Jason Collins becomes the first openly gay player in major American pro sports

[sureLoss]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mag...#ixzz2Rrh8O559

'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay. I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, "I'm different." If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mag...#ixzz2RrlUJAQN

Good for him

[CaptainCrunch]

Good for him, he's going to get a rough ride.

I would expect more pro athletes that are gay to watch this very carefully before they decide to step out into the light

[polak]

I'm sure he's not the only one.

[FlamesAddiction]

I hope it becomes a total non-issue.

I don't follow basketball and so I don't know if this guy is a good player, but I hope this doesn't affect him being able to sign with a team and continue his career. That will be the real test right there to see if the NBA was ready for this.

[The Goon]

C'mon, we all know that the gays hate sports.

In all seriousness, hope he's the first of many to publicly announce this, to the point where it's not "Breaking News" on my phone.

[Bunk]

It's really amazing it has taken until 2013 for this to happen. Courageous decision.

[Bigtime]

Good for him, this is a HUGE first step that was needed in the North American pro sports market.

[gargamel]

Good for him. I suspect it won't be long until many others follow his lead.

And it's nice to see that he has a sense of humor about it. That's the kind of attitude that will win over some people who would otherwise be on the fence.

I'm not afraid to take on any opponent. I love playing against the best. Though Shaquille O'Neal is a Hall of Famer, I never shirked from the challenge of trying to frustrate the heck out of him. (Note to Shaq: My flopping has nothing to do with being gay)

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Good for him, he's going to get a rough ride.

I would expect more pro athletes that are gay to watch this very carefully before they decide to step out into the light

Literally lol.

Just watched 42, Jackie Robinson story. Makes you think where the society was and how far it has come in terms of racism.

For me im not an advocate or out there opposing homosexuals. Not a concern for me.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I'm totally 100% behind him (not in that way), but why does he mention it as "I'm black, I'm gay". I mean was anyone confused or unsure about the black part?

[The Goon]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I'm totally 100% behind him (not in that way), but why does he mention it as "I'm black, I'm gay". I mean was anyone confused or unsure about the black part?

Possibly because there's a greater stigma of being gay in the black community. That's my guess.

[FanIn80]

Wasn't Randy Gregg gay? I mean, not in the sense that all Oilers are "gay," I mean it in the sense that he wasn't attracted to women. I don't mean "wasn't attracted to women" in the sense that he was attracted to farm animals, I mean it in the sense that he wasn't attracted to women in the sense that he was gay, and he was attracted to farm animals in the sense that he was an Oiler.

Edit: Whoops, typed Glen Anderson, but meant Dr. Randy Gregg.

[Imported_Aussie]

Collins is a fringe guy in NBA terms, big physical presence in the post, who teams such as Atlanta and Boston have used as a reserve. With Atlanta, he was very effective disrupting Dwight Howard when he was still with the Magic. He started with the Nets a while back, but has been on the fringes for a while. A useful reserve.
This is a positive step for a number of reasons - it is a mainstream American sport, and he is an American man coming out publicly, where it will get a lot of attention and raise awareness of the issues society creates for homosexual athletes within North America. Hopefully this can then spill over to other countries, due to the prominence of the North American market.
Also, as Collins was a physical athlete, he can help to break down stereotypes around homosexual men, that no only can they play sport, but also other than in sexual preference, they are no different to other men in their way of playing the game.

[Cowboy89]

Good on him! I worry though what happens if he doesn't get offered a contract in the offseason. His age and stage of his career might prove to be an excuse for GM's to pass on him, when in reality they are trying to avoid the potential distraction. This has to be a small first step among many over the coming years towards eliminating the stigma to the point where sexual orientation makes no difference in the minds of GMs, coaches, teammates, opponents and fans.

[mykalberta]

Given his "stats" I doubt this will garner much attention. If a good to great player ever "comes out" then it will be newsworthy IMO.

