The First Openly Gay Active Pro Athlete

[Logan]

Jason Collins of the NBA.

NBA player Jason Collins says he is gay - The Magazine - SI.com

[GoldenEagle]

Good for him. People should never deny who they are.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Somewhat ridiculous this even is a story to be honest. People should be allowed to do whatever they like and not have to hide it.

[molson]

It's amazing and kind of disappointing it took until 2013. The gay community never had a Jackie Robinson-type in sports, someone willing to take on real abuse to make it easier for everyone else. This just isn't going to be a big deal. Players today grew up in the 90s. I know there's this perception that athletes are behind the social times but I never really bought that. I don't think he'll get any more "backlash" than any other gay guy gets in their own life and job. Others will regret not coming out when they see Jason Collins' world doesn't implode over this.

[cuervo72]

Correction: in one of the big four leagues (or possibly just male in the US). Pretty sure there have been active tennis, women's golf, WNBA, women's soccer players who were out.

[Lathum]

Good for him. Must have taken amazing courage. I have to disagree with Molson. Collins lives is a world full of alpha males that will not accept him so easily. Will they all be like that, no, but there will be challenges.

[sterlingice]

First thought: Who is Jason Collins?
Second thought (after looking up his stats): Holy crap, he's been in the league 11 years. How did I not know of him?
Third thought: Oh: in the last 6 years, he hasn't averaged over 20 MPG and before that, he was with the Nets. That's how I didn't know

SI

[sterlingice]

He's a 34 year old free agent. Anyone want to lay odds on his getting signed this season? Let's just say I don't see a new contract in his future.

SI

[DaddyTorgo]

Good for him. Hopefully it opens the floodgates.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Good for him. Must have taken amazing courage. I have to disagree with Molson. Collins lives is a world full of alpha males that will not accept him so easily. Will they all be like that, no, but there will be challenges.

We'll see. We're about 10 years removed from the Red Sox getting made over on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. I think the Jeremy Shockey's of America are pretty rare generally, and possibly even more rare amongst young millionaire athletes than they are amongst the general population. Kobe Bryant called a ref a gay slur and it was a whole thing, he got fined and had to apologize. It's not acceptable anymore. The first guy who goes on a rant against him or otherwise hazes him for being gay (if that ever happens, which I tend to doubt) would get brutalized by the media and probably suspended.

[Ronnie Dobbs3]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

He's a 34 year old free agent. Anyone want to lay odds on his getting signed this season? Let's just say I don't see a new contract in his future.

SI

Kluwe and Ayanbedejo could both be off their teams this offseason.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Correction: in one of the big four leagues (or possibly just male in the US). Pretty sure there have been active tennis, women's golf, WNBA, women's soccer players who were out.

Yeah lots of twitter quibbling about this.

[path12]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

He's a 34 year old free agent. Anyone want to lay odds on his getting signed this season? Let's just say I don't see a new contract in his future.

SI

Unfortunately this was my first thought as well. Sure would like to be wrong.

[sterlingice]

I think this will be more big news outside of the sports world than in it. CNNSI has it all over since they broke the story. ESPN has it on the side only because Tebow-mania is splashed all over the front page. SBNation has it as the main story. CNN has it on the most prominent location on the front page as does MSNBC. Fox News… well, tiny little article at very bottom of front page. Well, it’s Fox. And BBC hasn’t even picked up the story yet but it’s not soccer so no one outside of the US cares

SI

[Chief Rum]

To be fair, he's a 34 year old journeyman big man with always limited skills growing more limited every day. It's entirely likely he wasn't going to be signed by any team ever again, even if he hadn't come out.

I wouldn't really hate on teams for not signing him, really. While those who are anti-gay will certainly jump on the opportunity to not sign him, even the most pro-gay sports organization would have to think twice about bringing in a guy who has skills that can be brought in for cheaper and younger and without the sideshow/headache that will now attach to Collins wherever he signs (and that's above and beyond any potential lockerroom issues).

[DaddyTorgo]

I am so proud of my bro @jasoncollins34 for being real. #FTheHaters http://t.co/...
— @Baron_Davis via web

Kobe BryantVerified account ‏@kobebryant 36m
Proud of @jasoncollins34. Don't suffocate who u r because of the ignorance of others #courage #support #mambaarmystandup #BYOU

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Correction: in one of the big four leagues (or possibly just male in the US). Pretty sure there have been active tennis, women's golf, WNBA, women's soccer players who were out.

