Of course, the same was true of Lombardi's locker room in Green Bay, where he wouldn't let his Packers frequent any restaurant, bar or hotel that denied the same services to black players normally offered to white players. This excerpt demonstrates that conviction: Lombardi wanted every person he was involved with to know that he or she was valuable in some way, regardless of any differences they might have, whether it was race, gender, or sexual orientation. This universal acceptance had no agenda behind it, nor was it self-serving. That is the attitude that I hope the teams I support would insist upon in their locker rooms and organizations: do your job to the best of your ability and respect your peers while doing so.
And if you do have an issue, the problem will be yours because my locker room will tolerate nothing but acceptance.' " "With coming out, I think my father would've felt, 'I hope I've created an atmosphere in the locker room where this would not be an issue at all. about his father and how he might react to the recent events: "And if I hear one of you people make reference to his manhood," Lombardi is quoted as saying, "you'll be out of here before your ass hits the ground."Īnother moving quote is one given by Vince Lombardi, Jr. In his defining biography, "When Pride Still Mattered," author David Maraniss described the scene of Lombardi charging an assistant to work with one of the gay players, a struggling back named Ray McDonald. A few excerpts of this article really stand out as symbols of Lombardi's unwavering respect towards all his players, including this quote: That is why the fact that Lombardi respected and defended gay players and team employees should come as no surprise whatsoever to anyone who actually understands what he stood for and how he treated the individuals on his teams.ĮSPN New York recently posted an article looking at Lombardi's legacy in the wake of NBA player Jason Collins' public announcement that he is gay, and it takes a deep, valuable look into the actions of the man that so many idolize, especially those in the Packers community. Lombardi treated his players roughly in practices and during games, but absolutely respected each and every one of them as individuals. He was the architect and leader of the Golden Age of Packers football, his teams won five NFL championships including three straight and the first two Super Bowls, and his name graces the trophy that the league champion receives each year. About 10 to 12 other apartments at their complex have American and police pride flags hung from their rental units, according to Kollmann and Malterer.Green Bay Packers fans are bred to idolize Vince Lombardi. The couple, who have lived in their $870-a-month apartment for nearly six years, believed the incident was a case of "selective prosecution" and that they were being targeted because of their sexual orientation. The couple was ordered to remove the flag or face eviction. Gay pride flag displayed on the patio at Country Oaks Apartments in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, that is rented by Kevin Kollmann and Merle Malterer.
Kollmann told NBC News that the couple had just returned home Monday from drafting a response to the eviction notice they had received last week when they found Bieck's letter taped to their door. "I would appreciate your input into this new policy, so perhaps we could meet sometime in the near future to discuss," Bieck said in the letter. Kenneth Bieck, the chief executive officer of Bieck Management, which owns the apartment complex, also said in the letter that he will be discussing a new policy that allows the flying of flags that "meet certain guidelines such as size, placement, location, etc."
It added: "No further action will be taken regarding your flag.