Michael Sam And The NFL's Virulent Homophobia - HuffPo

[WillyT]

Michael Sam and the NFL's Virulent Homophobia
Michelangelo Signorile - HuffPo
Posted: 09/02/2014 11:05 am EDT Updated: 4 hours ago



<snip>

Michael Sam was cut by the St. Louis Rams over the weekend. Over the following 24 hours, no other team had decided to claim the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL. Then came the news that the Rams didn't choose him for its practice squad. And though he could be picked for a practice squad for another team this week, NFL watchers believe his options are dim.

There have already been lots of arguments on social media, and it will continue this week, over whether or not this represented homophobia in the NFL. Frankly, I'm astounded that anyone can even debate this. One person on my Facebook page said that if Michael Sam were good enough he'd be playing. I don't know how this person could possibly justify such a statement since the NFL's record -- of giving slaps on the wrist for ugly homophobic incidents and hiring known haters -- suggests otherwise, and no openly gay player had been drafted before.

We witnessed players tweeting hateful comments after Sam came out, and saw stories in the sports media quoting unnamed officials saying open gays would mess with the locker room "chemistry" and that the NFL just wasn't ready. Even if we accepted that Sam's performance wasn't up to par and that that was the sole reason for his fate, there is nothing beyond the hollow words of NFL officials to suggest that if he were "good enough" he'd be playing -- and much to suggest otherwise.

And, of course, there are many who are saying Sam was more than good enough. The Rams gave Sam a fair shake, drafting him late when many sports commentators thought he'd be drafted earlier, based on his college performance. Already it seemed like general managers were fearing him. Sam performed well for the Rams but in the end it appears he wasn't what they needed. The coach still praised him. His cut there seemed to be a football decision. But what of any other teams not picking him up in the next 24 hours, or the Rams declining him for its practice squad, and the possibility that he won't make any practice squad?

Let's defer to the experts for some facts and observations:

<snip>

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelangelo-signorile/michael-sam-and-the-nfls_b_5751632.html

[theHandpuppet]

1. I found these passages particularly telling (and galling)

...Worse still, there's no real pushback on homophobia in the NFL. GLAAD has sadly become a joke when it comes to taking on defamation, particularly within sports. The LGBT group defers to the gay ally groups working with the teams, like You Can Play, co-founded by Patrick Burke, a straight man who has a foot in the door of professional sports, working for the NHL. These groups do not see it as their role to hit hard against the teams and the leagues, working to educate from inside (and probably don't want to mess up professional relationships either).

The Human Rights Campaign, though a Washington lobbying group, clearly saw a void in GLAAD's negligence and rightly sent out a blistering press release about the Tyree hire a few weeks ago, only to be slammed by Burke, the straight guy lecturing the gays on how they should criticize homophobia.

So, there's no real pressure from the outside, certainly not like the sustained pressure we've seen on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell regarding domestic violence, which at least forced him to finally change course last week, even if it will require continued pressure. Or like the corporate and political pressure, even from U.S. senators who signed a letter, to get the Washington Redskins to change its racist name. Until we see that kind of shaming from the outside regarding homophobia in the NFL -- a non-profit, by the way, which gets all kinds of tax breaks -- until LGBT groups and politicians stand up and take it on rather than cowering, homophobia will continue to get a pass....

[davidpdx]

11. It is certainly very possible with an organized campaign to get the NFL to make changes

It took awhile, but the NFL did come around on the domestic violence issue.

[3rdwaydem]

2. Sam didn't even make the Ram's practice squad?

Something's fishy here and I think it might very well be homophobia!

[WillyT]

3. Yeah... That's What I'm Thinking Too...

[dionysus]

4. agreed.

[LeftyMom]

5. There was a lot of competition there, nothing nefarious. The Cowboys picked him up today

for their practice squad. He'll get time to bulk up (he's a bit small for his position) and presumably if he develops well he'll get moved onto the 53 man roster when somebody gets hurt. He's a local so it's a good move for him and for Dallas.

[fishwax]

7. the rams are stacked at his position

Teams have ten slots on the practice squad, and usually use them for positions where they are thin on the active roster, so if a player gets hurt they have a replacement ready to step in. When he didn't make the team, it wasn't a huge surprise that they didn't put him on the practice squad, but I was surprised that no other team did. I'm glad that the cowboys are apparently making the move, though.

