Michael Sam Reality Show

I'm waiting for "Left Hand vs. Right Hand." Likely to happen someday at the rate these reality shows are going.

 

"Oh, no you DIDN'T," says the Left Hand in Episode 3.

 

"But I always get stuck wiping the ass!" says the Right Hand in Episode 4.

 

So a 7th round pick/borderline prospect who is not close to a sure bet to make a team thinks all of this shit show - the ridiculous marketing team, the T-shirts, the orchestrated kiss on TV, the reality show, the "other teams chickened out" blast --- is helping his cause in terms of (a) making the team and (b) changing the perception/thinking of people who supposedly "aren't ready for a gay player" -- brilliant.

In terms of a guy getting terrible advice, this guy is really at the top of the list.

Like I said before - maybe he should work out, lift some weights and lay low until he makes the team and actually accomplishes something in the league before he turns into a freak show.

 

Well that warm and fuzzy story died a messy death didn't it?

His place in history has already had significant damage done to it by all of this.

 

Whitlock suggested in his piece (which I just belatedly read) that Sam's agents and handlers did not understand that they had a marginal prospect, and instead thought they had Clowney-type sure thing, when they were running amuck making these deals. And the way they proceeded certainly does suggest that. I'd be curious to know how much, if any, prior experience in the football world Sam's agents had before this.

Either way, it's clear the kid has had poor advice and poor representation. A 7th rounder secretly cutting deals to profit off the celebrity status being the first "out" pro football player, before actually making the team, sends about the worst message possible to his prospective employer.

 

If that's the case, nobody should sign with those guys again. Ever.

 

This deserves recognition, dammit.

 

I think consensus among scouts was that Sam was drafted where he should have been drafted. I think way too much mileage was made of the thrid-round projection that was mentioned when he came out, and any projection before the combine and pro days should be met with serious doubt.

 

If Sam interviewed and then hired representatives who thought he was on Clowney's level, he's an idiot. If these agents couldn't do a 5-minute Web search to see past Sam's gayness and realize he was a marginal prospect, they are idiots. If teams didn't have any communication with these agents and realize they are completely delusional and looking to cash in on the gay angle, had no idea about Sam's football talents, and would be headaches from Day One, they are idiots. Shoot, I'd think there would even be a little more guidance from Missouri in helping him pick out competent representation.

It sounds like they are trying to make the agents the scapegoats for this abortion of a first week of Sam's NFL life. I realize this is just a rumor, but if this is the way Sam is going to deflect the attention for his own mistakes, it should get interesting if/when he does get cut and he seeks out every microphone and notepad to play the "they couldn't handle an openly gay man in the locker room" card about 1,000 times.

 

Anyone who looks at Sam should know he's not a top prospect. If he was as fast as Clowney, he still probably would have gone in the fourth or fifth round. He's undersized, doesn't have a history of playing special teams and is slow for his position.

It's also possible that he does not become the first openly gay player to play in the NFL.

 

Does a preseason game count?