Top talent NFL prospect declares he is gay prior to NFL 2014 draft

10 Feb 2014

How some in the NFL are reacting to this man's announcement.

This cat was voted the top defensive player in arguably one of the most competitive NCAA football conferences, this year. He's a monster, a disruptive force to contend with on the defensive side of the ball.

I thought he's talented enough to go as high as the 2nd round (his size is a bit of a limiter in the NFL), but he's a solid player from a big time conference.

Reading the comments on the above website (and others) - is this a big deal - in your opinion. People are comparing this to Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

I'd like to see my team, the KC Chiefs draft him if he's around in the third round when they have a pick to spend. We could use his motor on our defense.

The same GQP demanding we move on from January 6th, 2021 is still doing audits of the November 3rd, 2020 election.

10 Feb 2014

I love football (as many know) .... I don't care if the guy is orange, gay, old, foreign or religious .... can he play ball? is he a team player? will he assist his team in reaching their goals in the best of his ability as a football player?

(bonus points if the guy is also a humanitarian and works in his community to foster goodness because he's an athlete)

I know that the NFL are like some old-school Law Firms (and other institutes) ... there's a "code" that can be difficult to overcome, but damn ... times are a-changing and one best get on the same train progressing forward.

Imagine .... one day, this "announcement" will not have to be such a big deal ... because we are all accepting that what happens ON the field is what is important ... and leave athletes' personal life OFF the field and private.

10 Feb 2014

Quote by WellMadeMale

Reading the comments on the above website (and others) - is this a big deal - in your opinion. People are comparing this to Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

Firstly, yes it is a big deal because he's the first to come out before his career has even begun. Most gay sports stars come out at the end, or towards the end, of the playing career. I think it takes a lot of guts to do this in a team sport especially. There is no doubt that he will face homophobia and I hope he gets enough support to deal with it.
It'll be interesting to see how his teammates react to having an open gay guy in the locker room. I'm sure that some of them will think he'll be checking everyone out!
However I don't think it compares to Jackie Robinson, that was a much bigger moment. There have been gay players in all sports for years, they just hid it, you can't hide the colour of your skin.

10 Feb 2014

Thing is, I would expect those in the NFL and NCAA to be positive about it. They know the guy is good and want to make sure he feels welcome. I'm sure that if you hunt around, though, you can find some seriously screwed up negative comments somewhere (and, yes, at some point, some right wing, religious player or official will probably tweet something stupid about it, too). He may have a lot of support in the leagues and in football but it is still going to take some serious cojones to deal with the reaction from a certain segment of the fans. This is the US after all and, as much as I find to love about the country overall, the US right can be downright f*cked up at times.

Personally, I'm glad to hear it. A sport that is often seen as a bastion of red-blooded he-man masculinity is exactly where we need to see someone coming out. Doesn't make it any less of a bastion of red-blooded he-man masculinity, either, just means a bit more variety in the red-blooded he-man masculinity.

10 Feb 2014

The media is going to go bonkers with this at least for the first year that this dude goes through the NFL draft, then actually suits up and plays the game for a team.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10429002/michael-sam-announced-gay-reaction-say-more-us-him

He already came out to his college team mates this previous autumn, and it didn't rile anyone up on that squad of nearly 120 players, coaches or assistants.

The negativism has started already through 'anonymous' quotes from around the NFL - found on various websites.

The same GQP demanding we move on from January 6th, 2021 is still doing audits of the November 3rd, 2020 election.

10 Feb 2014

Quote by WellMadeMale
The media is going to go bonkers with this at least for the first year that this dude goes through the NFL draft, then actually suits up and plays the game for a team.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10429002/michael-sam-announced-gay-reaction-say-more-us-him

He already came out to his college team mates this previous autumn, and it didn't rile anyone up on that squad of nearly 120 players, coaches or assistants.

The negativism has started already through 'anonymous' quotes from around the NFL - found on various websites.

