First Openly Gay NFL Player

Post by **Shirley** » Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:24 pm

Well, he will be next season. Missouri's Michael Sam, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, just publicly came out. He's expected to be drafted in the first three or so rounds this spring.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-foo ... -nfl-draft" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I guess it shouldn't be big news, but of course it is. Unless someone else comes out in another sport first (or someone signs Jason Collins), he'll be the first out male athlete in a major sport. Good for him. And good for the thousands of other gay athletes currently playing pro, college or high school sports. Hopefully this will lead to an avalanche. A fabulous avalanche.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:30 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.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:31 pm

Great news.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:40 pm

thanks for the support

rass · Post by **rass** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 7:57 am

Brontoburglar wrote:thanks for the support

The definitive take.

In return for the clicks you need to give us a "best of the comments" review.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:00 am

rass wrote:
Brontoburglar wrote:thanks for the support
The definitive take.

In return for the clicks you need to give us a "best of the comments" review.

I won't even look. A tad afraid to check email this morning.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:04 am

Only four emails (!!!) overall; one related to the post. And it's the statement from GLAAD.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:14 am

Gayest place I've ever been was the team shower in college, filled with presumably straight people. That's been the biggest "complaint" I've read thusfar, but...he wasn't jerking off in the Mizzou showers, I'm sure.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 9:45 am

Nice article Nick. I had to read the comments, and was somewhat surprised at the number of negative comments. An overwhelming percentage of the comments are either Christian Fundies pissed that gays accepted while they are bashed for being Warriors of G-d. Some ass actually used that term to describe himself. A lot of Conservatives upset that Liberals and Obama are ruining sports and "huccom strait players don't have press conferences to announce that they are strait?"

My feeling is that this shouldn't deserve a press conference, and one day it won't, but unfortunately today it does. I'm happy that a player finally had the courage to come out during his career. No knock on Collins, but he never played again. Sam will face a ton of negative and hurtful feedback, but this is opening the door for other athletes to not have to live in fear of being outed, or hide their partners and their lives from their teammates and the public as a whole. I can't imagine not being able to go out in public with your boyfriend, knowing your life would be destroyed if anyone saw you. I'd guess this hurts his draft spot, but probably not by much. Winning is most important in the NFL, but some owners and coaches might think this could hurt locker room chemistry, some owners are probably anti-gay or don't want the negative publicity or even the positive attention, which shifts away from the focus on winning. Whoever takes him will be boycotted by some, but will also gain a gay fan base for taking him. I would think the tradeoff would hurt financially more than help, but if he is good enough to contribute in the NFL, he will be drafted.

Post by **Shirley** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 11:28 am

It may hurt him some, but you can't argue that he's not WAY more famous today than he was yesterday.

BTW, I love that the first active out guy is a freaking All-American DE from the SEC. Nobody can call that guy a pussy.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 11:30 am

Some SEC fans would probably fuck their favorite players well before Sam would.

howard · Post by **howard** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 11:45 am

Gunpowder wrote:Gayest place I've ever been was the team shower in college, filled with presumably straight people.

Thank you.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 12:00 pm

Shirley wrote:It may hurt him some, but you can't argue that he's not WAY more famous today than he was yesterday.

BTW, I love that the first active out guy is a freaking All-American DE from the SEC. Nobody can call that guy a pussy.

Well, you clearly didn't read the comments on Bronto's article. That was usually coupled with "it'll be difficult to get him off of a good looking QB," or "all guy players should be D-Linemen so they can chase after the QB." The HuffPo article had a much different tone in the comments, but still a bunch of trolls.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 12:03 pm

I make jokes like that too. I doubt as many people truly care as it appears.

Scottie · Post by **Scottie** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:21 pm

Way to go Tham!

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:34 pm

I hope that within football it'll be ok.

I just hope the media doesn't fuck it up for him.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:35 pm

degenerasian wrote:I hope that within football it'll be ok.

I just hope the media doesn't fuck it up for him.

Explain the last comment, please.

howard · Post by **howard** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:37 pm

I just hope Bronto doesn't fuck it up for him.

Better?

(just fucking with you, homie)

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:41 pm

Richie Incognito tweeted respect for Sam. Not sure if he is just trying to improve his image or if he meant it.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:42 pm

Brontoburglar wrote:
degenerasian wrote:I hope that within football it'll be ok.

I just hope the media doesn't fuck it up for him.
Explain the last comment, please.

Meaning media will keep mentioning it and keep asking about it. Are they still going to mention this when when he's in his 3rd season? He'll be the first gay player drafted, the first gay player in the starting lineup, the first gay player to make the playoffs, the first gay player to play in and win the super bowl, the first gay pro bowler, on and on and on. The sooner they stop making it an issue the better.

Look at how they fawn over someone like Tebow. "would the broncos have won the super bowl with tebow instead of peyton?"
The Skip Bayless' of the world will go on and on and on. Could you imagine a headline like "Would the (fill in the blank) team have won if Sam wasn't gay"?" I hope I'm wrong.

