Michael Sam comes out

[luburch]

Surprised this hasn't been posted yet, but I think it deserves its own thread. Michael Sam publicly announces that he is gay and could become first openly gay player in NFL history. I salute him for his courage. I just can't wait for the day that this will no longer be news.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/10/sports/michael-sam-college-football-star-says-he-is-gay-ahead-of-nfl-draft.html?_r=0

[FerryFor50]

Surprised this hasn't been posted yet, but I think it deserves its own thread. Michael Sam publicly announces that he is gay and could become first openly gay player in NFL history. I salute him for his courage. I just can't wait for the day that this will no longer be news.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/10/sports/michael-sam-college-football-star-says-he-is-gay-ahead-of-nfl-draft.html?_r=0

Technically he's not in the NFL yet. Still needs to be drafted. Hopefully this doesn't hurt his draft stock.

Personally I would have waited until after I signed the contract. :)

[BlueDevilBrowns]

Technically he's not in the NFL yet. Still needs to be drafted. Hopefully this doesn't hurt his draft stock.

Personally I would have waited until after I signed the contract. :)

Marcus Smart should be the first to congratulate Mr. Sam for announcing this now.

[gam7]

Technically he's not in the NFL yet. Still needs to be drafted. Hopefully this doesn't hurt his draft stock.

Personally I would have waited until after I signed the contract. :)

Well, apparently he came out to his Mizzou teammates before the college football season and his sexual orientation was already common knowledge among NFL scouts, so his coming out to the general public likely won't materially change what would have happened with his contract.

[mattman91]

Who really cares?

[bedeviled]

Surprised this hasn't been posted yet, but I think it deserves its own thread

I just can't wait for the day that this will no longer be news
The juxtaposition of those two lines brought me a chuckle tonight.

[luburch]

The juxtaposition of those two lines brought me a chuckle tonight.


Oh I agree. But at this point in time it is news.

[75Crazie]

Who really cares?
Unfortunately, a great number of people.

[mattman91]

Unfortunately, a great number of people.

True. But it will only continue to be a big deal as long as we make it one.

[dyedwab]

True. But it will only continue to be a big deal as long as we make it one.

No, its a big deal for a number of reasons. I'll just name a couple.

1) There has NEVER been an out gay player in the NFL. NEVER. When something has NEVER happened, when it does happen its a pretty big deal.

2) All you have to do is read some of the quotes from NFL front office people in this SI piece. They apparently think its a pretty big deal. Big enough to hurt his draft stock....

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20140209/michael-sam-draft-stock/

So, yeah, its a big deal.

[FerryFor50]

True. But it will only continue to be a big deal as long as we make it one.

Because it IS a big deal. Every first is big. I suppose Jackie Robinson playing in the majors wasn't that big a deal either?

As it becomes more accepted globally, then yes, the idealized notion that it shouldn't be a big deal makes sense.

[Furniture]

Who really cares?

I care! Very proud of this young man!
Fantastic!

[Atlanta Duke]

True. But it will only continue to be a big deal as long as we make it one.

I respectfully disagree - it is a "big deal" as long as any player is required to hide being gay in order to deal with this sort of bigotry quoted in the SI.com article linked above

"I don't think football is ready for [an openly gay player] just yet," said an NFL player personnel assistant. "In the coming decade or two, it's going to be acceptable, but at this point in time it's still a man's-man game. To call somebody a [gay slur] is still so commonplace. It'd chemically imbalance an NFL locker room and meeting room."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20140209/michael-sam-draft-stock/#ixzz2st5kvJhC

As a Pittsburgh Steelers fan I am proud to see my team on this short list of teams

The former general manager said that it would take an NFL franchise with a strong owner, savvy general manager and veteran coach to make drafting Sam work. He rattled off franchises like Pittsburgh, Green Bay, San Francisco, Baltimore and Indianapolis as potential destinations.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20140209/michael-sam-draft-stock/?eref=sihp

[Dukehky]

Wow. I am shocked that the first time an active/prospective professional player to announce he is gay (Collins probably wouldn't have gotten an offer in the NBA anyway) is a football player. I'm extremely impressed by Mike Sam's courage.

