Michael Sam, 2014 draft prospect, announces he´s gay

[Deleted member 6794]

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/10429030/michael-sam-missouri-tigers-says-gay

I hope the head coach of the team he´s drafted to reacts like a former, famous Packers coach reacted when he found out he had a gay player in the locker room:

If I hear one of you people make reference to his manhood, you'll be out of here before your *** hits the ground.

 

[HyponGrey]

In the NFL there is only one absolute: Performance. The end.

 

[Forget Favre]

This puts the NFL teams in a tough spot.
If no one drafts him, then they will all be accused of being homophobic even if they don't want him because they don't think he's good enough. And there may be a law suit of discrimination.
Whoever does draft him, there could be a lot of backlash from the homophobic fans and the NFL community including his own teammates and coaches.
It's a "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" type of situation.

 

[Forget Favre]

If he comes to the Packers I will welcome him with open arms!
No. Wait. That's not what I meant.
What I mean is... Um.... Uh... Never mind.

 

[TJV]

As I’ve posted before I’m not a “draftnik” (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I’m interested in where draft “experts” had Sam rated before he came out of the closet. cbssports.com has him rated as the 11th best DE and projects him to be drafted in the 3rd to 4th round. How do the sites you use have him rated and projected?

 

[RustyShackleford]

This puts the NFL teams in a tough spot.
If no one drafts him, then they will all be accused of being homophobic even if they don't want him because they don't think he's good enough. And there may be a law suit of discrimination.
Whoever does draft him, there could be a lot of backlash from the homophobic fans and the NFL community including his own teammates and coaches.
It's a "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" type of situation.

Not to mention that whenever anything bad happens to him (normal hazing, trash talk, benched, cut, victim of personal foul) some idiot writer(s) is going to get on his high horse and claim that it was because he was gay. He's put his future employer and teammates in a very bad position. I'm not sure why that should be applauded.

If I'm a GM there's no way I'm taking him on draft day. Then at least I get to share the accusations about being discrimanatory with 31 others.

 

[Vrill]

His play reminds me of Justin Tuck.

He'd be worth drafting if hes around in the 3rd or 4th.

 

[Forget Favre]

Not to mention that whenever anything bad happens to him (normal hazing, trash talk, benched, cut, victim of personal foul) some idiot writer(s) is going to get on his high horse and claim that it was because he was gay. He's put his future employer and teammates in a very bad position. I'm not sure why that should be applauded.

If I'm a GM there's no way I'm taking him on draft day. Then at least I get to share the accusations about being discrimanatory with 31 others.

There is still a lot of homophobia within the NFL.
Yes, there are changes being made such as with gay marriage and the like but **** still have a long way to go until they can be accepted by everyone and without any fear of repercussions.
There may be a target on Sam's back and opposing players may take even more cheap shots or hit him harder than they would on fellow straight players.
First he has to prove himself that he is NFL caliber.
It would be interesting to see if a team will play him within his first year or send him to the practice squad even if he is good enough to start.

 

[ivo610]

He needs to go to a team with a good org structure. He goes to Mia, Buff, NYJ, ect he is going to have a rough time. He goes to somewhere like NE and Belichick tells the team "If you have any issues with this take them up with me." and then he runs his typical media press con and it will be no big deal. No player in NE is going to get into a pissing match with Kraft and Belichick over it.

 

[yooperpackfan]

He needs to go to a team with a good org structure. He goes to Mia, Buff, NYJ, ect he is going to have a rough time. He goes to somewhere like NE and Belichick tells the team "If you have any issues with this take them up with me." and then he runs his typical media press con and it will be no big deal. No player in NE is going to get into a pissing match with Kraft and Belichick over it.

That's pretty much what the "talking heads" on ESPN radio were saying all day.
I agree, in the right environment if he is truely good enough he could thrive.

The fact is, there have been gay players who thrived in the NFL for decades. Making it public is something some folks aren't ready for.
This is a whole new, old world we are living in.

