One giant leap: First openly
gay athlete in major sports

Brady Stark
Contributor

Px to February 2014, no
openly gay athlete had

played on a major sports team in
basketball, hockey, football, or
baseball. Jason Collins has finally
broken that barrier. The Brooklyn
Nets signed the 35 year old center
to a 10-day contract in order to
fill a need that was vacant due

to injuries. The coach of the

nets, Jason Kidd, was a former
teammate of Collins when they
played together in New Jersey.

A lot of people may not have
heard of Jason Collins before now,
and that is because he is a more
defensive-minded player. Instead
of putting up points that other
centers might be used to, Collins’
value is on the defence side of
the ball. In the first game that
Collins played in his comeback,
he did not post a single point, but

in the 11 minutes that he was on
the court, the Nets outscored the
Los Angeles Lakers by a margin

of eight points. The margin is
significant due to the final score
being 108-102. Since the first
signing that was done in February,
Collins has signed another 10-day
contract to stay with the team and
is poised to spend the rest of the
season there.

This moment in sports is not
about the 7-foot-tall center for
the Nets but the road that is now
open for gay athletes that are in
a situation that Collins was in for
the majority of his career. There
are athletes, major stars, that are
too afraid to tell the world who
they really are because of fear.
Fear that the world will judge
them based on their personal
preference and not what they

do on the court, field, or ice. The

path towards a more tolerant
future will not be a smooth one,
as there has been a few players in
different leagues that have come
out and announced that they
would not be comfortable with a
gay teammate, but there are so
many more players that would
not care about one’s personal
business, just about how hard you
try every down, inning, shift, or
whistle. Collins’ bravery shines

a guiding light for those future
players such as NCAA football
prospect Michael Sam, who came
out last year to his University of
Missouri teammates and had a
season that would see him become
All-American and Southeastern
Conference Defensive player

of the year. Sam is slated to go
between the third and fifth round
of the NFL Entry draft this year
and be the first openly gay NFL
player.

Sports 5

There have been a few teams

and players that have stated

that they might not want Sam

on their team because of who he
is or the distraction that might
come with drafting such a high-
profile player. New York Giants’
general manager, on the other
hand, has publically stated that if
things line-up, he and his whole
organization would be proud to
have such a great defensive end
on their team. Obviously, sports
is a long way from being equal

or void of prejudice, but the

first stones have been cast. This
reporter hopes that one day, this
type of article will never have

to be written because sexual
orientation will no longer be an
issue. Until that day comes, we as
sports fans can marvel at the stars
we love to watch and the brave
athletes that are not afraid to
show their true colours.

Across

1. Enumerate

5. Place

10. God of love
14. Sawy about
15. Oblivion

16. Fabricated

17. Alteration

19. Biblical garden
20. Do it yourself
21. Warning signal

mirroreyes.com

22. Hand joint

23. Conference

25. Insect stage

27.A high alpine meadow

28. Grumbler

31. Iniquities

34. Leprose

35. Mineral rock

36. General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade

Coffee Brea

1. Alot

2. An independent film
company

3. Remains

4. Not bottom

5. Ski race

6. Moon of Saturn

7. Arab chieftain

8. Find repugnant

9. Put clothing on

10. Come forth

11. The medical use of X-rays
12. Poems

13. Dispatched

18. Most dogs have them
22. Not straight

24. Sodium chloride

26. 5280 feet

28. Range

29. Goddess of discord

37. Clobbered

38. Auspices

39. Former boxing champ
40. Appearance

41. Secret meeting

42. Make unfit for drinking
44, Neither ___

45. What's happening
46. Spouse

50. Seraglio

30. A musical pause oo
31. Quaint outburst =
32. Sheltered spot Ss

33. A travelling laborer

34. Anagram of "Tradesmen'
37. Cold-shoulder

38. Makes a mistake

4O. Flower stalk

41. Laser printer powder
43. Turns away

44, Gestured the affirmative
46. Thicket

47. Keyboard instrument
48, Perch

49. Anxious

50. Derbies or berets

51. Away from the wind

53. Teleohoned

56. South southeast

57. An Old Testament king

52. Wear away

54. Caviar

55. Winglike

56. Showy bloom
58. Canvas dwelling
59. Feel

60. Back talk

61. Collections

62. Nosed (out)

63. Initial wager