In the spring of last year, veteran
NBA player Jason Collins sent shockwaves through the sports world when he
announced that he is gay (Dwyer). In doing so, Collins became the first active
athlete in any of the four major professional North American leagues (MLB, NFL,
NBA, NHL) to come out. While there have been others who have made their sexual
orientation public in the past, they had either been long-retired from their
respective sports or mostly ignored due to the culture associated with their
games. For instance, countless prominent female athletes (i.e. Martina
Navratilova, Brittney Griner, Sheryl Swoopes) have come out over the past few
decades, but they never garnered the type of media attention that followed
Collins after his decision to go public.
In the wake of the announcement,
every major news outlet, sports or otherwise, ran the story of Collins’
boundary-breaking decision. This was to be expected. In the years leading up to
it, more and more athletes had made it clear that homophobia had no place in
sports. NBA star Steve Nash filmed a PSA in favor of same-sex marriage.
Outspoken NFL punter Chris Kluwe wrote countless opinion pieces on the subject
of homophobia in locker rooms and it’s place in modern sports culture. Kobe
Bryant, who was fined $100k in 2011 for using a homophobic slur against a
referee, combatted comments on twitter that were explicitly offensive towards
gays. It seemed like only a matter of time before a male athlete felt ready to
be comfortable in his own skin.
A major criticism of Collins was
the timing of his announcement. While the majority of the country’s response
was in support of the basketball player, many were questioning his motives.
Collins was a 34-year-old free agent when he published the column in Sports
Illustrated that detailed his decision to come out, meaning that he didn’t have
a contract with any team in the league for the 2013-2014 season. Having never
been anything more than a mediocre bench warmer throughout his career, it
appeared that the aging seven-footer would more likely find himself on the golf
course than on a basketball court this year. Because of this, many critics
speculated that the timing of his decision to come out was more or less a savvy
business move to get himself another contract.
Collins remained a free agent
through the new year, but his name had still been a constant in sports media
despite his distance from the game itself. ESPN has been particularly
criticized for their role in over-reporting and analyzing a story that seemed to
have reached its climax months ago. The website’s ombudsman, Robert Lipsyte,
published a detailed examination of ESPN’s methods throughout the media saga,
putting the network under fire for dragging out coverage longer than it should
have. Lipsyte questioned whether the network, one whose audience has
wide-ranging levels of sensibility, could be objective with its reporting. He
went on discuss ESPN’s failure to distinguish reporters from social
commentators for the duration of the story. It raised a great question about
whether sports journalists and outlets should be involved in the discussion of
social issues. Lipsyte was particularly critical of ESPN reporter Chris
Broussard (Lipsyte).
After months of uncertainty and
speculation, Collins signed a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets. Nets
players asserted that the league was ready for an openly gay player and that
they would welcome Collins with open arms, “as long as he can still
contribute.” He has been used sparingly since the signing, which isn’t a
surprise at all given his limited abilities. What is kind of surprising is how
successful this has been for Collins off the court. Shortly after he joined the
Nets, there was suddenly high-demand for his jersey to be sold through the
league. After pressure from fans to release the jersey, it quickly became the
highest selling product on NBA.com (Dotson). Meanwhile, Collins has played just
six minutes per game since he came to Brooklyn.
Perhaps his bravery and the public
response was what inspired another gay athlete, Michael Sam, to come out. Sam,
a college football player from the University of Missouri, is looking to become
the first openly gay NFL player when the draft rolls around later this month.
After winning the defensive player of the year award in unquestionably the best
conference in all of college football, Sam seemed liked a sure-fire draftee,
but after his announcement his skill and place in the league were put into
question. Talking heads wonder if Sam can thrive in the testosterone-fueled
environment that is an NFL locker room and whether other players would be so accepting
of his sexuality. Sam became another topic of conversation that dominated sports
news for weeks and is sure to continue if and when he is selected by a team.
The young athlete capitalized on his time in the spotlight by releasing a line
of clothes emblazoned with his now famous hashtag, “#StandWithSam”. Between Collins’ jersey sales and Sam’s
clothing campaign, it seems as though gay athletes have found a way to brand
and market themselves in a unique way, even if that’s obviously not their
priority in the first place (Rovell)
We’re now having the conversation.