 

[ivo610]

That's pretty much what the "talking heads" on ESPN radio were saying all day.
I agree, in the right environment if he is truely good enough he could thrive.

The fact is, there have been gay players who thrived in the NFL for decades. Making it public is something some folks aren't ready for.
This is a whole new, old world we are living in.

Almost all players respect greatness. He was one of the best players on his team so the other players at mizzou didn't challenge it. It would be interesting if a great NFL player came out. You look real stupid yelling at megatron as a player or fan when he is putting up 180 yrds and 3 TDs on your team.

 

[HardRightEdge]

You gotta give the guy credit. It will cost him a few rounds in the draft and maybe $500,000 over 4 years.

TT's always looking for value in the lower rounds. We could draft him, convert him from DE to a failed OLB, and then witness the foul invective flooding the twittersphere (though it probably wouldn't take that long).

The idea that this guy is a rare species in football locker rooms is naive. NFL general managers, coaches and players know (or strongly suspect) who the gay guys are in the locker rooms and the odds would dictate there are few in each. They all live with it and so they should.

So, it boils down to being a media event. Which GM will see sufficient value in the player in a low round to compensate for the the media distractions. San Diego reckoned #38 for T'eo was a sufficient drop to make it worth their while.

Regardless, there are no Branch Rickeys or Jackie Robinsons in this story.

 

[ExpatPacker]

The simple fact is there have been gay players in the NFL for some time. The players know it, the coaches know it. It hasn't disrupted locker rooms. Drafting Sam if he's the right guy wouldn't create much controversy. A press conference or two would take care of it. Yeah there would be some fans who'd make hay out of it more out of mischief than any other reason, but NBD.

 

[Defense92]

There is still a lot of homophobia within the NFL.
Yes, there are changes being made such as with gay marriage and the like but **** still have a long way to go until they can be accepted by everyone and without any fear of repercussions.
There may be a target on Sam's back and opposing players may take even more cheap shots or hit him harder than they would on fellow straight players.
First he has to prove himself that he is NFL caliber.
It would be interesting to see if a team will play him within his first year or send him to the practice squad even if he is good enough to start.

Or a player will go helmet to helmet or take a cheap shot, because a lot of players do it and it happens to a lot of players. Some are good calls and others aren't and are a result of Goodell's rules softening the game. Either way, in the past and in the present and I am sure in the future, players will be called for unnecessary roughness and players will take cheap shots. There also stands the possibility people will claim a hit on Sam is because he is gay, when in fact it was merely because he was a player in the NFL.

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

Not to mention that whenever anything bad happens to him (normal hazing, trash talk, benched, cut, victim of personal foul) some idiot writer(s) is going to get on his high horse and claim that it was because he was gay. He's put his future employer and teammates in a very bad position. I'm not sure why that should be applauded.

If I'm a GM there's no way I'm taking him on draft day. Then at least I get to share the accusations about being discrimanatory with 31 others.

thats supposition surely ? I don`t see the need to "Come out of the closet" in all honesty, it seems to be the new trend for some reason. This subject has been discussed before, and personally I`ve never felt the NEED to declare myself hetrosexual to the world. I can`t see the need to make such a personal declaration. Maybe I`m just getting old ?

 

[Defense92]

Related:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-for-social-media-comments-about-michael-sam/

If I were a professional player, either in the NFL or CFL, and asked what I thought about Sam coming out of the closet, I would respond with one of the following answers. Either I would say, “You know if I don’t respond with a politically correct answer, in fact, an answer celebrating and praising Sam for coming out of the closet, I will be fined. You also know I am conservative and my religious views do not coincide with homosexuality. So, why are you asking me a loaded question?

The other possibility would be to quote an NFL great from the past.

