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A popular anti-gay backlash in the early public response to Weir's skating loss seemed imminent. On the internet, the overall sports blog buzz and discussion group chatter on Weir started off particularly harsh and homophobic. In the hours right after his losing, internet users posted all manner of anti-gay smears against Weir. Discussion threads read like the gay slur covered walls of a public restroom. “Weir” was rhymed with “queer”; anti-gay allusions were made to “ice-faeries,” “princesses,” etc, etc.

It was as if Weir's perceived gayness was suddenly revealed as the cause of his skating failure. Worse yet, it seemed as though his unexpected loss in the ice allowed previously closed floodgates of gay intolerance to open wide--causing all manner of bigotry to
spew forth.

That night, NBC ran their segment on Weir under the title "'He's Here, He's Weir."

The next day (2/17), in an article entitled “Weir's diva attitude ruins chance for medal; Self-absorption caught up with skater…” AP Sports Columnist Tim Dahlberg lampooned Weir's 2006 Olympics experience thus:

“Getting ready in the athletes' village, (Weir's) schedule went something like this:

-- Make sure swan costume from short program securely put away. Check.

-- Clean dorm room floor one more time. Check.

-- Glue missing sequins back on outfit. Check.

-- Catch bus to arena. Oops.”

Vai Sikahema, Sports Director of NBC 10, had earlier released a story on a previously filmed “Vai Learns How To Shop With Skater,” a Torino clothes shopping venture he shot with Weir. Billed as part of his regular “get to know the Olympic athlete” cameo series, Sikahema's segment with Weir was nothing more than a cheap shot attempt to paint
Weir as queer.

Sikahema begins his report by stating how Weir “has a reputation of strutting to the beat of his own drum.” He describes Weir as “perhaps the only guy I'd describe as "petite" and “the same size as my wife.”

Sikahema continues, pithily noting Weir's “perfectly arranged grey scarf,” “dyed auburn color,”“form-fitting black jacket with a high collar that my wife would die for” and how Weir carries a “Louis Vuitton purse. Not bag. Purse!”

The taping devolves into a Queer Eye for the Straight Guy parody, as Weir offers to choose clothes for the sportscaster. Sikahema nervously notes, “He took me to stores that I'm certain no former NFL player had ever been in.” Then Weir “sized me up and down” and said, "I wanna put something together for you." And after Sikahema tries on Weir's suggested ensemble, “Johnny cupped his hands to his mouth and said, "That looks soooooo cute on you!"

As is pathetically commonplace when “manly” male reporters have to cover a story that puts them in sexually unfamiliar territory, note how Sikahema above constantly mentions his own wife (translation: “I am straight”) throughout the article. His piece of reporting
is supposed to be about someone else. Yet he co-opts it to stress both his own heterosexuality and his obvious discomfort with anything even suggestive of homosexuality.

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