Michael Sam is probably good enough to make an NFL roster. But because he kissed his boyfriend on purpose on national TV and pushes it with his sexuality he isn't going to make it. He'll be in the CFL next season.
By "pushes it with his sexuality", you mean the media won't shut the hell up about it and just talk football, right?
No. He's been open about his sexuality. When he got drafted he kissed his boyfriend the same way a straight player would kiss his girlfriend. He's gone out of his way to show the world that gays have every right to be open in every way that straights are. I don't think this sits well with most of the NFL. Some thought he was drafted and then signed by Dallas only because the league asked them to do it so they wouldn't be accused of descrimination. The same goes for the Veteran Combine. With no true intention of ever really allowing him to be on an active roster.
If a straight football player can kiss his girlfriend, why can't a gay man kiss his "girlfriend"? That's a double standard and pure hypocrisy. Maybe he prefers being "open" and not having to hide who he is over having to hide who he is (like he is ashamed of who he is) just so he can play in the NFL. There are more things to life than just the game of football. Maybe he is willing to sacrifice his football career (if it comes to that) in order to try to bring some justice and non-discriminatory practices to the NFL and life. Not long ago, African American men couldn't play QB or couldn't get hired as HCs in the NFL. Discrimination, bigotry, prejudice and injustice of all types still sadly flourish in our country.
Most straight players are open about their sexuality. I mean, Antonio Cromartie has how many kids with how many women? So many straight players in the NFL cause distractions because of their relations with women. Why is Sam being positive such a bad thing? Shit, he wasn't even the first openly gay athlete to kiss his boyfriend on TV. And if NFL players don't like having a gay player as a teammate, they'll just have to do what happened in sports when black people started joining: get the fuck over it. You are playing football for a living, not marrying the guy. I mean, if a player is so pathetic that they refuse to play with someone because they don't like who they sleep with, why would you want someone so immature? Michael Sam very clearly wasn't drafted because he was gay. He was drafted because he led the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss and because he was the SEC's co-defensive player of the year. He was a top notch defender in college. The reason he doesn't play in the NFL currently is because he's too small for a NFL DE and he's too slow for a LB.
michael sam isnt on a team because he is slow and stiff... it has nothing to do with him being a butt pir..... err i mean gay, homosexual.... ahh whatever you are supposed to call them these days.
More importantly, why is Michael Sam dancing with a woman on Dancing with the Stars? They should have let him dance with a dude. Now that would have been daring.
the veteran's combine is a huge waste of time IMO. The real combine is borderline a waste of time, but at least there we don't have NFL film on the players so theres an argument to be made that the combine is useful to make projections from. In Collision Low Crossers it was said that once you are in the league, film is your resume. There's plenty of film on these players. There is no need to put them through the underwear olympics again. It's also unfair to the players- Michael Bush has played what 7 years in the league? He probably hasn't ran a 40 yard dash since 2007 when he was entering the draft. When he saw his time he said "well my career is over" ... and it's probably true. If he just skipped the damn thing he might've gotten a training camp invite based on his film and worked his way onto a roster. I bet next year less and less players sign up for it
There may be some truth to that, but teams are looking to fill back up spots, not starters. Players are looking for one last chance to make Vet min. for a year or two vs. selling shoes at footlocker. I think it's better than individuals going to training camps invites, as there will be many more eyes on them. Players will have more time to get in "game shape" for next years event.
No one forced him into this. I doubt anyone is expecting an older vet to run a 4.2 40 but a 4.91? That's awful and if he isn't in good enough shape to run a 40 yard dash, he's not in good enough shape to carry the football.
I agree with you but I'm saying what I think the NFL owners, etc. think. They think he's pushing it by smooching the guy.
Because the competition at the NFL is a lot tougher and while he was able to do well in college, he just doesn't have the physical ability to make it at the NFL level. He's too slow.
I knew you were just saying how the NFL owners viewed it, I didn't think you thought that way. I think Sam doesn't care. I think he wants to take a stand to try to help other gay athletes. The unfortunate part for him is that while he's helping to bring attention to it, he's probably not good enough to force a change in the way the NFL owners and players deal with the situation. If he were a Demarcus Ware clone or a JJ Watt clone, he could probably make a big impact, but as it is, I think he probably won't have much of an effect.
I don't agree on not enough talent. He was a very good player at Mizzou. He could have been a role player on some team. Or at the least been on a PS for the entire season. I think it was because of his sexual orientation and his openness about it.
My only thing about Sam and I know he wants to be a trailblazer for gay athletes and wants them to have the same freedoms and privileges as straight players do (and like gay activists strives to have a free and open society) is that maybe he could take it a little slower. Jackie Robinson didn't challenge the racists he just in a quieter way made a statement on and off the field. That's why I think that Sam kissing the guy was too much for the NFL to take at this time. They don't believe in equality even though it's what they say. I think it hurt his chances to play last season. He had the talent to make an active roster.
I don't really have an issue with him kissing his boyfriend but I can't remember the last time I saw a straight player get drafted and then start making it with his girlfriend/wife, they usually celebrate with their family
I think you're right that was too much for the NFL types. Jackie Robinson was an amazing man, but still it wasn't easy for him. That was a different era. I'm not sure that a Jackie Robinson-type approach would work in this era, but it might.
You're right about that. I didn't see the Sam kiss, and am glad. I have a number of gay friends, but don't want to watch them make out. For that matter, I don't want to watch my straight friends make out with their wives or girlfriends, either. I'm not much into PDAs.
