THE FACE OF COURAGE.

Several weeks following Major League Baseball’s celebration of 66 years since Jackie Robinson broke the game’s color barrier, on Monday, America witnessed another individual step forward to open the doors for those like him in Sports.

Washington Wizards Center Jason Collins made history and came out as the first active openly gay male athlete in any of America’s four major team sports.

No, Collins won’t go down as a legend of the court the same way Robinson, a first-ballot Baseball Hall-of -Famer did on the diamond.

A free agent in June, there is the strong possibility Collins will not even BE with a team next year. 

NBA General Managers may not have an interest in the 34 year-old backup big man, whose best statistical season came in 2004 (6.1 rebounds, .9 blocks, 6.4 points) for the then-New Jersey Nets.

Regardless, Collins raised his hand and came forward to show others that they should no longer attempt to hide who they are due to fear of not being accepted by their peers on the field as well as the locker rooms:

“Aww, hell no! I don't want any faggots on my team. I know this might not be what people want to hear, but that's a punk. I don't want any faggots in this locker room.”

-Former 49ers Running Back Garrison Hearst (2002)

"First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team.  And second of all, if he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that's right. And you know I don't think he should be in the locker room while we're in the locker room. I wouldn't even be a part of that.”

 - Former NBA Point Guard Tim Hardaway (2007)

“I don't do the gay guys, man. I don't do that. Ain't got no gay people on the team. They gotta get up outta here if they do. Can't be with that sweet stuff.”

- 49ers Cornerback Chris Culliver (2013)

“Football is supposed to be this violent sport — this aggressive sport that grown men are supposed to play. Ain’t no little boys out here between them lines. So if you gay, we look at you as a sissy. You know? Like, how you going to say you can do what we do and you want a man?”

-   LSU Running Back Alfred Blue (2013)

“All these beautiful women in the world and guys wanna mess with other guys SMH…”

-Dolphins Wide Receiver Mike Wallace (Yesterday, via Twitter).

Each of these men would later go on to recant their statements, but you KNOW that is how they really feel, and those comments echo others who have similar feelings towards the idea of having a gay teammate. 

However, this isn’t the 1940’s, this is 2013, and we should be past this point as human beings as well as Americans.

There are those who say what Collins did is not a big deal; that they don’t understand why he had to “come out,” that it’s only about if you can play, that this is just an attempt to gain publicity by a 12-year veteran journeyman (six NBA teams) on his last legs in the league.

I agree:  It SHOULD only be about if you can play the game or not…

But all you have to do is look at the quotes above, or have turned on the radio or TV yesterday and you can see exactly why it matters…

In time, more WILL choose to follow the path Jason Collins has paved.  In time a big-time gay superstar-athlete WILL come along, and in time being gay and playing pro Basketball, Football, Baseball, or Hockey won't be a big deal and really won't matter.

However, yesterday it did.  Funny thing about courage is that it can be contagious.

-WST