Jason Collins Becomes 1st Openly Gay Athlete in a Major American Team Sport

[mister friendly]

Everybody coming out and supporting, but I have a feeling some of these guys are hiding their true feelings because it would be a p.r. Nightmare if they actually said how they really felt

Yeah I think alot guys are saying positive things about this for the PR. But they don't believe it

No one is looking for laughs. Its the truth in the matter. For someone like Collins, this is ultimately the highlight of his career. He was a nobody until today.

And please stop with the homophobia crap. Just because someone isn't accepting of your lifestyle choice doesn't mean that they fear homosexuals.

That's true. Also if someone doesn't believe in interracial marriage, that doesn't mean their racist, right?

No one believes you... You're prejudiced and yes, scared of gay people... Sorry.

Are you really trying to say those that don't agree with interracial marriage are racist? If so that really doesn't make sense to me. Just cause you don't want to sleep with or marry a different race doesn't mean you will treat them differently as a person on a day to day level. I think at times people get over passionate and start making bad points.

Yes if you're against interracial marriage, you're a racist.

No your not but whatever you want to believe you go right ahead.

And you can continue to be a racist.

Im not so I would not like to be called one. This is the type of stuff that leads to resentment from people in these type of discussions. If I want to have a child that is the same race as me that really makes me a racist and please think about that before you answer. I guess most of the world is racist then since 90% of marriages are intraracial.

If you feel resented, keep your racist views to yourself.

You aren't getting any sympathy from me about feeling resented about not being able to spread your racist views.

I don't feel anything actually just bsing around. You haven't shown me jack spit on how that's racist plus if you knew my situation in real life this sillyness you speak would look even more stupid than it already is.

The only thing I know about you is what you write on here

Please give us your sob story, so you can justify how being racist is cool

 

[jpzx]

It's getting to the point where I have to scroll sideways to see what you guys are saying.

 

[law3001]

It's getting to the point where I have to scroll sideways to see what you guys are saying.

Nothing, they are really just saying nothing at all

 

[00david00]

only person i feel bad for is da twin thats gonna be mistaken for being gay for da rest of his life

man

 

[DeadsetAce]

Going to be interesting to see the reaction around the league and in the sports world if he can't find a team to play with next season.

But hopefully this helps other athletes who want to come out to do so. Can't be easy living with that stuff constantly buried within.

 

[cronicmolemolereturns]

Regardless of who he likes. He still sucks.. no team is going to want him and I hope no one will say because he is gay.

 

[dogma2010]

I don't see the big deal. He fancies an Italian sausage one in awhile. He waits in line for the purple retros to come out.

It's his life. If some of us decide to be had like we're 10 big deal. This is 'merica. Land of the burger.

 

[law3001]

Jason Collins May Get Big Endorsement Deals[/QUOTE]

Before Jason Collins came out as the first male gay athlete in a major U.S. sport, only devoted basketball fans and the loyal followers of the Washington Wizards knew much about the backup center.

Now Collins is the talk of the nation, and it’s already evident that he’s going to be of some value to big brands looking to capitalize on his newfound fame.

Collins will be more than a niche name valuable to brands that want to reach out to the LGBT community, explained Mark Elderkin, the CEO of gay media networking firm Gay Ad Network. He will be mainstream, and that’s why he could make a boatload of money from sponsorships.

“I don’t see that he’s going to be chosen as a spokesperson to help drive products sales within the gay community, but more to drive sales in the more general market,” said Elderkin. “The sports brands are obvious, but I think it goes beyond that. I guess the sky’s the limit.”

Elderkin predicts there will be a bidding war to determine Collins’ value. “You’re what someone’s willing to pay for that endorsement,” he said.

But even with America’s sudden attention, Collins must go through the same vetting process every athlete experiences when courted by brands. Paul Swangard, the managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon, noted that Collins is still not a sure bet.

“There’s no question there are a number of new possibilities that are presented to him in the wake of this announcement, but it still falls into the formula we use for marketing athletes,” said Swangard. “Is there a consumer base that this athlete can now connect with? Is there enough visibility that a brand can see value? Does the athlete move the needle?”


“He’s still got to demonstrate that his character and charisma are able to connect with people’s pocketbooks,” he added, noting that Collins is not yet in the “upper echelon” of marketable athletes.

Some companies might be hesitant to sponsor a gay athlete, considering the backlash against those who made positive statements about LGBT rights. J.C. Penney, for instance, unleashed a storm of criticism when it featured Ellen DeGeneres, who is openly gay, in an advertising campaign, and conservative group One Million Moms quickly encouraged its followers to shun the department store chain.

Elderkin dismissed anti-gay groups as mere annoyances that don’t significantly affect sales. “The kind of fear that advertisers had isn’t around much anymore,” he said.

Still, it depends on the individual brands and which consumers they target. Some brands may not consider Collins’ sexuality a positive attribute. “It’s always about starting with your business objective,” said Swangard. “What are you trying to accomplish with your partnership? Who’s your audience?”

Collins is already a Nike athlete, but it remains to be seen how the brand will use him. Before Collins announced his sexuality, Nike was already seeking to sponsor the first openly gay male athlete in a major sport, according to a report from Bloomberg News. The company just happened to have the prize fall right in its lap, and it’s unlikely to let Collins slip through its fingers.

“We admire Jason’s courage and are proud that he is a Nike athlete,” the company said in a statement Monday. “Nike believes in a level playing field where an athlete’s sexual orientation is not a consideration.”

