Gay athletes in professional sports

I find it very difficult to comment on homosexual athletes coming out to the public, due to the extreme sensitivity that comes with it. But, within the last couple of weeks, the entire outlook on the matter has changed dramatically.

The cover story of Sports Illustrated that was published on May 6^th 2013 was on Jason Collins, who had been a little known NBA big man up until that point. He’s averaged 3.6 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game throughout his career, which landed him on six different teams over a 12-year span. However, this article put him on the map, as he had come out as gay. Although he was currently a free agent, this announcement made international headlines because no pro athlete in the four main sports leagues (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL) had ever come out as gay. Until February 23^rd 2014, he had still never played a game. Then, that Sunday night against the Lakers, he became the first player to play in the league as an openly gay man.

While NBA was proud to be the first league to have an openly game player, the new commissioner Adam Silver was happy but quick to not over congratulate the NBA. “ I’m excited for Jason. I’m honored, in so many ways that the NBA presented to him a comfortable environment…(but) I think we all have to be a little bit cautious about congratulating ourselves, because it’s long overdue.” For only being one month on the job, Adam Silver has had an eventful start, and he seeming to handle it very well.

Then there was Michael Sam. A defensive end for the Missouri Tigers and co-SEC defensive player of the year came out as gay on February 9^th 2014. Even though he’s not a NFL player yet, it is expected that he will go in the 3^rd or 4^th round in the up-coming NFL draft. Despite his accolade from the gridiron, he was fairly unknown.  Now, obviously, he is quite known around the entire world.

For the most part, the world has been very supportive of Michael Sam. Sadly, not everyone is as socially developed as the better part of the population. Washington lobbyist Jack Burkman is one of those Neanderthal-like folk who aren’t as open to change. He is currently drafting a bill where he would try to ban gay players from the NFL. “ We are losing our decency as a nation. Imagine your son being forced to shower with a gay man. That’s a horrifying prospect for every mom in the country. What in the world has this nation come to?” It’s almost hard to believe that someone in this day in age would come out and make such a bold statement, especially with it being so controversial.

One issue that is a lot more current is the locker room aspect. Undoubtedly, there are professional athletes who would be uncomfortable, or even outright ignorant when it comes to gay athletes in their locker room. San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver made some anti-gay comments at Super Bowl 47 in New Orleans. He said “I don’t do the gay guys man. I don’t do that. No, we don’t got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do. Can’t be with that sweet stuff. Nah…can’t be… in the locker room man. Nah.” Culliver later apologized for his comments, but they were heard loud and clear around the NFL and the rest of the world.

As a young man who has never had any problems with people being different, Burkman’s comments were almost befuddling to read. His comments may have set back many other athletes who are currently in the closet. He thinks that based on someone’s sexual orientation, they shouldn’t be allowed to earn a living? He must also believe that someone who is as tough to play in the NFL couldn’t be gay, as if it was their choice. It’s almost unthinkable that this sort of obtuse thinking is still publicly stated.

As a supporter of gay rights, I am extremely relieved that these two brave men have done what they’ve done. I feel I can speak for many when I say, I hope they have become the stepping-stones into a more welcoming world of sports. 

NBA All-Star Break Awards

NBA All-Star Break Awards

Well, the All-Star game is over, and the regular season schedule returns on Tuesday February 18^th. We’ve got about 30 games to go, and I hope the finish is as good as everyone hopes.  This little break in the season seems like the best time to hand out awards for what’s already been accomplished. I won’t call them mid-season awards because we’ve already passed that 41-game mark.  But, here’s how ‘d hand out the awards thus far.

Most Valuable Player - Kevin Durant (31.5 PPG. 5.5 APG, 7.8 RPG). It’s pretty hard to debate against picking him to be the MVP thus far, averaging as many points and assists as he has in his career. Not only is it his best statistical season, but his Oklahoma team has the best record to date in a very tough Western Conference. Let’s not forget that he’s doing this without his partner in crime, Russell Westbrook. The only one that has a chance to catch him is LeBron, and he’s got some work to do if he wants to do so. He can start by out-dueling Kevin on Thursday night in Oklahoma City. Kevin already got the best of him in late January in Miami, so LeBron will need to beat him to even have a chance. The dynamic of the race could change though, because Russell Westbrook is scheduled to be back on this same Thursday night. But, if the season ended today, I’d have to give the edge to Kevin Durant.

Most Disappointing Player - Deron Williams (13.3 PPG, 6.6 APG, 2.5 RPG). This guy has battled through an ankle injury this season, but it’s hard to say this season hasn’t been disappointing. He’s owed over $18 million, and his current season averages aren’t as high as they should be. Four straight years when he was in Utah, he averaged at least 18 points and 10 assists per game, so this current stat line is pretty ugly. Not only is he under-performing, but also the whole team isn’t doing so well either. This was a squad that was supposed to challenge Miami and Indiana to represent the East in the Finals. The additions of Garnett and Pierce were supposed to push them up high up the standings, but that’s hardly happened. Good news for them is that the East is already bad, and as long as you get in the Playoffs, you have a chance (they currently sit 7^th in the East). But Deron Williams has to step up if they want to have a chance.

Most Impressive Rookie - Michael Carter-Williams (17.1 PPG, 6.5 APG, 5.4 RPG). In a dismal year for the Sixers, this young man has been very impressive. He was the 11^th overall pick in the 2103 draft, but the second highest pick the Sixers received in the draft (they traded for Nerlens Noel, who was the 6^th pick). But, due to a knee injury, Noel has yet to play. With his absence, Carter-Williams has really done well and made his name know almost having a triple double in his first career game against the Heat (22 points, 12 assists, 9 steals, 7 rebounds). That game really put him on the map to start the season, and he’s played very well since, despite missing some games from injury. It looks like he’s got a bright future in this league.