I don't think this will actually hurt his draft stock, but I hope his future teammates are as supportive as his Missouri teammates appeared to be from the NYT article. The ESPN show from 2005 Playmakers opened my eyes to this possibility, but it takes a remarkable person to be comfortable, confident, and courageous enough to be the first at anything, let alone something as monumental as this. This is monumental, and calling it anything but, denigrates this young man's courage.

[DueBlevil]

The attitude of "why is this such a big deal," and "why can't he just keep his sexuality to himself" is EXACTLY why this is a big deal.

I can understand why people who have never been the victim of homophobia don't understand why this is noteworthy.

But you have to understand that playing in the NFL is, to many, the antithesis of being a gay male. Those people are wrong, but public perception won't change until more people like Michael Sam have the courage to do what he did.

Please stop being part of the selfish bully pulpit that wants to silence these men and women for making a public statement that might not mean anything to you but is immensely meaningful to thousands of kids and adults around this country.

I'm sure ESPN reports on plenty of things you "don't care about" every day, and you don't put up a fuss. If you want to ignore this, that's fine, but don't try to silence it.

[moonpie23]

good for him…….walls are coming down…..

[Waynne]

Quite right, and it takes courageous people like Michael Sam and Jason Collins to make the walls come down.

[Edouble]

But you have to understand that playing in the NFL is, to many, the antithesis of being a gay male. Those people are wrong, but public perception won't change until more people like Michael Sam have the courage to do what he did.

Please stop being part of the selfish bully pulpit that wants to silence these men and women for making a public statement that might not mean anything to you but is immensely meaningful to thousands of kids and adults around this country.


This is spot on. Very well said. Bravo!

[throatybeard]

First, a second for the "intensely meaningful" folks on this thread.

Second, my friend and I talked about this at the bar tonight. We both follow MU but not that closely, him more closely than I do. We both felt that it's tremendously important that Sam gets drafted as high as possible and does as well as possible, and we both hoped that the Rams could have a use for him in like the 3R. It's so sad that everyone is like "well, Jason Collins came out, but that doesn't count, because he hasn't played in the NBA since then." Sam is a great college player (SEC POY), but making the NFL is really hard.

As long as it matters how well you do and that is mapped on the group that society says you're in, progress isn't happening much. Ask women in any number of fields.

These guys are pioneers, but I don't think things will change in sports until all the excellent athletes who happen to be gay are always out, and the league just routinely has a percentage of gay dudes who somewhat mirror the national percentage. The Chicago survey estimated that about 1 in 20 of us are gay/lesbian, and more people than that are bi.

Anyway, I'm a huge Sam fan now.

[BD80]

Good for Sam. The information would have surfaced before the draft, so I think it was smart for him to own the announcement. The timing is good with the Olympics conflicting with Russia's less progressive attitudes. Also, the Ingconito/Martin issue will make the NFL far more sensitive to the locker-room atmosphere. The NFL will generally be supportive, hoping this will work.

One problem is that roster spots are precious in the NFL, and many teams won't or can't handle the increased media attention. While there would be much to gain in some cities in PR value, most cities which would have an increase in ticket sales due to a gay player already sell out. The teams that need to boost ticket sales are in cities that may not be as accepting or don't have the right structure to handle the circus that will ensue.

I hope the Steelers do get Sam, an "undersized" DE at 6'2" with a motor and was SEC defensive player of the year (James Harrison?). Maybe if the Steelers promise to take him in the 6th round, the NFL will "forget" to further penalize the Steelers for Tomlin's on field stroll during a game.

[rthomas]

As a Pittsburgh Steelers fan I am proud to see my team on this short list of teams

The former general manager said that it would take an NFL franchise with a strong owner, savvy general manager and veteran coach to make drafting Sam work. He rattled off franchises like Pittsburgh, Green Bay, San Francisco, Baltimore and Indianapolis as potential destinations.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20140209/michael-sam-draft-stock/?eref=sihp

Where or what franchises would it NOT work? I guess any team with Incognito. But other than that?

