• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Film/TV/Stream
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Tech/Science
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • Madonna’s Daughter Lourdes Leon Drops First Single & Steamy Music Video: WATCH
  • Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez
  • Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

Towleroad Interview: Jared Max

Steve Pep June 25, 2011

This past May, ESPN radio sportscaster Jared Max came out during a live broadcast the same week the sports world saw former Villanova basketball player Will Sheridan and Phoenix Suns President Rick Welts do the same. CNN's Don Lemon also came out that week.

JaredMax has since become pals with Sheridan as well as Lemon, who he had just had breakfast with the morning I spoke to him on the telephone.

Fresh off the euphoric high he is experiencing from his coming out, Max and I had a lengthy discussion about what the process has been like for him so far. Appropriately enough, Max describes the day he came out as "kind of like a new birthday."

SP: What's the fan reaction been so far?

JM: 98.9 percent positive.

SP: And the remaining 1.1 percent?

JM: "I've read some stupid comments that people have written underneath news stories. People go off on their comments. You know, I've heard from enough straight guys tell me, 'it took unbelievable balls to do what you did.' That only underlines the fact that people who write little comments on a page who don't have a profile up there and just have some screen handle. That's the total opposite, so what do I care about the peanut gallery? I read some great, great quote in some book which said, and I don't have the book in front of me so I'm going to paraphrase it, but it's along the lines of, 'Does the moon stop shining because some dogs bark at?' It's kind of been like that. As far as negative, nothing negative. It opened up a fantastic conversation between my father and I that was a little breakthrough in our relationship. My dad's known about me for 15 years or so. We're definitely in a better place now as a result of this all coming through. Me having a long conversation with my dad. He and I are in a real good spot. We didn't really talk about it. We kind of really had some real good breakthrough as a result of this."

SP: How does he feel about all of the press you've been had recently?

JM: "I think he was probably concerned. He's from a different generation. My dad is 64, I'm 37. Let's say for years my dad gets a call from a friend who would say to him, "Hey I heard your son on the radio", this and that and I'm sure it makes my dad happy, a father would be proud of his son. But I don't know how he would feel if all of a sudden he would get a phone call that was 'hey, I didn't even know your son was gay' or 'did you know?' I imagine those type of phone calls would probably be more difficult. So I was compassionate toward the situation and he never said to me that there was anything wrong with it. He wasn't proud of me or anything like that but I now feel like he's proud of me not only for having been successful with what I've done in my career to this point but proud of me for who I am. I've shared a lot of emails with him from things that people have sent me on Facebook where's gotten to see first-hand just the importance of this and the effect that this is having on people and I think it makes him very proud. His son is effecting people's lives in a very positive way."

The rest of the interview, AFTER THE JUMP.

SP: How soon until you think the views on gays by someone like former New York Giant David Tyree become the uncommon one in the sports world?

JM: "I honestly already believe it is the uncommon one. At least from a public speaking standpoint. These guys can have their own thoughts but we all have our own thoughts. I don't know what is the unpopular thing. It used to be that you were the guy who used to hang around with bunch of teenagers and stuff and say this gay guy this and that then 'hey, ha ha.' It was just funny. Everyone wants to join in on it. If you're that guy that does it now, in light of what's gone on say in the last month or so between Kobe Bryant, Joakim Noah, the NBA coming down very hard on this, Major League Baseball doing the same thing with Roger McDowell yelling at these guys in San Francisco, you're now the real jerk, the real bigot, if you're the guy throwing certain words around. I think so. Maybe that's wishful thinking. I'm in New York city, I'm not in middle America."

Jaredmax SP: Do you think we're on the fast-track to seeing an openly gay male professional athlete?

JM: "I have no idea. I do hope and would think that whoever is going to be the first is going to be that guy that my actions, that of Will Sheridan, Rick Welts and the support of straight guys in sports that that will have a role for them the same way that the people who came out before I did had a big role for me. How soon? I don't know. I'd say where we're at right now – within 18 months definitely wouldn't surprise me. If it's a superstar athlete…if one of those guys came out and said it, what do you do? This guy's got the support of everybody in the league already. What are you gonna do, shoot arrows all of a sudden at one of the guys who's one of the most popular people in the sport? I think it could be coming soon. Who knows? if it's a superstar athlete, if it's a real superstar, it definitely makes it a lot easier for others to follow."

Max told me about an encounter he had with openly lesbian tennis star Martina Navratilova at a gay bar when he was a closeted man in his twenties. That story is here:

JM: "Maybe about 10 years ago or so I was in Philadelphia at one of the famous bars called Woody's. I was there with a friend of mine. I was still pretty closeted at the time. Maybe just a few people knew about me and I turn around and there's Martina Navratilova. I went up and said hello to Martina and I said something like 'you're a real inspiration and thanks for being a great inspiration and roll model.' But how could she have been a real inspiration to me if I was too pussy to come out? I thought about that for many years because what I was really trying to say to Martina was 'hey I really applaud you. I wish I had the balls to do what you did.' And I also thought 'I would never have any interest in doing what you did either.'"

