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Wow. Mizzou LB Michael Sam: "I'm gay."
- Thread starter L Buff
- Start date
TDbuff
Club Member
Mizzou DE Michael Sam tells the world he's gay
Potentially a mid-round pick in the draft. Apparently this has been known in Columbia for a while, and he came out officially to the team before last season. He may have been concerned that the media was going to out him, so he figured he'd beat them to the punch and own it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/10/s...r-says-he-is-gay-ahead-of-nfl-draft.html?_r=0
Potentially a mid-round pick in the draft. Apparently this has been known in Columbia for a while, and he came out officially to the team before last season. He may have been concerned that the media was going to out him, so he figured he'd beat them to the punch and own it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/10/s...r-says-he-is-gay-ahead-of-nfl-draft.html?_r=0
aik
Well-Known Member
It is a big deal, but it's also not.
It's not in the sense that I'm watching the CU game and it's suddenly "BREAKING NEWS" on the ESPN crawl. How athletes get down is not what I consider in the realm of sports news, until something legitimately bad goes down (Rae Carruth). I don't care which trophy Tom Brady is dating just like I don't care who Jason Collins cares to have relationships with.
It's a big deal in the sense that he did this prior to draft evaluations, sticking with a team, or playing a down in the NFL. Challenging cultures and all that. We shall see how this goes.
It's not in the sense that I'm watching the CU game and it's suddenly "BREAKING NEWS" on the ESPN crawl. How athletes get down is not what I consider in the realm of sports news, until something legitimately bad goes down (Rae Carruth). I don't care which trophy Tom Brady is dating just like I don't care who Jason Collins cares to have relationships with.
It's a big deal in the sense that he did this prior to draft evaluations, sticking with a team, or playing a down in the NFL. Challenging cultures and all that. We shall see how this goes.
Junction
Club Member
:yeahthat: Certainly not the first gay player to come to the NFL, certainly not the first that teams probably knew was gay before the draft. But the first that can go into his career being himself. It's going to be interesting to watch who drafts him and when, and what happens after that. The media is going to be watching his team's training camp pretty intensely for any signs of trouble.
I bet that will hurt his draft stock more than him being gay
Chromeburn
Member
Good for him. I have a feeling this will start happening more and more. Wonder when Rodgers will announce it, will be the first star player. Five six years no one will care.
CVilleBuff
Well-Known Member
Sucks this is even news, but media has been chomping at the bit for a couple years now for this moment. Let's just get this frenzy over with so it doesn't matter in the future. Going to be a long couple weeks of radio.
Deleted member 807
Guest
Meh. The OTL story about the 2011 suicide of Mizzou swimmer Sasha Menu Courey following an alleged rape by multiple football players is the more compelling story.
Not sure why people don't think this is a big deal. Suicide, particularly teen suicide, is a tragedy and sometimes tied to sexual identity. Being the first active football player to come out can't do anything but help those struggling. What will really help is the first NFL player, but progress is progress.
cubuffs85
Active Member
Of course, it's a big deal, there's never been an openly gay male athlete in a major US sport before (Jason Collins hasn't played since). And the fact, he hasn't even been drafted yet makes this more intriguing in terms of the whole -- how much will it hurt(or help) his draft stock.
What I think the common theme is however is hoping this kind of story won't be "news" eventually. The same way a black player playing baseball was a major story almost 70 years ago, it's no longer a big deal.
Deleted member 807
Guest
The hippy culture in Boulder has instilled tolerance for decades. It is a big deal, but the sentiment is more along the lines of "it's about time".
You are right. When Michael Sam comes out, it does help the cause.
Gay rights activists have been breaking down barriers for decades. Hollywood and pop music has been on board since Murphy Brown, Liberace, Elton John, and the whole AIDS awareness era of the 1990s. Glee and Brokeback Mountain are mainstream.
Don't ask, don't tell is repealed. Gay marriage is becoming the law of the land.
There are openly gay politicians, CEOs, and mainstream celebrities. Pro sports first had Billy Jean King as a pioneer. Now there are individuals who have come out across many sports. College football and the NFL are late on the continuum, but it's not a surprise football is ahead of the Catholic Church.
Mr. Sam is just one more voice in this narrative. He's following in the footsteps of many, including Brittney Griner from Baylor. The novelty of openly gay football players is a breakthrough that surprises few.
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Color me shocked, Mississippi.
L Buff
Commissar of the Albuffs Collective Left
Color me shocked, Mississippi.
Hey ... even in MS half the respondents answered "yes" (at least so far). That's progress right there.
cubuffs85
Active Member
This reminds me a bit of Jon Stewart's response when they were talking about is America ready for a Black President. He said (paraphrasing), "No one asked in 2000 if anyone was ready for a moron to be President."Color me shocked, Mississippi.
Junction
Club Member
Well, yeah, but it was our first time having a black President. 2000 was not our first (or last, I think we can be sure) time having a moron President.
Nah, they just don't have internet down there.
Not a representative sample. This poll is limited to Mississippi folks who both have access to the internet and know how to use it.
Edit: Hotrack beat me to it
I've heard a ll this speculation about whether the "NFL culture" would be able to accept a gay teammate.
That's the least of my concerns. When it comes to guys on the team, it pretty much comes down to whether a guy does his job. They're used to having a bunch of different teammates who are from different backgrounds, of different races, of different religions, of different moral values, of different life stages, etc., etc. The culture is all about merit. Can you help the team win? Can your teammates count on you?
The issue isn't with the players. Sure, some of them may say or tweet something stupid, but it can and will be handled.
The issue is with management. They're worried about public perception and also their own ignorant fears they're projecting as they worry about how the locker room will deal with it.
As a side note, a great example I heard on where society is on the issue of "coming out" is Hollywood and the movie industry. I can't think of an industry where co-workers would be more supportive of someone saying that he is gay. But how many gay leading men have we seen? Yeah. It's about money and the fears of the studio execs that the public won't open their wallets as much if a Harrison Ford type is openly gay. In a similar situation, it was only in the past decade or so that the music industry realized that we didn't really care if Elton John or Freddy Mercury or Rob Halford are gay -- we just like their music.
That's the least of my concerns. When it comes to guys on the team, it pretty much comes down to whether a guy does his job. They're used to having a bunch of different teammates who are from different backgrounds, of different races, of different religions, of different moral values, of different life stages, etc., etc. The culture is all about merit. Can you help the team win? Can your teammates count on you?
The issue isn't with the players. Sure, some of them may say or tweet something stupid, but it can and will be handled.
The issue is with management. They're worried about public perception and also their own ignorant fears they're projecting as they worry about how the locker room will deal with it.
As a side note, a great example I heard on where society is on the issue of "coming out" is Hollywood and the movie industry. I can't think of an industry where co-workers would be more supportive of someone saying that he is gay. But how many gay leading men have we seen? Yeah. It's about money and the fears of the studio execs that the public won't open their wallets as much if a Harrison Ford type is openly gay. In a similar situation, it was only in the past decade or so that the music industry realized that we didn't really care if Elton John or Freddy Mercury or Rob Halford are gay -- we just like their music.
cubuffs85
Active Member
In 1947, baseball culture wasn't "accepting" of a black player. So for all the people who are saying it shouldn't happen because of that, it's a bad reason. And I don't want to hear the whole "race is different than sexual orientation," it wasn't in 1947.