What about Carolina?

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Who really cares?

I love you man, but I'm going to disagree with you on this one.

It will be great when it isn't a big deal. But we aren't there yet. This man will be a role model for an entire generation of kids who are confused about their sexuality or frightened of it, and feel they have no place in sports. If the next generation of athletes, coaches, and teammates can create an atmosphere of acceptance free of vulgar and derogatory slurs regarding sexual orientation we as a culture have made a great leap forward. This is a step in that process.

Remember when "black quarterbacks" were a big deal? How many times did you hear Jaimis Winston or Russell Wilson referred to as such? That only took... what, 30 years?

Sam is opening doors for a generation and is likely going to catch a lot of hell. He is not the first, but he is the first to be open and honest enough to shout it instead of whispering it, and I think he is brave as heck. Very impressive head on his shoulders for a 22 year old kid. I wish him the best.

[Atlanta Duke]

Where or what franchises would it NOT work? I guess any team with Incognito. But other than that?

The SI article lists one category of teams that probably could not handle the distraction

The former general manager added that a team with a rookie head coach would not be an ideal landing spot.


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20140209/michael-sam-draft-stock/#ixzz2svr61kdW

So that would eliminate Tennessee, Cleveland, Minnesota, Detroit, Washington, Tampa Bay, and Houston

And in addition to the team where the player personnel official says the NFL will be ready for an openly gay player in 10 or 20 years but not "just yet," wherever this GM works probably would not be a good fit

“We talked about it this week,” the GM said. “First of all, we don’t think he’s a very good player. The reality is he’s an overrated football player in our estimation. Second: He’s going to have expectations about where he should be drafted, and I think he’ll be disappointed. He’s not going to get drafted where he thinks he should. The question you will ask yourself, knowing your team, is, ‘How will drafting him affect your locker room?’ And I am sorry to say where we are at this point in time, I think it’s going to affect most locker rooms. A lot of guys will be uncomfortable. Ten years from now, fine. But today, I think being openly gay is a factor in the locker room.”

I asked this general manager: “Do you think he’ll be drafted?”

“No,” he said.

http://mmqb.si.com/2014/02/09/michael-sam-monday-morning-quarterback/?eref=sihp

It is more than just eliminating the teams where the front office types may be homophobic. NFL head coaches hate distractions and if you are a new head coach or one with shaky job stability you are not going to want any distractions that may turn training camp into a media circus unless the player being drafted has Jadeveon Clowney type potential.

[Wander]

It's so sad that everyone is like "well, Jason Collins came out, but that doesn't count, because he hasn't played in the NBA since then."

I definitely wouldn't say it "doesn't count." It's a milestone, and maybe Michael Sam felt like it helped him. But I do think it's fair to say it's significantly different from being an active openly gay professional sports player and dealing with locker rooms and stadiums of people yelling trash at you.

Sports are a funny thing socially - sometimes they can be ahead of their time and environment, like the Mississippi State-Loyola basketball game, and sometimes they can lag way behind. I'm not sure where this subject falls on the spectrum, but I guess we'll find out now.

[vick]

It is more than just eliminating the teams where the front office types may be homophobic. NFL head coaches hate distractions and if you are a new head coach or one with shaky job stability you are not going to want any distractions that may turn training camp into a media circus unless the player being drafted has Jadeveon Clowney type potential.

Maybe, but the Patriots (who I do not root for but are a generally well-run franchise) signed Tim Tebow in 2013, so there's certainly recent precedent for a media-circus player with nowhere-near-Clowney potential.

[Atlanta Duke]

Maybe, but the Patriots (who I do not root for but are a generally well-run franchise) signed Tim Tebow in 2013, so there's certainly recent precedent for a media-circus player with nowhere-near-Clowney potential.

