In honor of a very monumental moment this week, I have decided to post on the very courageous move on NBA player Jason Collins’ part. His story was run by Sports Illustrated on Monday, a 3,000 word first-person account on coming out of the closet and becoming the first publicly homosexual athlete in the four major U.S. sports.
I knew that there would be people out there who weren’t going to be supportive. I knew some would be grossed out, appalled, offended. But at the end of the day, whose business is it of ANY of ours to judge, much less tell the man he is wrong?
Well, with the announcement going viral, some serious hatred came from some noteworthy people; one of whom was ESPN Magazine NBA writer Chris Broussard. He went on to make numerous Bible references and said that homosexuality is a “sin.” While he later offered a half-assed explanation/apology, the sincerity was most certainly lacking. There was no “I’m sorry” involved and it seemed more like a pat on the back. The network’s public statement about Broussard was quite bland as well.
While these types of opinions are most certainly expected from some, it is disappointing to learn how self-righteous and demeaning these same people act along the way. Do we not want to evolve as a society? Do we not want peace and a positive future?
This whole topic has infuriated me. Collins’ move was not only a brave one, but a moment in American sports history to be remembered. The trickle-down effect that should follow will open many doors and, hopefully, minds as well. I commend Collins for it, and believe he made a serious power move for the LGBT community.
Actually, let’s highlight the most important questions of all here: What does the man’s sexual preference or religion have to do with his ability to play basketball?
I found a blog post on this subject today over at Racialicious, a blog about the intersection of race and pop culture. It highlights the fact that ESPN managed to bury the Jason Collins’ story Monday and explains how the “Worldwide Leader of Sports” latched onto the fact that prized media darling Tim Tebow had gotten the boot from the New York Jets; later, it boasted a “top story” of a third-round draft pick.
Meanwhile, Jason Collins has made cultural history, and he gets no love?
Shame on you, ESPN.
Arturo Garcia notes the lack of any in-person interview with Collins, Broussard’s downplay of Collins’ basketball talent in the segment, not to mention the selection of Broussard to participate in the discussion in the first place. Any avid ESPN watchers must feel the same way I do, Why wouldn’t they put Michael Wilbon or Stephen A. Smith, two analysts who have higher authority on the network, and on this piece, in the first place?
So, was ESPN just trying to cover its ass by downplaying this news or is this instance a reflection of prejudice? I’ll let you make the call.