Bettis, Clark support Michael Sam

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

This reminds me more of last year's Te'o situation than anything else. Te'o was considered a first rounder in a inside backer weak draft. It was even thought that he could have gone in the teens. He went early second (38th), and I'm sure that a lot of the slide had to do with teams not wanting to be a part of that circus - and that was for a guy considered first round talent.

In Sam you have a player who is considered a third-fourth rounder prior to this. There will be a lot of teams who do not want to put up with that kind of attention surrounding a player who might not be expected to produce as much. Call it the Tebow effect.

I can only see him being drafted before the end of the fourth by a team craving that attention. A team who would grab him more for the spotlight than for the player. If a first round talent dropped 10-20 spots, I would expect at least a full round or two for someone not rated as high who brings so much attention with him.

[feltdizz]

This reminds me more of last year's Te'o situation than anything else. Te'o was considered a first rounder in a inside backer weak draft. It was even thought that he could have gone in the teens. He went early second (38th), and I'm sure that a lot of the slide had to do with teams not wanting to be a part of that circus - and that was for a guy considered first round talent.

In Sam you have a player who is considered a third-fourth rounder prior to this. There will be a lot of teams who do not want to put up with that kind of attention surrounding a player who might not be expected to produce as much. Call it the Tebow effect.

I can only see him being drafted before the end of the fourth by a team craving that attention. A team who would grab him more for the spotlight than for the player. If a first round talent dropped 10-20 spots, I would expect at least a full round or two for someone not rated as high who brings so much attention with him.

The problem with this is Teo was considered a top 15 pick due to his story....

He ended up going to SD and we didnt hear a peep out of him all season.

I think the same thing will happen to this kid. KC or St. Louis wil draft him and the media will move on.

[thor75]

Ive been racking my brain all day wondering why the media is making such a big deal out of this really.

Probably has a lot to do with the nfl locker room culture that has been in the spotlight recently with the Martin/Incognito situation. Just a hot topic right now for the media.

[steelsnis]

This is such bs. All of these arguments, "it'll be a distraction" "teammates won't be comfortable" "negative fan reaction" etc, are EXACTLY what was said in the past about African American athletes integrating into MLB and NFL locker rooms.

If he fits your team and scheme, and he's available in the round you have him targeted, draft the guy. A strong coach and strong team leaders will make sure there aren't any real locker room issues. If your team is so weak and so lacking in leadership that drafting an openly gay player will tear you apart, then you've got bigger problems than that.

[birtikidis]

I think the only reason we wouldn't draft him is that I don't see him being an OLB that can do more than contribute as a special teamer. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

1) I doubt he gets drafted, if he does someone might get a steal
2) I think he ends up in Canada...where tony washington is currently dominating. He was the one that had sex with his sister when he was 15 and got slapped with the sex offender title. Went undrafted but has made a great career in toronto
3) Not saying being gay = banging your sister, but there is a stigma that teams wont want to have to be the one to deal with. From the outside, as well as in the locker room.
4) Sure, a lot of players will be ok with it...but a lot wont. A lot are very religious, and a lot are very uneducated and ignorant
5) The BIGGEST problem in my opinion is that if hes drafted in the 4th or 5th round and gets cut (happens ALL time time), there will be nonstop questions on whether it was because hes gay or not. You draft him you have be be absolutely sure theres a place for him in the locker room and a spot for him to make an impact on the field because cutting him early in his career is a PR nightmare given the circumstances

Theres been gay players in all sports forever, but Mike Sam needs be be a successful one or hes just going to be the "proof" that gays are too girly to play in the league, or too soft, or dont have what it takes. sad but true

I'm not sure what to make of that part about being religious ... being "very religious" doesn't mean you are anti-gay, being anti-gay means you are anti-gay. Being religious means you love everyone (in a religious sense!), regardless of that other stuff.

And all this locker room "I'd sure like to think it would like to think it would work, but shucks, give it time, we're just not ready yet ...", sounds like total BS and prejudice by the owners or managers or whoever made those statements, on at least two counts: one, the experiment was done, it has *already* worked in the locker room, the one he's been a part of for the last year or two. Second, it sounds an awful lot like what the Jim Crow politicians said in the late '50s and early'60s about the black civil rights movement ... "What's their hurry, sure they'll get equality in time, don't they understand it'll be better for *everyone* if it just happened at a slower pace?".

I say: if some team (GM/owner/coach) thinks he's a good fit to help them win the Superbowl - draft him, and let the word go forth that any player that gets in the way of managements plans to win a Superbowl because they can't deal with a gay guy in the shower will be on the street in 10 minutes.

As far as I've heard, the white guy in the foxhole is pretty happy to have a black guy helping him shoot bad guys. "Just sayin!".

[Shoe]

Exactly, Philly. Kiper and the cohorts had him going in the 3rd round at the highest. I wonder if this wasn't a move for Sam to hope to get taken earlier due to way more attention getting paid on him. Maybe he thinks if teams take a closer look someone might take him earlier than he would have gone otherwise.

You think someone would choose to be scrutinized to the nth degree in his personal life, in the hope of getting drafted, I don't know... one or two rounds earlier in a football draft???

[Slapstick]

“We talked about it this week,” the GM said. “First of all, we don’t think he’s a very good player. The reality is he’s an overrated football player in our estimation...

...because he just came out.

[K Train]

...because he just came out.

Maybe that entire comment would hold a little water if they were man enough to attach a name to it, but thats the business.

Hes an ok player, doesnt exactly profile to the pros as well as his SEC player of the year would indicate (happens all the time) but it will be interesting to follow now, its being absolutely beaten to death a day into the announcement. Draft time will just be kiper and mayock spewing garbage then saying "back to you _____ for Mike Sam watch"

Someone on the radio said Sam "admitted" he was gay, thats the spin they want to put on it...like the NFL treats him as if hes actually guilty of doing something

[flippy]

Kinda curious, if someone slaps Sam's butt, is that harassment?