Loving this football guy

USA Today:

"The tide is changing," Ayanbadejo said. He's noticed a shift in NFL locker rooms that he feels mirrors a shift in society. Some teammates used to call him gay when he advocated gay rights, he says; now they listen to him even when they don't agree. Many players who oppose same-sex marriage do so on religious grounds, he noted.

"I'm against it," New York Giants offensive tackle Will Beatty said. "It's just my religious background and, from what I understand from reading the Bible, it's a sin. I mean, we all have sins. No one's perfect. That doesn't mean I'm for sin."

Ayanbadejo respects the opinion but disagrees with it. "The disconnect is that religion is not law," he said. "And some guys have trouble seeing the difference."

Same-sex marriage will be law in Maryland in 2013 if voters affirm the legislation, the outcome Ayanbadejo expects.

"It's a new day, and we'll keep pushing forward until it becomes second nature: â??Oh, there's a same-sex couple and they have a child,' and we're not going to look twice," he says.