Brittney Griner came out after getting drafted.

[JonInMiddleGA]

He's also less frightening in the post than Brittany Griner.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

To be fair, he's a 34 year old journeyman big man with always limited skills growing more limited every day. It's entirely likely he wasn't going to be signed by any team ever again, even if he hadn't come out.

I wouldn't really hate on teams for not signing him, really. While those who are anti-gay will certainly jump on the opportunity to not sign him, even the most pro-gay sports organization would have to think twice about bringing in a guy who has skills that can be brought in for cheaper and younger and without the sideshow/headache that will now attach to Collins wherever he signs (and that's above and beyond any potential lockerroom issues).

I may be completely out to lunch with my perceptions on this, but I think this slightly improves his chances of getting signed. A team might like the positive PR. Do we really think general managers (or owners) will refuse to sign a guy because he's gay? I think coaches, players, and front office people already know (or have very strong suspicions) about a lot of different guys being gay. They might have even known about Collins specifically. I imagine there's a lot of this kind of thing:

Teammates, coaches knew of gay NFL player and didn't care - CBSSports.com

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Matthean

Brittney Griner came out after getting drafted.

Perhaps the most controversial part about that was the debate over whether a man passing as a woman could even be gay.

[CraigSca]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

First thought: Who is Jason Collins?
Second thought (after looking up his stats): Holy crap, he's been in the league 11 years. How did I not know of him?
Third thought: Oh: in the last 6 years, he hasn't averaged over 20 MPG and before that, he was with the Nets. That's how I didn't know

SI

That's weird, because the ABCNews.com headline is: "NBA Star Jason Collins Makes History: 'I'm Gay.'"

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by CraigSca

That's weird, because the ABCNews.com headline is: "NBA Star Jason Collins Makes History: 'I'm Gay.'"

That's like saying somebody is a porn star just because they did porn.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

He's a 34 year old free agent. Anyone want to lay odds on his getting signed this season? Let's just say I don't see a new contract in his future.

I'd say the odds of him being signed just increased - more media interest in him than previously ... would make a team seem 'cool' to a lot of the younger generation and probably attract supporters from a new segment of the market etc.

PS - Sorry just noticed molson posted that same argument.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Matthean

That's like saying somebody is a porn star just because they did porn.

Or that everyone who has been in Playboy is a "Playmate."

And yes, Griner - but the same thing was brought up with her; she's not the first, or even the first to ink an endorsement deal (as was reported just a few days ago). It was also perhaps the least-surprising news ever (sorry, Lance Bass).

[nol]

Good for him. However, I'd be wary of playing the "I don't see how this is news in 2013" card. Having that view is great and indicates that the company you keep consists of intelligent and tolerant people, but one glance at Twitter/any comments section underscores how brave of a move this was for Collins.

[molson]

Originally Posted by nol

Good for him. However, I'd be wary of playing the "I don't see how this is news in 2013" card. Having that view is great and indicates that the company you keep consists of intelligent and tolerant people, but one glance at Twitter/any comments section underscores how brave of a move this was for Collins.

I really don't think we can take anything from twitter or internet comments sections in terms of predicting what backlash he'll actually experience. If you read the youtube comments sections you'd think the race barrier hadn't been broken in professional sports yet. I haven't heard of any negative reactions from actual players, front office people, or any any other non-anonymous notable humans. It's very much the opposite. He's WAY more popular than he was yesterday.

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post...s-announcement

What a backlash!

[Ronnie Dobbs3]

Mike Wallace, for one. I think most are smart enough to keep their mouths shut.

[Logan]

I don't know...I hear someone like Mike Francesa talking about how he doesn't care about this story, taking the "why is this news? SI just wants to sell magazines" angle and it comes across as pretty damn homophobic to me.

[molson]

What level of backlash are you guys expecting? Maybe I'm just not counting the occasional twitter remark that is quickly deleted as backlash. Are people expecting more, like advertiser boycotts or teammates demanding trades?

Edit: I look back at some of the big gay "firsts", they're kind of hard to remember, but I seem to remember them typically having a lot of buzz for 5 minutes and then it went away. Like I remember people briefly freaking out about some of the early on-screen same-sex kisses, but now it happens almost every week on SNL. First gay lead in a sitcom - that was crazy for about 5 minutes, but everyone adjusted and calmed down pretty much immediately. First few gay actors that came out - there was a lot of concern about their careers being ruined - it didn't happen. People thought America could never accept a gay actor playing a straight man - Neil Patrick Harris somehow manages. I think the trend is obvious, Collins will have a brief boost of popularity, and everyone will eventually realize a gay player won't be murdered by his teammates or blackballed from the NBA, and we'll all go on with our lives.