"America is not big enough to shake her fist in the face of a holy God and get away with it, and as I read this I want to explain something. I'm going to read this and then I want to explain something. As America has permitted homosexuality to establish itself as an alternate lifestyle, it is also reeling from the frightening spread of sexually transmitted disease. Sin begets its own consequence, both on individuals and nations. Let me explain something when I'm talking about sin, and I'm talking about all sin. One of the biggest ones that has been talked about that has really become a debate in America is homosexuality. Now, I believe that one of the reasons that Jesus was accused of being a homosexual is because he spent time with homosexuals. I've often had people ask me, would you allow a homosexual to be your friend. Yes, I will. And the reason I will is because I know that that person has problems, and if I can minister to those problems, I will. But the Bible strictly speaks against it (homosexuality), and because the Bible speaks against it, we allow rampant sin including homosexuality and lying, and to me lying is just as bad as homosexuality, we've allowed this sin to run rampant in our nation, and because it has run rampant in our nation, our nation is in the condition it is today. Sometimes when people talk about this sin they've been accused of being racist. I'm offended that homosexuals will say that homosexuals deserve rights. Any man in America deserves rights, but homosexuals are trying to compare their plight with the plight of black men or black people. In the process of history, homosexuals have never been castrated, millions of them never died. Homosexuality is a decision. It's not a race."

 

[ivo610]

Related:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-for-social-media-comments-about-michael-sam/

If I were a professional player, either in the NFL or CFL, and asked what I thought about Sam coming out of the closet, I would respond with one of the following answers. Either I would say, “You know if I don’t respond with a politically correct answer, in fact, an answer celebrating and praising Sam for coming out of the closet, I will be fined. You also know I am conservative and my religious views do not coincide with homosexuality. So, why are you asking me a loaded question?

The other possibility would be to quote an NFL great from the past.

"America is not big enough to shake her fist in the face of a holy God and get away with it, and as I read this I want to explain something. I'm going to read this and then I want to explain something. As America has permitted homosexuality to establish itself as an alternate lifestyle, it is also reeling from the frightening spread of sexually transmitted disease. Sin begets its own consequence, both on individuals and nations. Let me explain something when I'm talking about sin, and I'm talking about all sin. One of the biggest ones that has been talked about that has really become a debate in America is homosexuality. Now, I believe that one of the reasons that Jesus was accused of being a homosexual is because he spent time with homosexuals. I've often had people ask me, would you allow a homosexual to be your friend. Yes, I will. And the reason I will is because I know that that person has problems, and if I can minister to those problems, I will. But the Bible strictly speaks against it (homosexuality), and because the Bible speaks against it, we allow rampant sin including homosexuality and lying, and to me lying is just as bad as homosexuality, we've allowed this sin to run rampant in our nation, and because it has run rampant in our nation, our nation is in the condition it is today. Sometimes when people talk about this sin they've been accused of being racist. I'm offended that homosexuals will say that homosexuals deserve rights. Any man in America deserves rights, but homosexuals are trying to compare their plight with the plight of black men or black people. In the process of history, homosexuals have never been castrated, millions of them never died. Homosexuality is a decision. It's not a race."

Everyone makes mistakes, even Reggie

 

[TJV]

I don`t see the need to "Come out of the closet" in all honesty, it seems to be the new trend for some reason. This subject has been discussed before, and personally I`ve never felt the NEED to declare myself hetrosexual to the world.

I understand what you're saying and obviously I've never felt the need to declare my heterosexuality. But there is no stigma attached to it as there is with homosexuality (see Defense92's post above). If you or I were professional athletes, we could meet with our wives, girl friends, and/or mistresses (not all at once) after a game and no one would think twice about it (except perhaps mistresses). But that's not the case with a gay person. Imagine having to hide your life partner from the world as a famous or semi-famous person. Gay pride parades go way over the line IMO but I don't see why a gay athlete should have to hide his ****** preference.

Hey, how about this Defense92: No homosexuals, liars, fornicators, or adulterers in NFL locker rooms.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I understand what you're saying and obviously I've never felt the need to declare my heterosexuality. But there is no stigma attached to it as there is with homosexuality (see Defense92's post above). If you or I were professional athletes, we could meet with our wives, girl friends, and/or mistresses (not all at once) after a game and no one would think twice about it (except perhaps mistresses). But that's not the case with a gay person. Imagine having to hide your life partner from the world as a famous or semi-famous person. Gay pride parades go way over the line IMO but I don't see why a gay athlete should have to hide his ****** preference.