His biggest problem is going to be the distraction of the media circus that will want to follow him, he can't let it affect his performance on the field or in training. There are going to be people willing him to fail so they can say a gay guy can't make it in such a macho sport.
I particularly hope that the gay media show him the respect that he deserves.

11 Feb 2014

He is just protecting himself as he should.

11 Feb 2014

I would support a guy like that (I am straight) but supporting our hero's are what its all about!
I remember Gareth Thomas, former Welsh Rugby Captain, and also Captain of the British and Irish Lions touring New Zealand in 2005. His view of his preference was that he was first and foremost a rugby player and second to that he was gay.
He got a lot of support from the media as rugby player..
The best of all, on the eve of playing Lyon he came clean... the club jerseys for playing Lyon the next day was ironically... PINK
Still a GREAT guy, a superb rugby player and still an icon to a lot of young boys who is dreaming of pulling the British and Irish Lions jersey over their heads

11 Feb 2014

Yet another Sports 'Celebrity' seeking publicity by 'coming out'.

Why don't they just 'stay in' and keep their sexuality to themselves... dontknow

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

11 Feb 2014

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Its-time.html

The same GQP demanding we move on from January 6th, 2021 is still doing audits of the November 3rd, 2020 election.

11 Feb 2014

There's a pretty in depth article about this by Peter King at SI. Alot of teams are going to stay clear of Sam because they don't want the circus. Sort of like the Tim Tebow thing, he wasn't a great QB but if not for all the media attention he brings someone may have signed him as a third stringer.

The issue should be can he play. Scouts and GMs that were evaluating him strictly on playing ability aren't totally sold. One GM expects he won't be drafted at all, presumably because of marginal NFL readiness and whatever scrutiny he'll bring from the media. He put up good numbers in the SEC, but he also plays on a team with a high tempo offense that scores fairly often. Consequently the defense is on the field alot which is partly why his numbers are high. Add in that teams like Florida and Tennessee had very down years and his numbers aren't as impressive.

He'll have to transition in the NFL. In college he played Defensive End, but he's not quite big enough at 6'1 and 260lbs. DEs in the NFL are usually taller or heavier or both. Greg Hardy 6'4 290, Cam Jordan 6'4 287, Jared Allen 6'6 270. At 6'1 and only 260, he'll probably need to play Linebacker in a 3-4 defense so he can get around the edge on pass plays and use his speed to the sideline for run plays to the outsides. Or he can be used as a situational pass rusher, because of his size he may not be able to take a pounding from huge OL an entire game. Some outlets say he's even to small to play OLB, but I think he could. He's still a young man though and could grow another inch and put on some weight, if it doesn't hinder his quickness. Reggie Bush comes to mind, he's definitely bulked up since he first joined the league.

Most draft experts I've read have Sam listed as a 3rd or 4th rounder. I think that GM above is wrong, someone will give him a shot. He deserves a shot. How the locker room accepts him, hopefully with open arms? As Peter King reports, coming out now, ahead of the combine was a very wise decision in some ways but probably cost him a crapload of money. Gives the media and reporters time to fixate over this and get over it before the combine when team execs and media are all over him and focusing on his sexuality instead of his football talent.

Hopefully his chance at a roster spot comes down to whether or not he can play football. I wish him the best, he's a brave young man.

When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser. Socrates

12 Feb 2014

There are many gay athletes. He is shutting down the talk now. It is smart.

12 Feb 2014

So?

12 Feb 2014

Quote by Scriptwriter66
So?

Did you struggle with that line?

12 Feb 2014

I give the guy a lot of credit for coming out when he did. By doing this, he allows the team that drafts him to already know the media circus they are in for. They may have held it against him if they got blind sided by him coming out after he was drafted and signed. He also cost himself a lot of money too as he will probably get drafted much later (if at all) now than he would have earlier. I heard that he has dropped like 70 spots in the projected draft rankings by (I think) ESPN.

