Brad Penner-USA Today Sports
By now the world knows that NBA free agent Jason Collins announced to the world that he is gay. He became the first person in professional sports to do so. Since that time the media has done what the media does. Over dramatize, over romanticize and create a hero out of thin air.
We’ve had support from Kobe Bryant. President Barack Obama is “proud” and his supporter list contains names that range from New York Knicks guard Jason Kidd to 1st Lady Michelle Obama. To take it even further, anyone who has expressed anything less than support, has had the back of their hand smacked by said media.
Miami Dolphins WR, Mike Wallace is the owner of the hand to which I’m referring. He made the mistake of using twitter to express his failure to “understand” homosexuality, and everyone with an internet connection expressed how much of a homophobe he is he is and how he needs to shut up.
15-20 years ago and all this hoopla would be appropriate. Back then there were very ignorant social consequences for revealing such information about yourself. Now, the public reaction to being gay is political and it has nothing to do with a battle against ignorance. It has everything to do with the power of the gay communities spending dollars.
Now Jason Collins is 34 and typically with his current skill set and age, he would have been looking into other ways of making a living. However, since his announcement, he has become someone that is having his name mentioned in analogous terms with Jackie Robinson. I find that to be irritatingly disrespectful as the dynamics of each story are night and day.
In his now famous Sports Illustrated article, Collins said that his heterosexual college room mate, Republican congressman Joe Kennedy III inspired his announcement when he informed him that he was attending a gay pride parade. Collins said he felt “envious” and he felt bad about possibly having to lie when he should be expressing pride. This was the final scenario of secrecy for Collins, and he felt he could no longer hide who he really was.
My problem is not with Collins or the gay community, but shame on him if he’s knowingly part of this disingenuous media campaign. It’s the heavy handed media who spends too much energy to create a hero just like they spend too much energy to create a demon.
Tony Graham is an NBA writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @tonyphintalk, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
