As I vented earlier today about Don Cherry’s comments about women in the locker room being an issue from the 1980s, it pains me about the fallout from Jason Collins disclosing he is gay.

Sports Illustrated just dropped its package about the 12-year NBA veteran on its site. Collins also is on the cover of this week’s issue.

I know I am being incredibly naive, or perhaps overly optimistic, but it’s 2013. A person’s sexuality shouldn’t be a big deal. All that matters is whether an athlete can play, right?

Maybe Collins’ declaration will be a first step in that process. You know he hardly is the only gay male athlete.

The piece definitely is a coup for Sports Illustrated. SI.com has a behind-the-scenes account of how the story came together written by managing editor Chris Stone.

Stone writes:

The player’s identity remained unknown to Lidz until the agreed-upon date. He, and we, knew there was a very real, understandable possibility that the player could change his mind. Lidz and SI executive editor Jon Wertheim arrived in L.A. on the night of April 23. At noon the next day, they were directed to meet with Collins at his home. For four hours Collins shared his story with remarkable clarity, directness, emotion and humor (keyword: Shaq). There was a deeply moving note of graciousness too. To the pioneers before him, such as the tennis champion Martina Navratilova and the retired NBA journeyman John Amaechi, and to such straight advocates of gay rights as Ayanbadejo and Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, he told Lidz, “The words thank you aren’t enough.”