The NFL combine often features weird questions asked of prospects. The one Eli Apple got from the Falcons isn't just weird, it's completely inappropriate.
Appearing on Comcast SportsNet Friday morning, the former Ohio State cornerback (and potential early round prospect) was asked if he got any weird questions from teams at the combine.
Apple didn't just get a weird question from the Atlanta Falcons, he claims he was asked a wildly inappropriate one: "Do you like men?"
"I've been asked a lot of weird questions. I don't know if I could say on TV," Apple said. "The Falcons coach, one of the coaches, was like, 'So do you like men?' It was like the first thing he asked me. It was weird. I was just like, 'No.' He was like, 'if you're going to come to Atlanta, sometimes that's how it is around here, you're going to have to get used to it.' I guess he was joking but they just ask most of these questions to see how you're going to react."
Apple didn't seem to think it was inappropriate, but it absolutely is. Fortunately Falcons coach Dan Quinn got out in front of the issue when he heard about it, releasing a statement calling the question "inappropriate and unprofessional."
“I am really disappointed in the question that was asked by one of our coaches. I have spoken to the coach that interviewed Eli Apple and explained to him how inappropriate and unprofessional this was," Quinn said. "I have reiterated this to the entire coaching staff and I want to apologize to Eli for this even coming up.
"This is not what the Atlanta Falcons are about and it is not how we are going to conduct ourselves."
Asking a player about his sexual preference is tantamount to workplace discrimination. There are bizarre questions asked of prospects, but there's a line. The Falcons clearly crossed it and the NFL needs to do something about it.
The apology is nice, but unless you discipline teams for these questions they'll continue to be asked.
