I'm confused. What's all the hoopla about? Today, aging Washington Wizards veteran and former Stanford University All-American Jason Collins announced to the world that he is indeed happy, that he has always been happy, and that when he was younger being happy made him feel very uncomfortable. "I wish I wasn't the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying 'I'm different,'" Collins explained, "If I had may way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I'm raising my hand."
While Kobe Bryant and many have been very supportive of Collins desire to be openly happy, some fellow athletes published tweets that took on a more dissenting tone such as, "I'm not saying it's right or wrong, I just don't understand happiness," or "Me personally, I'd be very uncomfortable with a happy teammate in the locker room."
"He's so happy he makes me look sad," sad the usually smiling Dwight Howard
I think the real story here is that Jason Collins still plays for an NBA team. Raise your uncomfortable hand if you knew that?
All kidding aside, this is an historic moment in sports. While other active and retired athletes such as Greg Louganis, Martina Navratilova, and Sherryl Swoops have openly acknowledged their sexuality, Jason Collins became the first active player in the four major American sports to come out as gay, writing a first-person account on the Sports Illustrated website. It's bigger than any of us heterosexual sports fans, analysts, bloggers, or gamblers will ever comprehend. In a short amount of time, reactions to Collins coming out covered the spectrum.
ESPN analyst and resident douche bag (my opinion) Chris Broussard chimed in saying, "Personally, I don't believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle, or like, premarital sex between heterosexuals … it says that that's a sin … I believe that's walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ," he said on the show. "So, I would not characterize that person as a Christian, because I don't think the Bible would characterize that person as a Christian."
Shut up Chris! Your face is a sin no religion should accept. Sounds a little like repressed, self-hating happiness to me. It's people like you who serve as a reminder that fear rather than hate is the opposite of love. You put the fuck in fuck off. Seriously.
On the other hand, as usual Metta World Peace was unusual saying, "Whether it's a free country or not, you should be free to act as you want to do as long as it's not violent. No matter what it is. I came here in a Cookie Monster shirt because I wanted to, and I was going to wear the pants and hat, to but I thought you guys would judge me. I didn't want Mitch [Kupchack] to judge me. So that's why I didn't wear it. But I should've wore it. You should be free to do and act how you want to act."
Way to go MWP.
The truth is, Jason Collins should be applauded for his courage and willingness to pioneer where others have been prevented by the realities of fear and ignorance from experiencing the freedoms to which we are all entitled - to be ourselves and to openly express who we are to the world.
Good for Jason. I feel gay as hell that he had the courage to come out. And I'm also feeling pretty darn gay about our current stats through 10 days of NBA playoff picks.
POST-SEASON RECORD TO DATE: 22-11 ATS (4-0 ATS today)
CONFIDENCE EFFICIENCY RATING (CER): 49/73 or .67
TOP CONFIDENCE PICKS THROUGH DAY 10: 8-2 ATS
Let's get to the Day 11 NBA Playoff Picks ATS.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (-5.5) over Memphis Grizzlies: Although Memphis boasts one of the best road ATS records in the NBA at 24-16-1, the Clippers have the identical home record. We believe this series will likely go the distance, which is why we're taking the home team to hold serve. In addition, L.A. was 32-9 at home this year and only one of those wins was decided by less than six points. We're rooting for the Grizz but we're take the Clipps in this one. Confidence Rating: 2
Golden State Warriors (-7.5) over DENVER NUGGETS: If this line were lower, we might set our hearts aside and take Denver, but 7.5 points feels disrespectful to a team who has shot 53% from the field and played well in altitude twice already in this series.Denver did have the best home ATS record in the NBA this year at 28-13, but the Warriors have Mark Jackson who has more playoff experience than anyone on the floor and knows the importance of Game 5 when you're up 3-1. Even if the Warriors lose, they will not let Denver back into the series psychologically by getting blown out. Our deciding factor was the Game 5 result of the Dallas-Golden State game back in 2007 when the Warriors only lost by 6 then closed the series out two days later in Oracle. Take the points and watch the Curry magic carpet ride continue. Confidence Rating: 1
Good luck, home fries. Be happy, be kind, and be free.
Vinny and Marco
The warriors cover by a half point, what an ending! No more on Curry anymore his ankle has finally caught up. Tomorrow has some great value in taking Durant + Anthony to both drop more than 30 points and KG to get 10+ Rebounds.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the write-up for tomorrow Gentlemen!
Thanks for all the commentary, Kyle. We appreciate and encourage it. I like your action tomorrow. Just posted about that ending in Denver, too. It made the loss just a little less bitter.
DeleteCurry will be fine.
Vinny