Jason Collins comes out

[j44ke]

There isn't much that happens in the NBA that doesn't get David Stern's imprimatur first. The greatest worry among the top flight stars isn't merely fan reaction - it is fan reaction as it impacts sponsorship deals. Look how much Tiger Woods left on the table for being essentially a red-blooded heterosexual country club going hot babe shagging male. So I would not be surprised if Jason Collins' outing of himself wasn't part of carefully worked out collaboration with NBA's head office. He's known, but not a superstar. He's made money, but not big money. He's near the end of his career, but he's still interested in playing. So the risks are manageable. If Collins sees no negative financial penalty for his declaration, that will be his contribution. He will have demonstrated that gay athletes are marketable to a wider audience than other gay people, and he will have potentially demonstrated the increased the marketability of the NBA to the gay demographic when gay players are openly involved. Stern loves marketability. And how.

Bidness is bidness. Still I think it is great, whatever the financial motivation.

[Brandon White]

Dennis Rodman dressed in drag and I'm sure had male to male relations. He also is our only hope at mending political ties to North Korea. And he was decent at bball.


And I see is is pretty upset about this whole thing.

[RickM]

There isn't much that happens in the NBA that doesn't get David Stern's imprimatur first. The greatest worry among the top flight stars isn't merely fan reaction - it is fan reaction as it impacts sponsorship deals. Look how much Tiger Woods left on the table for being essentially a red-blooded heterosexual country club going hot babe shagging male. So I would not be surprised if Jason Collins' outing of himself wasn't part of carefully worked out collaboration with NBA's head office. He's known, but not a superstar. He's made money, but not big money. He's near the end of his career, but he's still interested in playing. So the risks are manageable. If Collins sees no negative financial penalty for his declaration, that will be his contribution. He will have demonstrated that gay athletes are marketable to a wider audience than other gay people, and he will have potentially demonstrated the increased the marketability of the NBA to the gay demographic when gay players are openly involved. Stern loves marketability. And how.

Bidness is bidness. Still I think it is great, whatever the financial motivation.

Good on the guy. And it cracks me up the sheer amount of eggshells people will walk on about this, when Gay really and truly creates and drives so many Markets, Styles, and Behaviors.

[Bobqzz]

John Amaechi came out in 2007. granted, he was already out of the NBA - and was mostly irrelevant while in the NBA. Jason Collins, on the other hand, is completely irrelevant basketball wise, and will be out of the NBA next season. i view it as a feeble grab for publicity. Who cares!?

And what professional sport do/did you play?

[devlin]

Why does he have to be a professional to have an opinion? I never got that line of questioning.

I don't know NBA very well, kind of switch off when basketball comes on the tv. I've seen enough to know that it takes some balls, even if it's orchestrated, to tell the world. Good on him and I hope it works out for him.

[Carbon_Cowboy]

...and not one other player has a negative reaction to it.

[jitahs]

Good Lord everyone including the trash talker non pareil has got their PC knickers in a tight twist:

"Q: Charles Barkley also weighed in, on NBA TV. What did he say?

"We've all played with gay guys. We didn't treat them bad. ... For us to have an honest discussion, if guys don't like it, they should be able to say it and not get crucified."

Sir Charles you treated everyone like shit. That's was the game then; revisionist history is for losers.

Sorry, I'm pretty cynical about this Collins move. He's useless on the court, old and in the way.

[joosttx]

In other news a Highschool Prom in rural Georgia was integrated for the first time this weekend..... It's going to be a long row to hoe but at least it's begun.......


http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...ated-prom?lite

[jonathanb]

He's made a fine career out of being a big paint clogger *sarcasm*. Not even a really good college player (twin towers w/his bro @ Stanford.)

He'd have been out of the league long ago but for the Wizards.

Actually, not. He was with the Celtics until the February deadline, and was only traded to the Wizards because Chris Wilcox refused to accept being traded there. The Celtics were, and are, on record as very much having wanted to keep him.

[jitahs]

Actually, not. He was with the Celtics until the February deadline, and was only traded to the Wizards because Chris Wilcox refused to accept being traded there. The Celtics were, and are, on record as very much having wanted to keep him.

That may have been the case, but for the record he's 34yrs. old and averaged 10min and 1.1 ppg this season.

The timing is impeccable; if he gets a lot of heat this summer for being gay (highly doubtful) he could just retire. If not he plays his last symbolic season as a pine rider.

Anyway I never liked him as a player, gay or not, collegiately or pro. For him to come out now...it's just too convenient as his skills slip away.

Yeah I know someone had to be the first yadda yadda.

