re: First Open Gay Athlete in American Team Sports

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but at the end of the day they wanna be treated as equals yet expect special treatment for announcing how gay they are?

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special treatment = not wanting to live your entire life up until this moment in fear over your sexual preference?

yeah, that's some fricked up entitlement, dawg

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but at the end of the day they wanna be treated as equals yet expect special treatment for announcing how gay they are?

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What does this even mean? Can someone translate for me.

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If he feared nothing, why would he have waited so long to "come out"?

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I am not saying he wasn't afraid. It just doesn't seem like in today's society he shouldn't be afraid to come out, but I have no idea how an NBA lockerroom would treat him.

Yea I don't wanna say this is all calculated, but I'm a cynical person. Any agent or manager of Collins with a pulse would've been telling him to come out as soon as they found out he was gay. Before he came out when's the last time his name had been talked about in the national media? Hell the local media? Now he's being blown by every single national sports personality there is for being brave and courageous.

No athletes are going to express anything but support and admiration, at least publicly their agents and pr people will make sure of that. He might get signed by a socially conscious owner in the offseason just so the owner can prove he's socially conscious. If not, I guarantee he'll get some endorsements with companies trying to associate themselves with being progressive, he'll get a book deal that will read alot better being about the first openly gay "active" athlete rather than being about a journeyman nba center. He'll get soeaking engagements.

Not saying this didn't take courage, but it's about as no lose a situation as you'll find. Yea some redneck morons might bash him online or in their homes but I guarantee Collins ends up in a better situation bc of this announcement, and he and his people knew that

ETA: there you go message board literature snob

If he was in today's society, being an athlete in the nba he was afraid. His teammates would have treated him differently, hell his coach may have, the issue of this being a big deal is media related. They have a lot more gay athletes and in a few years it will be common place until then these guys will be afraid because of the homophobia surrounding a gay athlete. So many straight makes believe a gay man is always checking them out.

That picture of him boxing out Blake.......

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sounds legit. He sucks.

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ISWYDT

When this guys doesnt get picked up by another NBA team, it wont be because he's gay. It will be because of the distraction (media or otherwise) of having a gay guy on the roster. Its no different than most NFL teams not wanting to pick up Chad Johnson because his production is not worth the distractions he comes with.

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He averages 1 point a game, who cares about this dude

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It's still unprecedented for an active player to come out..even though he's a marginal player

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if you look at the comments section or check out the tag "Jason Collins Homo" on Twitter you're in for a horrifying vortex of vitriol.

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I try to avoid these type of things because they make lose hope for the future of humanity

Reading the comments for nearly any ESPN article is a painful experience

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He probably feared saying anything early on because it might have hobbled his chances going forward. Or maybe it would have helped? I think that that uncertainty for many gay people is weighed more with fear than hope, so it's smarter to come out after your career has sorta run its course.

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I just think if you were a gay man and wanted to make stand for gay rights it would be to come out in the prime of their career. If there is bigotry among the league you could lead the way in making a change. I don't see a journeyman center who may not even play next year not having much of an effect on the thoughts of homosexuality in the league. But like you said we have no idea how he would have been treated.