And so it has happened. After 249 picks in the NFL Draft this past weekend, the NFL now has its first openly gay player in the league. Congratulations to Michael Sam on what was no doubt an arduous journey to this point in his life, and big hopes for his continued strength during what I hope is a long, successful NFL career. One must only take a glimpse into Sam's life to see just how incredible an accomplishment his selection in the NFL draft is, gay or not. Separated parents, witnessing an older brother's murder, an older sister dying at a young age, another brother gone missing in 1998 are just a few of the hardships this incredible young man has endured in 24 years of life. "Telling the world I am gay is nothing compared to that," Sam is quoted as saying.
I think being drafted by the St. Louis Rams represents the best case scenario for Sam on multiple fronts. First and most obvious, the Rams' facilities are located just two hours away from the University of Missouri, his alma mater. The Rams essentially represent Sam's hometown team (Sam is from Texas but does not have strong ties to his family there). He had a large fan base among the Mizzou Tiger family and I am sure they will be well represented at Rams home games this upcoming season. Secondly, he is coming into a strong organization that has seen vast improvements over the last few seasons. Jeff Fisher is one of the best and most respected coaches in the league, by players and management alike, and put together a season last year that saw the Rams go 7-9 in the tough NFC West, beating the likes of Indianapolis, Chicago, and New Orleans. Sam will join the likes of Robert Quinn and Chris Long as a DE on a Rams defensive line ranked second in the NFL by profootballrosters.com. He will be able to develop as a situational pass rusher under the leadership of a couple savvy veterans, in an organization that has not exhibited the same juvenile behavior as say, the Miami Dolphins.
I also think the St. Louis Rams deserve some commendation for seeing through the publicity and the distractions to the core of the matter, Sam can flat out play football. He recorded 11.5 sacks last year at Mizzou and won a SEC co-Defensive Player of the Year award. Jeff Fisher runs a tight ship, and I don't expect there to be any concerns in that locker room once they see the ability and effort Michael Sam brings to every single down.
But then there was the kiss. On national television, Michael Sam planted a smooch on boyfriend Vito Cammisano after being overwhelmed by emotion on learning of his selection by the Rams. An innocent enough kiss, a one second touch of the lips, but what it represented had some people up in arms. Don Jones, of the aforementioned Miami Dolphins, took to twitter to express his resentment, tweeting out "horrible" and "OMG". Derrick Ward, former New York Giant, tweeted "I'm sorry but Michael Sam is no bueno for doing that on national TV" and "Man U got little kids lookin at the draft. I can't believe ESPN allowed that to happen" (Not going to touch upon the idiocy of that second statement by Derrick Ward). It also begs the question how many players weren't brash enough to take to social media to express similar sentiments? How many teams passed on the talent Michael Sam represents because of the "baggage" he unfairly carries with him?
The jury is still out on the treatment Sam will be subjected to on the field, where it is well documented the language exchanged between competitors is less than pleasant, and there are often subtle exchanges of "cheap shots" after a play is over. Taunts will emanate from the stands as ignorance rears its ugly head when Sam and the Rams visit opposing stadiums. While I remain optimistic, there is still the possibility the presence of Michael Sam on an NFL roster will cause team chemistry problems in the locker room. I am also curious to see the response of league officials to Sam's potential negative treatment as the season progresses. Roger Goodell has an openly gay brother and is well-versed in the plight of the LGBT community. FIFA will have to address the continued racism exhibited by fans upon soccer players of race (bananas thrown onto the pitch and monkey noises made by fans), and I will not be surprised if the NFL brass is drawn into a similar predicament regarding Sam.
The hours and hours of coverage have already begun, trying to answer the question is the NFL realm ready to take this step? Thankfully, the answer is irrelevant because the "problem" has already arrived. Michael Sam uses the same bull rush technique and the same swim move as the Reggie Whites, Jared Allens, Clay Matthews, JJ Watts of the world. A sack is still a sack, regardless of the sexuality of the player getting to the quarterback. I hope the eyes of the NFL world will be quickly opened to that fact once he steps into Edward Jones Dome. And I like to think that Sam's kiss was a subtle jab at all the doubters he has endured over the last few months, telling them he has arrived in spite of it all. Now all he has to do is let his play on the field do the talking.
No comments:
Post a Comment