Most Disappointing Rookie - Anthony Bennett (3.8 PPG, 0.3 APG, 2.8 RPG). It kills me to write this as a proud Canadian, but Anthony Bennett has been very hard to watch. The Toronto native was the surprise #1 overall pick in 2013, but he has not lived up to expectations. His stat line is atrocious, and his teams record is even worse. There are no excuses for their poor play, considering the fact that the Cavaliers have four top-four pick in the last three drafts. Bennett has had a decent February (considering his previous months), and that’s encouraging. But for a #1 pick, it’s hard to argue who to give this “award” to. Hopefully he picks it up!

Most Surprising Team – Phoenix Suns (30-21, 7^th in Western Conference) As much as I’d love to give this award to the Toronto Raptors (28-24, 3^rd in Eastern Conference), I can’t look past what the Phoenix Suns are doing. Everyone had this team pegged as one of the lowest teams in the West, yet they’re competing on a nightly basis. They started hot, with Eric Bledsoe finally getting a chance to prove himself, but then he went down. Yet, they continued to play well with the impressive play of Goran Dragic. The Suns have the second lowest payroll in the NBA, and first year coach Jeff Hornacek has them grinding it out every night. This team has been very impressive.

Most Disappointing Team - New York Knicks (20-32, 10^th in Western Conference). It’d be very easy to give this award to almost 5 teams in the East, but I’ve narrowed it down to the New York Knicks. This team had 54 wins last year and were 2^nd in the East, and expectations were high. Right now they are twelve games under .500, and their only bright spot is Carmelo Anthony, who is actually playing very well. Despite that, Mike Woodson is on the hot seat, and things are just not looking up. Then, there was the shoe-untying incident with JR Smith that didn’t make the organization look very good. Undeterred by all of this, the Knicks are only 2½ games out of that last playoff spot in the East. They could still make it to the post-season, but they’re going to have to start improving immensely. There’s precious time to spare.

I can't wait to see how the rest of the season plays out!

Any suggestions on these? Let me know what you think!

Something to prove?

As I was sitting on the bus coming home from school, I was listening to the gentleman on ESPN’s First Take debate about LeBron James’ lack of participation in the Slam-Dunk competition. This annual part of All-Star weekend has had some real stars participate in it in the past. Some of those names include Julius Irving, Dominique Wilkins, Kobe Bryant, and this guy you may have heard of named Michael Jordan. With all of those guys having participated in the past, why wouldn’t LeBron want to? They discussed this topic at length due to a recent video where LeBron was filmed putting on a dunk show for his teammates at a practice.

Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless dissected the situation, with some differing opinions. Skip concluded that LeBron wanted to tease the fans with his skills, with no intention to actually participate in the actual event. Stephen A. pointed out that he is familiar with LeBron and has not one malicious bone in his body. Both of them were both asking though, why wouldn’t he want to do it? My question is, why would he?

It’s no secret around the NBA that LeBron is the most talented individual in the league. Anyone who has ever flipped past a sport channel on his or her television would be able to tell you this. Yet, people still think he should participate to prove his worth in NBA circles. I guess four league MVP’s, two straight rings and Finals MVP’s to go with it isn’t quite enough….

I guess the ongoing debate of Jordan or LeBron will have another chapter to it. Any Michael Jordan fan/ LeBron James hater will make the point that Michael did it all, and LeBron hasn’t. But, I don’t see how a contest during an All-Star weekend could equate to actual skill in the game of basketball. When Michael was doing these dunks, it had more to do with actual skills on the court, rather than the gimmick it is right now. His infamous jump from the free throw line showed his exquisite athleticism among other things. This, to me, shows what a true dunk is all about. If LeBron pulled of a great feat of athleticism that we know he’s capable of doing, people will just shrug it off because we see it in his game. Not when he has unlimited tries with no one trying to guard him.

In this era of the contest, it’s all about putting on a great show for the fans, no matter what the cost. I get that it’s the fans that are paying all the money, but I don’t believe the most recent dunkers have to go to the lengths that they do. We’ve have someone blow out a candle on a cupcake sitting on the back of the rim, ripping off your jersey to show you wearing a Superman cape, or even jumping over a car. Look, I get that these are fun, but this might be the level LeBron would have to sink to so he could win. I guess being a freakishly gifted athlete isn’t enough anymore.

Not only this, but it gives young players the opportunity to be featured. Think about some of the young players who were in the dunk contest that got some exposure. This includes the likes of Paul George and Blake Griffin, who are now elite NBA players. Also, other than Canadian NBA fans, I doubt many would’ve known who Terrence Ross was if it wasn’t for last years contest. I don’t think LeBron should steal that spotlight for those new up-and-comers, and I doubt that he wants to.

Some other NBA analysts make the case that if LeBron did do it, it would be great because it’s what the fans want to see. If anyone believes that he doesn’t give the fans what they want to see, I have a fairly incredible stat for you. LeBron James has scored at least ten points in five hundred and forty five straight games. The last time he scored less than ten was on January 5^th, 2007 when he scored eight in Milwaukee (with nine assists, five rebounds in a 95-86 win) . As far as I’m concerned, that is giving the fans exactly what they want; consistent play every night from the best player on the planet. 

This is why I’m always befuddled as to why people think LeBron needs to do this. He focuses on the actual game of basketball, rather than some silly competition, where he has nothing to prove to anyone. This is what frustrates me about the NBA and their analysts; can’t we just focus on his current greatness instead of nit picking at any little thing he does wrong? While those people can sit at their debate desks and look at every missed shot his, I’m going to appreciate everything he’s doing for the game. I’m just going to kick back, crack open a beer, and watch LeBron James treat every game like his own dunk contest. I hope you can join me.