Coming out in professional sports; the new rules of aging

NFL's Carl Nassib came out this week on Instagram, We'll talk about the barriers for LGBT professional athletes. Then, columnist Steven Petrow on the new rules of aging.

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Carl Nassib celebrates during a football game

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib #94 celebrates after a sack during the third quarter against the Miami Dolphins in an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jeff Bottari)

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Raiders defensive lineman Carl Nassib came out this week on Instagram. He’s the first active NFL player to publicly announce he’s gay. In his post, he wrote that he had “agonized about this moment for 15 years” and said he’ll be donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth. We start this hour talking with Outsports deputy manager ALEX REIMER about why it’s still so difficult for professional athletes to come out, and if Nassib’s announcement will change anything. Then, columnist and author STEVEN PETROW  joins us to talk about his new rules for aging. When he turned 50, he started a list of do’s and don’ts. His new book, Stupid Things I Won’t Do When I’m Old, examines the stereotypes of aging, our fears about growing old, the real challenges people face and how to do it gracefully.

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