College football star, Michael Sam - potentially the first publicly gay NFL player? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

sun · 02-09-2014, 07:18 PM

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/10/sp...raft.html?_r=0

Michael Sam is a defensive lineman at Missouri. He just publicly announced that he is gay. Projected to be an early round pick in this years draft. Kudos to this guy.

Quote:

As Michael Sam, a defensive lineman, began to speak, he balled up a piece of paper in his hands. “I’m gay,” he said. With that, Mr. Sam set himself on a path to become the first publicly gay player in the National Football League.

RyZ · 02-09-2014, 07:24 PM

It will be interesting to see whether he drops or if he gets taken where he was projected. That will say a lot about the state of pro locker rooms.

vanisleflamesfan · 02-09-2014, 07:32 PM

It will be very interesting to see how this story continues to play out. I would love to think that the NFL and its millions of fans are ready for this, but I just can't get over the feeling that this guy just cost himself millions of dollars and a long career. I hope I am wrong.

Galakanokis · 02-09-2014, 07:33 PM

I really hope his sexually is not the story moving forward and what he does on the football field is.

Apparently his teammates and team officials have know for quite some time, August I believe, and it has not caused issues. Hopefully he can be accepted into his next football family after the draft.

Courageous young man to say the least.

GirlySports · 02-09-2014, 09:26 PM

Just saw his interview he's very well spoken and ready for this.

jayswin · 02-09-2014, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

I really hope his sexually is not the story moving forward and what he does on the football field is.

That's a pipe dream. This will be huge, especially happening on America's biggest stage.

A more realistic hope is that he leads the way to change and acceptance.

CaptainCrunch · 02-09-2014, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyZ

It will be interesting to see whether he drops or if he gets taken where he was projected. That will say a lot about the state of pro locker rooms.

If he drops is it really about the locker room, or the attitudes of the executive suites?

jayswin · 02-09-2014, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

If he drops is it really about the locker room, or the attitudes of the executive suites?

Probably both. Locker room chemistry is a huge attributer to team success. Make no mistake, teams will be speaking to players about how the locker room will handle having the first openly gay NFL player potentially play on their team, and will likley act accordingly.

Erick Estrada · 02-09-2014, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flameswin

Probably both. Locker room chemistry is a huge attributer to team success. Make no mistake, teams will be speaking to players about how the locker room will handle having the first openly gay NFL player potentially play on their team, and will likley act accordingly.

Players drop in all drafts for all sorts of reasons. Now the media has a big story if he even drops 15 spots past where he was projected.

Galakanokis · 02-09-2014, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flameswin

That's a pipe dream. This will be huge, especially happening on America's biggest stage.

A more realistic hope is that he leads the way to change and acceptance.

Some what true. No doubt it is huge but I think teams now care more about winning then anything else. For sure there will be players/execs that are stuck in their ways but I think in general if he can play he will find a place.

I also hope teams don't draft him for publicity and just a look see how progressive we are kind of thing.

flamesfan6 · 02-09-2014, 10:12 PM

some quotes that some execs in nfl said from here:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/col...ock/?eref=sihp

Quote:

In blunt terms, they project a significant drop in Sam's draft stock, a publicity circus and an NFL locker room culture not prepared to deal with an openly gay player

Quote:

"I don't think football is ready for [an openly gay player] just yet," said an NFL player personnel assistant. "In the coming decade or two, it's going to be acceptable, but at this point in time it's still a man's-man game. To call somebody a [gay slur] is still so commonplace. It'd chemically imbalance an NFL locker room and meeting room."

His place in the draft, and his play going forward will always be tied to this now.

CaptainCrunch · 02-10-2014, 12:15 AM

Its brilliant in a way that it will probably guarantee that his draft spot is secure because if he drops significantly does this lead to a lawsuit against the NFL?

Your honor, my client was projected to be a first round selection in the NFL draft but after he came out of the closet and announced he was gay he dropped 22 spots, this shows that the NFL is discriminatory against Gays so we're suing for a billion dollars"

The timing is perfect because it comes before the combines and it could basically eliminate the questions of his size and ability to adapt to a different position which could also effect his draft rankings.

I think this is brilliant, kudos

RougeUnderoos · 02-10-2014, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Its brilliant in a way that it will probably guarantee that his draft spot is secure because if he drops significantly does this lead to a lawsuit against the NFL?

Your honor, my client was projected to be a first round selection in the NFL draft but after he came out of the closet and announced he was gay he dropped 22 spots, this shows that the NFL is discriminatory against Gays so we're suing for a billion dollars"

The timing is perfect because it comes before the combines and it could basically eliminate the questions of his size and ability to adapt to a different position which could also effect his draft rankings.

I think this is brilliant, kudos

Really? I don't know that the NFL is the kind of organization that gets bullied by college football players. Does he sue the NFL as a whole, or,say, the Dallas Cowboys, because they didn't draft him in the first round? Or the second, or wherever?

flamesfan6 · 02-10-2014, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Its brilliant in a way that it will probably guarantee that his draft spot is secure because if he drops significantly does this lead to a lawsuit against the NFL?

Your honor, my client was projected to be a first round selection in the NFL draft but after he came out of the closet and announced he was gay he dropped 22 spots, this shows that the NFL is discriminatory against Gays so we're suing for a billion dollars"

The timing is perfect because it comes before the combines and it could basically eliminate the questions of his size and ability to adapt to a different position which could also effect his draft rankings.

I think this is brilliant, kudos

from the article i read earlier, he was projected to be a mid to late round pick, not necessarily a top round.

I don't think he'd have a basis of a lawsuit anyways, don't think he would be able to prove one way or another that he deserved to be at one spot or another and that he dropped due to coming out.

BBQorMILDEW · 02-10-2014, 02:21 AM

I'm guessing the 49'ers take a chance on him.

Northendzone · 02-10-2014, 08:27 AM

gotta hand it to the guy for stepping out like this, it will be interesting to see how the story unfolds

trumpethead · 02-10-2014, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBQorMILDEW

I'm guessing the 49'ers take a chance on him.

and why's that?

DuffMan · 02-10-2014, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Just saw his interview he's very well spoken and ready for this.

You're right, I saw that too. He has a good attitude,,,I'm gay, wgaf, let's play football. Also interesting he did it before he was drafted, and not after.

sureLoss · 02-10-2014, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flamesfan6

some quotes that some execs in nfl said from here:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/col...ock/?eref=sihp

His place in the draft, and his play going forward will always be tied to this now.

It sounds like there were rumors he was gay going around and reaching NFL teams anyways. By coming out he forces the NFL to deal with it rather than having them explain his dropping in his draft for other reasons.

Senator Clay Davis · 02-10-2014, 08:43 AM

It's the NFL, it doesn't matter if he's gay or not. Produce on Sundays and its all good. You can beat your wife, drive drunk and kill people, murder people, doesn't matter. Ray Lewis, Leonard Little, Donte Stallworth, and the list goes on. It only becomes a distraction if they aren't playing well. Tebow would still be in the NFL if he could play, he can't and is a distraction so he's got no shot.