Writing at Racialicious, Arturo R. García examines the lackluster treatment the "Worldwide Leader in Sports" gave to one of the biggest stories of the week.
If you missed it, here's what that "respectful discussion" about Collins public declaration of his sexuality — making him the first active gay player in one of the country's more lucrative/"major" sports leagues turned into …
That statement was the flashpoint, but the network's suspicious dismissal of Collins' coming out became noticeable not long after Sports Illustrated released his first-person account of his journey toward the moment online Monday. For example, this is a shot of ESPN.com's homepage about two hours after the column went live …
Despite the Collins story gaining traction online, the "Worldwide Leader" instead clung to its' meal ticket, now-former New York Jets quarterback (and #KONY2012 supporter) Tim Tebow. That devotion, as Deadspin noted, also played out on the air in near-comical fashion. Also, look at the phrasing there: "NBA center Collins decides to come out." Ho-hum. Never mind that the NBA is an intrical part of the network's own programming, or that the 12-year veteran made his announcement during the playoffs.
Read Arturo R. García's entire piece at Racialicious.
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