Jason Collins Becomes First Active NBA Player to Come Out - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 04-29-2013, 05:19 PM

Jason Collins Becomes First Active NBA Player to Come Out
Apr 29, 2013
by Liz Raftery

Jason Collins has become the first male athlete to come out while being active in a major professional sport, writing in this week's Sports Illustrated, "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay."

Collins, who played for the Washington Wizards for the 2012-13 season and is now a free agent, said it's a distinction he reluctantly embraces, but one he views as necessary.

"I'm happy to start the conversation," he writes in SI. "I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different.' If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."

The 7-foot-tall center says he's already come out to his family and friends, including his twin brother Jarron, also an NBA player. But recent events, including the Boston Marathon bombings and the Supreme Court hearings about gay marriage, spurred him to go public.

"Things can change in an instant, so why not live truthfully?" he writes.

"The strain of hiding my sexuality became almost unbearable in March ... Less then three miles from my apartment, nine jurists argued about my happiness and my future."

Still, Collins said he waited until the season was over because he "didn't want to answer questions and draw attention to myself."

Collins admits that he has "no idea" how his teammates, other NBA players and fans will react to his announcement. "I hope for the best, but plan for the worst," he writes.

"I hope fans will respect me for raising my hand. ... If I'm up against an intolerant player, I'll set a pretty hard pick on him. And then move on."

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Jason-Co...r-1064707.aspx

Tweety · 04-29-2013, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesG

Jason Collins Becomes First Active NBA Player to Come Out
Apr 29, 2013
by Liz Raftery
,,,"I hope fans will respect me for raising my hand. ... If I'm up against an intolerant player, I'll set a pretty hard pick on him. And then move on."

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Jason-Co...r-1064707.aspx

What a jackass. Now he threatens to set a "hard pick" on players HE deems to be intolerant? Brilliant, Jason... just come out and tell David Stern that you're going after certain guys to try to hurt them now.

He should be careful what he asks for though... what if some guys decide to foul HIM pretty hard now? Well, that is, if he can ever get his 3 points and 3 rebounds a game off the bench. It might be fun to see how Stern's office handles these things, with political correctness being what it is now.

Is the gay community disappointed that the first guy to come out is such a bottom-of-the-barrel player?

Tweety · 04-30-2013, 06:56 AM

Also, it might be interesting to see if this prolongs his career. He's 34 years old, and not a producer at all. But will teams be hesitant to cut such players if they're openly homosexual? That opens the door to all kinds of accusations.

isiahthomas · 04-30-2013, 12:24 PM

I can't stand gays. I don't understand how men that are gay don't like women. Women are the most beautiful thing God created and for gay men not to like them is sick. LOL@Tweety calling Jason a bottom of the barrel player hahahahahahahahahahahaha. He does suck and i wish he would quit playing. Washington Wizards players are probably gonna not be bothered with him if he's still with the team next season. I bet when the players are taking a shower, they're gonna be looking at him to see if he's looking at their butts hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. John Amechi who's a former NBA player is the first NBA player to say he's gay.

Jaqui-Michel · 04-30-2013, 04:42 PM

Just wow at these posts

It doesn’t matter if he’s a superstar or the “bottom of the barrel” player. A black pro athlete had the guts to come out. His career may not have been spectacular but it has been steady. According to his current and former teammates he’s a good guy and a great teammate. If he is not picked up by a team it won’t because of his sexuality, it will be because of his limited skills. When the headlines are about an athlete’s personal life, a lot of the stories are about infidelity, domestic abuse, attempted rape, drugs, assault, not paying child support to their 5 baby mamas, etc. This guy’s only “fault” is that he is gay. Guess who gets my respect.

Tweety · 04-30-2013, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaqui-Michel

J...When the headlines are about an athlete’s personal life, a lot of the stories are about infidelity, domestic abuse, attempted rape, drugs, assault, not paying child support to their 5 baby mamas, etc. This guy’s only “fault” is that he is gay. Guess who gets my respect.

Very true, guys that just live their (personal) lives quietly don't get headlines, usually just the jerks do, as you described... running around on their wives, drugs, etc...

I still think it was a jackass thing to say about going out and setting a hard pick on someone just because he (Collins) deems that player to be "intolerant".

But I wasn't the one who made a big deal out of this. The left makes a big deal out of it. ESPN makes a headline story out of it. All I really said was that the guy sucks as a basketball player.

What I'd like to see is articles/columns written about Collins over the years that criticized his play on the court... I know there must be SOMEONE at ESPN who has criticized this guy as a basketball player, and I guarantee that Collins' play will never be criticized again (not that there's any guarantee he'll still be in the league next year, but if he is, his play on the court will most likely never be criticized again).

Tweety · 04-30-2013, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesG

Jason Collins Becomes First Active NBA Player to Come Out
Apr 29, 2013
by Liz Raftery...Still, Collins said he waited until the season was over because he "didn't want to answer questions and draw attention to myself."

Who's he kidding? Doesn't want to draw attention to himself? I thought that was the reason he kept quiet all this time! What's going on here?

shotzette · 04-30-2013, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isiahthomas

I can't stand gays. I don't understand how men that are gay don't like women. Women are the most beautiful thing God created and for gay men not to like them is sick. LOL@Tweety calling Jason a bottom of the barrel player hahahahahahahahahahahaha. He does suck and i wish he would quit playing. Washington Wizards players are probably gonna not be bothered with him if he's still with the team next season. I bet when the players are taking a shower, they're gonna be looking at him to see if he's looking at their butts hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. John Amechi who's a former NBA player is the first NBA player to say he's gay.

