Jason Collins beat Michael Sam in the race for gay trivia. No, these two did not face off in a trivia contest about Billie Jean King and Nathan Lane. Collins beat Sam in the race to be the answer to this trivia question that you will some day be struggling to remember: Who was the first openly Gay American Athlete to play in one of the four major professional sports (basketball, baseball, football, hockey)?
Collins came out last year after the end of the NBA season but has not yet played an NBA game since coming out. As of Sunday night when Jason Collins checks in to play for the Brooklyn Nets, he will be the first openly gay athlete to actually play in a game in the NBA, MLB, NFL, or NHL.
Sam will be the first openly gay player in the NFL and the first to be out before he started his professional career. Sam who will most likely be drafted in the NFL has already sought Collins’ advice and has supported Collins through social media.
Congratulations to my friend @jasoncollins34 – excited to see you do work out there #courage #groundbreaking
— Michael Sam (@MikeSamFootball) February 23, 2014
About Murphy Row