Nation’s Dave Zirin: NFL ‘Less Progressive Than the Flintstones’ in LGBT

The Nation magazine sports editor Dave Zirin reacted Saturday on MSNBC’s “Melissa Harris-Perry” to New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s one-game suspension for his intentional head hit on Carolina Panthers defensive back Josh Norman in December. Beckham, who also sustained two other unsportsmanlike penalties for his actions in the game, is alleged to have been the subject of anti-gay trash talk in the game.

According to Zirin, the NFL is “less progressive than the Flintstones” on LGBT issues since it does not tell players that using anti-gay slurs is wrong.

“In the NFL, on LGBT issues, they’re less progressive than the Flintstones. They are antediluvian on this stuff and any effort they try to say otherwise is ridiculous. They don’t do any kind of trainings, any kind of talk. They don’t do anything the NBA does to try to say to players, ‘Wait a minute, gayness is not trash talk. You cannot do that.'”