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Jason Collins is the NBAs only openly gay athlete and he also happens to be an unemployed free agent. http://www.cheapshoesfree.com/ . Coincidence? When Collins shared his sexuality with the world six months ago, he was hailed as a trailblazer and applauded for his courage. But Collins is a decade removed from anchoring the New Jersey Nets on back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals, and even the causal basketball fan knew he was on the downside of his career. Collins isnt Jackie Robinson, a young undeniable force poised to break down barriers, so when his name wasnt on an NBA roster on opening night, few were surprised. Collins sexuality wasnt what was holding him back from being in the league, but his talent. The 34 year-old centre had lost a step over the years and was always limited offensively, to the tune of 3.6 points per game for his career. But Collins strength is his ability to provide interior defence, rebound and supply relief minutes off the bench. His age also works in his favour as a veteran who acts accordingly, and as a solid locker room presence. However, those are costly positives at the NBA veterans minimum of $1.4 million, as teams are wary of entering the luxury tax. Collins absence in the league can be reasonably chalked up to one of the best blanket explanations in all of sports: "basketball decisions." According to Ric Bucher at Bleacher Report, several general managers said in October the apprehension of signing Collins didnt stem from concern about the locker room and his teammates, but the non-stop media hype that would come from it. "If it were just an initial blast and you knew it would settle down after that, it would be one thing," said one executive. "But you know this is something that he and his teammates are going to be asked about everywhere they go, all season long, and all it takes is one guy to say something a little off and it could really blow up. Hes still good enough to play in the league, but when you throw in the ongoing media frenzy, most teams are going to decide its just not worth it." Already this season, three starting centres (Tyson Chandler, JaVale McGee, Larry Sanders), have suffered injuries that will keep them off the court for 5-6 weeks or more. In the quest for back-up support, Collins was again overlooked. When Golden State Warriors reserve Jermaine ONeal went down with a knee injury last week, the Warriors braintrust, "entertained the idea of asking assistant coach Brian Scalabrine to come out of retirement to fill the void." Scalabrine would also be entitled to the veterans minimum and ironically came into the league with Collins as rookie teammates on the Nets. The Warriors subsequently called up rookie Dewayne Dedmon from their D-League affiliate. While the notion of going with a younger, cheaper player is just smart business, the idea that there is a not-worth-the-hassle notion amongst general managers when it comes to Collins shows that his sexuality is an issue. Jason Collins isnt as talented as Jackie Robinson; he is a serviceable NBA player on the fringe. But if opportunities exist and teams continue to look past him due to concerns over the media fallout of his sexuality, he is being discriminated against just the same as Robinson was in 1947. This isnt a basketball decision and no one, not even Collins wants to be in the league because hes gay; he just wants to play and feels he can contribute. This isnt a situation of players acting ignorant or insensitive, but shortsighted gatekeepers, of which one wouldve likely signed Collins this season, if they were unaware of his sexuality, and thats a bigger problem. Cheap UA Shoes . - This is just the warm-up act for 18-year-old William Nylander. Cheap Nike Shoes . The Mariners ace allowed just one hit over eight innings while striking out nine, and Robinson Cano backed him with a two-run homer as Seattle earned a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday. DUBLIN, Ireland -- Irishman Conor McGregor promised his countrymen a first-round finish of fellow featherweight Diego Brandao, and he made good on that commitment. McGregor outclassed the Brazilian slugger and scored a TKO win at the 4:05 mark of the headlining matchup of "UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Brandao" on Saturday. McGregor was the quicker fighter from the start, using flashy kicks to the head and body to stifle his opponents advances, but it was hands that ultimately sealed the deal. After Brandao tried unsuccessfully to bring the action to the canvas, McGregor unleashed a left hand that sent his opponent to the floor, and he followed to the ground with more strikes with 55 seconds left in the first round. Afterward, McGregor said he would sip fine whiskey with UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta and convince him to return to Dublin with a soccer stadium as the venue. "I said I was going to put him away in the first round, and I put him away in the first round," McGregor said. "Theres not a man alive who can come on this soil and beat me. "Im going to go backstage with Mr. Lorenzo Fertitta, have a little whiskey, and talk about being in a stadium." In the nights co-feature, Icelandic welterweight Gunnar Nelson (13-0-1) kept his undefeated professional record intact with an impressive second-round finish of Zak Cummings (17-4). A crisp right hand landed flush several times on the feet before he grabbed Cummings head and drug him to the floor in the second round. Once there, Nelson showed off his vaunted grappling skills, spinning perfectly to his opponents back and using punches to soften up Cummings defence before locking in a rear-naked choke. Nelson didnt take long once he got the hold, and Cummings was forced to tap with 12 seconds left in the round. "This was a tough fight," Nelson admitted after the win. "Zak is a very tough opponent. He is strong everywhere and he knows what he is doing. The atmosphere out there was something else. "I have never felt like that in the octagon. The crowd was so loud andd so intense. Cheap Adidas Shoes. " McGregor and Nelson were awarded $50,000 each for the evenings two "Performance of the. Night" bonuses. In a key flyweight matchup, Ian McCalls speed and game-planning proved superior to Brad Pickett, as "Uncle Creepy" picked up a clearcut decision win over "One Punch." McCall was the quicker fighter from the start, and he darted in and out of range to avoid Picketts preferred brawling style. While Pickett did land the occasional big right hand, it was McCall who was generally quicker on the trigger, using a pinpoint jab and quick kicks to the body to rack up points. At the end of 15 minutes, McCall was awarded a decision win with scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28. McCall admitted he was a little disappointed in his performance but happy with the result and now hopes for a third fight with current UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. "I was a little off -- I wasnt aggressive enough," McCall said. "But it was an intelligent fight, I think. I know Brad thinks I dont respect him as a fighter, but I really do. Hes a strong guy -- hes fought a lot of people. Now, there is unfinished business with Demetrious Johnson. He has something that is mine." In the nights first main-card matchup, Northern Irelands Norman Parke (20-2-1) earned a one-sided TKO victory over Japanese lightweight Naoyuki Kotani (33-11-7). Parke shut down his opponents takedown attempts and punished him with strikes on the feet from the start. In the second, Parke threw his opponent to the floor and looked to take the back and lock in a rear-naked choke. When Kotani defended the move, Parke simply settled for blasting away with big punches and elbows until referee Marc Goddard put a stop to the drubbing at the 3:41 mark of the frame. "I feel great," Parke said after the win. "Fighting in front of a home crowd is so special. It was just unbelievable. Even the weigh-ins last night were unbelievable with thousands of people making so much noise. It was great for me to be a part of it." Cheap NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Jerseys ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaNFL Cheap JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '
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