LA Galaxy Sign Out Soccer Star Robbie Rogers To Multi-Year Contract Extension

Via press release:

The LA Galaxy announced today that the club has signed defender Robbie Rogers to a multi-year contract extension. Rogers, an MLS veteran and former U.S. Men’s National Team member, joined in Galaxy in May 2013 and has made 30 appearances and 22 starts as a member of the Galaxy. “We are excited that Robbie will remain a part of our organization going forward,” LA Galaxy Head Coach and General Manager Bruce Arena said. “He has proven to be a dynamic player in our League and an integral part of our success this year. We look forward to his continued contributions in the years to come.” Rogers, 27, has made 15 appearances for the Galaxy this season in addition to recording two assists. After making the move to defense full-time with a start against Chivas USA on June 8, the Galaxy have gone 10-2-7 in all MLS competitions in which Rogers appeared, including MLS Cup Playoffs.

(Tipped by JMG reader Benjamin)

RELATED: Last month ABC green-lighted a sitcom based on Rogers' life. The show is tentatively titled Men In Shorts.

ABC Greenlights Sitcom Based On Life Of Out Pro Soccer Player Robbie Rogers

Deadline has the details:

Written by Claudia Lonow, who serves as showrunner, and Jordon Nardino (Desperate Housewives), Men In Shorts centers on a young pro soccer player who takes one small step out of the closet and one giant leap into the spotlight. Zadan, Meron, Lonow and Nardino will executive produce, while Rogers will be a producer and Storyline VP Mark Nicholson, who developed the project, a consulting producer. The project falls under Storyline’s deal at Universal TV. Lonow admits she wasn’t that familiar with soccer or Rogers before meeting with him, Zadan, Meron and Nicholson this past summer, though the 2014 World Cup was playing in her house as her college-age daughter is a big fan. “I was absolutely captivated by his charm and his humor, and I just thought it could make a great show,” Lonow said.

The character based on Rogers has a conservative father, who unlike Rogers' real father, "has more of a journey to go" on accepting his son. Deadline characterizes Men In Shorts as a combination family/workplace comedy - which means we can probably expect some locker room drama. (Tipped by JMG reader Peter)

YouTube's Spotlight Video Of The Day

(Tipped by JMG reader David)

Robbie Rogers, OUT Coverboy

Robbie Rogers tells Out Magazine what he considers to be the best part of now being openly gay:

The biggest thing for me was being in the locker room, again, with a group of guys. Because those are the guys you’re with every day; they become like brothers, guys that you fight and train with every day. I didn’t want to be in a situation where I was a total outcast, where people would be walking on eggshells around me, talking behind my back. They haven’t, but that possibility scared the shit out of me. It was like, I don’t want it to be like that, I don’t want to live my life that way.

Gay Soccer Star Robbie Rogers For PETA

Robbie Rogers On Coming Out

Robbie Rogers Takes Soccer Field As First Out Male Professional Sports Player

Via the Advocate:

Robbie Rogers made history on Sunday as the first openly gay man to play in a game in U.S. professional sports. If there was any concern about whether fans would be supportive, it was eased as the crowd stood and cheered wildly when Rogers took the field during the second half of the L.A. Galaxy's 4-0 win over the Seattle Sounders.  This might forever become a tricky piece of sports trivia. The NFL's Jason Collins is the first male pro athlete to come out while still an active player, but Collins' season was already over.

The New York Times has more:

The crowd was typical — close to capacity, but still with room to seat several thousand more. The news media turnout was nearly normal — no local columnists and scant national presence. Only the presence of the celebrity and gossip Web site OMG appeared out of place at a soccer match. There were no discernible signs of support (or dissent) for Rogers until he stepped on the field. To some, an M.L.S. public service announcement that flashed along the stadium signage boards may have carried more resonance on this night: “Unity. Equality. Acceptance. Respect for Fair Play. Don’t Cross the Line.” “We were talking about it earlier: this is a historic night, kind of like Jackie Robinson,” Vince Grant, a Galaxy fan, said as he enjoyed a pregame beer and meal with his uncle Mike Callahan and a friend, Aaron Rice. But for a number of Galaxy fans, there seems to be less concern with the historical implications than how the acquisition of Rogers cost Los Angeles its leading scorer, Mike Magee.

VIDEO: Rogers takes the field about one minute in.  The clip ends with a post-game interview.

Openly Gay Pro Soccer Player Robbie Rogers To Join Los Angeles Galaxy

In February pro soccer player Robbie Rogers simultaneously came out and retired from his sport.  But in the wake of the coming out of NBA player Jason Collins, Rogers has reconsidered. This morning USA Today revealed that Rogers has signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

He told the world in February that he is gay and at the same moment said he was leaving soccer. Now, Rogers is reversing field and has agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Galaxy, according to two people familiar with the negotiations. Both spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the Galaxy has not announced the deal. Rogers will be the first active openly gay player in Major League Soccer. He also hopes to play for the U.S. national team in the 2014 World Cup — and to be the role model for gay teens that he wished he'd had.

Rogers says his epiphany came after speaking to an LGBT youth group in Portland.

"I seriously felt like a coward," he tells USA TODAY Sports in an exclusive interview about his return. "These kids are standing up for themselves and changing the world, and I'm 25, I have a platform and a voice to be a role model. How much of a coward was I to not step up to the plate?" And so, newly turned 26, he will step onto the pitch again. He couldn't imagine such a thing when he told his secret in February, writing an open letter on his website and linking to it with this pithy tweet: "Just getting some sh*t off my chest."

ESPN covered the news this afternoon.

Gay Soccer Player May Return To Game

In February pro soccer player Robbie Rogers came out and announced his retirement on the same day.  But hang on, Rogers was spotted training with the Los Angeles Galaxy this week.

The 25-year-old, who has 18 caps for the U.S., accepted an invitation from Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena to train with the team, which posted pictures of Rogers in action on their social media sites. Californian Rogers made his name in MLS with the Columbus Crew but under league rules, his rights would be held by the Chicago Fire if he was to return to play. Chicago head coach Frank Klopas told the team's website on Tuesday that they would be interested in signing Rogers. "The only thing I can tell you is he's a very good player and the first option is to always look to bring him to our team if he decides to play," said Klopas. "It's great that he's back into it. He's a young man with a lot of years left and it's something he loves doing. You can never get that back when its past."

It's not clear if Rogers' possible return to the sport has anything to do with the positive public reaction to the coming out of Jason Collins.