I agree - but as stated above it will take a team with an entrenched head coach who can control his locker room and deal with the media circus - nobody fits that descriptioon better than Bill Belichick, who probably has more job security than anyone in the NFL who does not own the team

[alteran]

Technically he's not in the NFL yet. Still needs to be drafted. Hopefully this doesn't hurt his draft stock.

Personally I would have waited until after I signed the contract. :)


Well, apparently he came out to his Mizzou teammates before the college football season and his sexual orientation was already common knowledge among NFL scouts, so his coming out to the general public likely won't materially change what would have happened with his contract.

Actually, since his orientation was common knowledge (under the radar), I think coming out will help.

Before coming out officially, a team could mysteriously not pick Sam at a time that made sense to get him and it's no big deal.

Now, when a team needs someone at his position but picks someone less qualified, people will know why. They're going to need a reason. Teams may still be inclined to discriminate, but they're going to have to figure that in their calculations.

And I've got the feeling that some organization somewhere wouldn't mind being the one that broke this barrier.

[dyedwab]

Maybe, but the Patriots (who I do not root for but are a generally well-run franchise) signed Tim Tebow in 2013, so there's certainly recent precedent for a media-circus player with nowhere-near-Clowney potential.

And Tebow was a Jet before that, which allows for the possibility of team where everything is a circus also being a place to land.

[Dukehky]

Actually, since his orientation was common knowledge (under the radar), I think coming out will help.

Before coming out officially, a team could mysteriously not pick Sam at a time that made sense to get him and it's no big deal.

Now, when a team needs someone at his position but picks someone less qualified, people will know why. They're going to need a reason. Teams may still be inclined to discriminate, but they're going to have to figure that in their calculations.

And I've got the feeling that some organization somewhere wouldn't mind being the one that broke this barrier.

If I were Jacksonville, I'd take Tebow and Sam. At least somebody would have something to say about them other than they suck.

Also, Sam is going to go to a team that runs a 3-4 thus eliminating Carolina, who will probably resign Hardy and has solid depth on the ends in a 4-3 system. That was to answer the person who asked about the Cats drafting him. Also, North Carolina isn't exactly the most welcoming of states for the gay community. That is not to say everyone here feels that way, I live in NC, but the whole Amendment 1 thing is kind of a drag.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

If I were Jacksonville, I'd take Tebow and Sam. At least somebody would have something to say about them other than they suck.

Also, Sam is going to go to a team that runs a 3-4 thus eliminating Carolina, who will probably resign Hardy and has solid depth on the ends in a 4-3 system. That was to answer the person who asked about the Cats drafting him. Also, North Carolina isn't exactly the most welcoming of states for the gay community. That is not to say everyone here feels that way, I live in NC, but the whole Amendment 1 thing is kind of a drag.

Depends on which part of the state you live in. Here in Asheville people are very accepting. Very different than Charlotte when I was growing up there in the 80's and 90's.

I wish we could just fast-forward to when all these things are non-issues too, but I feel like we are still a long, long way from that time.

[Dev11]

I wish we could just fast-forward to when all these things are non-issues too, but I feel like we are still a long, long way from that time.

Yep, and I'm sure a lot of folks felt the same way when the Dodgers announced they had signed a player out of the Negro Leagues. I imagine that Sam's transition to the NFL won't be quite so tumultuous as Jackie Robinson's, but to many, the barriers being broken as just as massive.

That none of his teammates at Mizzou made a big public ordeal out of his coming out last summer to them makes me hopeful that it will be a smoother ride for Sam. Time will tell. Good luck to him. That dude is about to go through maybe a year of insane attention, and all for something he had no say in.

[tommy]

In addition to respecting Sam and his bravery not only for coming out, but doing so prior to the combine and the draft, I also really respect the Missouri Tigers football team. Assuming the reports are true, that they knew about Sam a long time ago, the fact that they said nothing, made nothing of it, played with him in the exact same way and accepted him as a teammate in the exact same way as if he was heterosexual, says an awful lot about those young men and the coaches there at Missouri as well. I'm sure there were guys who weren't thrilled (or worse) but if there were, they apperently were the ones who had to get in line, accept Sam as a teammate, keep their mouths shut, and just go to work. And they did. I'm rooting for Missouri to have a big year in 2014-15.

