Tony Dungy likely out of his NBC job and gay NFL fans say good riddance

Tony Dungy is everything public figures should aspire not to be when it comes to respecting LGBTQ people. Fortunately, it sounds like his voice might be silenced after almost two decades on NBC’s pre-game broadcast for Sunday Night Football.

Dungy is reportedly not going to be a regular commentator on “Football Night in America” when the show returns to TV screens in the fall after 17 years on the network. He might still get an irregular role on NBC’s programming, but he won’t be on every week.

This is a major win for those who want public figures in sports to be inclusive and accepting of queer people. Not many football folks have been as hateful and ignorant towards gay and trans people as the former Indianapolis Colts head coach.

Going back through Dungy’s history presents a potpourri of stupidity and anti-LGBTQ bias:

• Dungy said in 2014 that he thought drafting openly gay player Michael Sam was a distraction, and he wouldn’t have done it. This was ironic considering he was OK with teams giving animal abuser Michael Vick another chance after his criminal charges.
• The coach said in 2014 that he doesn’t agree with Jason Collins’ gay lifestyle choices, but that he would still respect him and thinks he should get the chance to be employed like anyone else. Collins is a hero who inspires millions with his positivity, courage, and authenticity.
• Dungy posted on X in 2023 that kids are being tricked into believing they are cats and are asking for litter boxes in school. This urban legend was supposed to be his analysis of the acceptance of gay and transgender kids in schools throughout America.
• He said that transgender kids can fix themselves by turning to Jesus. Dungy has made it a habit to claim LGBTQ people can be fixed. He often uses his religion as a shield for his remarks.
• Dungy defended Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker after the latter went on a rant against women and gay people during a 2024 speech.
• Dungy backed an anti-gay organization’s efforts to prevent gay marriage from being legalized in Indiana during his time as Colts coach.

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Dungy’s rhetoric gives Christians a bad name and contributes to the stereotype that LGBTQ people and God mix like oil and water. Getting him out of the spotlight in the media is great news for queer people who want to feel like they can play football or watch football, and also live however they want to.

NBC was just as big a problem as Dungy, considering they never made him accountable for anything he said or posted online. The network was silent on every controversy surrounding Dungy in the last decade-plus.

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