I hope he succeeds but if I was an NFL team I wouldn't touch him. Personally I could care less about his sexuality as long as he can play. But it will just be too much of a distraction. It would have been interesting to see if he was projected to be a top 5 pick how this would all be handled.

As for the Jackie Robinson comparison, not even close. I am sure there are currently gay players and have been for years.

But it is funny how his sexuality will be such a factor in this guys future in the NFL when some other guys commit such heinous crimes and still are accepted. Not to make light of this but Jon Stewart hit it spot on!

12 Feb 2014

Quote by angieseroticpen
Yet another Sports 'Celebrity' seeking publicity by 'coming out'.

Why don't they just 'stay in' and keep their sexuality to themselves...

It's really easy for those of us who exist wholly outside an environment of traditional homophobic persecution to roll our eyes and act like he's being an attention whore. He's not. He's a groundbreaker. It's sad that we live in a world where disclosure of sexual preference passes for news, but in his case, as a prospective professional football player, it absolutely is.

To argue differently is to be complicit with the don't ask/don't tell status quo, which by default shames gays into staying silenced. I, for one, would never wish for people of any orientation to have to stay silent.

12 Feb 2014

Quote by LadyX

It's really easy for those of us who exist wholly outside an environment of traditional homophobic persecution to roll our eyes and act like he's being an attention whore. He's not. He's a groundbreaker. It's sad that we live in a world where disclosure of sexual preference passes for news, but in his case, as a prospective professional football player, it absolutely is.

To argue differently is to be complicit with the don't ask/don't tell status quo, which by default shames gays into staying silenced. I, for one, would never wish for people of any orientation to have to stay silent.

As someone who attended the University of Missouri for the first half of Sam's career, I can say I'm proud to be a Tiger and I call BS on anyone who thinks he did it for attention.

Sam was the emotionally and, after Henry Josey, THE leader for the Tigers. And what's more, his entire team knew about before the season began. No player left. No locker room havoc was created, and the Tigers went about to win the fucking Cotton Bowl and finish 12-2 and #5 in the nation.

The only thing that mattered during the season was football, so Sam's story stayed quiet. Hell, he didn't even WANT to tell anyone until a team drafted him.

But thanks to the fucked up, BS, "me first" media of today, he feared some asshole with an agenda was going to leak it.

Sam chose to tell the world himself than some faceless asshole he's never met.

I applaud him for that.

Xuani, as always, said it more eloquently, but she really did hit it on the head.

A damn shame that we're in the 21st century and someone's sexual orientation still has to make news because of the inherent bigotry and hate in the world.

But it will just be too much of a distraction.

As I said, I don't buy this nonsense. His whole team, made up of 18-23 year olds, did not allow it to become a distraction. Not in the slightest, and this was a team coming off a 5-7 debut in the SEC.

I call BS. Donte Stallworth said it perfectly regarding such "distractions."

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
If any NFL team can't "handle the media coverage" of drafting Sam, then your team is already a loser on the field... let me tell you why...

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
There are a multitude of issues that can arise in the long duration of an NFL season... some on the field, some off the field.

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
You won't have any idea what that on the field/off the field situation is until it's already upon you and the entire organization...

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
Which means that with drafting Michael Sam, you get a jump start on controlling the "media coverage" right from the onset.

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
If an organization is inept to the magnitude of not being able to control things with prior knowledge, how will you handle the unexpected?

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
Case Study 1: The Miami Dolphins and the bullying scandal... players talked more about THAT than they did football... for weeks!

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
During that time I questioned (tweeted) why the Dolphins players were talking more about the scandal than their next opponent....

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
Since the bullying story broke, the Dolphins finished the season 4-4...w/playoff hopes still alive, got spanked by division opp Jets, 20-7

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
Case Study 2: The New England Patriots and Aaron Hernandez AND Tim Tebow situations...