[Mabouya]

So how much longer until someone in the pro peleton comes out?

With France legalizing gay marriage just last week (in the face of massive, well-organized protests) it's just a matter of time (5 years? 10 max?) until this is a complete non-event nearly everywhere in the West, except maybe US presidential politics.

[vertical_doug]

In other news a Highschool Prom in rural Georgia was integrated for the first time this weekend..... It's going to be a long row to hoe but at least it's begun.......


Students hold Georgia school's 1st racially integrated prom - U.S. News

I tend to think this is a much more important story.

I remember the Magic Johnson HIV news conference. It took some time, but he really help move the ball forward.
Being gay in the NBA is a non-event in my opinion. Now, they just need a NFLer and a NASCAR driver to come out.

[davids]

So how much longer until someone in the pro peleton comes out?

With France legalizing gay marriage just last week (in the face of massive, well-organized protests) it's just a matter of time (5 years? 10 max?) until this is a complete non-event nearly everywhere in the West, except maybe US presidential politics.

I happened to run into one of those protests (delaying my dinner, dammit!) Although the spin of the reactionaries is a bit different over there - they're arguing the necessity for children to have a mom & dad, as opposed to the inherent evil of homosexual, um, sex - they're already a shrinking minority. The legislation passed overwhelmingly. It was pretty cool to be in Paris as it happened.

[AJPM44]

It's all over the news. I hope for a time when its not news. I hope for a time equality means we no longer care about anyone's sexual orientation. We will have people like Collins to thank for that. The first steps are important, not caring comes next.

I agree with you on everything. What I asked is why is this still not something that everyone is fine with, or at least not a huge issue for them.

[Jonathan]

I agree with you on everything. What I asked is why is this still not something that everyone is fine with, or at least not a huge issue for them.

Oh man, I missed the double negative, sorry. I wasn't really disagreeing with you just using your post as a jumping off for my own opinion. Most of us here are pretty enlightened, I think most of us get it.

[BBB]

With France legalizing gay marriage just last week (in the face of massive, well-organized protests) it's just a matter of time (5 years? 10 max?) until this is a complete non-event nearly everywhere in the West, except maybe US presidential politics.

New Zealand also recently legalised gay marriage. Not sure Australia will be going down that path, particularly when it is about 99.98% likely we will have a highly conservative catholic Prime Minister later in the year (interestingly his sister is gay). Still, we haven't shaken off colonial rule 200 plus years after white settlement, so it's fair to say that we can be a little slow down under.

[Mabouya]

we will have a highly conservative catholic Prime Minister later in the year (interestingly his sister is gay)

Recently we had a fairly high profile Republican senator ( Rob Portman - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) who after opposing gay marriage and other gay-rights issues recently switched to being pro-gay marriage after revealing that his son was gay.

If you're the least bit open-minded it's pretty tough to demonize a close family member simply based on their sexuality.

[davids]

Recently we had a fairly high profile Republican senator ( Rob Portman - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) who after opposing gay marriage and other gay-rights issues recently switched to being pro-gay marriage after revealing that his son was gay.

If you're the least bit open-minded it's pretty tough to demonize a close family member simply based on their sexuality.

I read a nice piece somewhere (the NYT, I think) recently that said it was exactly this kind of thing that is making all the difference - that Coming Out is driving the changes in attitudes here in the US. When you know someone - then a couple people, then a lot of folks - who is gay you can't feel they're as different/scary/demonic as when you don't.

I'm still stunned, on some level, at the speed at which things are changing. It was a little more than 10 years ago that the private school my daughter attended was debating whether a gay family "would be happy" at the school (code for how much antagonism would they tolerate...) and assholes could get away with ostentatiously snickering in the middle of a worship service at my synagogue as a lesbian couple named their child.

[Dallas Tex]

Better question to ask is why anyone has to ask (and be granted) 'permission' to get married. Seems like a religious deal to me. Why is the government even involved?

[cody.wms]

That may have been the case, but for the record he's 34yrs. old and averaged 10min and 1.1 ppg this season.

I think it was on one of the NYT blogs, but they looked at the case for him to have a job next year -- and it was around 60%. Factoring in 6'10" or greater height, 38ish games played, similar minutes/stats, age, etc. He'll get a look somewhere because he's tall, knows how to play, and doesn't need to be taught anything. That's why he was good on the Wizards -- they have enough kids to teach everyday, and having a guy that's been in the league since they were in 2nd grade is a good thing. He's never been spectacular but never been bad either. My favorite version of this NBA player is Aaron Gray.