What's the Big Deal?

   Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League baseball when he made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in April, 1947. That year he would go on to win National League Rookie of the Year. In July of the same year Larry Doby would debut in the American League with the Cleveland Indians. Both broke through years of black oppression, of which would continue on for many years later, and laid the foundation for others. They were trailblazers in my sport and more importantly changed history for the better. I love their stories and am thankful they had the guts to stand up and conquer injustice.

  Over the past year we have seen two people "come out" in the sports world regarding their sexuality. Last April Jason Collins, an NBA player, told the world he was gay and recently Michael Sam, a college football player (soon to be NFL player), told the world the same. The liberal media, as they typically do with non-story items, jumped all over both. Good Morning America of ABC and the NY Times, both liberally biased organizations (which is a travesty unto itself), wasted no time in getting the "stories". Lovely.

 If you know me well enough you know I am for ALL people. I want ALL people to chase and achieve their dreams. I am against injustice and dislike people being discriminated against for most anything. I am sure Collins and Sam were relieved to tell their story. Great! I just don't know what the big deal is. It's just like reporting on what Hollywood train-wrecks are now a couple or where some "famous" person was spotted drinking coffee. I don't care.

 I am not a homosexual so I don't know what challenges that particular person faces daily if they do at all. However, everywhere I look I don't see much, if any, discrimination against a person because of their sexuality. One thing I do know is our society will bend over backwards and make sure a gay person doesn't get discriminated but will lash out and pummel any person of faith at the drop of the hat. You won't see that covered on Good Morning America or see three bylines in the NY Times for that story. No, sir!

 While I don't believe homosexuality is what our Creator intended (He created man-Adam and woman-Eve) I don't walk around ripping people for their choices. ALL people make bad and poor decisions all of the time. So, it's not about what person has made the poorest choice or who has sinned worse. That's not for me to judge. I am simply tired of people making a news story over nonsense. Please stop. It's like reporting that it's snowing outside.

 When Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier that was news. I don't think you all need me to give you a history lesson as to the oppression our black friends endured. I am not sure I've seen that same oppression with people who make other choices related to sexuality. So, I don't think they can be compared in the same way. They aren't even in the same ballpark, no pun intended.

 Evaluating myself as a person, man, son, dad, husband, brother, uncle, friend, co-worker and coach is a necessary practice. I don't hate anyone. However, I am not going to sacrifice my values, morals and beliefs because I am supposed to be accepting of everyone else. No apologies offered either. One of my heroes said it best, "...I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some." He said this in the context of never sacrificing who he was and what he was put on this earth to do. Me too.

 In the end I am hopeful that Sam and Collins have successful careers wherever they end up. One is just starting out and the other pretty much never really got going. All of the best fellas. Let's just stop making a big deal about things that really are not. We are so enamored with the social make-up of our world and are obsessed with its perceived value. Maybe if the media could stop its love affair with unimportance we could all focus more on our dash and making the world better for all concerned. All of us are here for a short time. Every day the dash gets shorter. Now there's news we can all use!