[Mal]

In addition to respecting Sam and his bravery not only for coming out, but doing so prior to the combine and the draft, I also really respect the Missouri Tigers football team. Assuming the reports are true, that they knew about Sam a long time ago, the fact that they said nothing, made nothing of it, played with him in the exact same way and accepted him as a teammate in the exact same way as if he was heterosexual, says an awful lot about those young men and the coaches there at Missouri as well. I'm sure there were guys who weren't thrilled (or worse) but if there were, they apperently were the ones who had to get in line, accept Sam as a teammate, keep their mouths shut, and just go to work. And they did.

This is precisely why I think this isn't going to be that big of a deal "in the locker room." Almost every player in the NFL these days was born after 1980, and they tolerate a much less conformist world than jocks back in the day. 90% of them won't care at all. Richie Incognito excepted, I guess, but clearly the worm has turned enough that every guy on the team that drafts Sam will be well aware of the scrutiny that will be paid to his teammates and their behavior, so there's plenty of incentive for anyone left on the team that drafts Sam who does have a problem with his orientation to shut up and roll with it. If they have a seething resentment, it may eat at them and that's sort of their problem to deal with in 2014. This is where I think the pundits talking about how this could cause strife among the team (most of them older former players projecting the locker room culture they experienced in 1987 into today) or a media circus of distraction amongst professional athletes used to dealing with this sort of sideline, is missing the actual risk GM's and owners will see in this: being sure their entire organization, and especially coaches, are on board with the company line. These are organizations that have, unlike almost every other business, never in their history had to actually figure out how to deal with an openly gay employee. And certainly not one whose hiring is going to cause (guaranteed, I don't care if they're based in the most tolerant town in America) them to get hundreds of angry, bigoted letters. The problem exists, I theorize, more in the coaching and other former jock front office positions than anywhere else. It's a certainty that someone, somewhere in the hierarchy of the franchise that drafts Sam is not down with all this. And if there's not tight management and message control and expectations set with respect to creating an open work environment, they'll say something embarrassing and the media will descend. Likewise, there needs to be a strategy in place from Day 1 about how to deal with Sam stories, how to deal with the possibility he's not good enough and they need to cut him, how to deal with an assistant coach who acts like Chris Kluwe alleges that special teams coach on the Vikings does. I just don't think many NFL franchises have that discipline, and/or have been actively preparing for this day to come so that the entire organization is welcoming.

[moonpie23]

will the GM's compare him to the gay guys that they already have on their teams?

[Atlanta Duke]

will the GM's compare him to the gay guys that they already have on their teams?

There presumably is no comparison, since those gay players have not created a potential "chemical imbalance" in the locker room by creating this situation

Every Tom, Dick and Harry in the media is going to show up, from Good Housekeeping to the Today show. A general manager is going to ask, 'Why are we going to do that to ourselves?'"

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20140209/michael-sam-draft-stock/#ixzz2syaZljAi

And not staying in the closet apparently shows bad judgment on the part of Mr. Sam

"You shouldn't have to live your life in secrecy," the assistant coach said, "but do you really want to be the top of the conversation for everything without ever having played a down in this league?"

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20140209/michael-sam-draft-stock/#ixzz2syZsGwJx

Sam's time in the 40 at the combine will be the most covered 40 yard dash in NFL history. No word yet on whether a reporter for Good Housekeeping will be present.

[SoCalDukeFan]

First of all congrats to Michael Sam. Looking forward to the day when this kind of thing is not even reported.

Second of all, there must have been NFL players in the closet whose sexual orientation was either known or suspected by their teammates. Those teams handled it.

