We’re not suggesting European soccer has a bit of trouble enforcing its goals of respect and mutual understanding between countries, cultures, and ethnicities, but governing football bodies can’t even hold up a punishment for blatant racism that everyone seemingly agrees on.

(Joe Jackson was right; it’s different for girls.  Isn’t that right, Natasha Kai?)

So when former footie star Paul Elliott claims at least a dozen current English soccer players are homosexual and should be encouraged to make a mass outing as part of the FA’s attempt to squelch homophobia, we support the notion but wonder if “safety in numbers” implies that maybe it’s not quite safe to do so yet.

We guess a dozen soccer players could step into the sun together and call for unity by playing all on the same squad (and even getting a substitute in!), but they’d have to play the match in an empty stadium with neutral anthems and mankini-free.  Honestly, it’s barely football at that point.

And it’s barely likely to happen in any form:

… former manager Alan Smith warned that being openly gay would be a heavy burden to football players.

‘You can get drunk and beat up your wife and that’s quite acceptable, but if someone were to say: “I’m gay,” it’s considered awful. It’s ridiculous.’

Brett Myers understands.

(P.S. We don’t get to say this very much, but congrats to the DAILY MAIL for an even-handed discussion of the hot-button issue.)