[chadritt]

Originally Posted by molson

What level of backlash are you guys expecting? Maybe I'm just not counting the occasional twitter remark that is quickly deleted as backlash. Are people expecting more, like advertiser boycotts or teammates demanding trades?

Trouble finding a job, ask Kluwe why he thinks the vikings drafted a punter this year, for one thing. The other one is probably fans throwing things at him and his family, imagine if he brings a partner to a game just how much they'd be harassed. There is also teammate reaction, which would be mostly behind closed doors but would still be tough to deal with.

[molson]

Originally Posted by chadritt

ask Kluwe why he thinks the vikings drafted a punter this year, for one thing.

So Rick Spielman is a homophobe and can't tolerate having anyone who supports gay rights on his team because he drafts a punter? Do you think there will be similar "backlash" towards the dozens (perhaps hundreds) of other athletes who have spoken out in support of Collins today? Are fringe players on thin ice if they say anything in support of Collins? I really don't believe that's our world, at least in the front offices of billion-dollar sports franchises.

I guess I could kind of see though, THIS kind of thing making NBA GMs shy to give Collins a chance. It doesn't matter that the guy is a journeyman who has played for 6 teams and averages 3 points a game over his career - if you bring him on, you can never cut or trade him, otherwise you're a homophobe.

[chadritt]

I was just saying ask Kluwe or look at his reddit profile where he's talked about this. He's apparently been deemed a distraction and someone in the organization, from what I've read elsewhere its his special teams coach, thinks that as a punter he should be seen and not heard.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by molson

if you bring him on, you can never cut or trade him, otherwise you're a homophobe.

Which I strongly suspect is as big a part of Collins motivation here as anything.

[Shkspr]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Which I strongly suspect is as big a part of Collins motivation here as anything.

Fucker's probably not even gay, right, Jon?

[nol]

Looking at pro athletes' Twitter accounts is probably an even more biased sample than random Youtube comments. It's nice to see the support, especially from former teammates of his, but it's not as though an NBA player with an opposing view is going to say something bigoted on a public forum like Twitter - can you imagine how much David Stern would be willing to fine such a player? The backlash I'm talking about isn't what some heckler at a game would say. Jason Collins is a strong man, both physically and mentally, and I don't think it would affect him all that much. I'm referring to more systematic backlash.

Even the most tolerant, rational NBA GM who wants to sign Collins will have to convince ownership that it's going to be worth all the controversy to sign an end of the bench, minimum salary player. I think the players and coaches, for the most part, realize the hard work it takes to be an NBA player and have an "if he can play, he can play" attitude. I'm less confident that an owner is going to be brave enough to potentially alienate paying customers.

Regardless of whether or not Collins is signed, the fact that such a question will have to be addressed shows that sports is not yet a true meritocracy and that society still has a long way to go.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Shkspr

Fucker's probably not even gay, right, Jon?

Is, isn't, whatever.

Doesn't make him immune to being tempted to try to enhance/prolong his career by making an issue of it.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Which I strongly suspect is as big a part of Collins motivation here as anything.

yeah. I'm sure he hatched this plan just so some organization signs him as the 12 man on the roster and he can sit back and collect that sweet league minimum as long as he pleases.

[chadritt]

Instead of pointing to "I've started almost 500 games in my career" I'm sure he's just listing "I'm gay" on his resume.

[molson]

Originally Posted by nol

Regardless of whether or not Collins is signed, the fact that such a question will have to be addressed shows that sports is not yet a true meritocracy and that society still has a long way to go.

I think that's true, but part of the reason why is that it's taken so long for even one guy to come out. There's this fear of the unknown that has festered over decades, and I'm very positive the reality won't live up to that fear, just like it hasn't in every other context of American acceptance of gays. If a player came out 30 years ago, it would have been a hell of lot harder for him, if not impossible, but we would be in a very different place now. But, at least the world has Collins, and I'm very glad this boogeyman of "OMG an athlete could never be gay!" will be killed very soon. I guess I'm just annoyed by the general cynicism. Like I remember people on this board saying just before the 2008 presidential campaign kicked off, "America isn't going to elect a black president." Maybe the cynicism is some kind of defense mechanism, but I think American history proves that acceptance and tolerance can come quickly once it gains a little momentum.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

He's a 34 year old free agent. Anyone want to lay odds on his getting signed this season? Let's just say I don't see a new contract in his future.