One of the best players on my high school football team was gay but we did not know. Later he died of AIDS. Looking back he never had a girlfriend nor went to any dances etc. He was kind of aloof. This was early 60s. Never heard anyone suspect he was gay.

SoCal

[throatybeard]

I'm looking forward to the day when this thread isn't moved to the off topic board.

Oh wait, I am.

Or am I?

[DukeUsul]

Donte' Stallworth has a perspective on this that NFL front offices should take note of.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/10/donte-stallworth-michael-sam_n_4761724.html?utm_hp_ref=sports

TL;DR: If you can't handle the media circus that would come with having Michael Sam on your team, then you've already lost. There are so many "distractions" that can unexpectedly affect your team during the season (he cites Incognito, Aaron Hernandez, Gronkowski among them) and if you aren't able to handle the media pressure, then you're not going to be a successful team on the field (he cites the Dolphins and Patriots handling of the above situations as two opposing examples). The media circus that will surround the team that drafts Sam is something that should be "easy" to handle by a good team: you know about it way ahead of time and will be able to manage the story well before the season begins. If you can't handle that, then you can't handle the "distractions" that could affect you at any time.

[Channing]

"You shouldn't have to live your life in secrecy," the assistant coach said, "but do you really want to be the top of the conversation for everything without ever having played a down in this league?"

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20140209/michael-sam-draft-stock/#ixzz2syZsGwJx

Sam's time in the 40 at the combine will be the most covered 40 yard dash in NFL history. No word yet on whether a reporter for Good Housekeeping will be present.

I imagine (perhaps wishful thinking) that this will remain a story through the draft and will then largely go away. If Sam goes to a team that accepts him, and minds his business like any other rookie (keeps his nose clean etc.) I think we will quickly find out this doesn't have much legs. Surely some fundamentalist group will boycott or picket whichever team drafts him, and hopefully those fringe will be ignored. Remember the Manti Teo issue ... it was all anyone could think about for a few weeks, and then Teo went out and played, and the issue never really came back around.

Unless the media actively starts gay-bating (is that a thing? sort of like race bating?), I just don't think the story has legs to remain interesting to the typical fan consuming NFL content. The ancillary news sources (GMA, TMZ, People, US - and yes, they will all be interested initially) will move on to the next news cycle once they have milked this one for all its worth.

It obviously could come back into the news cycle if something terrible were to happen (maybe Michael Sam gets beat up by teammates or something horrible like that), but otherwise I think it fades. The Cowboys had a player kill a teammate via drunk driving and then let him stand on the sidelines (though, admittedly, to some being gay is a bigger sin than murder). That story also fell to the back burner.

[Atlanta Duke]

I imagine (perhaps wishful thinking) that this will remain a story through the draft and will then largely go away.

Given how ESPN dropped coverage of Tim Tebow once he signed with the Jets in 2012 you may be right

[JasonEvans]

I am sure there will be loud shouts of outrage and prejudice when NFL teams start passing on Michael Sam in the 3rd round. Though most articles written over the past week make it clear that Sam was projected to be a 3rd rounder at best and perhaps not until the very end of the draft, everyone is going to think that he belongs in the third and that he is only slipping because teams are afraid of the gay thing.

Well, I found this article from SI (http://mmqb.si.com/2014/02/13/michael-sam-film-study-nfl-draft/) to be very interesting. They got a writer to watch almost all of Mizzu's games from last season and he did an objective analysis. He did not talk to any NFL scouts or officials. He just watched tape and evaluated Sam on his own. There's a lot of interesting analysis here but his conclusion is...


Being a good college player and becoming a good NFL player are two different things (see Tim Tebow). Sam did well for Missouri with a lot of talent around him. A majority of his production came in three games against inferior competition without a need to show much of a pass-rushing repertoire. He doesn’t show much of what the NFL looks for on special teams, and it’s difficult to project a position for him on the next level. For those reasons, Sam would project to be no better than a mid- to late-round pick. He could go undrafted. To my eyes Sam is decidedly average, with nothing exceptional about his game.