I thought ESPN's piece was very well done and Sam was extremely mature. I just hope the media doesn't keep mentioning it. Your article was extremely well-written as a breaking news story. But I'm sure it's now a non-issue for you, I just hope the media sees it that way as well.

Post by **brian** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:43 pm

An existing NFL player or two coming out would help in that regard I think. I'd be surprised if at least one doesn't make the leap before the start of the season.

SportsDoc · Post by **SportsDoc** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 2:58 pm

I just don't think in this day and age this is a big deal anymore.

The only big deal will be all his teammates getting hounded by the media over what it's like to have a gay teammate. They will get sick of that in a hurry! But that's not his fault.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 3:13 pm

SportsDoc wrote:I just don't think in this day and age this is a big deal anymore.

The only big deal will be all his teammates getting hounded by the media over what it's like to have a gay teammate. They will get sick of that in a hurry! But that's not his fault.

I think it is a big deal in the sense that presumably 100s of gay athletes don't feel like they can come out. The thought of people having to live a lie or hide who they are really pisses me off. What my hope is, that after Sam came out, others will feel they can too, and then it won't be a big deal. I can see this happening within 5 years. Then, hopefully, athletes or anyone for that matter, won't have to come out or hide, but just be. Not sure if that will happen within the next 20 years, as religious fundies of several religions are so against homosexuality. I think kids are so submersed in seeing homosexuality as not a big deal, the hate will eventually become minimal. Kind of like interracial marriages. There will always be some people full of hate or at least intolerance.

Female athletes have been coming out in growing numbers, but nobody seems to care because it is womens' sports, and people just assume a lot of female athletes are gay. As for the locker room, they all experimented in college, so they are all down with it.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Mon Feb 10, 2014 3:17 pm

From what I can tell it's playing out in a similar regard to how the DADT repeal came. Except the assholes who were against it were Congressional trolls and not internet ones. Overall, it really should be much ado about nothing. But you know REAL MEN, BEER, FOOTBALL, 'MURICA and all that. I just simply cannot fathom how irrelevant sexual orientation is compared to how overly important people with a platform make it out to be.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 12:30 pm

Awesome:

Also awesome:

Jon Stewart of the Daily Show weighs in on Michael Sam

Bensell · Post by **Bensell** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 2:52 pm

Sam's Dad sounds like a clueless asshole. No wonder Michael doesn't have much of a relationship with him; he doesn't even stay with either parent when he goes home.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 2:59 pm

Bensell wrote:Sam's Dad sounds like a clueless asshole. No wonder Michael doesn't have much of a relationship with him; he doesn't even stay with either parent when he goes home.

He's also raised a family outside of Sam that includes 2 children murdered, one missing and presumed dead, and 2 in prison. I'd do the opposite of anything he says.

Johnnie · Post by **Johnnie** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 3:05 pm

Seriously.

But I'll be honest. When I read this:

Sam Sr. said he was eating at a Denny’s restaurant when he received the news, and he told the Times he was so distraught that he had to leave.

“I couldn’t eat no more, so I went to Applebee’s to have drinks,” Sam Sr. told the newspaper. “I don’t want my grandkids raised in that kind of environment.”

I couldn't stop laughing. The visual is like something out of a shitty comedy 'MURICA skit.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 3:09 pm

My favorite line was "I don't want my grandkids raised in that kind of lifestyle". Uhhhh....how are your grandkids going to come into existence here?

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 3:10 pm

Gunpowder wrote:My favorite line was "I don't want my grandkids raised in that kind of lifestyle". Uhhhh....how are your grandkids going to come into existence here?

Exactly! Off to Applebees...

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 3:17 pm

Gunpowder wrote:My favorite line was "I don't want my grandkids raised in that kind of lifestyle". Uhhhh....how are your grandkids going to come into existence here?

Adoption? Not technically his grandchildren, but whatevs. This guy probably isn't the brightest bulb.

rass · Post by **rass** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 3:28 pm

P.D.X. wrote:
Gunpowder wrote:My favorite line was "I don't want my grandkids raised in that kind of lifestyle". Uhhhh....how are your grandkids going to come into existence here?
Exactly! Off to Applebees...

Bartender: Sam! What's up buddy? You look down today.

Sam Sr.: My football playing son is gay! I need a drink.

Bartender: One Applebee's Wham-Bam-Thank-You-Manhattan, made with Knob Creek™ Bourbon, coming up!

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 3:39 pm

The Sybian wrote:
Gunpowder wrote:My favorite line was "I don't want my grandkids raised in that kind of lifestyle". Uhhhh....how are your grandkids going to come into existence here?
Adoption? Not technically his grandchildren, but whatevs. This guy probably isn't the brightest bulb.