I just hope that if he isnt given a contract next year that people look at his stats and not his orientation as to why he wasnt given a contract.

Name 2013 Salary 2014 Salary
Jason Collins $1,352,181 UFA

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/washington.htm

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2001–02 New Jersey 77 9 18.3 .421 .500 .701 3.9 1.1 .4 .6 4.5
2002–03 New Jersey 81 66 23.5 .414 .000 .763 4.5 1.1 .6 .5 5.7
2003–04 New Jersey 78 78 28.5 .424 .000 .739 5.1 2.0 .9 .7 5.9
2004–05 New Jersey 80 80 31.8 .412 .333 .656 6.1 1.3 .9 .9 6.4
2005–06 New Jersey 71 70 26.7 .397 .250 .512 4.8 1.0 .6 .6 3.6
2006–07 New Jersey 80 78 23.1 .364 .000 .465 4.0 .6 .5 .5 2.1
2007–08 New Jersey 43 23 15.9 .426 .000 .389 2.1 .4 .3 .2 1.4
2007–08 Memphis 31 3 15.7 .508 .000 .526 2.9 .2 .4 .6 2.6
2008–09 Minnesota 31 22 13.6 .314 .000 .464 2.3 .4 .3 .4 1.8
2009–10 Atlanta 24 0 4.8 .348 .000 .000 .6 .2 .1 .1 .7
2010–11 Atlanta 49 28 12.1 .479 1.000 .659 2.1 .4 .2 .2 2.0
2011–12 Atlanta 30 10 10.3 .400 .000 .467 1.6 .3 .1 .1 1.3
2012–13 Boston 32 7 10.3 .348 .000 .700 1.6 .2 .3 .2 1.2
2012–13 Washington 6 2 9.0 .167 .000 1.000 1.3 .3 .3 .7 .7
Career 713 476 20.8 .410 .226 .647 3.8 .9 .5 .5 3.6

[Bigtime]

His stats have nothing to do with this. It's about a player in a major sports league openly coming out.

Just looking at twitter this is already a HUGE deal, being retweeted all over the place. Not too mention the article is in the May 6 issue of SI.

[The Goon]

Yeah, this is blowing up everywhere. Great to see Kobe and others supporting him.

Edit - and then there's this:

Statement by President Bill Clinton on Jason Collins

Apr 29, 2013 | President Clinton | New York, NY | Statement I have known Jason Collins since he was Chelsea's classmate and friend at Stanford. Jason's announcement today is an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community. It is also the straightforward statement of a good man who wants no more than what so many of us seek: to be able to be who we are; to do our work; to build families and to contribute to our communities. For so many members of the LGBT community, these simple goals remain elusive. I hope that everyone, particularly Jason's colleagues in the NBA, the media and his many fans extend to him their support and the respect he has earned.

[Trailer Fire]

I hope this opens the flood gates. I'd like to see some hockey players start coming out. Who knows, maybe our own Calgary Flames might live up to the name, so to speak.

Really it's about time something like this happened. I'd like to see professional sports shed the stigma for gay players.

[fredr123]

This is fantastic news. Good for Jason.

Basketball players enjoy some pretty intimate body contact with one another. There are no pads and very little fabric separating their sweaty bodies. The fact that dozens, maybe even hundreds, of centers and forwards have posted him up over the years and haven't felt his erect penis against their thigh is proof that there's no reason to treat a gay athlete any different than anyone else and people who would be reluctant to play with or against a gay athlete are just stupid morons.

[The Goon]

Originally Posted by fredr123

This is fantastic news. Good for Jason.

Basketball players enjoy some pretty intimate body contact with one another. There are no pads and very little fabric separating their sweaty bodies. The fact that dozens, maybe even hundreds, of centers and forwards have posted him up over the years and haven't felt his erect penis against their thigh is proof that there's no reason to treat a gay athlete any different than anyone else and people who would be reluctant to play with or against a gay athlete are just stupid morons.

You have a burdgeoning career in romance novels.