I totally understand the distinction you are making, but there's a huge gap between hiding one's partner and declaring it to the press.

First, there's no reason to actually hide anything. If his partner hangs out with him after the game I'm sure most people would just assume it was a friend of his. I've hung out with other guys after their sporting events and, as far as I know, nobody has every assumed we were a gay couple. If they feel the need for PDA I guess it is a different matter, but many hetero couples stay away from that so I'm not sure that's a big deal.

Finally, if he thinks it's important for his teammates and coaches (or anyone else) to know, then he can tell them. Announcing to the press is just not necessary. No reason you or I have to know about it.

 

[ivo610]

I totally understand the distinction you are making, but there's a huge gap between hiding one's partner and declaring it to the press.

First, there's no reason to actually hide anything. If his partner hangs out with him after the game I'm sure most people would just assume it was a friend of his. I've hung out with other guys after their sporting events and, as far as I know, nobody has every assumed we were a gay couple. If they feel the need for PDA I guess it is a different matter, but many hetero couples stay away from that so I'm not sure that's a big deal.

Finally, if he thinks it's important for his teammates and coaches (or anyone else) to know, then he can tell them. Announcing to the press is just not necessary. No reason you or I have to know about it.

Straight athletes talk about their relationships and do spreads in magazines all the time about them. Hell they even make terrible reality tv about it. For someone to imply that he should hide that is just wrong.

 

[Darth Garfunkel]

Announcing to the press is just not necessary. No reason you or I have to know about it.

The difference lies in that fact that if Sam doesn't announce it eventually someone like TMZ will for him. He's just getting ahead of it so it doesn't become some sort of scandal.

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

I understand what you're saying and obviously I've never felt the need to declare my heterosexuality. But there is no stigma attached to it as there is with homosexuality (see Defense92's post above). If you or I were professional athletes, we could meet with our wives, girl friends, and/or mistresses (not all at once) after a game and no one would think twice about it (except perhaps mistresses). But that's not the case with a gay person. Imagine having to hide your life partner from the world as a famous or semi-famous person. Gay pride parades go way over the line IMO but I don't see why a gay athlete should have to hide his ****** preference.

Hey, how about this Defense92: No homosexuals, liars, fornicators, or adulterers in NFL locker rooms.

We may be approaching this from different angles TJV. I totally get and agree with you on this, I just think it`s sad that somebody has to go to this degree to do what they want. The point I was attempting to make, and maybe I didn`t make my point properly was, why should it matter in todays society ??

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

The difference lies in that fact that if Sam doesn't announce it eventually someone like TMZ will for him. He's just getting ahead of it so it doesn't become some sort of scandal.

fair point. Shame though

 

[Defense92]

Hey, how about this Defense92: No homosexuals, liars, fornicators, or adulterers in NFL locker rooms.

No, let them all in, but just make sure the headlines focus on the courage and inspiration they have for their lying, fornication, and committing adultry. Celebrities, the president and the first lady should send messages congratulating the liars and fornicators for their courage. Anyone who would dare say anything negative about fornicating or lying should be fined. This would send a message to all forniphobes, liarphobes, and adulterophobes.

 

[Forget Favre]

We may be approaching this from different angles TJV. I totally get and agree with you on this, I just think it`s sad that somebody has to go to this degree to do what they want. The point I was attempting to make, and maybe I didn`t make my point properly was, why should it matter in todays society ??

Because **** are not widely accepted. There is still a lot of discrimination against them.
Laws are changing for them, but that doesn't mean that everyone will be accepting of ****.
Just like with blacks. They do have civil rights now but there is still tons of racism and race violence against them.

The way I see it is that it's not one of my issues I'm concerned with since I'm not gay and don't know anyone who is and don't really care to.
I'm not homophobic and the gay rights issues just isn't one of my battles.