Wayne DeSarbo, executive director of the Center for Sports Business and Research at Penn State, said Nike needs to move quickly with Collins; after all, he’s a 34-year-old free agent with no guarantee he’ll play in the NBA next year. Even if he does, he may not get the minutes to maintain the attention of consumers.

“The value to [Nike] is going to be contingent on his being able to secure another job some place,” said DeSarbo. “It’s probably to their advantage to move as fast as possible and to jump on that sooner rather than later. If he can’t find a job, what are you going to advertise?"

Collins likely has a little bit more leverage in the free-agent market now than he did before his announcement, said Swangard, but at the end of the day, he will have to perform on the court in order to be relevant both to major brands and to an NBA team.

“This is almost like the conversation that we had when Jeremy Lin moved to Houston,” said Swangard, in reference to the marketing power of “Linsanity,” which propelled the undrafted Harvard graduate to prominence in 2012. “Each of these athletes is a brand. Collins now has dimensions to his brand that make him somewhat unique.”

No matter what happens to Collins's career in the NBA, he’ll always have his big coming-out day under his belt. Elderkin cited this as a valuable “first-mover” advantage for Collins, even if more athletes start coming out as gay in the near future.

“He’s always going to be the first gay guy to come out in pro sports,” said Elderkin. “He’s never going to lose that.”

Kim BhasinBecome
Kim.Bhasin@huffingtonpost.com

 

[irishbaz]

I dunno why this is headline news, i don't even think he's the first to come out as the headline claims, didn't some guy from MLS come out like a yr ago? And I'm pretty sure Rodman said he was bi back in the day when he played with the bulls. Its easy to be cynical when someone has more to gain than loose by coming out. In this day and age this is not headline news and I don't see the need for all the attention.

 

[dogma2010]

An attention who**. If he did this when gay guys were getting beat down then maybe people would care. He did it when it's cool thing to do now and to get a book deal.

 

[hugebird]

I don't know how people are saying this is not actual news when he's the FIRST active player to come out. There have been hundreds and probably thousands of gay athletes who were gay while playing, and he's the first. As accepting as everyone is publicly, there's a reason why there are still dozens of closeted athletes.

 

[law3001]

I have a serious question to ask. How is the media back in the states covering this? I Ask that because I am actually overseas and though its made the news it's really not major breaking news. The funniest part is the first thing non Americans ask is who the hell is this guy lol

Most assume its a big star like Kobe, or Lebron and when I say Jason Collins they just shrug and that's it. They had a little blurb on CNN and Al Jazerra but just during the sports section.

 

[cashbanks]

Jason Collins is just trying to get paid write a book and go on Oprah this is not news it's a cash grab

 

[onewearz]

found it funny heard him described on the news as a " 7 ft bruiser "

 

[dogma2010]

The 7ft booty bruiser. Get ready to get that jersey next year fellas when he plays for what team again.

Now does he have to play in the wnba now or the nba?

If he's in the shower with an nba teammate and gets an erection from looking at him I think that's harassment of the straight player.

 

[shotsrangout]

The 7ft booty bruiser. Get ready to get that jersey next year fellas when he plays for what team again.

Now does he have to play in the wnba now or the nba?

If he's in the shower with an nba teammate and gets an erection from looking at him I think that's harassment of the straight player.

Corny.

 

[fear the ibis]

If he's in the shower with an nba teammate and gets an erection from looking at him I think that's harassment of the straight player.

They don't have group showers in the NBA b.

 

[100027]

Im not so I would not like to be called one. This is the type of stuff that leads to resentment from people in these type of discussions. If I want to have a child that is the same race as me that really makes me a racist and please think about that before you answer. I guess most of the world is racist then since 90% of marriages are intraracial.

Dude really just came out as a full-on racist!!!

 

[law3001]

The 7ft booty bruiser. Get ready to get that jersey next year fellas when he plays for what team again.

Now does he have to play in the wnba now or the nba?

If he's in the shower with an nba teammate and gets an erection from looking at him I think that's harassment of the straight player.

 

[darthska]

"It's against MY religion and MY beliefs for YOU to be left handed."

Flawed.

Charles Barkley is wrong. No one is entitled to the opinion they have of what someone else is doing it if it doesn't harm/affect them. we don't all have the right to check in with each other and make sure that what all of us are doing in our personal lives is okay with each other.

 

[airjordan jb23]

Props to him for coming out... Brave move on his part

 

[macbk]

Good for him to feel comfortable enough to publicly come out. With that said, this has no affect on my life, and it's time to keep it moving.

Also with that said, the Chris Bosh memes going around in relation to Collins' come out are hysterical.

 

[fraij da 5 11]

The 7ft booty bruiser. Get ready to get that jersey next year fellas when he plays for what team again.

Now does he have to play in the wnba now or the nba?

If he's in the shower with an nba teammate and gets an erection from looking at him I think that's harassment of the straight player.

Slap yourself.

 

[licensed to ball]

The 7ft booty bruiser. Get ready to get that jersey next year fellas when he plays for what team again.


Now does he have to play in the wnba now or the nba?


If he's in the shower with an nba teammate and gets an erection from looking at him I think that's harassment of the straight player.

Slap yourself.

That was one of the lamest posts I've ever seen on NT.
Dude literally thought he was going to get all kinds of lulz from NT.
He was ready for the pouring of laughter emoticons.

 

[jjs07]

Jason Collins is just trying to get paid write a book and go on Oprah this is not news it's a cash grab

He's made over 32 mil in his career. I know that there will be some lucrative endorsement opportunities that arise b/c of this announcement, but I highly doubt his motivation in doing so was because of the $ he'll earn.