It’s no longer a “maybe someday” situation with gay athletes in professional
sports, the time is upon us. The real question is, when is an athlete’s sexual
orientation no longer a front page story? What will it take to treat such a
story with objection and without all the frivolity? Do you believe that sports
news outlets should have a place to comment on such topics? Also, what is your
take on the marketability of a player like Jason Collins or Michael Sam? When
do you think capitalizing on popularity turns into an exploitation of one’s
personal life?
Collins, Jason, and Franz Lidz. "Why NBA Center Jason
Collins Is Coming out Now."SI.com.
Sports Illustrated, 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
Dwyer, Kelly. "Jason Collins Announces That He Is Gay,
Altering the Landscape of Sports." Ball Don't Lie. Yahoo Sports, 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
Dotson, Kevin. "Jason Collins' No. 98 Nets Jersey the
Top-seller on NBA.com." CNN.
Cable News Network, 26 Feb. 2014. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.
"ESPN on Jason Collins." YouTube. YouTube, 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
Lipsyte, Robert. "What Are Commentary Boundaries at
ESPN?" ESPN. ESPN Internet
Ventures, 28 June 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
Rovell,
Darren. "The Marketing of Michael Sam." ESPN. ESPN
Internet Ventures, 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
I will be the first to say that I don’t follow sports. At all. That being said, I can comment openly on the topic of gay professional athletes. I do think that it is a shame that in 2014, athletes (or all people for that matter!) struggle with coming out about their sexuality. This is something that I believe is completely a private matter, and should not have an effect on an individual’s work and professional life. It upsets me that a public figure announcing their sexuality puts so many people on edge when I believe that it shouldn’t. I think a lot of this has to do with the media outlets the public has access to today. An article written by Cameron Smith in Yahoo Sports illustrates this point perfectly. He summarizes the idea that an individual’s social media usage directly affects their image as an athlete (Smith). Without sites like Facebook or Twitter, would we be nearly as involved in the lives of professional athletes? Would we care as much? Social media has given the general public an all-access pass into the lives of public figures, making many people believe that anything and everything is a topic for conversation. Therefore, when an athlete comments on their sexuality, everyone thinks that it is okay to talk about it and formulate their own opinions on the matter. When in reality, nothing has changed about this athlete, besides the fact that you now know something about them that you didn’t before. They are the same person they always were, and have likely just announced something that they have kept hidden for all the years you were a fan of them.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I believe that as the years progress, people are becoming more and more accepting of homosexuality, and I am only waiting for the day that it is no longer a cover story. Jason Collins commented in Sports Illustrated that he has noticed a change of attitudes as well. “I'm glad I'm coming out in 2013 rather than 2003. The climate has shifted; public opinion has shifted. And yet we still have so much farther to go” (Dwyer). I have to agree with Collins. The climate has shifted, however it is nowhere near where it could be. As I mentioned earlier, I think it is a shame that a talented athlete who has proven him or herself has to overcome another battle with the media over issues of sexuality. It is unfortunately an issue that I fear will not be resolved quickly and will continue to persist in the coming years even as gay athletes and other professionals becoming more and more present in the media.
Works Cited
Dwyer, Kelly. "Jason Collins Announces That He Is Gay, Altering the Landscape of Sports," Yahoo Sports 29 April 2013. Web.
Smith, Cameron. "It’s Not Just What Athletes Are Tweeting, But How Much They’re on Social Media that Scares Off Coaches," Prep Rally (Yahoo Sports Blog) 16 Aoril 2013. Web.
I must admit that when the story of Jason Collins coming out surfaced, I didn’t know how to feel. Although I never watch basketball and literally know nothing about the NBA, I wasn’t shocked that a professional athlete was coming out – in fact, I hadn’t even realized that Collins was the first to do so. When he credits team loyalty as the reason he did not come out sooner in order to avoid any personal distractions from the game (Dwyer), there’s a bit of speculation in my mind as to whether or not it was a drastic PR move, as you said towards the middle of this blog.
ReplyDeleteThere’s part of me that believes homosexuality among athletes will one day become as prevalent as homosexuality in Hollywood, but the issues of stereotyping creep through every time I have that thought. It will take much more than Jason Collins and Derrick Gordon to change the majority perception on this topic. Once someone with an established name and brand comes out, or someone who’s already come out establishes a prestigious name in sports, will this become less taboo.