Thanks for spreading the hate, loser.

Considering that you have admitted to "paying for it" from female prostitutes, who the hell are you to judge??

isiahthomas · 05-01-2013, 06:41 AM

I'd rather pay women for sex than be gay hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

shotzette · 05-01-2013, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isiahthomas

I'd rather pay women for sex than be gay hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Wow. Your mother must be so proud of you and your success. NOT!!

isiahthomas · 05-01-2013, 12:39 PM

My parents don't know i used to deal with prostitutes and i would never tell them that LOL.

shotzette · 05-01-2013, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isiahthomas

My parents don't know i used to deal with prostitutes and i would never tell them that LOL.

I'm sure that they simply assumed you had to pay for it. Lets face it, they've known you longer than anyone else.

BTW, since roughly 25% of the "female" prostitutes out there are actually transvestites, there's a significant chance that you've "played for the other team".

Think about it. A lot.

*ROGER* · 05-01-2013, 01:43 PM

^^^^^^

DVDLover · 05-01-2013, 03:41 PM

This thread needs to be locked since it is disgusting about IsiahThomas's comments

Dianne3 · 05-01-2013, 04:28 PM

Jacqui-Michel -
only five baby mamas? NBA players must be slowing down then. Sorry, I couldn't resist posting this.

On a more serious note, from the PTI show it was mentioned that the NBA players are more tolerant of gays than the NFL or MLB. I didn't know that.

04-29-2013, 05:19 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,291	Jason Collins Becomes First Active NBA Player to Come Out Jason Collins Becomes First Active NBA Player to Come Out Apr 29, 2013 by Liz Raftery Jason Collins has become the first male athlete to come out while being active in a major professional sport, writing in this week's Sports Illustrated, "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay." Collins, who played for the Washington Wizards for the 2012-13 season and is now a free agent, said it's a distinction he reluctantly embraces, but one he views as necessary. "I'm happy to start the conversation," he writes in SI. "I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, 'I'm different.' If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand." The 7-foot-tall center says he's already come out to his family and friends, including his twin brother Jarron, also an NBA player. But recent events, including the Boston Marathon bombings and the Supreme Court hearings about gay marriage, spurred him to go public. "Things can change in an instant, so why not live truthfully?" he writes. "The strain of hiding my sexuality became almost unbearable in March ... Less then three miles from my apartment, nine jurists argued about my happiness and my future." Still, Collins said he waited until the season was over because he "didn't want to answer questions and draw attention to myself." Collins admits that he has "no idea" how his teammates, other NBA players and fans will react to his announcement. "I hope for the best, but plan for the worst," he writes. "I hope fans will respect me for raising my hand. ... If I'm up against an intolerant player, I'll set a pretty hard pick on him. And then move on." http://www.tvguide.com/News/Jason-Co...r-1064707.aspx Attached Images

04-30-2013, 04:42 PM	#5
Jaqui-Michel Brick City Citizen Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 22, 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 355	Just wow at these posts It doesn’t matter if he’s a superstar or the “bottom of the barrel” player. A black pro athlete had the guts to come out. His career may not have been spectacular but it has been steady. According to his current and former teammates he’s a good guy and a great teammate. If he is not picked up by a team it won’t because of his sexuality, it will be because of his limited skills. When the headlines are about an athlete’s personal life, a lot of the stories are about infidelity, domestic abuse, attempted rape, drugs, assault, not paying child support to their 5 baby mamas, etc. This guy’s only “fault” is that he is gay. Guess who gets my respect.
	__________________ Stupidity - The Silent Killer

04-30-2013, 06:56 AM	#3
Tweety Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 18, 2002 Location: Florida Posts: 6,804	Also, it might be interesting to see if this prolongs his career. He's 34 years old, and not a producer at all. But will teams be hesitant to cut such players if they're openly homosexual? That opens the door to all kinds of accusations.

04-30-2013, 12:24 PM	#4
isiahthomas Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 20, 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 10,704	I can't stand gays. I don't understand how men that are gay don't like women. Women are the most beautiful thing God created and for gay men not to like them is sick. LOL@Tweety calling Jason a bottom of the barrel player hahahahahahahahahahahaha. He does suck and i wish he would quit playing. Washington Wizards players are probably gonna not be bothered with him if he's still with the team next season. I bet when the players are taking a shower, they're gonna be looking at him to see if he's looking at their butts hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. John Amechi who's a former NBA player is the first NBA player to say he's gay.

05-01-2013, 06:41 AM	#9
isiahthomas Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 20, 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 10,704	I'd rather pay women for sex than be gay hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

05-01-2013, 12:39 PM	#11
isiahthomas Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 20, 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 10,704	My parents don't know i used to deal with prostitutes and i would never tell them that LOL.

05-01-2013, 01:43 PM	#13
ROGER Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 05, 2007 Location: United States Posts: 2,776	^^^^^^

05-01-2013, 03:41 PM	#14
DVDLover Banned Banned!! Frequent Poster Join Date: Feb 06, 2013 Posts: 363	This thread needs to be locked since it is disgusting about IsiahThomas's comments

05-01-2013, 04:28 PM	#15
Dianne3 Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 07, 2002 Posts: 1,061	Jacqui-Michel - only five baby mamas? NBA players must be slowing down then. Sorry, I couldn't resist posting this. On a more serious note, from the PTI show it was mentioned that the NBA players are more tolerant of gays than the NFL or MLB. I didn't know that.