Quote:Again, what rock are you hiding under?  The hype around Sam is the main reason he was drafted.  Otherwise, he would have ended up a rookie free agent.  With TV cameras covering his every movement during draft weekend, and then NFL Network and ESPN both literally guilting teams into drafting him by running these packages intended to portray Sam as this heroic figure, there was no way he wasn't going to be drafted. 

 

I contended at the time he came out that it was most likely a ploy to gin up his visibility in the draft in order to assure he would get selected.  I still think that was the intention behind his big announcement.  Otherwise, there was no point.  It wasn't a secret he was gay.  His entire team in college was aware.  Why did he feel compelled to drive the narrative?  Because it was a benefit to him in doing so.

 

If you don't think there would be backlash from a very vocal minority if he's cut by the Rams, you're almost certainly living with your head planted firmly in the sand.  It will be a media circus covering a 7th round cut just like it was a circus covering his selection.

 

The hype around Sam was a mid-round pick. The same way you can assume that he only got drafted due to him coming out is the same way some can argue that the only reason he slid was because he did come out and "became a distraction", as Dungy would refer to his drafting. It's not like Sam was a nobody in college, production wise. Guys who had similar production like that in college who lack some physical attributes (see Dillard, Jarrett) get drafted in the 6th-7th round. To say that the only reason Sam got drafted was because of his announcement screams of the agenda of those who do not agree with him coming out.

 

Everyone in Missou knew about Sam. People at the combine were starting to ask. It was going to come out eventually, so he put it out there so that it came from him, rather than as a rumor mill news break from unknown sources. It is no different than what Ace Sanders did ahead of getting suspended. His story was going to be told regardless, he just preferred that people heard it from him instead of a news blurb.

 

So again, I ask...

 

Why is it that there were more protests in NY for when Brooklyn signed Jason Collins than there is when they let him go? This is not a Tebow-like following. Those who supported Collins didn't support him because they think he had a real shot at making a difference in the NBA, and neither is the case with Sam. It is not about being an MVP or an All-Star appearance, its about acceptance for a group of people (especially young teens) who for the longest time fear that they would not be accepted should they reveal who they are amongst their peers.

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