It was great to read that Gordon’s coach stood at his side as he announced his sexuality to the team (Fagan), but why was this even necessary? Would dedicated teammates who unite on a daily basis really become enraged at this fact? The truth is that you are absolutely right when you say the conversation is now; there’s no room for athletes to say “if I had a gay teammate…” or “if my coach was gay…”, because chances are they’ve been in those situations at one point or another in their careers, whether they know it or not.
On the subject of marketability, it seems that Collins’ jersey sales or Michael Sam’s hashtag speaks for itself on the topic. Imagine where their brand would be if they were more prominent figures in the athletic world? If someone has huge as Derek Jeter or Kobe Bryant came out, that is when the real change would occur, as well as when a huge profit would be turned on their merchandise. Maybe having openly gay athletes could even drive ticket sales among homosexual men who may have not felt comfortable attending a sporting event before they were represented in the game, similar to the representation issues we discussed on television and in the movies. That being said, it’s very interesting that many female athletes need to fight the stereotype of typically being gay, while men have to overcome the cliché of always being completely straight.
Just as every topic we discuss, the bottom line is…well….the bottom line. Collins’ face was spread across newsstands everywhere despite his “mediocre” athletic skills, as you say. Derrick Gordon is well-known despite his being on a college football team. Using the word “exploitation” to describe these athletes’ homosexuality in the game may actually be fitting, because they would have next to no impact on their respective games had it not been for their candidness. Given the statistics provided in this post, it’s clear that being open and honest about personal life in the sports world will not make you a better athlete even if it gets you drafted, and in the end, it all comes down to your statistics.
Works Cited:
Dwyer, Kelly. "Jason Collins Announces That He Is Gay, Altering the Landscape of Sports," Yahoo Sports 29 April 2013. Web.
Fagan, Kate. "UMass' Derrick Gordon Says He's Gay," espnW.com 9 April 2014. Web.
Women’s and men’s sports are viewed differently by society. If we look at female athletes announcing they are homosexual and male athletes announcing they are homosexual, the reaction by society is completely different. For instance, when Britteny Griner and Jason Collins came out, the reaction by the media and society varied. The differing reaction by society says a lot about the way society views sports, sexuality, and masculinity. I believe for women, their sexual orientation isn’t a front page news story. Britteny Griner’s announcement was not discussed by the media nearly as much as Jason Collins. There are a few reasons I believe Griner and Collins received different reactions. First, women’s sports, particularly the WNBA is not watched as often or given as much credit as men’s sports or the NBA. Second, the reactions by the media and society is a depiction of their view of the connection between masculinity and sports. A man who is physically strong and athletic but attracted to men challenges the notion that there is a relationship between traditional masculinity and heterosexuality. People are forced to question their beliefs about the correlation between physical strength and heterosexuality. Third, women who play sports aren’t considered feminine and in some cases society assumes these athletic women are homosexual. Basically, Collins challenges preconceived notions about men and sports and Griner confirms the idea that successful women athletes exceed sexual and physical expectations for women. I think it will be a long time before we see sexual orientation no longer the front page story for mens sports. Jason Collins states, “I’m glad I’m coming out in 2013 rather than 2003. The climate has shifted; public opinion has shifted” (Dwyer). In order for this story to no longer be on the front pages or for journalists to treat this story objectively, I believe it will take time. As Collins said public opinion has changed, and I believe it is starting to change dramatically with male athletes openly stating their sexuality.
ReplyDeleteCollins was the first active athlete to announce he is gay in the four major professional leagues. People were able to see the reactions he received from his teammates, coaches, the NBA, and the media. After Collins, we have seen some student-athletes express their sexuality, such as Michael Sam and Derrick Gordon. Derrick Gordon stated that because of the reaction Collins received from the NBA, he wasn’t afraid to reveal his sexuality (Fagan). Gordon received support from his coaches, teammates, and family. We are already beginning to see student-athletes who are eligible for the professional league come out, and I believe this trend will continue. Since, gay professional athletes are becoming more common, I believe society will begin to accept these players and these stories won’t be on the front pages. Sports news outlets, such as ESPN, will overreport on these stories, like they did with Michael Sam and Jason Collins, and society will soon stop see these announcements as newsworthy. Currently, the topic of homosexual athletes is new and a testament to the changing times, therefore journalists believe this topic is newsworthy.
Works Cited
Dwyer, Kelly. "Jason Collins Announces That He Is Gay, Altering the Landscape of Sports," Yahoo Sports 29 April 2013. Web.