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
Beyond the state of shock I endured after the revelations of Hernandez, I knew that if ANY organization could handle this, it was the Pats.

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
This all happened right before training camp where players are supposed to come in w/clear minds in preparation for a long, rigorous season.

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
Not only were there questions about Aaron, but also about the health of Gronkowski and how those two combined affected the team as a whole.

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
Aaron is still awaiting trial & Gronk played in only 7 games this season...but yet the Pats seemed to avoid those "distractions" altogether.

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
Despite many season ending injuries to key pieces, the Pats finished 12-4 and lost to the Broncos in the AFC title with... ZERO distractions

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
Not to mention the whole Tebow signing and (alleged subsequent) distraction wasn't even a blip on most radars... Why?

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
Because Mr. Kraft and Bill Belichick would not allow ANY of that to be a "distraction" to ANYONE in the entire organization...

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
In my 10 years as an NFL player, I've played for 6 different teams & have been in every kind of locker room. Vet, young, mature, immature...

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
The leaders of an NFL organization AND the locker room better be able to handle adversity that is certain to emerge during a long NFL season

— Donte' Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) February 10, 2014
In my experience, if your organization can't "handle media coverage", they will suck on the field anyway... but hey, there's always 2015...

13 Feb 2014

Quote by LadyX

It's really easy for those of us who exist wholly outside an environment of traditional homophobic persecution to roll our eyes and act like he's being an attention whore. He's not. He's a groundbreaker. It's sad that we live in a world where disclosure of sexual preference passes for news, but in his case, as a prospective professional football player, it absolutely is.

To argue differently is to be complicit with the don't ask/don't tell status quo, which by default shames gays into staying silenced. I, for one, would never wish for people of any orientation to have to stay silent.

I take your point.

Perhaps I am old fashioned but my view is that what people do in the privacy of their own homes, as long as it is legal, is their own business. Whether it is two guys, two girls or even two couples they have the right to sexual freedom. What I dislike is when people parade their sexuality. I think it is distasteful and attracts the wrong kind of attention.

I think the best way to deal with the homophobic brigade is to ignore them. Get on with your life in private and pay no attention. I always find that when you ignore your detractors it not only annoys the hell out of them but they also leave you alone in the end. Entering into some kind of dialogue with these idiots just attracts more attention to their cause.

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

13 Feb 2014

Quote by angieseroticpen

What I dislike is when people parade their sexuality. I think it is distasteful and attracts the wrong kind of attention.

Get on with your life in private and pay no attention.

So you want us all back in the closet?
What exactly is parading my sexuality? Kissing a man in public or holding hands? Neither would bring any reaction if it were a straight couple and not much if it were 2 girls! Men on the other hand could expect, at best, a few choice comments or, at worst, violence. Do you want us to ignore those too? Will that help "the cause"?
Your comments could even be construed as homophobic and I knox you didn't mean them to be.
When 2 gay guys can walk down Main Street, hand in hand, in a town in the Bible Belt USA, without drawing any negative comments, then and only then, will news like this cease to be news.

13 Feb 2014

I liked this response...

Warning: The opinions above are those of an anonymous individual on the internet. They are opinions, unless they're facts. They may be ill-informed, out of touch with reality or just plain stupid. They may contain traces of irony. If reading these opinions causes you to be become outraged or you start displaying the symptoms of outrage, stop reading them immediately. If symptoms persist, consult a psychiatrist.

Why not read some stories instead

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13 Feb 2014

Quote by dpw

So you want us all back in the closet?
What exactly is parading my sexuality? Kissing a man in public or holding hands? Neither would bring any reaction if it were a straight couple and not much if it were 2 girls! Men on the other hand could expect, at best, a few choice comments or, at worst, violence. Do you want us to ignore those too? Will that help "the cause"?
Your comments could even be construed as homophobic and I knox you didn't mean them to be.
When 2 gay guys can walk down Main Street, hand in hand, in a town in the Bible Belt USA, without drawing any negative comments, then and only then, will news like this cease to be news.

