Jason Collins has come out as gay

[fishercob]

Bravo.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazi ... z2Rrh8O559

[TheKingOfVa360]

Good for him, no one should have to hide who they are. Now if he could only help the team.

[fishercob]

A college classmate tried to persuade me to come out then and there. But I couldn't yet. My one small gesture of solidarity was to wear jersey number 98 with the Celtics and then the Wizards. The number has great significance to the gay community. 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. That same year the Trevor Project was founded. This amazing organization provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention to kids struggling with their sexual identity. Trust me, I know that struggle. I've struggled with some insane logic. When I put on my jersey I was making a statement to myself, my family and my friends.

This announcement takes incalculable courage IMO.

[Induveca]

Great. ::pat on the back::

Too bad he's an utterly useless player. But he now has an excellent book to write which will likely get him a million dollar advance!

Not only morally, but financially it was the right move with his NBA paydays at an end.

[Pugz]

good for him and for the others in the gay community. takes a lot of courage to come out as an active player. hopefully this helps more follow.

[fishercob]

Great. ::pat on the back::

Too bad he's an utterly useless player. But he now has an excellent book to right which will likely get him a million dollar advance!

Not only morally, but financially it was the right move with his NBA paydays at an end.

I like that you have a pathological inability to post a single thought without relating it to money.

[Dat2U]

Good for him. but I don't think it moves the needle as much because Jason Collins is pretty irrelevant as an NBA player. Sorta like when John Amaechi came out right after he retired. It made news but really didn't have the impact people hoped. Collins has been pretty much semi-retired for half a decade and may not have landed a roster spot next year anyways.

[Induveca]

Great. ::pat on the back::

Too bad he's an utterly useless player. But he now has an excellent book to right which will likely get him a million dollar advance!

Not only morally, but financially it was the right move with his NBA paydays at an end.

I like that you have a pathological inability to most a single thought without relating it to money.

LOL. Can't help it...just too obvious. If he had done it in year 3, it risked career suicide. End of his career, it makes much more sense (and is no less brave), and financially responsible.

Collins can capitalize on this quite a bit via speaking engagements and books/articles, he's too high profile for his agent to leave that much money on the table.

It will also do a lot of good for the gay community. Win/win.

[pancakes3]

I hate to rain on this parade because it did take a lot of courage to come out but Dat and Indu have a point regarding the timing. As hard as it was a decision for JC to make this announcement, it's a million times easier now in the twilight of his career than in the beginning.

Griner made a similar declaration that I thought was also brave - and at the beginning of her career no less.

Maybe these public announcements will snowball into something bigger but this isn't the Jackie Robinson moment that people are looking for. Probably needs a well recruited HS player to be openly gay.

[miller31time]

Kudos to Jason. No matter when the announcement happens, it still takes a lot of courage.

But I agree with those saying this will not have the impact many are predicting. Jason Collins is one of the scrubbiest scrubs in NBA history. It would take someone announcing they're gay that actually has some recognizability.

[Rafael122]

Didn't know he was black! Kudos. In all seriousness, good for him for coming out, but I agree somewhat with Dat and Indu. I'm a cynic when it comes to these things, you read the tweets from ex teammates about how great of a guy he is, but at the same time, I'm sitting here wondering would they say the same things if he was still a teammate and openly gay. There's still a stigma and there will probably always be one. Honestly, good on him for doing this though, it takes a lot of courage.

[sfam]

Kudos to Jason. No matter when the announcement happens, it still takes a lot of courage.

But I agree with those saying this will not have the impact many are predicting. Jason Collins is one of the scrubbiest scrubs in NBA history. It would take someone announcing they're gay that actually has some recognizability.

The proper telling of this story should be "An NBA scrub who happens to be gay". The built in concern here is most likely, nobody will offer Collins a contract next year because he sucks. But the press will have an alternative narrative that its because he came out.

[fishercob]

Here's why it will be impactful: NOT because Collins is a household name or a superstar that sells jerseys, cell phones or sugared "sports drinks." Rather, because half the league has played with -- or played with someone who has played with -- Jason Collins. He's universally thought of as a great teammate. And so half the league -- many of whose upbringing may have taught them otherwise -- will say to themselves "huh, Collins is a great guy and he's gay? I guess being gay can't be all bad." It will help shapes attitudes and perceptions within locker rooms.

In doing so it will make it that much easier for the next guy to come out. And the next guy. -- until, one day, it's just no big effing deal.

[Ruzious]

<green font> I knew it! </green font>

Good for him. I don't criticise him even a tiny bit for doing it basically right after his playing career is over. Courageous is courageous. And even though times have changed, it's still courageous. Hopefully, this makes it easier for the next guy and eventually it's a non-issue.

[MikeTheKid]

Good Job JC!!!

[Dat2U]

Kudos to Jason. No matter when the announcement happens, it still takes a lot of courage.

But I agree with those saying this will not have the impact many are predicting. Jason Collins is one of the scrubbiest scrubs in NBA history. It would take someone announcing they're gay that actually has some recognizability.

The proper telling of this story should be "An NBA scrub who happens to be gay". The built in concern here is most likely, nobody will offer Collins a contract next year because he sucks. But the press will have an alternative narrative that its because he came out.

Well It's not like he's stuck around based on his production. He's been one of the least productive players in the NBA for years. So it's his "intangibles" that have kept him in the league for so long.

Like fish said he's universally thought of as a great teammate. So he's the ideal in the sense that he represents someone as the type of guy you want in your locker room. But from an overall impact.... I'm not seeing it because he's a end of bench player at the end of his career.

[keynote]

I didn't come out to my brother until last summer. His reaction to my breakfast revelation was radically different from Aunt Teri's. He was downright astounded. He never suspected. So much for twin telepathy. But by dinner that night, he was full of brotherly love. For the first time in our lives, he wanted to step in and protect me.

It's crazy that his own twin didn't know - or even suspect - until last year.

[nuposse04]

I think I'd rather keep him on the roster then Vesely tbh. He is what he is, an emergency big who plays within his limitations. He'd have more usefulness in the NBA if there were bigmen dominating in this era, but there aren't so his value is down...

As to the story, happy he came out. It does take a degree of courage to do what he did. Hopefully it gets to the point where these types of things will be "non headliners."

[montestewart]

Here's why it will be impactful: NOT because Collins is a household name or a superstar that sells jerseys, cell phones or sugared "sports drinks." Rather, because half the league has played with -- or played with someone who has played with -- Jason Collins. He's universally thought of as a great teammate. And so half the league -- many of whose upbringing may have taught them otherwise -- will say to themselves "huh, Collins is a great guy and he's gay? I guess being gay can't be all bad." It will help shapes attitudes and perceptions within locker rooms.

In doing so it will make it that much easier for the next guy to come out. And the next guy. -- until, one day, it's just no big effing deal.

Well said. A seemingly small but likely significant step in an incremental process, and a rare first for a Wizard.

[nate33]

I think I'd rather keep him on the roster then Vesely tbh.

Damning with faint praise.

I'd rather keep Tiny, the old Bullets dachshund mascot than Vesely.