OT: Serious NFL prospect Michael Sam comes out

Isn't it interesting how jestie knows so many stats about homosexuals and then tracks news about them so closely. Gee, wonder why that could be?

Yeah, props to him because I'm sure it took a lot of courage to admit this publicly. Wonder if the Vikings will consider drafting this guy to replace Jared Allen

Former NBA player Jason Collins has not been picked up by any team since he came out last year.

Former NFL Kerry Rhodes was cut by the Cardinals, despite still playing well, after s

...after some pictures came out suggesting a gay relationship

I don't watch american football, but if I did I wouldn't care about who is gay, and who isn't, it's all about the sport and how it's played.

I don't care if he's in or out of the closet, just play well, stay away from the performance enhancing shit, and don't get caught running a dog fighting pit! Lol!

I'd have In Sync for the Bears defensive line if they could pressure the quarterback. Being gay is only important to other gay people and homophobes.

Unless you look like a super twink, gays should keep it to themselves. No kissing in public, no parades, no billboards, no press conferences. I mean really.

hey if you're gay I don't care. just do a me a favor and don't splash on me. splash on someone else.

"Unless you look like a super twink, gays should keep it to themselves."

So if you look flaming you should broadcast it more? Interesting preference you got there.

^^^ ur right, I phrased that badly. Flamers should not be seen in public at all, but they have special wants and needs, I guess.

Honestly, I think this hurts his draft stock. A lot of teams won't want the extra attention that might come along with a player that projects to probably be a reserve.

I had always thought the first openly gay active NFL player would be a well established veteran who already proved success on the field and was monetarily secure, so that any negative repercussions would be minimal.

Michelle Obama just tweeted "Michael Sam is an inspiration for us all."

Just shut up. He's not the first gay player in the NFL and won't be the last. He is a football player, not a role model or an inspiration.

He is a great college player. He's welcome on my team. He's gay. That's fine. But why "openly gay"?

C'mon my pervo brothers, I don't get the "he should keep it too himself" attitude. If he were heterosexual should he avoid being seen with girlfriend(s) in public?

I think it's cool that the dude came out. Unfortunately, it is likely to hurt his chances in the draft. That is actually why Michelle Obama was right. Motorhead is right, he's not the first gay NFL player. But he is the first to tell people he's gay. And he did it at a time when it could hurt him in the draft. That takes guts.

Dude probably doesn't want to lie about himself and worry about rumors or having a pic of him and some dude fueling gay speculation. I'll wait to be offended until he does something offensive, like run a dog fighting ring or kill somebody while DUI, to be offended. If all he does is play good football and be an openly gay dude I say coo-el for him.

The guy doesn't want to play in the NFL.He's taking the "I'm loud and I'm proud route".Sam could have made millions in pro football,but I don't see a team that would want that distraction in their locker room.

Wait for the book,wait for the movie,"Silence is Golden Goose".

@mikeya02: "Unless you look like a super twink, gays should keep it to themselves. No kissing in public, no parades, no billboards, no press conferences. I mean really."

"Flamers should not be seen in public at all,"

Why is that mikeya02? Afraid you might be tempted or something?

^^^Afraid of laughing out loud and insulting the guy...yes

I'm somewhat surprised something like this would still be such a big news story. Sure, its news but headline on CNN for two days straight? Wow.

Everything that PredragDr said.

The kid has had a great college career, but in the eyes of many NFL scouts he is a tweener, too small to play defensive end in the NFL, yet without the skills and experience necessary to make the switch to the linebacker position. This was the last thing that he needed, especially with so many teams still gun shy after watching the Tim Tebow media circus. Now maybe if he was a top draft pick, it might have been worth it, but for a kid who is a project...

He should have just kept where he sticks his dick to himself.

I wonder if any teams are just blowing smoke and making this a bigger deal than they really feel it is so other teams sour on the thought of picking him.

Or Rick was it a brilliant move that will see him get more attention than he may otherwise have deserved? Not to mention the possibility that the NFL might lay out some pressure to see him get a higher pick. Apparently they want this to happen. Plus it opens up some doors if his career doesn't pan out.

carl, actually, the teams are all publicly saying that it is no big deal. His biggest problem is that he is seen as being too small to be an NFL defensive end. There were also a lot of question marks about him disappearing against good offenses in big games and he also performed poorly in the Senior Bowl when they tried to move him to the linebacker position.

He was already projected to be a 4th round pick, or worse, even before this came out, and some wondered whether he would be drafted at all. I suspect that he timed this exactly when he did in order to create some buzz, with the hope that the publicity value might help his chances on draft day.

Jester, we cross-posted. As you can see above, I have similar suspicions about the timing of all of this.

I give the guy alot of credit for doing that. Why did he announce it? Because with visibility comes the ability for others to realize that he is just another pro athlete. And with that gradually comes acceptance. When did hiding and invisibility for any group bring about anything good? Never.

"When did hiding and invisibility for any group bring about anything good? Never."

At the risk of peripherally invoking Godwin's Law, early Christians and holocaust escapees might disagree somewhat with that assertion.

As a stupid organization I see the Vikings drafting this guy in an attempt to make the Kluwe bullshit go away. They might even spend a 1st rounder on him and then two years from now have another failed high draft pick.
As far as teh guy's sexuality i really have no care about who athletes fuck in their private lives.

"When did hiding and invisibility for any group bring about anything good? Never."

It also works pretty well for criminal organizations and pedophiles.

But I get your point though I also believe there was a heavy dose of self promotion involved.

@gmd - eventually even the most wrongly oppressed group gets fed up with their circumstance and rise up to say enough is enough. In the case of the Holocaust their liberation came at the hands of others, and their sad fate was primarily isolated to Eastern Europe. But gays, blacks, women and other civil rights affected groups have suffered much more in silence than they have speaking out. And nothing comes for free - there will always be a stiff price to pay for the early voices.

"And nothing comes for free - there will always be a stiff price to pay for the early voices."

Absolutely no argument there...

Don't know what I really think about this. Dude admits to liking and licking cock and he is touted liked a hero. He didn't hold off insurgents to save a fallen solider or rescue someone from a burning building. He is gay, that's it.

Btw his dad doesn't seem to find about a gay player in the NFL. What a mean non understanding father.

Unless you are gay and/or have been a silent victim of oppression of some sort you could never understand it. So don't try. Just wish him good luck in his career and move on about this, even if the idiotic media won't.

On a football note, this guy shows the difference between the NFL and the college game. He's the best defensive player in by far the best conference in the league and he's only projected as a mid-round draft pick.

“… He's the best defensive player in by far the best conference in the league and he's only projected as a mid-round draft pick …”

Yeah – some players are sometimes not expected to translate well to the NFL.

In his case; he is considered a “tweener” (e.g. in betweener) – he is 6”2 but only 252 lbs and only played DE in college – thus he has a linebacker’s size but did not play LB in college and does not have NFL DE size.

I think he will do well though – he looks very athletic and I’m sure he’ll put on size as he matures.

This guy had a rough upbringing:

• Oldest brother killed by a gunshot

• another brother went missing in 1998 and officially declared dead 2 years later

• one sister died as a baby

• two other brothers currently in jail