Neil Francis

[All Blacks nil]

FORMER IRELAND LOCK Neil Francis has courted controversy with his comments about homophobia in sport.
Francis, who writes a regular column in the Sunday Independent, was a guest on today’s Off The Ball show on Newstalk. The conversion about sports stars coming out began when Francis was asked for his take on American Football player Michael Sam, who the columnists described as “flamboyant” in his playing style. He insisted he would not be watching any of the Winter Olympics because of what he deems to be a hysteria about gay rights in Russia

Stressing that he was relating to his own experiences in sport, Francis commented, “Gay men don’t play sport because it is too manly.” He added that he, as a former sportsman, does not like ballet. He also remarked, “Do a survey of the hairdressing industry and find out how many heterosexuals are in that.”
Francis stated his belief that the numbers of sportspeople that are gay does not stand at the 10% mark but is closer to 1%. He declared that the rugby dressing room is a homophobic place and claimed a rugby player who came out as being gay would set themselves up for abuse which ‘could take the edge from your game’.

The score.ie

[Donny B.]

An embarrassment as a player, a pundit and a human being.

[All Blacks nil]

Quick turnaround and apology any time now

[Donny B.]

Get your shots in now people, rumour has it he's in negotiations to join the Iona institute and will hence forth be protected on high from any slagging by John Waters scumbag lawyer!

[mikey]

An embarrassment as a player, a pundit and a human being.

Once a fool, always a fool.........what a low life.

[Tiberius Rex]

Moron.

[neiliog93]

Lazy, attention-seeking, red-faced tool and general uncouth oaf.

[Scott]

Just listened to whole thing..... Embarrassing

What is his full time job does anyone know?

[suisse]

He insisted he would not be watching any of the Winter Olympics because of what he deems to be a hysteria about gay rights in Russia

I guess we have something in common, although we are coming from different angles.

[offshorerules]

Shouldn't really come as a surprise as it was him that coined the phrase ladyboys. The continued use by some of the term is clearly homophobic.

[honeyec]

He's an oaf and beneath notice.

[nc6000]

This is the opening paragraph of an article he had yesterday. He seems to have issues.

"Happiness is seeing the muscular lifeguard all the girls were admiring leave the beach hand in hand with another muscular lifeguard. I don't think I have been quite as happy leaving the Aviva after a rugby match as I was last weekend. Everything that the Welsh tried to embroider into a tapestry of the pre-match preamble backfired wonderfully."

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/g ... 13570.html

[ratpack]

That Franno has come out with this guff shouldn't surprise anyone. Many of us have given up taking him seriously a long time ago. I cannot see how this is not much more than an attempt to raise his own profile.

People being shocked at this should go back over some of his articles over the year. The ladyboys one is the one which is always remembered, but the one which i loss complete respect for him was where he basically stated when he was playing he believed some players on the team were using hard drugs like heroine! The guy is a loon!

[Dave Cahill]

Francis has a long history of saying things that are unsupported and unsupportable.

[Broken Wing]

Francis has a long history of saying things that are unsupported and unsupportable.

As part of his ramblings yesterday he outed Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers.

[leinster4life13]

He is wrong, but technically he wasn't far off with his 1%, considering the number of gay pro rugby players currently playing is exactly zero since Gareth Thomas retired. Still, he has undue concern about things of that nature, ladyboys, muscular lifeguards hand in hand.....Typical poorly thought out Neil Francis point, if not for the Iona furore he could have continued in ignorant bliss, his apology tour should be an eye opener, although he'll probably just view it as, "all publicity is good publicity".

[Donny B.]

He is wrong, but technically he wasn't far off with his 1%, considering the number of openly gay pro rugby players currently playing is exactly zero since Gareth Thomas retired. .

An important distinction.

[Lar]

He is wrong, but technically he wasn't far off with his 1%, considering the number of openly gay pro rugby players currently playing is exactly zero since Gareth Thomas retired. .

An important distinction.

+1

[LeRouxIsPHat]

He should also realise that sport doesn't just apply to those who play the game at a professional level. The most obvious example is the Emerald Warriors.

[olaf the fat]

He is wrong, but technically he wasn't far off with his 1%, considering the number of gay pro rugby players currently playing is exactly zero since Gareth Thomas retired. Still, he has undue concern about things of that nature, ladyboys, muscular lifeguards hand in hand.....Typical poorly thought out Neil Francis point, if not for the Iona furore he could have continued in ignorant bliss, his apology tour should be an eye opener, although he'll probably just view it as, "all publicity is good publicity".

WTF??
Surely players private life's are exactly that and private. I understand player stats regarding age, height,weight, caps, etc but I have never seen a sexual orientation stat!
Who somebody is attracted to is no business of teammates, coaches and especially fans. It has exactly zero effect on anything other than that persons private life.

Black / white, gay /straight, English / Irish, seriously what the f%~k does it matter?

Franno is just a tool and should be locked up with Stephen jones writing silly shite to each other