Fourth and long : gay identities and the N.F.L.

This thesis uses gender theory to explore why there has never been an active, openly gay player in the National Football League. Using a multimedia style that includes text, photographs, Twitter feeds and video, this academic work is written to be accessible to both gender theorists and sports fans alike. Particularly concerned with the theories of hegemonic masculinity and performativity, this thesis is an attempt to begin a conversation about sexual orientation and masculinity construction in perhaps the most visible bastion of traditional masculinity in the United States.