Leanne Yuen '17 Contributing Editor
Dale Scott, a Major League Baseball umpire for 29 seasons, is now the first active male official in the NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB to publicly come out that he is gay.
In their October 2014 issue, Referee Magazine did a feature on the veteran umpire, and when asked for some non-game photos Scott decided that it was necessary to include an integral part of his life in the story. After consulting with his partner, Michael Rausch, he sent a picture of the two of them to the editor to be published.
While this is news to the public, it is no shock to MLB Headquarters and the umpiring staff. They have made it perfectly clear to Scott that his sexuality creates no problem; he has worked 3 World Series, 3 All-Star Games, and numerous playoff games...click to read more.
Spurs Hire a Star
Michael French '17 Managing Editor
San Antonio Spurs head coach, Gregg Popovich, added a Star to his reigning NBA Champion roster over the offseason - only this time, the new addition was a different kind of star. On August 5, 2014, Popovich hired former San Antonio Silver Star Becky Hammon, making her the first female to be a paid assistant coach in not only the NBA, but also in any of the four major men's professional sports in North America. Hammon played in the WNBA for thirteen seasons on both the Stars and the New York Liberty, and was recently voted one of the top 15 players in the league's history. Despite her overwhelming accolades, many wondered what male players and staff would think about Hammon. When asked about his new assistant, Coach Popovich said, "She's right in the middle and she knows how to do it and our players really respond to her. She's just a natural." Some may claim this is nothing but a publicity stunt, but numerous sources say Popovich's vision of Hammon's future does not end as an assistant coach in the male-dominated NBA. Who knows, maybe one day we will see Hammon heading up her own NBA squad.