Certainly not!

What I am talking about, and what my original comment was about, is publicising your sexuality via the media. I don't see the need for it. It is no one else's business and coming out publicly just polarizes opinions. I have gay friends and colleagues and they live their lives just like heterosexual couples do. They don't hide their sexuality but neither do they make a song and dance about.

As for the US Bible Belt..... well that lot are against formication of any kind and would have us all stoned if they could. They will always be around as will people who have opposing views about gay people. As I have said, ignoring them is the better than using publicity to stir them up.

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

13 Feb 2014

Quote by overmykneenow
I liked this response...

He's a local newscaster where I live. smile

. Great, great commentary.

13 Feb 2014

Quote by angieseroticpen

I think the best way to deal with the homophobic brigade is to ignore them. Get on with your life in private and pay no attention. I always find that when you ignore your detractors it not only annoys the hell out of them but they also leave you alone in the end. Entering into some kind of dialogue with these idiots just attracts more attention to their cause.

I see where you're coming from, and if it were you and I, in a more or less normal workplace, I'd agree with your point. But the reality is that in the world of big-time professional American sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL), being gay is still a barrier to entry, much like women or blacks have had to endure in other industries or executive strata in the past. Unfortunately the issue must be laid bare, publicly, so that in the future it won't have to be. Staying quiet doesn't neutralize homophobia, it enables and prolongs it.

13 Feb 2014

He played an awesome game against my team this season. I don't think his experience will be anything near as bad as it was for Jackie Robinson. He will have some negative experiences but I really do believe they will pale in comparison to Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball in the 1940s. In general we have a much more accepting society. I believe the percentages of open minded accepting people are much greater now.

13 Feb 2014

Quote by angieseroticpen

Certainly not!

What I am talking about, and what my original comment was about, is publicising your sexuality via the media. I don't see the need for it. It is no one else's business and coming out publicly just polarizes opinions. I have gay friends and colleagues and they live their lives just like heterosexual couples do. They don't hide their sexuality but neither do they make a song and dance about.

As for the US Bible Belt..... well that lot are against formication of any kind and would have us all stoned if they could. They will always be around as will people who have opposing views about gay people. As I have said, ignoring them is the better than using publicity to stir them up.

I live in the middle of the Bible Belt. Atlanta ranks as the third best LGBT city in the entire USA. I sometimes attend a Baptist Church that has gay clergy and deacons/deaconesses. Don't get propaganda confused with reality. There are lots of openly gay people living very normal lives all over the Bible Belt and many regularly attend church themselves.

13 Feb 2014

Quote by angieseroticpen

Certainly not!

What I am talking about, and what my original comment was about, is publicising your sexuality via the media. I don't see the need for it. It is no one else's business and coming out publicly just polarizes opinions. I have gay friends and colleagues and they live their lives just like heterosexual couples do. They don't hide their sexuality but neither do they make a song and dance about.

As for the US Bible Belt..... well that lot are against formication of any kind and would have us all stoned if they could. They will always be around as will people who have opposing views about gay people. As I have said, ignoring them is the better than using publicity to stir them up.

If you were talking about me I'd agree but unfortunately Michael Sam is high profile. Imagine the media frenzy if he'd kept quiet and was caught kissing a guy! This way that is dissipated to a certain extent, now people will be thinking, "well so what he's gay, who do you think he's going to kiss".
Now, hopefully, he can get on with his sport.

13 Feb 2014

Quote by Buz

There are lots of openly gay people living very normal lives all over the Bible Belt and many regularly attend church themselves.

I am sure that there is. As a former member of a Baptist Church I am well aware of the fire and brimstone messages poured out every Sunday and I also know that the loudest voices were usually the biggest hypocrites!.