Fagan, Kate. "UMass' Derrick Gordon Says He's Gay," espnW.com 9 April 2014. Web.
By Emily Barry
As other commenter’s have noted, I’m also not the most educated in regarding to sporting events. However, I remember when Jason Collins came out and I’m also aware that it is something that is still talked about in the sporting arena. It’s funny because as you mentioned, female athletes have came out as gay and the media repercussion doesn’t seem to be as severe or life altering as when men do. But I think that’s because the sporting world views lesbians as some perverted fantasy created my heterosexual men: the idea of two women kissing is more of a fantasy or fetish than it is a reality for most hetero men in sporting world. Of course that is a wildly broad generalization, and I’m aware of that, but it seems kind of odd that the type of press gay male athletes get at the onset of their coming out is at time negative, but always viewed as a “trend” that acts as a sort of domino effect: one person comes out, then another, then another-and once the cycle is over the discussion starts. The discussion usually talks about support, teammates and stigmas-the usual trifecta. But this time Jason Collins sparked a new conversation because it was recruitment time for him, and in the world of wanting to be socially responsible, sports teams more than likely wanted to eat up the fact that they are. It’s good PR and even attracts a wider, gay audience interested in sports.
ReplyDeleteBut on the other hand, we need (sports teams as well) to realize that people aren’t products and that the commoditization of people is really odd and frankly wrong. Jason Collins himself kind of asserts that when he states, “Loyalty to my team is the real reason I didn't come out sooner. When I signed a free-agent contract with Boston last July, I decided to commit myself to the Celtics and not let my personal life become a distraction” (Kelly). So let me get this straight: the reason Collins didn’t come out was because he didn’t want his personal life to become a distraction? Isn’t his line of work as a sport professional his personal life, as he makes money from it? Where has the line been drawn between public and personal life? And most importantly, what about loyalty to yourself? These are all reasons why I feel that Collins coming out was certainly strategic and important in not only him obtaining a contract, but also the foundation for building brand Collins. But as the infamous RuPaul has made clear time and time again: if you can't love yourself how the hell you gonna’ love somebody else?
I’m certainly not trying to detract from the strength Collins’ showed: coming out is a big deal. Which is why I applaud someone like Derrick Gordon for deciding to come out as a college basketball player as a sophomore. Something about Gordon’s decision to do seems much more authentic and I feel that it comes from a place of honesty. I know nothing about his success as a basketball player, and I do know that contract negotiations do tend to start as a sophomore for the NBA, but that’s all gossip until something actually comes to fruition. Gordon notes that Collins decision is what really prompted him to come out (Fagan) so snaps to Collins for creating a dialogue in the sporting world and for inspiring people.
Unfortunately, whenever an athlete comes out, because it is so rare, it will always be a front-page story until it isn’t. Even when other athletes come out, every single story about gay athletes from the past seems to come to the surface yet again, and that is simply because it’s a world filled with heteronormative, homophobic athletes, coaches and media personnel. They say they want change yet do nothing to stimulate it. And that idea seems repulsive to the gay community outside of the sports arena, causing a lack of activism and community support from those who have fought for our liberties.
Dwyer, Kelly. "Jason Collins Announces That He Is Gay, Altering the Landscape of Sports," Yahoo Sports 29 April 2013. Web.
Fagan, Kate. "UMass' Derrick Gordon Says He's Gay," espnW.com 9 April 2014. Web.
It’s interesting to see how sensationalized media coverage continues to permeate our society. The focus goes from an athlete’s abilities to how the athlete chooses to live their lives and it’s amazing how people buy into this media circus and give these topics undue airtime. Should gay athletes come out? Of course they should. Anything short of that would mean that society is strengthening discriminatory practices that make our world unequal and infringe upon the rights of others. When people hide behind religion to openly discriminate against others it makes me question their judgment/ motives. It broke my heart to read the article “UMass' Derrick Gordon Says He's Gay”, and it made me wonder how many more kids –who aren’t famous athletes - are living double lives due to the fear of rejection. Derrick Gordon was relieved (and showed strength of character) when he came out to his teammates according to the article, but that just makes me wonder: does society continue to fail us when the focus is not on a person’s character and abilities but more about their skin color and sexual preferences? I don’t think sports news outlets should even make homosexuality (or heterosexuality for that matter) a topic at all in 2014. It’s a waste of valuable time that could be spent talking about other issues that matter.
