Posted on 04/29/2013 11:24:02 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Two weeks ago we were writing about a terrorist attack, today we’re writing about gay basketball players. A blogger’s life for me, my friends.
Easy prediction: 75 percent of the public will be casually supportive or casually disapproving but either way almost entirely indifferent. Fifteen percent, including lots of pols, celebrities, and the media, will support him enthusiastically. The other 10 percent will hassle him on the court or from the stands either because they dislike gays or just to spite the 15 percent of “opinion leaders” on the other side. Collins will get a standing O at his first home game next year — if he ends up being signed — and some fans on the road will get nasty with him when he fouls someone too roughly. He’ll do a few ads. Then, after a few months, with rare exceptions, everyone will get bored with it.
By its nature, my double life has kept me from getting close to any of my teammates. Early in my career I worked hard at acting straight, but as I got more comfortable in my straight mask it required less effort. In recent days, though, little has separated “mask on, mask off.” Personally, I don’t like to dwell in someone else’s private life, and I hope players and coaches show me the same respect. When I’m with my team I’m all about working hard and winning games. A good teammate supports you no matter what.
I’ve been asked how other players will respond to my announcement. The simple answer is, I have no idea. I’m a pragmatist. I hope for the best, but plan for the worst. The biggest concern seems to be that gay players will behave unprofessionally in the locker room. Believe me, I’ve taken plenty of showers in 12 seasons. My behavior wasn’t an issue before, and it won’t be one now. My conduct won’t change. I still abide by the adage, “What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room.” I’m still a model of discretion…
Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it’s a good place to start. It all comes down to education. I’ll sit down with any player who’s uneasy about my coming out. Being gay is not a choice. This is the tough road and at times the lonely road. Former players like Tim Hardaway, who said “I hate gay people” (and then became a supporter of gay rights), fuel homophobia. Tim is an adult. He’s entitled to his opinion. God bless America. Still, if I’m up against an intolerant player, I’ll set a pretty hard pick on him. And then move on.
The most you can do is stand up for what you believe in. I’m much happier since coming out to my friends and family. Being genuine and honest makes me happy.
Collins technically isn’t the first active player from a big-four sport to be openly gay, he’s the first active player to go public with it. (Glenn Burke, an outfielder for the Dodgers and A’s in the 70s, was out to his teammates and coaches but didn’t announce it publicly until after he retired.) Early reaction is what you’d expect:
Proud of @jasoncollins34. Don’t suffocate who u r because of the ignorance of others #courage #support #mambaarmystandup #BYOU
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 29, 2013
NBA commissioner David Stern releases statement supporting Jason Collins twitter.com/BuzzFeedNews/s…
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) April 29, 2013
Jason Collins’ team @washwizards: “We are extremely proud of Jason and support his decision…” twitter.com/BuzzFeedNews/s…
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) April 29, 2013
The White House:
“Here at the White House we view this as another example of the progress we’ve made and the evolution that has taken place,” press secretary Jay Carney said when asked if President Obama had a statement on Collins. Carney said he had not talked to the president directly about Collins.
And the Big Dog:
Former President Bill Clinton on Monday congratulated NBA center Jason Collins for becoming the first openly gay male American professional athlete.
“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,” Clinton said in a statement.
It’s early yet, though. Someone in some league somewhere inevitably will say something disapproving, whereupon he’ll be shredded in the press until he formulaically apologizes.
By the way: None of this is a surprise, and Collins almost certainly isn’t the the only active big-four athlete who’ll be out by the end of summer. NFL player Brendon Ayanbadejo told the Baltimore Sun on April 5 that “up to four players” were discussing whether to come out on the same day, to take the heat off of each of them individually. There’s been endless whispering in the media over the last month about MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and the NHL preparing for this sort of thing. Advertisers have been preparing too, with Nike practically dangling cash in front of gay athletes to get them to speak up:
Nike asked Welts to deliver a message to anyone thinking about becoming the first openly gay athlete in major U.S. team sports — the company wants him as an endorser.
“They made it clear to me Nike would embrace it,” Welts, 60, now president of the National Basketball Association’s Golden State Warriors, said in a telephone interview. “The player who does it, they’re going to be amazed at the additional opportunities that are put on the table, not the ones that are taken off.”…
“We’ve passed the tipping point to where national advertisers are no longer afraid of the gay market,” said Mark Elderkin, chief executive officer of the Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Gay Ad Network.
That calculus would be complicated for a superstar, especially in a sport like football, but not for an average aging player like Collins. So this is really just phase one: Now there’s a man on the court whom everyone knows is gay, but who doesn’t draw much attention otherwise. Phase two will be when an all-star, who carries his team, comes out. How much more pressure will he deal with from teammates and fans?