-Jason "I hope Sam proves this and other naysayers wrong" Evans

[brevity]

I am sure there will be loud shouts of outrage and prejudice when NFL teams start passing on Michael Sam in the 3rd round. Though most articles written over the past week make it clear that Sam was projected to be a 3rd rounder at best and perhaps not until the very end of the draft, everyone is going to think that he belongs in the third and that he is only slipping because teams are afraid of the gay thing.

Well, I found this article from SI (http://mmqb.si.com/2014/02/13/michael-sam-film-study-nfl-draft/) to be very interesting. They got a writer to watch almost all of Mizzu's games from last season and he did an objective analysis. He did not talk to any NFL scouts or officials. He just watched tape and evaluated Sam on his own. There's a lot of interesting analysis here but his conclusion is...



-Jason "I hope Sam proves this and other naysayers wrong" Evans

Even without Jeff Ireland among them, the general managers of the NFL need just one negative evaluation to defend not drafting Michael Sam as a pure football decision. Pro Football Weekly went out of business (http://www.profootballweekly.com/2013/05/31/pro-football-weekly-says-goodbye), it seems, so someone else will have to do it.

I don't know much about the instant or incubated success of late round picks in the NFL Draft, but it would seem that Michael Sam has enough of a narrative to merit being drafted at some point. A narrative alone shouldn't mean a better than expected pick -- Tim Tebow taught us that -- but it should mean a low-risk selection. If your team has, say, a 6th round pick, here are your choices:

1. Draft Michael Sam and get way more excitement than you would ever expect from a 6th rounder.
2. Draft a headcase that fell hard in the draft and get a decent amount of excitement.
3. Draft a local player and get a tiny amount of excitement.
4. Draft for need or whatever, and get no excitement.

Excitement doesn't have to be negative. It could mean ticket sales, better media coverage in a small market, corporate interest, etc.

[throatybeard]

This isn't complicated. The guy is a tweener. There are only a few possibilities.

1) He's so amazing at his position that he can stay at that position at the next level. I don't think this will happen. I want it to.
2) He can be moved to LB. This depends on his willingness and much more importantly, the system of the team that drafts him.

I think there will be some "we don't want the media attention" backlash, but at the end of the day, the biggest factor is who drafts him and what defensive system they run. As Cowherd pointed out today, there are some guys on O who do amazingly well, who you never would have predicted (Foles, Edelman). It's the same on D. If Sam fits in the scheme, he's good. So may guys in the NFL and NBA make it based on whether they fit the team's scheme.

It breaks my heart, watching this in a relatively local media market, that people are going to pass judgment on the guy based on these fairly unpredictable factors. I'd love for him to be the football gay Jackie Robinson. If he doesn't make it in the NFL, many people will attribute it not to his being a bit undersized for DL but to his sexuality.

If only his sexuality weren't even an issue. But we don't live there yet.

[BD80]

You're a flaming a-hole? You've got a place in the NFL:

http://tracking.si.com/2014/02/19/ravens-ray-rice-knocked-fiancee-unconscious/?sct=obnetwork

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/07/terrell-suggs-guns-ravens_n_2258111.html

Kill people? You're a pro-bowler/Super Bowl MVP:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/features/bloody_monday/news/2000/02/25/part1/

Rice, Suggs and Lewis were teammates on the Ravens.

[BD80]

You're a flaming a-hole? You've got a place in the NFL:

http://tracking.si.com/2014/02/19/ravens-ray-rice-knocked-fiancee-unconscious/?sct=obnetwork

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/07/terrell-suggs-guns-ravens_n_2258111.html

Kill people? You're a pro-bowler/Super Bowl MVP:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/features/bloody_monday/news/2000/02/25/part1/

Rice, Suggs and Lewis were teammates on the Ravens.

Sorry to hijack the Sams thread, but two more Ravens have been arrested, the second for two counts of battery stemming from a bar fight

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10578178/jah-reid-baltimore-ravens-arrested-battery-charges?addata=module-b