ReplyDeleteI believe Jason Collins should continue to be as marketable as the next good basketball player due to his talent/skill. Judging his capabilities as an athlete based on any other criteria would be misguided. I think you are right when you say that Collins’ bravery has given other gay athletes the courage to come out about their sexual preference. In the article “Jason Collins Announces That He Is Gay, Altering the Landscape of Sports” by Kelly Dwyer, Collins is quoted as saying, “No one wants to live in fear. I've always been scared of saying the wrong thing. I don't sleep well. I never have. But each time I tell another person, I feel stronger and sleep a little more soundly. It takes an enormous amount of energy to guard such a big secret. I've endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie”. Imagine living like this and not being given the freedom to be you. The support Collins got from fellow athletes and the fans in general will go a long way to redefining what is important in the sports world. It’s a great thing more and more athletes are towing those lines now and making the decision to live more authentically by coming out.
Also with regards to expanding their brand through their gay status, in my opinion I think it’s okay for them to use whatever means they have to garner as much attention, followership or money while they can. As we have talked about a lot in class it all boils down to the money at the end and if branding helps then by all means they should go for it.
Work Cited
Dwyer, Kelly. "Jason Collins Announces That He Is Gay, Altering the Landscape of Sports." Ball Don't Lie. Yahoo Sports, 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
Fagan, Kate. "UMass' Derrick Gordon Says He's Gay," espnW.com 9 April 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Katryn Flynn
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of sounding like a radical feminist, I always find it very intriguing when the media swarms something men do while women have done it previously. In this case I am talking about how a number of female athletes have “come out” about their sexuality, as Brent mentioned, over the past few decades, but when Jason Collins opens up about being gay, it is all of a sudden the biggest thing to happen in sports since Jackie Robinson started playing baseball. However, Brent is also correct in saying that at least we are now having the conversation about differing sexualities and that gay athletes do, in fact, exist in the pro-sporting world.
Of course, our society is just now starting to accept the idea of equal rights for gays and others in the LGBT community, so it is still considered a “big deal” when someone “comes out”. But when a celebrity athlete comes out? Hold the phone, because this is front page news. Yes, the world of sports (particularly men’s sports) is largely testosterone driven: from pounding back beers to painting their naked chests to spell out a team or player’s name regardless of the temperature outside. Therefore, I could see the potential for problems to arise during practice and locker room situations. Granted, this is all due to ignorance, but hey, it still happens. But do the athletes deserve all the attention and support while there are other kids out there struggling with their own sexuality?
Perhaps that is why we are paying such close attention to it. In the article by Kate Fagan on espnW.com, “UMass' Derrick Gordon Says He's Gay,” much of the conversation is surrounded by talk of the mentors Derrick Gordon had around him to support his decision to come out. Gordon even said that a “key moment” in his decision to come out to family and teammates alike “came when the Brooklyn Nets signed veteran center Jason Collins to a 10-day contract” (Fagan). It really is so great that people can feel more confident and comfortable about who they are because a trailblazer and role model such as Jason Collins was confident first.
Because Collins is “the only active gay player open about his sexuality” he is a newsworthy subject with a newsworthy story (Dwyer). And as more athletes open up about their sexualities, they will be too. Yet the question still remains about how long we need to actually keep talking about the fact that athletes are gay. So what? There are gay people on our campuses, living in our neighborhoods, working in our towns, and we treat them the same way we would treat anybody else. Personally, I think that to treat people differently because of their sexual preference is on a par with the equal rights movements in the ‘60s surrounding race. It is something we must learn to accept, and therefore simultaneously end the discussion. Once there is acceptance, we won’t need to talk about it because it won’t be viewed as so insanely different from everyone else.
Although it is necessary to have openly gay athletes like Collins to lead the way for other athletes in the future, it is also necessary to ensure that we as a consumerist society don’t turn these coming out events into more than what they really are. We should not give newscasters and athletes alike the opportunity to be exploited or exploit others for their differences.
Dwyer, Kelly. "Jason Collins Announces That He Is Gay, Altering the Landscape of Sports," Yahoo Sports 29 April 2013. Web.
Fagan, Kate. "UMass' Derrick Gordon Says He's Gay," espnW.com 9 April 2014. Web.
