On Sunday Kobe Bryant spoke about Jason Collins in an
interview with Yahoo Sports,
“His impact
(Sunday night) is greater than what people think. You look at it from
the context of having the first
openly gay player. But they missed the domino
effect
that is had way beyond sports”.
Now Bryant may not have been the first person to notice the effect
that sports have on the general populace and their opinions but he could not be
more correct. Jason Collins signing with
the Brooklyn Nets, even though it is only a 10 day contract, will undoubtedly
have a great impact on the American view of homosexuals not only in athletics
but also in every day life. The irony surrounding Collins signing with the Nets
is that this is not the first time that an organization in Brooklyn has made a culture-shifting
move like this.
In 1946
General Manager for the Brooklyn Dodgers Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson
to a minor league contract with the Montreal Royals. In doing this Robinson
became the first Black baseball player to play organized professional baseball
in the modern era. When Robinson first stepped onto Ebbets field a year later
to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers, he broke the color line that divided baseball
for nearly a century. In doing this he led the way for other Black athletes and
Black Americans to do the same. Robinson’s affect on public opinion of race and
color is undeniable and Collins will have a similar effect on cultural acceptance
of homosexuals.
In Robinson’s
time, America was defined by baseball and although that is not the case with
basketball today it is still a step in the right direction. Collins being the
first openly gay athlete to be signed by a professional sports team is defiantly
a sign of good things to come for homosexuals in American professional
sports. One athlete that should be very
excited by Collins contract is NFL prospect and recent SEC defensive player of
the year Michael Sam. Two weeks before Collins signed, the former Missouri
Defensive End publicly admitted to being gay as he enters the upcoming NFL
draft. The precedent set by Brooklyn in
signing Collins will have a tremendous effect on Sam’s ability to be drafted
this spring.
Just like
Jackie Robinson impacted the surge for Civil Rights in the mid 20th
century Jason Collins and Michael Sam could have a similar effect on the
American Gay Rights. Robinson has been credited with inspiring leaders such as Martin
Luther King therefore it is possible that Collins may be inspiring the next
generation of civil rights activists in the struggle for equality among all
Americans.
- Alexander Browning
Lex,
ReplyDeleteThat is a very intriguing comparison. I never knew that King and others were inspired by Robinson and the baseball color barrier. Without a doubt, the Jason Collins signing could open up more doors and offer credibility to the signing of others. I think the Michael Sam case will be interesting to follow because his talent level is so much higher, comparably, to Jason Collins. Sam is already receiving a lot of endorsement so I am anxious to see how he fares in the draft. Finding the right city and the right organization could be huge. Which brings us back to Brooklyn. Could the Giants or the Jets be interested in drafting him to continue the legacy of the New York metropolitan area?
I agree that this is a well done comparison. One thing I do think we need to consider with the issue of homosexual athletes is that the choice is primarily up to them to come out to the public yet it was not the same in the past for black athletes playing in predominantly white sports. Jackie Robinson could not hide that he was black while Jason Collins and Michael Sam made the decision to come out to the public. I think the effect that they will have on future homosexual athletes will be something good to watch unfold and hopefully their decision to not hide who they are will allow for sports teams and fans in the future to not even question sexuality just like they do not have an issue with the race of an athlete at the current time.
ReplyDeleteThese two players are truly changing the standards professional sports. The idea that a homosexual is inferior or perverse in any way from any other player is clearly shattered by these two fantastic athletes. A study of this idea in my church goes very well this this topic. Many christian homosexuals confess their struggle and it is made evident that the vast majority wish that they weren't gay, and try there very best to change it but its seemingly impossible. My point is that this is revolutionary to sports because it makes people realize that homosexuality is not something that limits an individual from achieving anything, neither should it, because their struggle is specific to them, just as each individual struggles with certain issues of their own in their lives.
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