I doubt he meant "I don't want him to adopt random orphans that I guess would become my grandchildren into that lifestyle"

howard · Post by **howard** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 4:17 pm

P.D.X. wrote:
Gunpowder wrote:My favorite line was "I don't want my grandkids raised in that kind of lifestyle". Uhhhh....how are your grandkids going to come into existence here?
Exactly! Off to Applebees...

I'll bet there was some trunk liquor involved somewhere between Denny's and The 'Bees

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 6:03 pm

Johnnie wrote:Seriously.

But I'll be honest. When I read this:

Sam Sr. said he was eating at a Denny’s restaurant when he received the news, and he told the Times he was so distraught that he had to leave.

“I couldn’t eat no more, so I went to Applebee’s to have drinks,” Sam Sr. told the newspaper. “I don’t want my grandkids raised in that kind of environment.”
I couldn't stop laughing. The visual is like something out of a shitty comedy 'MURICA skit.

Chris Berman better look out. Applebee's may have now found their new spokesdoofus. I can just picture the new advertising campaign: "Two-fer Tuesday drink specials! If you had a tough day at work, or just found out your son is gay, Applebee's' "Two-fer Tuesdays" has you covered!"

TT2.0 · Post by **TT2.0** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 8:10 pm

hes from right down the street from my parents old house. Asking some people around here and apparently it wasnt a huge secret in hitchcock texas. good for him. I think its probably a stupid thing to do right before the draft, but im no expert in coming out. hope he gets drafted and doesn't have too hard a road ahead of him

cerrano · Post by **cerrano** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 8:15 pm

rass wrote:
P.D.X. wrote:
Gunpowder wrote:My favorite line was "I don't want my grandkids raised in that kind of lifestyle". Uhhhh....how are your grandkids going to come into existence here?
Exactly! Off to Applebees...
Bartender: Sam! What's up buddy? You look down today.

Sam Sr.: My football playing son is gay! I need a drink.

Bartender: One Applebee's Wham-Bam-Thank-You-Manhattan, made with Knob Creek™ Bourbon, coming up!

you calling ab gay?

Scottie · Post by **Scottie** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 8:41 pm

TT2.0 wrote:hes from right down the street from my parents old house. Asking some people around here and apparently it wasnt a huge secret in hitchcock texas. good for him. I think its probably a stupid thing to do right before the draft, but im no expert in coming out. hope he gets drafted and doesn't have too hard a road ahead of him

Since he has chosen to make it a political issue, doing so before the draft is the right way to do it. Teams know that they are getting a gay activist this way, they know what they're in for. As opposed to drafting him and then he goes to the world's media telling them that he's here he's queer and the team and the league simply have to deal with that.

Were I a GM (that's general manager, you laggards, not the craigslist acronym) I'd be somewhat reluctant to draft the guy for that very reason; he's a distraction and he's doing something that is going to in many ways overshadow the team. And that is not a specific slight at gay people of whom I've made it known many times I simply consider them as equal as everyone else, but rather born out of reluctance to bring unnecessary politics into an organization. Just as I'd never hire an outspoken feminist. Or an outspoken Christian. Or an Ecoloonie. Or anyone else who is making their personal beliefs bigger than my business.

In an ideal world, he never would have felt he had to announce something in the first place. But, sigh, political. He may be the first "openly" gay professional football player (whatever "openly" means, it is a vague self-labelling) but he's by no means the first or second or hundredth gay athlete.

Compounding this will be the myriad directions into which he'll be pulled by others trying to use him for their own causes. I really hope he chooses well and doesn't turn into just another mouthpiece that has lost sight of the original goal as the gay community has largely and completely lost sight of the original goal of their own community. "We want to be accepted and treated as equals!" Yes, of course, as well you should; the thing is that you are and have been for quite a while now. And if y'went about your business eating breakfast before work and paying taxes and mowing your lawn like the rest of the world nobody would blink twice at you; it's the activism that creates division where there need be none. The struggle is over, boys and girls, and everybody won. It's up to the gay community to start acting like the perfectly acceptable equals they always wanted to be, and now are, instead of sacred cows.

howard · Post by **howard** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 8:54 pm

Gonna pick a nit with you. Because I think it is an important nit.

Scottie wrote:Since he has chosen to make it a political issue…

Not his choice. It is the society in which he inhabits that makes it a political issue. And of course the league where he hopes to play.

The decision to stay closeted carries inherent political effects, about which he has no choice. Being a gay football player is political, despite anything he chooses. The politics are forced upon him--there is no course of action he can choose that is devoid of political effect.

Hate the game, because the player is incapable of not playing.

ETA--agree with the remainder of your post.

Scottie · Post by **Scottie** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 9:05 pm

That particular word choice was, it figures, the one I mulled the longest. And the second half of that sentence is ". . . doing so before the draft is the right way to do it". True, I may well have said "Given that it is unavoidably a political issue . . . " but that would undermine what was surely, for Sam, an act requiring no small degree of fortitude.