Jason Collins becomes first openly gay male in major U.S. pro sport

You guys remember Jason Collins, don't you? He's the NBA center who came out during the offseason in an interview with Sports Illustrated. Well, it's taken him all this time to land a job. He signed a 10-day contract this weekend with the Brooklyn Nets, and when he took the court Sunday night, he became the first openly gay male player in the history of U.S. major pro sports.

I heard one of those dim bulb sports radio shock jocks this afternoon, and he was saying he didn't think it was a big deal and why does anyone care about anyone's sexual preference. Nobody would care if LeBron has a foot fetish.

Of course, this misses the point. Being gay isn't just a sexual flavor of the day -- well not for most people :) We are a people and a minority and having the first one of us open and proud in a major pro sport is something that is LOOOOOONG overdue. So congratulations, Jason. Play hard, and here's hoping you stick with the Nets for longer than 10 days.

http://nba.si.com/2014/02/23/jason-collins-gay-nb … ?eref=sihp
By BearinFW | 02/24/2014 12:47 AM | 3 comments
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  • Unfortunately, Michael Sam didn't do very well on his day at the combine.

    https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corne … e14c2fb6db

    That isn't necessarily a killer for a less than star player like him. But it is most unfortunate, because it gives NFL teams plausible deniability if he goes undrafted. And also give the Internet bozos the chance to say that he just came out to raise his draft visibility.

    Why is the right wing in this country so freaking pessimistic and bitter? You see it in just about all their political discussions. I just don't get it.
    BearinFW 02/25/2014 04:02 AM
  • I watched the game yesterday! It was great to see JC walk on the court. It was cool, but it was also sort of a nonevent in as when the ball was inbounded the game was on... I think a large % of fans would not have made the connection if the commentary on his sexuality had not been brought up. The part I liked of the associated article posted by Bear'nFW is the comment by Nets' General Manager Billy King, who stated Collins is a big man needed to increase the depth of the team on the inside. And that's the way it should be; Michael Sam ultimately will be picked by a team who see his strengths as something needed, and like King's comments, no comments will be made of his sexuality when he's hired. I think it's great of the GM King and the Nets. As far yesterday's game went, it was not that great as the Nets beat my Lakers, but then what team has beaten up on my Lakers this season.
    furball 02/24/2014 02:33 PM
  • I think Jason Collins represents us well. He is proudly gay. From the article BearinFW attached above, I liked these two paragraphs that connect this game-changing event to the history of gays in the U.S.

    "Collins will wear jersey No. 98 with the Nets, a number that he also donned with the Celtics and the Wizards. On Sunday, Collins wore No. 46 because jersey No. 98 was not yet available.

    “'The number has great significance to the gay community,' he explained in his Sports Illustrated essay. 'One of the most notorious antigay hate crimes occurred in 1998. Matthew Shepard, a University of Wyoming student, was kidnapped, tortured and lashed to a prairie fence. He died five days after he was finally found.'”
    rjzip 02/24/2014 10:13 AM