Hey Closeted Athletes!...Stop Worrying And Start Living!

Billy Bean-Major League Baseball's Ambassador of Inclusion.

Photo Courtesy of:Wikimedia and Greg Hernandez from California, CA, USA under CC BY 2.0 License

Baseball has Major League umpire Dale Scott, a veteran official with 30+ years of experience on the job and Billy Bean, Major League Baseball's Ambassador of Inclusion.  There's also minor league ballplayers David Denson in the Milwaukee Brewers organization and Sean Conroy of the Sonoma Stompers, an independent minor league team not affiliated with any of Major League Baseball's 30 clubs.  Football has Michael Sam.  Basketball has Jason Collins, referee Violet Palmer and Sheryl Swoopes. Soccer has Abby Wambach, Megan Rapinoe and Robbie Rogers. 

Abby Wambach 

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and Hmlarson under CC BY 3.0 License

If you're having trouble figuring out what these athletes and sports officials have in common, it is that they are all out of the closet when it comes to their sexuality while enjoying various degrees of success in their careers at this point in time.  This post isn't necessarily about those individuals who have shown a willingness and a certain comfort level to be open to the public about their lives, but rather those athletes or officials out there who for one reason or another still choose not to disclose that part of their personal lives. I should also mention that I'm not saying you should go about your daily life worrying about what others might think about you when it comes to how you feel about your own sexuality whether you are an athlete or not.  The choice of opening up that part of your life to others should be yours and yours alone to make.
  

As I've grown older and have continued to watch sports and media in general over the years, one thing I've come to realize is the power that any athlete celebrity or other public figure has as a role model to kids and adults of society at large.  Now I generally don't view any athlete or celebrity as a role model as it relates to my life because I believe that term should be reserved for someone in a person's life who they feel a close connection to such as a parent, teacher or other close relative, but I can certainly understand why some people in today's society would view athletes or other sports officials as potential role models-especially among younger sports fans who start to form their own beliefs and opinions about what goes on in the world around them at an early age.  To those other individuals who fall under the Public Figure category who identify (secretly or otherwise), themselves as members of the LGBT Community, I hope you realize the potential impact your story might have on someone's life down the road.


So as we wait for the next big name athlete or sports figure to open their closet door as society becomes even more accepting of these individuals than they already are, it is my hope that 10-20 years from now, what someone chooses to do in their personal life becomes a non-issue and people can be free to go about their daily lives however they choose to do so without the fear of being judged by others.


Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved.

Jason Collins Has Top Selling Jersey After Debut

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Marissa Gawel under CC BY 2.0 License

Shortly after Jason Collins made his debut with the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday February 23rd, the NBA announced that Collins' number 98 jersey was the top selling jersey in terms of both physical and online sales a mere two days after said debut.  The number 98 is significant because it is a reminder of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, an American college student at the University of Wyoming, who was targeted and bullied for his own homosexuality.  

The timing of the jersey sales is important to a certain extent because Collins has just embarked on what is hopefully the rest of a successful pro career since making the big announcement nearly a year ago in Sports Illustrated.  He has since come to an agreement on a 2nd 10-day contract with the Nets as of March 3rd.

The bigger picture that shouldn't get lost in the media cycle though is that the general public is sending a message loud and clear that they fully support Collins' future endeavors regardless of his sexual orientation. Now there are people out there who certainly don't agree with Collins' lifestyle choice, but that shouldn't mean we can't support him if we choose to do so.

Collins' may not have the top selling jersey by the time you see this, but if everything continues to develop the way it has up to this point, we can all look back at this whole saga as possibly the one moment in time that changed the perception of gays not only in professional sports but also in today's society as well.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2014
All Rights Reserved

My Impressions Of The 2014 Sochi Games

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Atos International under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

Now that the closing ceremonies have taken place and all is said and done, I would consider the Sochi games a success overall.  Sure there was controversy leading up to and during what is considered one the most watched sporting events in the world but there's always going to be some controversy when it comes to sports and the media who cover it. 

On the bright side Russia, the host nation, came out on top in the final medal standings with 33, USA in second with 28 and Norway rounding out the top three with 26 . Vladimir Putin probably is breathing a huge sigh of relief this morning.  It would have been a huge disappointment and embarrassment had they underperformed as a whole.

As far as the actual events, my personal favorite was short track speed skating. I like all the crashing and mayhem that comes with racing in small spaces. 

Courtesy of: Wikimedia

Greg Hernandez under CC BY 2.0 License

My favorite announcing team honors go to the threesome of Terry Gannon, Tara Lipinski, and Johnny Weir.  The chemistry between Lipinski and Weir in particular is electric.  I usually don't like watching figure skating in general but they made it fun and interesting.   

In addition, I applaud NBC's efforts to showcase that we are evolving as a society.  It's a shame that there are still places in the world that refuse to embrace diversity.   

Tim
Copyright 2014 -Tim Musick
All Rights Reserved