[Are_grits_groceries]

10. I have no problem with the Rams.

They gave him a chance and he produced. They also treated him with dignity all through his time there.
When Coach Jeff Fisher was asked about what distraction he might be for another team, he said, "None."
The Rams have one of the deepest defensive lines. Practice squads usually hold players for positions where a team is thin. The Cowboys are beyond thin. Other teams could have used him.

Consider this:
12 players had over 2.5 sacks during the preseason. After cutdowns, 10 were on 53 man rosters. One was on a practice squad. Michael Sam was the only one left unsigned until the Cowboys began to show interest.
This is chickenshit cowardice and bigotry.

[dionysus]

6. aww man, that sucks. how well was he playing?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

8. He's been signed to the Dallas Cowboys practice squad

The article is already behind the curve.

[Stallion]

9. He Had 2 1/2 Sacks in the Exhibition Season

I didn't see his games and I'm no expert on his preseason performance but I will say a DE that can sack a QB 10-15 times a season is worth a multi-year multi-million dollar contract. But his lack size does usually limit him to a pass/rush specialist. Dallas had one of the worst defenses in NFL History last year and lost their best 5 defenders so this could be a good situation for him

[davidpdx]

12. The title of the article really seems to infer that there is no doubt Sam wasn't signed to the Rams

because of his sexual preference. I'm not so sure that is true. While Sam is a very versatile player and I'm sure is going to have a great career in the NFL, it's too early to say for sure that was the reason the Rams passed on signing him to play or be on the practice squad.

[justiceischeap]

16. "orientation" not "preference" please

That's like saying you prefer to be gay but could be straight if you so choose. Words matter.

[davidpdx]

18. Ok, I'll try to remember that

[Hemmingway]

13. Jumping the gun a little, are we?

1. Sam got drafted.
2. Sam ended up on a team with a wonderful defense and he didn't make the cut. He just wasn't good enough.
3. Sam got picked to play for the Dallas Cowboys' practice team. That's Dallas, TEXAS -- homophobia? Nope.

Good luck to Sam! Let's hope be improves a little and becomes a terror on the field.

[Are_grits_groceries]

14. No! Nobody was jumping the gun.

Read this column by Mike Freeman:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2183720-michael-sam-not-being-signed-on-the-media-excuse-making-and-homophobia

If not for Jerry Jones, I don't know if anybody would have signed him. Reading Freeman's column and you can see that not signing him to a roster or practice squad in the beginning was way outside of the norm.

The NFL is full of bullshit when it talks about distractions. If they can't handle the media at the beginning, they are a poor excuse for an organization.

I have no problem with the Rams. They treated him with dignity and I believe if they needed more defensive line help, they would have signed him.

[ScreamingMeemie]

19. Have you heard about the owner of the Dallas Cowboys?

I didn't think so.

[The2ndWheel]

15. It'll always be about him being gay

It's not supposed to be, but every side will make it be that way. Easy enough to let the Rams off the hook to some extent since they did draft him, and they're deep at his position. If it was some other team though, and they cut him, it'll always be about homophobia. Whether the team makes the right decision for itself or not, it'll be about that one thing.

If he makes a team, we'll never know if it's all about his talent and performance, or if it's about him being gay.

If he hadn't come out(and plenty of teammates usually know something, even if it's not public, since they spend so much time together), and didn't make a team, nobody outside of football would care. He'd just be another guy. It would be an interesting experiment to see what would happen with Sam in an alternative universe where everything is the same except his public announcement and he tried to make the NFL. You can't get both though, it's one world or the other.

[Boom Sound 416]

17. Anyone who follows the nfl closely knew

He wasn't going to make the Rams or at an extreme long shot at best.


Dallas has signed him to the practice squad for two reasons.

1 they are desperate at the front seven

2 Jerry loves headlines that have his name in them.

That's it.

As for the nfls supposed homophobia.
2 points.

All Sam is, is the first out player. Plenty of gay players have played and their teammates knew it. The media only knows what they get spoon fed. Period.

And 2
No one in the nfl team offices care about anything other than, can you play first and foremost.
They would put Manson on the field if they thought he could get to the quarterback.

Again. Anyone who follows the nfl closely knows this.

[Dreamer Tatum]

20. Suddenly everyone's an NFL talent scout, defensive coordinator, and general manager.

Oh, brother.

I am sorry to have to report this to people, but his sexual identity does not automatically qualify him for
the Hall of Fame.

And if "well, what about his COLLEGE record????" was a valid argument, then why aren't people HOPPING MAD
that Tim Tebow isn't given chances? (Don't bother answering. We all know why.)