Quite a reaction indeed.

Chuck Culpepper in Sports on Earth, who wrote about being gay for the first time earlier this year:

The deluge of positivity surrounding this issue has astounded me, especially after six years abroad. You spend a good long while in life just hoping for a lack of derision, maybe some measure of distant understanding, and then so much of the nation just up and gives a big embrace. To a gay person — well, this one, anyway — it’s like spending years yearning for a Christmas puppy, and then the door opens and a whole litter stampedes out to swarm you.

Tim Brando generated quite a reaction with a series of tweets:

On the topic of Jason Collins I really don’t care and frankly why should anyone else.The HERO worship is out of bounds.I’m glad he is happy.

I used “choice” in reference to the timing. He is 34 at the end of his career and that in my opinion played a role on his coming out

I don’t apologize for being where I’m from or being a Christian, but anyone that plays the BIGOT card on me does not know my History.Sorry.

Dan Levy of Bleacher Report eloquently refutes Brando’s hero comment.

If the dictionary truly matters to Brando, he should go ahead and read it once in a while.

To the greater point, a hero is someone who inspires other people to be better, and to work hard to make this world we live in better every day.

Our lives are, in the grand scheme of history, short, and if someone decides to put the enormous weight of something like this on his shoulders to help other people get through a confusing, frightening or otherwise difficult time in their lives, that’s about as heroic as one can get.

The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy lauds Collins, but says he isn’t Jackie Robinson:

And it is not a big deal. It is not Jackie Robinson in 1947. Collins has come out at a time when few will challenge his right to his own sexual identity. There no doubt are folks who wish Collins kept this to himself, but woe is the ballplayer or commentator who will question anything about Collins’s sexual orientation.

We have evolved. There are gay men and women in just about every workplace. There have been gay ballplayers for more than a century. We just didn’t know about it.

Dave Zirin of The Nation in a tweet about Broussard:

If an ESPN commentator sees Christianity, Judaism, or Islam as evil, can they say so on air? Truly curious about where they draw line.

Jim Carlisle of the Ventura County Star had this view of Broussard:

To be frank about it, I think it took more courage for Chris Broussard to do what he did than it did for Jason Collins to do what he did.

Matt Yoder, the managing editor of Awful Announcing, didn’t post this view on his site. Instead, he did it in an extended tweet. When I asked why he went this route, he said he initially thought it was too personal. However, he said he still might post on AA.

I’m a Christian.  I stand with Jason Collins.

I feel the need to state this plainly because we live in a world where Christians have by and large failed the LGBT community and failed to follow through on the words and ministry of Christ.  As I read column after column today on Jason Collins coming out I felt more and more persuaded to say something so that the only Christian voice in this discussion isn’t one that condemns.

In the wake of Jason Collins coming out in Sports Illustrated, the Christian face of the reaction, at least in the sports world, is someone saying Collins should not be considered a Christian.  That is not something I can silently stand by and watch happen because it is not consistent with the ministry of Christ.

I read the piece written by Jason Collins in Sports Illustrated and rejoiced when I passed over these words because I hoped they could begin to tear down the wall too many of us Christians have built up blocking out the LGBT world:

James Andrew Miller, author of the ESPN book, did not think Monday was a good day for ESPN.

The hours @espn spent talking about #tebow today instead of #collins will live as dog years. Sad day for Bristol journalism.

Ken Fang of Fang’s Bites sums up a “bizarre day” with a timeline.