To start off I would like to note that I am not very educated or informed in the sports area but I do find this a very interesting topic. Although I may not be a sports expert I do know a little bit about sports and I remember when Jason Collins came out. I think everyone knew when he came out whether they were interested in sports or not. Why did everyone know about it? This is because Collins’ story was everywhere- ESPN, the radio, the tabloids, newspapers, every news channel, and definitely all over social media. At first it seemed like a happy story, and personally I was inspired by his courage. I thought to myself about how much of an idol he is in today’s society to be able to stand up for him and fearlessly come out. At the same time, why is this a huge story? Actors and actresses in Hollywood come out all the time and as Brent mentioned there have been numerous female athletes to come out, and it has not been nearly as big of a deal. Jason Collins came out when he was a free agent and refused the come out before then because of contracts with the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards (Dwyer). Collins did not want to come out in respect to his team, and chose to keep his personal life separate. Although I understand his reasoning behind this, why would his sexual orientation affect his athletic performance? Part of this idea could be blamed on society and societal morals and values. Why have we not heard about any female athletes coming out? Maybe it’s because of the way society views female athletes versus how we view male athletes. Female athletes are viewed as “manly” or “unlady-like”. Just because female athletes are strong and not petite and small they are often considered less of woman and are not viewed as an idol in society. Actresses and models are highly respected women in society. On the contrary male athletes are highly respected in society and seen almost as “the perfect man.” Male athletes are strong, talented, and make a lot of money. So maybe this is why our society seems so shocked when male athletes come out at being homosexual, do we consider them less of a man? Are they defying the norms of males in society?
ReplyDeleteAlthough our society currently is not very accepting on male athletes coming out, Collins could be opening a door for many other athletes to not be afraid and to follow in his footsteps. Just recently a college basketball player for The University of Massachusetts came out and shared his story with ESPN as well (“UMASS”). The idea of coming out being a story in itself brings up the issue- why is it a newsworthy story? In order for a story to be newsworthy it has to affect the viewers. An athlete’s sexual orientation shouldn’t affect the viewers. Collins has opened the door for other athletes to come out. I hope in the future it no longer is a story but rather they just are accepted for who they are.
Works Cited:
Dwyer, Kelly. "Jason Collins Announces That He Is Gay, Altering the Landscape of Sports," Yahoo Sports 29 April 2013. Web.
Fagan, Kate. "UMass' Derrick Gordon Says He's Gay," espnW.com 9 April 2014. Web.
Sports today consists of a melting pot of unique people, all having different races, ethnicities, and sexual preferences. Jason Collins announced last year that he is gay.
ReplyDeleteJason was the first openly gay male pro-athlete in American sports. Many believe this redefined the roles of sexuality, masculinity, acceptance, and prejudice within American sports. 6 years ago retired NBA center John Amaechi came out to the public. This did not have as big of an impact as Collins coming out because Amaechi was already out of the game. Another reason that this did not bring about as much chatter within the public as Collins announcement did was because John Amaechi was from abroad and had a British accent, which therefore made it easier for mainstream to keep moving along. Now we have Collins a 7-foot African American center from Southern California. Jason Collins fits the perfect mold of what we expect from pro basketball players. He is huge, athletic and known for his tough and resilient attitude on the court. But in another way Collins is different than the perfect mold of a pro-athlete, he broke the norm by revealing his homosexuality to the world. When this announcement was new there were many questions buzzing around the media. Is Collins announcing he is gay going to encourage other pro-athletes to come out and share their stories? If enough pros follow in Collins lead could this change the culture of athletics’ as we know it forever? Jason Collins was a free agent at the time of his announcement and therefore a common question was; will Collins revealing he’s homosexual affect his playing in the future? Collins has never been a star player or MVP but he is a good defenseman and that has allowed him to make about $35 million in his overall NBA career. Why should his sexuality jeopardize his career as a pro basketball player?
I think that Collins announcement of his sexuality has inspired others to be open about their sexuality as well. In a recent interview Collins stated: “Yes, I definitely have. I’ve met some other athletes who are sort of in the position as I am. And were sort of like a fraternity, just trying to help each other, keep inspiring each other. Whether it be Robbie Rogers or Michael Sam, the list goes on and on. So many great athletes I’ve met along my journey and it’s really great to hear each other’s stories and keep inspiring each other.”
CONTINUED:
ReplyDeleteRecently, there have been two well-known athletes who have announced being gay to the sports community. Derrick Gordon a college basketball player and Michael Sam a college football player.
