Hot Sheet: The Skinny on What to Watch

6. TELEVISION: The Last Barrier
Despite several female athletes being out on the court or the field, fans and media continue to speculate what it will be like when one of the 3,500 active professional male athletes in the big four pro leagues (hockey, basketball, baseball, and football) has the courage to come out as gay. The Last Barrier, a one-hour special produced by NBC Bay Area and Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, delves into what issues the gay Jackie Robinson will have to tackle on a personal, team-wide, and league-wide basis once he comes out. The program includes interviews with Golden State Warriors COO and president Rick Welts; Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe; Patrick Burke, Philadelphia Flyers scout and cofounder of You Can Play; retired NFL player Dave Kopay; Cyd Zeigler Jr., cofounder of OutSports.com; and former New York Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer. Discussing how long it will be before a gay athlete comes out, baseball commentator Shooty Babitt says, "You cannot predict courage, but the sooner, the better." Airs Saturday at 3 p.m. on NBC Bay Area.