There was some speculation after some comments were made by Daniel Negreanu about fellow poker pro Patrik Antonius as to whether Daniel had a so-called man on crush Patrik. The original comments were sparked from someone razzing Daniel that he was jealous of Phil Hellmuth, to which Daniel responded:
“How could I be jealous of Phil??? It just doesn’t make much sense? What exactly would I be jealous of? His Pro Player drink deal, or his Children’s clothing line? Seriously, I’ve never been jealous of him for even a millisecond in my entire life!Patrick Antonious on the other hand, my goodness! Dude is too pretty to be that good at poker!”
This comment obviously started wild speculation on all the popular poker forums as poker players so willingly gossip and led to a “formal” response from Negreanu which was both intelligent and respectful:
“I actually know a couple of “devouut” lesbians who think PA is hot, lol. I have no “man crush” on the dude, I was just messing around.
As for being gay, people thinking that I’m gay has never bothered me for even a millisecond. Often in a world full of dudes who don’t shave, hunt, dip their deer meat in bacon juice, dress like slobs, and basically represent what they beieve to be “manly traits,” they’ll look at a guy with highlights in his hair, two earrings, and is also a vegan and assume… yup, must be a fudge packer, lol. Oh, and not to mention that some of my closest friends are actually women!
It’s sheer ignorance, but it never bothered me at all. My idea of what it means to be a real man doesn’t conform to what guys like Donald Trump try and feed you. Trump would have you believe that a successful man is:
1. Physically strong.
2. Rich.
3. Attracts lots of women.
That’s so sad really. A real man is:
1. A good father.
2. A good son.
3. A good husband.
4. A good friend.
Success isn’t measured by one’s pocket book, their biceps, or how many women they’ve slept with. When the rich man dies alone, no one will remember any of that stuff. They’ll remember what’s truly important… what he was to his family and friends.
As a man, if you make that your main focus in life, I can’t imagine that you’d be unhappy. If your son or daughter thinks you are the best dad in the world… that seems like the measure of success to me.“
As always Daniel showed his intelligence and friendly nature in dealing with the reaction to the comments and the whole “incident” is another testament to what a good person Negreanu is.
