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Chris Broussard found himself in a whirlwind of controversy thanks to his comments on ESPN’s Outside The Lines yesterday (April 29) afternoon. The veteran sportswriter and TV analyst was candid about his religious views and how they pertain to Jason Collins coming out of the closet. In a statement released via Twitter he stands by his words while asserting that he doesn’t object to gays playing in the NBA.

On Outside The Line, Broussard said, “If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homos-xuality, adultery, fornication…whatever it maybe, I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ. So I would not characterize that person as a Christian because I don’t think the bible would characterize them as a Christian.”

Via Twitter, Broussard clarified his comments. “Today on OTL, as part of a larger, wide-ranging discussion on today’s news, I offered my personal opinion as it relates to Christianity, a point of view that I have expressed publicly before,” he tweeted. Saying that he respected those who disagree with him he added, “As has been the case in the past, my beliefs have not and will not impact my ability to report on the NBA. I believe Jason Collins displayed bravery with his announcement today and I have no objection to him or anyone else playing in the NBA.”

ESPN’s also released a statement, sort of distancing itself from its analyst’s viewpoints.

We regret that a respectful discussion of personal viewpoints became a distraction from today’s news. ESPN is fully committed to diversity and welcomes Jason Collins’ announcement.

Despite Broussard’s trepidations—which is what many assumed was the case off his initial commentary—Collins’ NBA peers have been very supportive, with numerous players publicly sharing their support via Twitter messages.

However, Antawn Jamison told TMZ that although players are talking a good game, there will still be those unwilling to accept Collins’ s-xuality.

It’s probably not a coincidence that Broussard dropped his message just after midnight with the day’s new cycle over. Let us know what you think of Broussard’s opinion in the comments. Read the full statement on the next page.

Photo: ESPN

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