NBA

President Barack Obama called Jason Collins today to congratulate the NBA player for announcing that he's gay. The Huffington Post reports:

President Barack Obama called Jason Collins on Monday to express gratitude for the NBA player's decision to publicly announce that he was gay, two sources familiar with the call told The Huffington Post.

A White House official confirmed that call, saying that the president wanted to "express his support" and tell him "he was impressed by his courage."

The call came several hours after Sports Illustrated published an essay by Collins announcing his decision to come out and explaining why he had waited until now to make the announcement.

The NBA franchise in New Orleans is, long overdue, considering a name change. This is a good thing—even though the proposed nickname Pelicans has been the target of an unfair amount of derision since being floated. To be sure, it’s not slick. It’s not modern. And it is not hip, like the singular form names of European soccer teams, such as United, Dynamo, or Arsenal. But it is quintessentially Louisiana.