Gordon stated that he didn’t want to hide anymore, or sneak around so he finally just came out. He also praised Collins for opening the door for gays within the NBA (Fagan). Teammates have welcomed Gordon with open arms and noticed that he has been happier overall happier since coming out, its like a “weight has been lifted off his shoulders.”
Sam announced he was gay and hopes to become the first openly gay pro football player in the upcoming draft. Sam has always been a great player, but since his announcement of his sexuality people want to begin to question his athletic abilities. How do the two have anything to do with each other? How does Sam’s sexuality affect his performance on the field? We will continue to see how Sam’s open homosexuality affects his place in the NFL and which team he will soon be drafted to.
-Dwyer, Kelly. "Jason Collins Announces That He Is Gay, Altering the Landscape of
Sports," Yahoo Sports 29 April 2013. Web.
-Fagan, Kate. "UMass' Derrick Gordon Says He's Gay," espnW.com 9 April 2014. Web.
-Steele, David. "Impact of Jason Collins' Announcement Remains
Complicated." Sporting News. SportingNews.com, 8 May 2013.
Web. 14 April 2014.
-Peters, Shawn. "Jason Collins: Redefining What Comes Next in Masculinity
and Sports." The Good Men Project. GoodMenProject.com, 29 Apr.
2013. Web. 14 April 2014.
-Clarke, Patrick. "Collins on Life in NBA: 'Same Old, Same Old'"
Bleacher Report. Bleacher Report, Inc., 28 Feb. 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.\
To answer one of Brent’s questions, I think it’s important for notoriety when it comes to people coming out in the sports industry. I think until there is more acceptance in the world of sports it will be something that HAS to become a front page story. Every season an athlete is fined for spewing some rage-filled homophobic term at a referee, another player, or even a fan. Like Brent mentioned, Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 for this type of behavior. My biggest question is where did that money go to? Did it go to a homeless shelter for LGBT youth or back to the league? Did he go through some type of sensitivity training or did his PR agent just write a half-assed apology on Twitter to shut people up? But back to the main question of when is an athlete’s sexual orientation no longer a front page story, I believe when there is more representation of LGBT people in sports and in media in general. Until it becomes commonplace I still see it being a huge deal.
ReplyDeleteThe timing of both coming out stories does seem strategically planned, both at a huge crossroad in their life—Jason Collins being a free agent and Michael Sam possibly being drafted, but who am I to judge or critique anyone on when they come out. (Dwyer) That being said, it’s interesting to see that Derrick Gordon didn’t get the same media attention. It is because he’s only a sophomore at UMASS? Has he had a spectacular season? Or was he just trying to ride on the coattails of Jason Collins and Michael Sam. Again, as a young gay man I am not trying to trivialize ANYONE’S coming out story but in the context of this blog post, it just seems to stick out. If he performs really well, I think this may be an extra selling point in his future! (Fagan)
On the video Brent posted, it talked a lot about tolerance. Tolerance is not the same thing as acceptance. To answer another one of his question, I do believe that if they are going to talk about the subject of homosexuality in the sports industry find someone who knows or has studies sociology or LGBT history and can speak eloquently on the subject. Maybe even talk to a player who came out after being in the league, like Brent mentioned, there are plenty. Sure you can add in random peoples opinion, Lord knows every other “news” source does it, but a more educated opinion would be nice, especially if you’re audience may not be as accepting as the welcoming image that you are trying to display for the industry.
Brent also talked about the commercialization of these men’s coming out stories. I believe that if they are making money off of it and they see it helping their career and the path they so choose to follow—make your money! If this is just the industry cashing in on something happening in their life I feel that that is exploitation.
On a side note, I find it interesting, and very important, that Jason Collins, Derrick Gordon and Michael Sam are men of color. I really do hope that Michael Sam gets drafted because it will mean a lot and generate a lot more talk about being LGBT in the black community. This kind of HUGE representation doesn’t happen often and it sometime seems as though the black community is not as progressive as the rest of society, respectively speaking. Again, from my perspective, representation is everything and it means a world of difference.
Dwyer, Kelly. "Jason Collins Announces That He Is Gay, Altering the Landscape of Sports," Yahoo Sports 29 April 2013. Web.
Fagan, Kate. "UMass' Derrick Gordon Says He's Gay," espnW.com 9 April 2014. Web.