Michael Sam says he is gay; could become first openly gay NFL player

Some of yall didnt read the story and dont fully understand the impact of this. This young man would be the first openly gay athlete to enter the NFL draft. This is a big deal, bc it is historical in context.

Secondly, Michael Sam has hurt his stock as an NFL athlete. While I do suspect that there are a few gay NFL athletes, i truly doubt that anyone has had the courage to come out. If I have to evaluate the NFL locker room, I would use the transcripts of the text msgs between Martin and Incognito as a guide. This conversation should give folks a glimpse of how the average NFL athlete talk to each other. Its vulgar but its accepted vernacular.

Michael Sam has a chance to be a trend setter. He can positively shape the culture of the locker room by making things more professional. Players would no longer blurt out comments such as "you a f.g(etc.)" especially if there are openly gay athletes. This drastic change in the lockerroom would have to be thoroughly evaluated by scouts, GM's and coaches, and they would have to look at how their players would respond to it. There really are a handful of teams I could see Sam being drafted by(ie Ravens, Seahawks, or Giants).

 

There are gays in sports and have been and always will be.

The sad thing is it took this long for someone to finally break down the barrier. I do not think this will be easy for Michael Sam, given the machismo associated with professional football, but this also proves that Michael Sam has more courage than just about anyone else.

Good luck to him.

 

It hasn't happen with Jason Collins in the NBA.

 

Except it's not me telling you that. ESPN is reporting something and lots of people - here and elsewhere - are interested in discussing. That's the reality of what makes it news. You're the one who's arbitrarily and wrongly decided that no one is interested in it.

Strawman. No one has claimed there will be massive protests or anything like that as a result of this.

Yes, and if there was no racism in the world, racism wouldn't be an issue either. But that's not reality. In this case, his sexual preference DOES matter to some people.

That's because every Jewish athlete is not the first. The "first" is always a big deal because it sets the precedent to let others follow without all the media crap you complain about.

Sorry for assuming you were able to connect dots. Is this a more clear example for you? From last year:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nfl--r...ld-not-be-welcomed-on-the-team-190346715.html

"I don't do the gay guys man," said Culliver, whose Niners play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. "I don't do that. No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do.

"Can't be with that sweet stuff. Nah…can't be…in the locker room man. Nah."

 

This thread is really sad.

 

because religion is a choice, being gay is not

 

I think part of the mockery came from the fact that Tebow was revered while a blind eye was turned to the most important thing: his play on the field. The fact that he can't even find a job as a third-string quarterback shows that the hype was unjustified.

 

He is not NFL player yet and he might go undrafted which isn't that weird for a marginal player like him.

 

Projected third-round pick, consensus first-team All American, SEC co-defensive player of the year for a team that played in the SEC Championship game. It would be weird for a player like that to go undrafted.

 

To be fair, if Tebow didn't have all the hype and attention he could most likely find a job as a 3rd string QB. The issue he has is that he's not good enough to be a starter but he is too much of a hassle for a team to have as a backup. Bellicheck got sick of talking about him after 1 week.

 

Any team owner with a late 4th round pick that values him at least that high should put a whole lot of money on this. If he's taken before their pick, they win. If he's not, they take him and win that way.

 

Yes, because there has never been an openly religious player in the NFL. Players would be ridiculed for gathering at mid field after games to pray or for thanking God in post game interview.

 

I think coming out now is actually more beneficial for Sam, in terms of that. By the time the draft comes around, I think this news will have died down a bit.

If it was draft day, or some time after, and Sam came out then, I don't think that would be great for the team that picked him. But coming out now is fine, I think.

 

It worked for Manti Te'o.

 

Here's the deal, I'm against gay marriage. I believe it mocks the institution of marriage. HOWEVER, I truly do not care if Michael Sam is gay. If I knew Michael Sam I would treat him just like anyone else. I believe I can respectfully disagree with someone without "hating" them.

But what I do hate is the inconsistent self-righteousness by (some) pro-gay individuals. The idea that if I respectfully disagree with someone's lifestyle then I'm a closed-minded bigot. Yet, Starbucks comes out and tells anyone who believes in traditional marriage that they don't want their business and they're praised for taking a stand.

I am always being told I shouldn't treat gay people any different, which I don't. And that I shouldn't care if someone likes guys or girls. We'll guess what I really don't care that much. As a Christian I will pray for him, but it is his life and I can't (and wouldn't) decide how someone else wants to live their life. I care much more about people in 3rd world countries that are starving and that have never heard the Word of God before. However, that's not what everyone keeps shoving down my throat. If you don't want me to care, don't make it the headline for a week strait.

I'm sure Mr Sam wants to be treated normal. Pro gay people say he should be. Yet they're the ones putting his personal life on my TV screen.

 

Can you point to where this happened?

 

You can't have it both ways.

You can't support current institutions that discriminate based upon sexual orientation -AND- play the whole "live and let live" card.

 

Really it isn't any of my business if he likes to sleep with men or women, and no one should be treating him different, given special treatment, or discriminating or even basing his NFL potential on that.

As soon as some sort of action that is somewhat close to "discrimination" or "prejudice" towards him happens, it will be a huge deal.

Stop announcing your sexual preferences to the world like it's something from another planet... it shouldn't be.

LOL @ "puts out." :grin:

 

Why?

1st of all- marriage doesn't discriminate, it represents the love God has for his church.
2nd- it's not "live and let live" as much as just choosing not to go out angrily preaching at people who don't need me preaching at them, they need me praying for them. Because Lord knows I have my own issues dealing with my own sin. And just because I disagree with someone doesn't mean I hate them.