It didn't take long for soccer player Robbie Rogers to make history with the L.A. Galaxy.
Just one day after announcing that he had decided to end his premature retirement by signing a deal with the Galaxy, Rogers became the first openly gay athlete to participate in a U.S. team sport during the Galaxy's game against the Seattle Sounders last night. With the Galaxy leading the Sounders 4-0, Rogers made his Major League Soccer debut when he was inserted into the game in the 77th minute of the match. And even though it was definitely a big deal, Rogers tried to downplay it after the game.
"I guess this is a historic thing," he said, "but for me it was just a soccer game."
Just a soccer game? Eh, it was a lot more than that. But it's nice to see that Rogers was able to take this major step forward and get such a positive reaction from the fans in attendance. He received a round of applause when he entered the game and had the support of his teammates as well.
"Because of the nature of the way sports has been for so many years—the macho culture that's been embraced by everybody—it's of interest to everybody," Landon Donovan said after the game. "Now, hopefully, the hype about it is over and he can get back to being a soccer player, which is what he wants to do."
Keep an eye on this guy going forward. It'll be interesting to see what else he can do with the Galaxy.
RELATED: Hall of Shame: A Recent History of Homophobia in Sports
[via ESPN FC]