SI

I bet he does. He'll be a 12th man somewhere, because in today's America, he's a PR positive, not a negative (which in itself is a good thing).

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

I bet he does. He'll be a 12th man somewhere, because in today's America, he's a PR positive, not a negative (which in itself is a good thing).

Yep. And maybe I'm being too cynical (but perhaps not), but I wonder how much of Collins's announcement was based on "I'm probably not going to signed at all, but this may help me get a job". Not to mention after NBA opportunities.

And I can't be tarred with the same brush as Jon (no offence, Jon, but this may be more of a 'only Nixon could go to China' thing) .

[bob]

Originally Posted by molson

I guess I could kind of see though, THIS kind of thing making NBA GMs shy to give Collins a chance. It doesn't matter that the guy is a journeyman who has played for 6 teams and averages 3 points a game over his career - if you bring him on, you can never cut or trade him, otherwise you're a homophobe.

In some ways it reminds me of Notre Dame and Ty Willingham. The "ND is racist" stuff that went out there after they fired him had to make some college presidents and ADs think twice about hiring a black coach. I get that he was the first coach they ever had that didn't get to coach out his entire contract, but he also lost by 30 more times than ND had in their entire history to date.

[DaddyTorgo]

He's a 7 footer who plays consistent defense, is a great locker-room guy (by all accounts) and knows what his offensive game is/isn't. That's valuable in the NBA.

He's more than a min-sal guy, even at 34. He'll be on a roster next year.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by chadritt

I was just saying ask Kluwe or look at his reddit profile where he's talked about this. He's apparently been deemed a distraction and someone in the organization, from what I've read elsewhere its his special teams coach, thinks that as a punter he should be seen and not heard.

Yeah, but is that tied to Kluwe's outspoken support of gay rights, or his outspoken nature regarding almost every topic, and his on-field celebrations? I like Kluwe, I think he's funny and often correct, but I could easily see how a coach wouldn't want his players constantly injecting themselves into the public discourse like Kluwe does.

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

He's a 7 footer who plays consistent defense, is a great locker-room guy (by all accounts) and knows what his offensive game is/isn't. That's valuable in the NBA.

He's more than a min-sal guy, even at 34. He'll be on a roster next year.

He's played 172 of a potential 410 games over the past 5 seasons, averaged about 10 minutes per game, and his high in any one of those seasons is 2.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. He's signed a 1-year veteran minimum contract each of the last 4 seasons. That has some value in the NBA (about $1.3 million a year!), but I'd say he fits the exact profile of a min-sal guy.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

On NBC News they mentioned that it helps that he is known as a good guy.

I kinda want to see someone who is a complete dick come out. Someone who busts out teeth with an elbow & complains how the mouth shouldn't have been in his way. When a guy can get signed with a "Fuck you, I'm gay. What are you gonna do about it" attitude & nobody cares, we'll really be past it.

[Lathum]

Teacher fired for publication of partner's name - FOX19.com-Cincinnati News, Weather & Sports

[Julio Riddols]

I wish James Harrison would come out as gay.

[Groundhog]

Good on him for coming out, but yeah, I don't think that it was a lock that he's on a roster next season anyway regardless of all this.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by M GO BLUE!!!

On NBC News they mentioned that it helps that he is known as a good guy.

I kinda want to see someone who is a complete dick come out. Someone who busts out teeth with an elbow & complains how the mouth shouldn't have been in his way. When a guy can get signed with a "Fuck you, I'm gay. What are you gonna do about it" attitude & nobody cares, we'll really be past it.

This begs for a Meta World Peace presser

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

I think this will be more big news outside of the sports world than in it. CNNSI has it all over since they broke the story. ESPN has it on the side only because Tebow-mania is splashed all over the front page. SBNation has it as the main story. CNN has it on the most prominent location on the front page as does MSNBC. Fox News… well, tiny little article at very bottom of front page. Well, it’s Fox. And BBC hasn’t even picked up the story yet but it’s not soccer so no one outside of the US cares

SI

It made today's newspapers over here, on a day where you'd think the newspaper would just be about the switch of crown.
Edit: But it wasn't mentioned on the sports pages, but rather the international news pages.