Michael Sam Says He Is Gay; May Become First Publicly Gay Player in N.F.L.

He isn't the player Aldon Smith is -- speed, body shape, violent antisocial tendencies etc. -- but as to the "undersized" label, consider that Smith is listed at 6-4, 265. Sam goes 6-2, 260.

He wouldn't be undersized at all as a pass-rush specialsit in a 3-4. And yeah, the 49ers could probably count on him getting a good reception from the home crowd.

"Third to seventh" is a wide range. I have to believe, just by the value of the position, he's a lot closer to third.

 

Our culture is never "ready" for anything until it happens, IMO. Somebody always comes along and does it before we're "ready."

 

Good for him.

And it's the reactions of the fans and trolling types in media and religion, not his teammates, that will give him the most problems. There have always been gay athletes and I would think many of them had teammates that knew.

 

I think it was pretty well-known, certainly around the league at the time, that Ernest Givins was gay.

 

Jonathan A. Martin ‏@J_Martin71 26m

Hats off to you Michael Sam, that takes some guts #respect

 

MizzouGrad suspects that Sam is making this announcement because he is gay.

 

This is a lot closer to the truth than most people around here would like to admit.

 

That's the distraction part. The fact that he likes men won't worry coaches and GMs. The fact that every single media outlet will be following him and his team's every move does. This wasn't a distraction at Mizzou because the media didn't report it or didn't know. Had he come out, that locker room would have been swarmed.
Like one GM said, paraphrasing, it's going to be an issue when every single media from Good Housekeeping to The Today Show is asking everyone on the team it.
I'd love to see him end up in New England. That would piss the media right off. Belichick traditionally doesn't let the rookies talk too much.

 

I also breathlessly await the first "Dolphins should draft Sam to show they've changed their culture" article.

 

Here's the bottom line as far as I'm concerned. I don't give a shit who he's bedding. If he can play, he's in the NFL. If he can't, he's hopefully using his degree in getting another job.

 

Absolutely. Michael Sam has everything to lose on this.

Jason Collins timed his news to give himself a second career once no one wanted to sign him.

I laugh at Mizzou in every sports but respect Sam's stand.

 

Oh God, don't let Green Bay pick him, I don't think my heart can take the endless onslaught of witty plays on their nickname.