In sporting news, two historic firsts have come out of the world of college football. Players at Northwestern University have filed papers to become recognized as a union. The players are not seeking a salary from the billions in revenue generated by the NCAA, but want medical protections for concussions and other injuries, as well as guarantees on their academic scholarships. Meanwhile, a member of Oregon’s Willamette University football team has become the first active player to come out as openly gay. Conner Mertens, who is bisexual, says he went public in order to help closeted gays avoid feeling stigmatized. Mertens said: “I made the decision that if I could help anyone else avoid feeling the way I felt, I would.”