Quote:Again, what rock are you living under?
The Jason Collins situation is irrelevant. When the NBA has the same level of fan interest as the NFL, let me know. The story flashed, then quickly subsided as the media attention went elsewhere.
Sam coming out sparked a reality show on the Oprah Network. That's why the cameras were there when he celebrated his selection as a 7th round player. You are certainly entitled to believe the party line that he only came out in the most grand way possible by announcing it on national television because he wanted to head off the rumor mongering. He could have very easily done the same thing quietly by confirming it if asked by teams at the combine. By doing it in such a visual way, I tend to think he was just trying to get enough of the spotlight to raise his potential draft stock. In the end, he was drafted, and there was a distinct possibility coming into the draft that he was going to be a rookie free agent.
To say the potential doesn't exist where he could be considered a distraction is bogus. The Rams saw this as well, and pretty much shut down his reality show once he was on the team. Clearly they saw that as a potential distraction. As players are asked on a daily basis about playing with a gay guy because the media is so overly infatuated with such things, they're going to be put in a position where it could also become a distraction, especially; when you're talking about a guy who's a 7th round pick.
To think the potential doesn't exist in the current climate is just bogus.
To say that Jason Collins is irrelevant in discussing Michael Sam is as ridiculous a comment I have ever read in this boards.
There is no other comparison that you can make in Sam's case BUT Collins.
You're also contradicting yourself. You claim that Sam was only drafted because he came out, then also state that the Rams see some of the things attached to him as distractions (as Dungy referred to them). If that's the case, then isn't it more likely that coming out ACTUALLY hurt Sam's stock? If him coming out was going to be viewed by teams as a distraction, then isn't it more reason for an athlete NOT to come out?
And that's where this comes back to....that's why no prominent athlete has ever come out of the closet...until now.
For whatever reason, there's this connotation in doing so. I mean, seriously, pray tell....
Why do you automatically assume a negative agenda to Sam coming out? Why can't it be that he just wanted to come out? To tell his story? To inspire kids and teens that it's OK to be open about how you really are?
Why does it have to be that "oh he came out. He must be trying to get some special benefit from it"?
