way of life.

Edited March 27, 2015 by silver-medal