The NFL and the NBA are two of the “big four” sports in America, along with baseball and hockey making up the remaining two spots.
With the recent news as reported by ESPNthat former University of Missouri linebacker, now NFL hopeful, Michael Sam is gay, and Jason Collins, the first openly gay NBA player who recently signed with the Brooklyn Nets, it seems that sexual preference has become a hot button topic. But should it be?
Sports are about bringing together the best athletes, at each position, to play together to achieve a common goal. In the NBA, it is the Larry O’Brien trophy, which is awarded to the NBA Champions at the conclusion of the NBA Finals. In the NFL, it is the Lombardi Trophy given to the winner of the Superbowl.
These two trophies are the entire reason that athletes kill themselves in the weight room and on the court or field - to be world champions.
As of late, ESPN and several other sports entities have covered these two athletes and their personal life preferences with extreme detail.
While the athletes are representatives of the organizations they play for, certain aspects of their life should not matter or play into the decisions that are made by the coaches and the general managers.
Would you all of a sudden not like a hall of fame caliber player simply because he or she is gay?
In sports, the only thing that matters at the end of the day is whether the athlete in question can help the team win a game and ultimately a championship for the franchise. Michael Sam 2013 SEC Co-Defensive player of the year, these are the reasons that you add players to your roster not because of their endeavors off the field.
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