A longtime reader wrote to me to tell me he too was a huge Roger Federer fan, but he was disappointed about comments Fed made about photographers taking his picture when he changes his shirt on court. Here is what Roger said:
"It's not like because I like to do that, but it's because I have to. And then it's like that focus, I feel like it's a bit odd, you know, 'Who is that guy controlling the camera?' I don't know. Is he a weirdo or not? I don't know. That's probably why."
This reminds me of the Kelly Ripa-Clay Aiken situation that Rosie O'Donnell called homophic a few years ago. No, I don't think Roger meant to be anti-gay. But I also don't think he realizes how this sounds to a gay man. ('Cause you know how guys taking photos of other guys tend to be weirdos?) If tennis photographers were predominantly women would he be saying this? I think the answer is clearly no.
Words have power. I doubt he will, but I think he might want to clarify or apologize about this -- or at the very least think twice about it.
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