Jason Collins is a 7 foot center in the NBA who recently signed a ten-day deal with the Brooklyn Nets as a trial. He is 35-years old and isn’t all that skilled at anything.

Jason Collins also happens to be a homosexual.

This small, ten-day deal makes Mr. Collins the first active openly gay player in any of the four major American leagues. Whether you see this as revolutionary and innovative or as a pointless cash-grab, this is most definitely something we’ve never seen before. And we may not be ready for it.

Players and fans alike have expressed their extreme distaste for homosexuals in their respective leagues. Some players, like Jonathan Vilma, NFL linebacker for the New Orleans Saints, have come out publicly discussing the resistance gay players would have to bear in the league.

Jonathan Vilma said he was speaking for the entire league. “I think that he would not be accepted as much as we think he would be accepted, I don’t want people to just naturally assume, like, ‘Oh, we’re all homophobic.’ That’s really not the case. Imagine if he’s the guy next to me and, you know, I get dressed, naked, taking a shower, the whole nine, and it just so happens he looks at me. How am I supposed to respond?”

Mr. Vilma said this in regard to an NFL prospect, Michael Sam coming out prior to the NFL draft. Michael Sam was a defensive end for the University of Missouri and a skilled one at that. Michael Sam was already more than likely going to be picked up during the NFL draft; now it is certain. If the impossible does happen and Sam does not end up in the NFL, the league will face harsh backlash for being homophobic, even if that is not the case.

Michael Sam will inevitably become the first openly gay player in the NFL. He will serve as a test subject for the NFL, just as Jason Collins is a trial run for the NBA. We can investigate the integrity of his teammates and opposition alike. We can then see if our sport nation is ready for players of all sexualities.

Things seem to be going smooth as butter over on the NBA side of this issue. The Jason Collins jersey is selling exceptionally well. And to put salt in the wounds of all the homophobic sports fans, all the proceeds from his jersey sales are going straight to charity.

Overall, Sam and Collins have the potential to be as eye-opening for the homosexual community as Jackie Robinson was for the black community. But they could spark even more controversy than he did. Sports fans have never been very open to change and this is a very sudden change.