JCC Likely NFL draft pick linebacker Michael Sam has come out

He will likely be the first openly gay active NFL player.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/02/1...is-gay-ahead-of-nfl-draft.html?_r=0&referrer=

I know we have a college football thread and an NFL thread, but since this is both but also a larger social issue, I think it's worth having its own thread.

Sam is a fantastic linebacker and is expected to be a fairly high pick in this year's NFL draft. He also happens to be gay, something his coaches and teammates at Mizzou knew about. They said it wasn't an issue or a "distraction". In fact, they won their division and wound up ranked #5 overall. So that ridiculous argument won't fly.

I am sure there will be a huge backlash from the rednecks, but I'm proud of him, and of Mizzou for evidently handling it well. It's insane that Sam will likely be the first active NFL player to be an out homosexual. Way past due[/url].

 

It will be a great day when an announcement such as this won't even be a story. Until then, any athlete (such as Sam) that has the courage to fully embrace who he is in all aspects of his life deserves nothing but praise.

 

it will be a great day when an announcement such as this seems as absurd as an athlete making an announcement that he's heterosexual. until then, progress will always be met by a huge backlash from rednecks.

 

so the best thing i can do is not care, right? cause i already don't

 

Same here.

Sent from my stupid little astro droid using TapaTalk 2.

 

Well ...

He was protected as no higher than a third round pick before the announcement. So, I wouldn't say he was expected to be a fairly high draft pick. But, beyond that ...

It's monumental and newsworthy, but I look forward to the day it's not. SI.com has a piece up on it negatively impacting his draft status, and having teams shy away from him.

And, of course, people all already all over my Facebook feed taking about the pro and anti Tebow crowds, and hoping for hypocrisy from the side they weren't on. Neither, of course, mention that unlike Tebow, there's not going to be an attempt to convert others ...

 

It will be a great day when there is an all gay football league. The San Francisco Flamers vs the South Beach Reacharounds for Super Special Bowl.

PS: I hope teams don't chicken out and not draft him

 

I'm sorry, but this thread annoys me.

Sam is a Defensive End, not a Linebacker. His skill set means he can play a linebacker in the NFL, although his pass coverage isn't at the standard most would like so he'll likely go to a team with a 4-3 defense as a DE.

If you're going to report something, do it correctly.

 

Clearly, the number of ****s people give relative to the position he plays is less than they do about how angry Jesus is going to be when he finds out his man is a SINNAH, Dingo.

 

If he was drafted by the Packers my biggest concerns would be can he get to the quarterback and can he stop the run?

 

Yes yes okay. I'm a MIZZOU fan, I know what position he played. I just assume he's going to be drafted to be an OLB.

I also agree that hopefully some day things like this wouldn't be a story. But I'm sorry, right now it is. Especially since allegedly last year a number of NFL players were going to come out and didn't.

 

One team will get a nice little PR boost in the draft.

 

The Saints can use him too.

 

This really shouldn't be that big a deal.

 

Shouldn't but is. It's naive to pretend like it's not a big deal. It's going to spark a conversation that needs to be had in this country.

Anyway, it will be really unfortunate if Sam falls past the high rounds (past the 3rd basically). SEC Defensive Player of the Year is someone who deserves to go in the first three rounds. Yes, he has size issues so some teams might not have a spot for him. The Chiefs, for instance, could use a good defensive end, but aren't really in need of an OLB (which is what Sam will likely play in the NFL). Still, I really hope he winds up somewhere.

As a Mizzou fan I was already rooting for him, but just as a person and for the sake of hoping not everyone in the NFL is a bigot, I hope so even more.

 

This is probably the best way for this barrier to be broken. I imagine that a significant reason an active player has yet to come out is that he would feel a significant amount of guilt for suddenly, unexpectedly subjecting his teammates to a media circus and essentially turning the locker room into a highly publicized social experiment. This way, a team from the front office all the way down to the players can approach the issue in a comprehensive way and make the whole process a lot smoother.

 

I want Michael Sam to not get picked by an NFL team in the draft.

 

Because that will shine the light the brightest on just how damaged and in need of repair the system is, have a much larger popular debate in the open and likely a massive lawsuit that will be fun for children of all ages?

 

There are some terrible human beings playing in the NFL every year and nobody blinks an eye. I would happily swap gay players in for the rapists or players with DUIs every 3 weeks.

 

Do you like Martha Stewart? IF you do, you're racist.

Michael Vick did his time -- he is rehabilitated according to all laws of man and woman in this country, not to mention other free appearances on behalf of ASPCA. So you just don't like straight black men?

 

he's gonna need to defend his end from me. yowza! etc.

 

Doing your time doesn't mean you aren't still a piece of ****.