Desperately Seeking Tyler

While everyone was chattering and chirping about the NHL and NHLPA ratifying the CBA and waiting for the MOU on Twitter today (I learned from Joe Yeardon that MOU means “Mountain Of Underwear”), Tyler Seguin sent out a tweet with an interesting photo that simply said “Idk what to say.”

I saw it immediately and quickly posted a reply. But as soon as I clicked on the “Post” button, Tyler’s tweet and photo had disappeared. Deleted. But the Interwebs never forget. Kat (@RunsOnDuncan) was able to dig up the image that someone had immediately posted on Tumblr. (Don’t mess with those Tumblr Babies.)

The photo (a redacted version shown here) contained a screenshot of three messages sent to Seguin from a guy named Paul, who I assume is gay. He doesn’t like hockey or baseball or basketball, but he really, really likes Tyler. A lot. He likes Tyler so much that he attempted at least three times to arrange a “discrete” hookup with him.

I like Tyler a lot, too, frequently fan-girling over him and posting love notes to him on Twitter. But it’s all in jest. I don’t have any illusions about Tyler’s sexual preference, or wonder if he might be gay and closeted. I also don’t question how he could be so nice and still be straight. As if those two things were mutually exclusive.

Why did Tyler post the photo in the first place? Was it because Paul said the thinks people in “mass” (Boston, Massachusetts) are “asshole?” Or was he genuinely surprised to be getting such a forward sexual advance from a gay guy and wanted advice from, oh, say, me? It’s hard to believe this is the first time it’s happened.

Tyler has Abercrombie & Fitch good looks, and we all know that catalog was essentially soft-porn for gay men. I’m sure he’s accustomed to getting hit on by girls and gay boys. So far he has been nice enough to not block me on Twitter. (Double-check) Yep, not yet.

And why did Tyler delete the photo and tweet so quickly? Most likely because Paul’s full name is completely visible, and Tyler suddenly realized he was essentially outing the guy all over the Internet. Gay guys attracted to straight men or closeted gay men are often closeted themselves to some degree.

But Facebook and the Internet are not good places to post your indecent proposals if you are trying to be discreet. Especially if they are sent to a famous professional athlete and you’re using your real name. Social media makes it way too easy for people to post all kinds of things about their personal lives to the delight or horror of millions instantaneously. Just ask Justin Bieber.

So, while I feel a little bad for Paul having his private messages publicly outed, the moral of the story is, don’t make sexual advances to a famous athlete using your real name on the Internet. And never say all people who live in Massachusetts are assholes when you live in Massachusetts.

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