Exit question from DrewM: If people want to boo someone for their personal lives, why not boo these guys?
Update: That was fast. Dolphins WR Mike Wallace apparently tweeted “All these beautiful women in the world and guys wanna mess with other guys SMH…” That tweet’s now gone, per TMZ, replaced by this:
Never said anything was right or wrong I just said I don’t understand!! Deeply sorry for anyone that I offended
— Mike Wallace (@Wallace17_daKid) April 29, 2013
Update: Like I said, the other leagues are preparing.
The baseball world voices its support for @jasoncollins34: atmlb.com/ZLYgwk
— MLB (@MLB) April 29, 2013
I knew as soon as you posted that he called it a sin, that would be it for him. How long before he apologizes and/or gets fired?
I guess they meant major USA team sports.
-PJ
Never heard of this guy. “Middling” seems too generous a descriptor.
This is about him making money off it, period. He’s got nothing to lose, he’s a non-entity bench warmer. He’s not being “brave”, ESPN. He may as well be a former player.
I guess it depends how strong he is to stand up for his beliefs..if he really believes what he says he will be fine..but if he gets too scared to speak out for what is right he will recant
Just now on FOX News TV: Shephard Smith cannot keep the smile off his face as he reports that Obama personally called the gay NBA player and congratulated him for his “courage”.
“This is about him making money off it, period.”
Exactly!!! My first thought was: “I bet the guy’s not even a poof; just trying to get a paycheck.”
With the dearth of big men in today’s NBA, if the guy had any game, he’d be on a team, period.
Now, he’s a “hero”? No, he’s a marginal FORMER NBA player, looking for $.
Shep has ‘company’ now. It’s obvious what he (and 0) both are. And ESPCN is owned by ABC.
It will be soon enough. Churches inevitably will be threatened.
RE: Does this mean that figure skating is not a major USA sport?
Apparently not, and neither is diving.
ESPN analysis gets it right on the fudge-packing unknown center of the Washington Wizards, trying to resurrect a nothing career by coming “out”.
ESPN’s Chris Broussard clarifies his views on Jason Collins: ‘I don’t agree with homosexuality. I think it’s a sin’
The sodomite-in-chief has of course shared his thoughts on this “courageous” fag for coming out. Sure would be nice is Barry Bathhouse will do he same thing. Worst kept secret in Washington, DC, other his birth certificate. Take a look at his two daughters and tell me he’s the father. They do not remote resemble him.......or his wife.
“Neither were Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird... don’t tell me they’re all gay too”
Tattoos OR wearing a diaper as shorts were not the fad when Jordan, Johnson or Bird were playing.
I suspect Jason and his ilk go thru a lot more floss than the rest of us...
Well, he's from Stanford. Went there at the same time as Chelsea, as Bill Clinton said today in appreciation of his "coming out."
I have heard this story six or seven times today, including news at the top of the hour.
Now I understand. One look at Chels and he was changed for life....
He has just guaranteed every camera in every game the Celtics play will be focused on him. Even sitting on the bench, the cameras will be on him. And all the game announcers will be talking about him. The media is going to be fawning and falling all over him. A narcissists greatest dream come true.
Collins is not on the Celtics roster.
Man, the 90s called, they want their "coming out" melodrama back. I'm having flashbacks to Vanilla Ice and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ads in between big announcements about celebrities "coming out" as gay. Nobody cares about this crap anymore, liberals.
I think this guy is a "major NBA star" the same way Rob Bell is a "major Christian leader" in the U.S. Some "bible beliving protestant" accused me of not knowing who Bell was because I'm a Catholic. In reality, I didn't know who he was because the guy was NEVER in the news until he announced his support for gay marriage and the media made him a celebrity overnight. It would be no different if the media found some liberal nun who 98% of Americans never heard of, and tried to pass her off as a "leading Catholic figure" like Cardinal Dolan or Mother Angelica, AFTER she endorsed gay marriage.
Jason Collins is no Magic Johnson or Larry Bird, and Rob Bell is no Billy Graham or T.D. Jakes. These people are "huge celebrities" because the pro-gay media claims they are AFTER they start promoting the gay agenda.
Memo to struggling wannabe rock bands out there: announce to the media all four members of your band are gay and in a relationship with each other. You'll be declared a "world famous beloved rock band" overnight.
I thought this was none of my damn business.
Not anymore. Now libs say that if someone is gay, it’s everybody’s business.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.