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The Price Didn't Stop Anyone Last Year, Did It?
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So, now we know: When Jason Collins announced that he's gay, people wondered if an openly gay athlete in a major pro sport would be a) accepted by players, b) accepted by fans, and c) accepted by teams. I think a) and b) have been okay. But c)... well, he's a capable journeyman 7-footer in a league where capable journeyman 7-footers are always employable, yet we're almost at opening day in the NBA and he's still unsigned. There's not one team who needs him? But there's a complicating factor: He's 34, and at that age, the minimum salary mandated by the union contract makes him way more expensive than a less experienced younger player of the same skills. And when you're not a star, and just a role player, being at a $1.4 million minimum may keep you unemployed. So maybe it's not the gay thing. Or maybe it is. It's not like anyone will admit the latter. (New York Times)
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