Jason Collins comes out

[mjbabcock]

What a courageous move...one that was severely overdue. I hope it opens the floodgates.

[zetroc]

Here we will see many showing their true colors. For every Jason Collins, we may see five or more Chris Cullivers.

[mjbabcock]

All the better to put it all out there so folks can recognize how wrong headed their thinking it. I doubt that many saw racism as probmenatic prior to Jackir Robinson getting treated like shit by ignorant folks.

Collins has a cross to carry (blatant reference intended) but the world will be a better place for it.

Here we will see many showing their true colors. For every Jason Collins, we may see five or more Chris Cullivers.

[AJPM44]

why isn't this not newsworthy yet?

[theflashunc]

Jason was pretty useless in a Hawks uniform, save for having six fouls to provide against Dwight Howard. Lord knows his offensive game is nonexistent.

But man, credit where credit is due. I wonder if he'll get signed over the summer.

[mjbabcock]

why isn't this not newsworthy yet?

b/c 45%-55% of the country is homophobic

[jitahs]

Funny his twin didn't know. Hey maybe this means Jodi Foster will too.

Anyway whatevs. Playoffs baby:

[Jonathan]

why isn't this not newsworthy yet?

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.

[davids]

What a courageous move...one that was severely overdue. I hope it opens the floodgates.

Amen. I just read his SI piece. It was quite well done. He's articulate and it was nicely matter-of-fact. The story may be sensationalized, but he's handling himself with dignity and tact.

[j44ke]

Congratulations to Jason Collins. I hope whatever he may experience from any small minded people - and I hope he does not experience much at all - will pale in comparison to the ease and comfort he feels from not having to pretend to be something he is not. It must be a great relief - not an easy step, but at the same time a great relief. When I think back to the 1980's when people were dying alone in their apartments from AIDS/HIV because even then when they were mortally ill, people, even family members, rejected them and would not come to their assistance, I know I could not have imagined then how far things would have progressed now. At the same time, I am frequently startled and dismayed by how little has changed.

[holliscx]

I thought he was going to tell his fans he was going vegan

[Matthew J]

Really something to see Kobe and D'Wade tweeting support almost as soon as the announcement came out.

Less than 20 years ago when Magic was diagnosed with AIDS there were players who did not want to get on the court with him.

Too bad about David Lee and Danilo Gallinari. Still GSW and S. Curry. Probably will not get by San Antonio, but Wow!

[big shanty]

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!?

[jitahs]

Really something to see Kobe and D'Wade tweeting support almost as soon as the announcement came out.

Less than 20 years ago when Magic was diagnosed with AIDS there were players who did not want to get on the court with him.

Too bad about David Lee and Danilo Gallinari. Still GSW and S. Curry. Probably will not get by San Antonio, but Wow!

No_one picked us over Denver either, not that it's over. Or the beard's WeBelieve 07 win over Dallas. Bogut's ankle is finally good and was a monster 1st quarter.

Too bad the rest of this country is so backwards; yesterday, as I was lying in the bushes ass over tea kettle saving match point in ping pong against the single game/season save record holder in women's collegiate hockey, I was amused to see 8 lesbians standing over me, all cooing concern with their camera phones out.

All but my opponent, who was laughing her ass off.

[jitahs]

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!?

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.

[davids]

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!?

I'm not quite that cynical. There's still a ton of homophobia out there, and it's particularly the case in the macho environment of pro sports. From the New Yorker: "In a way, this kind of coming out, on the cover of a national magazine, seems anachronistic....But, for years, male pro sports appeared to be one of the great holdouts against progress: a place where big-money machismo ruled over the variations of human sexuality."

[Saab2000]

The airline world has been an open world for this for generations and even the flight deck now has openly gay pilots more often than the general public might imagine.

Anyway, I too wish for a day that this is not news. Seriously, who cares? Really. What he does in his private life (or what anyone does in their private life) is no concern of mine. But yeah, it takes guts to come out and say to the whole world that you are what everyone has been suspicious of since the beginning of time.

[big shanty]

The first GOOD, active (i.e. not washed-up) male athlete from a major US sport to come out will be handsomely compensated for his courage i.e. he will be one rich(er) motherfucker.

[Matthew J]

No_one picked us over Denver either, not that it's over. Or the beard's WeBelieve 07 win over Dallas. Bogut's ankle is finally good and was a monster 1st quarter.

Really hope so. GSW and Steph Curry in particular are what the NBA should be all about. The flow of their offense is mesmerizing.

Too bad the rest of this country is so backwards;

Getting there but slow. In the meantime people's lives are being short changed. Which is why I agree with Davids. Jason Collins' is doing something significant here.

[SteveP]

courageous move by this kid.
good for him.