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

13 Feb 2014

Quote by LadyX

I see where you're coming from, and if it were you and I, in a more or less normal workplace, I'd agree with your point. But the reality is that in the world of big-time professional American sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL), being gay is still a barrier to entry, much like women or blacks have had to endure in other industries or executive strata in the past. Unfortunately the issue must be laid bare, publicly, so that in the future it won't have to be. Staying quiet doesn't neutralize homophobia, it enables and prolongs it.

Yes, I suppose that here in the UK we lead pretty much relaxed lives when compared with the USA for example. And I take your point that these barriers need to be broken down.

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

14 Feb 2014

Quote by lafayettemister

He'll have to transition in the NFL. In college he played Defensive End, but he's not quite big enough at 6'1 and 260lbs. DEs in the NFL are usually taller or heavier or both. Greg Hardy 6'4 290, Cam Jordan 6'4 287, Jared Allen 6'6 270. At 6'1 and only 260, he'll probably need to play Linebacker in a 3-4 defense so he can get around the edge on pass plays and use his speed to the sideline for run plays to the outsides. Or he can be used as a situational pass rusher, because of his size he may not be able to take a pounding from huge OL an entire game. Some outlets say he's even to small to play OLB, but I think he could. He's still a young man though and could grow another inch and put on some weight, if it doesn't hinder his quickness. Reggie Bush comes to mind, he's definitely bulked up since he first joined the league.

Hopefully his chance at a roster spot comes down to whether or not he can play football. I wish him the best, he's a brave young man.

LM...Peter King is a world class muckraking schmuck who wouldn't know football player if the guy climbed up in his lap and announced himself. The dumb bastard has almost zero credibility. Mike Mayock is a close second when it comes to saying absurdly stupid things.

King said the same things he's now blabbering about Sam -- about both of these guys when they were coming into the league... And both of these guys are quarterback sacking machines enjoying long, productive careers as defensive ends.

Elvis Dumervil - 6'0" 255 pounds

And this years Sack leader in the entire NFL: Dwight Freeney 6'1" 268#s

You should probably try to find someone who has a bit more knowledge and is held with more esteem for his opinions about NFL quality talent. Sam may not stick in the league...may not get drafted -- but he wouldn't be setting precedent because of his size, sexuality, race or or the school & competition level he is graduating from.

The same GQP demanding we move on from January 6th, 2021 is still doing audits of the November 3rd, 2020 election.

14 Feb 2014

Quote by Nikki703
I give the guy a lot of credit for coming out when he did. By doing this, he allows the team that drafts him to already know the media circus they are in for. They may have held it against him if they got blind sided by him coming out after he was drafted and signed. He also cost himself a lot of money too as he will probably get drafted much later (if at all) now than he would have earlier. I heard that he has dropped like 70 spots in the projected draft rankings by (I think) ESPN.

Just a few years ago, it would be a correct assumption that Sam may have lost out on hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars and severely damaged his own draft stock...

But that was when the old salary structure was still in place in the NFL. Ever since two April's ago, first round rookie draft picks no longer command the silly-stupid signing contracts as their predecessors had done for the previous 30 some odd years.

Now, NFL rookie draft picks (or guys signed off the street after the draft) - are playing for their second contract they sign... typically 3 to 4 years after they enter the league.

If Sam inks a contract and makes a roster and then produces on the field over his first 48 to 50 games, his second contract is where the life-altering money machine is located. The agents and the players all know it anymore.

I do agree with you though... it says a lot about Sam's character that he's not attempting to evade or hide where he stands about a topic which the manly-man homophobes of the NFL are still very eager to exploit and attempt to segregate because of.

They've got no issues with truly dysfunctional social deviants playing their game on Sundays in the fall though. But a couple of gay guys on a field touching them - or showering with them later?

Those insecure bastards need to be humiliated out of the league, imo.

The same GQP demanding we move on from January 6th, 2021 is still doing audits of the November 3rd, 2020 election.