Towards the end of our talk, Max told me about the depression he went through in college when he thought about the challenges he would face if he were to pursue his dream as a radio sportscaster as an openly gay man – something that kept him in the closet for years.

JM: "I was in college, I went through a couple of years of just terrible, terrible depression in my sophomore, junior into my senior year. I'd laid out a foundation for a career as a sportscaster really well. I knew some of the giants in the business who had already become mentors to me. I'd done a lot of work already at a young age. I'd laid out all these great things and I was ready to go. All of a sudden where all of the depression came from, and I didn't realize it until years later, it was basically me believing that I could not live the life that I had mapped out for myself because how could I if I'm gay? I came to realize I'm gay. This isn't just a passing thing. I always thought even if I did it, 'I thought oh my God, I'm gonna be some pioneer or something? I don't ever want to be that. That's not me! I don't ever want to be the gay sportscaster.' Well, you know what? I guess at some point everything came to be. All right, so this is how it is? Cool. Wait, I actually get to help people? Awesome. The irony there, and there's definitely good irony there, because of what I was so scared of, I've come to embrace."

Topics: Business, Coming Out, Sports, towleroad More Posts About: Don Lemon, interview, Jared Max

Related Posts
  • Don Lemon’s Sexual Assault Accuser Drops Lawsuit, Backtracks On Version Of Events After Taking ‘Deep Dive’ Into Memory
  • Michael Cohen Says ‘Dictator’ Trump Isn’t Joking When He Talks About Staying for Third Term: ‘He Doesn’t Have a Sense of Humor’ — WATCH
  • Don Lemon Blasts Trump for ‘Disgusting, Racist’ Attack on Kamala Harris, Says GOP Senators Are ‘Complicit’: WATCH
  • Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

    Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Jonathan Knight has married his boyfriend Harley Rodriguez. The New Kids on the Block star has confirmed he’s a married man after tying the knot with his longtime partner in secret …Read More »
  • Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

    Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

    Published by Reuters By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican hopes of taking control of the U.S. Senate in November could hinge on former football star Herschel Walker, a first-time candidate endorsed by Donald Trump, whose …Read More »
  • The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

    The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

    Published by OK Magazine mega August 31 marks the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s tragic death — and her only brother, Charles, proudly spoke out about his sister! “I’m always surprised by how difficult August 31 …Read More »
  • U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

    U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

    Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Justice Department on Wednesday released under court order all of a 2019 memo https://www.justice.gov/file/1528466/download in which two top officials advised then-Attorney General William Barr not to …Read More »
Previous Post: « Governor Andrew Cuomo Speech After New York State Senate Vote, Marriage Bill Signed Into Law: VIDEO
Next Post: Watch: Greg Ball Explains Why He Voted Against Marriage Equality »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Contently Stroll Hand-In-Hand As Donald Trump’s Legal Woes Mount

    Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Contently Stroll Hand-In-Hand As Donald Trump’s Legal Woes Mount

  • Biden to hold first political rally in run-up to November elections

    Biden to hold first political rally in run-up to November elections

  • Trump has displayed ‘anxiety in private conversations’ following Mar-a-Lago search: report

    Trump has displayed ‘anxiety in private conversations’ following Mar-a-Lago search: report

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y’know

  • Duke and Duchess of Sussex adopt new rescue dog

    Duke and Duchess of Sussex adopt new rescue dog

  • Vanessa Bryant awarded 16m in damages over helicopter crash photos

    Vanessa Bryant awarded 16m in damages over helicopter crash photos

  • Lisa Scott-Lee recalls surreal dinner date with Michael Jackson

    Lisa Scott-Lee recalls surreal dinner date with Michael Jackson

RSS Partner Links

  • An error has occurred, which probably means the feed is down. Try again later.

Most Recent

  • Madonna’s Daughter Lourdes Leon Drops First Single & Steamy Music Video: WATCH

    Madonna’s Daughter Lourdes Leon Drops First Single & Steamy Music Video: WATCH

  • Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

    Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

  • Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

    Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

  • The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

    The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

  • U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

    U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

  • William Orbit: ‘Queen loves DJs as long as they end sets with National Anthem’

    William Orbit: ‘Queen loves DJs as long as they end sets with National Anthem’

  • Sir Rod Stewart takes another cheeky dig at his long-time pal Sir Elton John with stage mockery

    Sir Rod Stewart takes another cheeky dig at his long-time pal Sir Elton John with stage mockery

  • Scott Maxwell: Marco Rubio says his campaign is ‘a disaster.’ Is he crying wolf or truly scared of Demings?

    Scott Maxwell: Marco Rubio says his campaign is ‘a disaster.’ Is he crying wolf or truly scared of Demings?

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2025 · Log in

×