Jason Collins, NBA center, made the rounds on sports news outlets Saturday for signing a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets. What made this signing so noticeable is that Collins will be the first openly gay active player in any United States sports leagues.
Collins started his professional career with the Nets in 2002 playing for six years before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Collins then spent several years playing for different teams in the NBA, including the Timberwolves, Hawks, Celtics and Wizards.
In July 2013, shortly after announcing his sexual orientation, Collins became a free agent, but that no longer appears to be the case.
After Glen Davis opted to join the Los Angles Clippers, Collins made his decision to return to the team that started his career. This is a watershed moment for the LGBTQ community and its fight for equality. Clearly change is on the rise in sports organizations, but the argument can be made that his sexual orientation shouldn’t matter.
Former Missouri defender Michael Sam made headlines earlier this year announcing himself as being openly gay before the 2014 NFL Draft. Many media outlets saw him as the first player to break down a stigma and lead the way for acceptance.
While this is obviously a step forward in the rights of humanity against discrimination and prejudice, the argument can be made that the focus should be on the players’ skills on the field or court and not on their sexual orientation.
For instance, Collins has a career total of 713 games played in the NBA before his public announcement.
Sam told media outlets recently he wished people would focus on his abilities as a football player on the field rather than his personal life.
Yes, there will be those that will be unable to look over it. There might be those who might see this as an opportunity to harass or haze these individuals. Hopefully not, but there will be those who won’t accept it.
It shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter to the fans or to the team. What matters is the buzzer beater, the sacking of a quarterback before he can throw a touchdown pass. What matters is the moment in the game where these athletes do something exceptional to rally the team and secure the win. Ultimately, it didn’t matter whether Jackie Robinson was white or black. What mattered was what he did when he stepped onto a baseball field.
Those days haven’t arrived yet. There are still hate crimes based on nationality, race, sexual orientation and gender. There is still discrimination and prejudice, and terms such as “equality” and “acceptance” remain lofty ideas, but change is coming everyday.
While this moment can be seen as noteworthy for its step forward, society will be better off when it’s not.
