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Okay, Bill's got an interesting reason to root for the Saints. Works for me, but I was already behind the Saints. Here's some more on Fujita's politics - here, here, and here. Go Saints! Go Fujita! Who are you rooting for today, Blue Jersey? - Promoted by Rosi
As people gather Sunday for the annual ritual of watching the Super Bowl, I can't help but support the Saints - a team from post-Katrina New Orleans. Then there's the Saints' star linebacker Scott Fujita, a socially conscious athlete who has been outspoken in support of pro-abortion rights, gay rights and civil liberties. Talk about a progressive athlete... wow!
In an October 6, 2009, interview with David Zirin of the Nation Magazine, Scott explained why he was supporting the upcoming National Equality March for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender rights in Washington DC. "By and large in this country the issue of gay rights and equality should be past the point of debate." On other people's opposition to gay adoption, he indicated, "what that is really saying is that the concern with one's sexual orientation or one's sexual preference outweighs what's really important, and that's finding safe homes for children." On religion he stated, "I don't like it when people use God or Jesus Christ in this whole debate, if you could even call it a debate. Jesus Christ to me, is probably the most compassionate and revolutionary thinker of all time."
In the NYTimes (02/02/10) he talked about another football player Tim Tebow (Quarterback - Florida Gators) who will be featured in an anti-abortion Super Bowl commercial. Scott Fujita said, "The idea of focusing on the family - who wouldn't agree with that? But the means of doing so, he and I might not see eye to eye all the way." In its infinite wisdom CBS will air the anti-abortion commercial but has refused to air a gay dating service commercial.
A self-described "big white guy with the Japanese name," he traces his concern for civil liberties to his family's experience with Japanese internment camps during World War II. As an infant he was adopted by a Japanese-American family. His grandmother had been placed in such a camp and his adopter father was born in the camp. Scott Fujita said to Michel Silver of Yahoo Sports, "It's a horrible chapter in our history... and I wasn't even taught about it in school. It's something I feel very strong about, especially after 9/11, where there were so may similarities with people's civil liberties being violated."
Off hand I can not think of a NJ pro athlete who is nearly as progressive. Can you?
Go Saints! Go Scott Fujita!
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