September 2, 2014
Gay Rights
On Saturday, the St. Louis Rams ended Sam’s professional football dreams by cutting him from the team. Although another team could pick Sam up from waivers, the odds are not fully in his favor at this point.
In recent months, Sam’s sexuality seemed to overshadow his football talents. On draft day, the image of Sam kissing his boyfriend on live television made international news. Video footage of Sam dancing shirtless and provocatively at a strip club also made headlines. In recent news, his shower habits among teammates became a topic of conversation. Somehow, the Michael Sam story became more about his personal sex life than his professional football life. Was this a distraction?
Gay Rights
When asked if Sam was cut because of his open sexuality, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher told the media, “There was no distraction. Mike fit in very, very well, he was fun to be around. There was no issue there.”
A potential multi-million dollar career seems to have come to a premature end. Will Michael Sam be able to pick up the pieces and sign on with another team, or is this truly the end for the NFL’s first openly gay player?
For all the reasons highlighted in DJ's post_ and other significant factors as well_ I'd say that Sam's prospects for playing in the NFL are now slim to none. While some people want to lay most of the blame on ESPN (first for hyping him up and then focusing on his showering habits), I think the truth is a bit more complicated. If anything, Sam used his sexual orientation to bolster his chances in the NFL draft -strange as that may seem. But my guess is he saw all the progress being made in our country on behalf of Equal Rights for LGBT populations and he took a calculated risk, thinking the timing was right. His plan backfired almost immediately when he dropped to a 7th-round (near last) pick of the draft. The truth is, Sam is NO Jackie Robinson, in terms of skill-set and outstanding natural talent. AND he's… Read more »