Bettis, Clark support Michael Sam

[flippy]

If he's a good football player who can help the team, then, by all means, draft him...

He looks the right size for a DE to OLB convert...11.5 sacks last season...

It's tough finding football info about the kid, but it looks like 9 of his sacks came against 3 bad teams. So I'm not sure how good he is. But he's already the size of Woodley and Worilds. Why not take a flyer on him on day 3 as an OLB project? He looks fairly athletic in his highlights.

[SidSmythe]

Yeah SHAWN, where's Q'bait??? I think either the Jets, Dolphins or Bills draft him. He'll probably sack Tom Brady 4 times a game, tee hee

[K Train]

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

[flippy]

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

One of the things I heard on the radio today was there may be problems in the locker rooms because teams are predominantly made up of African American males and that group is the least tolerant of homosexuality. Just saying what I heard, not sure if it's true or has any basis in reality.

Maybe it has something to do with African Americans being on the down low. Again, something I'm not really familiar with, but have heard people suggest the numbers are relatively high. No idea what they are, but it does seem like it may be harder to come out of the closet as an African American male and that might be the subtle big deal in all of this.

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

[sick beats]

Read an SI column where they talked to 8 GM's off record whose general consensus was "the league's not ready... the locker rooms aren't evolved enough." Said only a strong owner/veteran coach/ tight locker room would work. Kind of similar to the Mike Vick return situation. With so few teams able to take the guy, somebody could get a 2nd round talent on a 6th or 7th round price tag.

Sad to day, the Vick situation was easier to deal with, on a locker room level, than this is. Players still all call each other "faggots" and the like. It's not a normal work environment. I think it's different from just "knowing" a teammate is gay, vs. it being a known, out-in-the-open fact. If someone is in the closet, they can let the fag comments go by, as, hey, they aren't gay so why would they be offended? Different kettle of fish when it's a known deal.

[SS Laser]

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 can see the religious bigots being a big problem in the NFL. No sure how being uneducated or very educated has any effect? Every one is ignorant about something. This will be a big story just like Te'o then die out I think. I bet there are more then a few gay players in the NFL. There are media women in the locker rooms. As long as he is not hitting or flirting with team mates what is the difference between being in the closet or out? Now I would take a chance on him say a round or 2 late for a kind of steal if he works out. And he might have a big drive to be successful because he is gay and wants to prove he belongs in the NFL. So a high character, highly motivated, and skilled player for a bargain? Sign me up. He might take a few seasons to be ready which is fine as a tweener OLB. Could be a special teams demon only. He will play in the NFL I think. To much potential to let the gay thing interfere. The NFL has all kinds of questionable players for a bunch of reasons. This is just something for Sam to over come. Not unlike many other NFL players.

[phillyesq]

SEC defensive player of the year? Yeah, clearly he can't play...

Mayock also has him in the 3rd - 5th round:

[url]http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/02/10/mike-mayock-thinks-michael-sams-a-3rd-to-5th-rounder/[/url]

[BradshawsHairdresser]

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

Because that's what the media does.

This is professional football. If the kid is a good enough player to make a team, he ought to get his chance. His sexual orientation should have no bearing on it at all. But as long as the media keeps making it a big deal, any team he goes to will be hyper-scrutinized as to how they treat him. And most teams may not want to deal with that.

[sick beats]

It's tough finding football info about the kid, but it looks like 9 of his sacks came against 3 bad teams. So I'm not sure how good he is. But he's already the size of Woodley and Worilds. Why not take a flyer on him on day 3 as an OLB project? He looks fairly athletic in his highlights.

We don't need the distraction. And, in case anyone didn't know it. Pgh isn't the most gay-friendly town. Not to be too cliche, but SF is where he would fit best.

[feltdizz]

Sad to day, the Vick situation was easier to deal with, on a locker room level, than this is. Players still all call each other "faggots" and the like. It's not a normal work environment. I think it's different from just "knowing" a teammate is gay, vs. it being a known, out-in-the-open fact. If someone is in the closet, they can let the fag comments go by, as, hey, they aren't gay so why would they be offended? Different kettle of fish when it's a known deal.

Vick fought dogs and most athletes aren't going to be all that offended by that.

[feltdizz]

One of the things I heard on the radio today was there may be problems in the locker rooms because teams are predominantly made up of African American males and that group is the least tolerant of homosexuality. Just saying what I heard, not sure if it's true or has any basis in reality.

Maybe it has something to do with African Americans being on the down low. Again, something I'm not really familiar with, but have heard people suggest the numbers are relatively high. No idea what they are, but it does seem like it may be harder to come out of the closet as an African American male and that might be the subtle big deal in all of this.

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

This is such a weird debate... the church pastor in black communities use the bible to shout down homosexuals then ask the obviously gay choir director to start the next song.

The black community/black men have been dealing with gays in our family and friends circles for years but you are correct about the down low theory. The loudest ones against homosexuality tends to be the ones who get caught in the act.

[SS Laser]

We don't need the distraction. And, in case anyone didn't know it. Pgh isn't the most gay-friendly town. Not to be too cliche, but SF is where he would fit best.

Well your point my be true as far as the fans. But the locker room may be the worst for him. We don't know that. I don't think it matters at all as far as the fans go. It is the team that matters I think.

[Sugar]

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

Where there's smoke, there's usually a smoke machine. This has a lot of people talking football when they could be talking about BB or the Olympics. This story might just get some people to pull their eyes away from the Olympic coverage.

[feltdizz]

Where there's smoke, there's usually a smoke machine. This has a lot of people talking football when they could be talking about BB or the Olympics. This story might just get some people to pull their eyes away from the Olympic coverage.

Its just another story to fill a 24hr news cycle.... it will be old news by next week.

Probably a good idea to put it out there before the combine, especially if he is predicted to be a middle rounder.

I think this is more of that Macklemore, yay gay, stuff thats been popular the last year or 2. We don't care about the sex these guys have after games... its only popular because the powers tha be wants us to embrace all things gay.

[Ernie]

Its just another story to fill a 24hr news cycle.... it will be old news by next week.

Probably a good idea to put it out there before the combine, especially if he is predicted to be a middle rounder.

I think this is more of that Macklemore, yay gay, stuff thats been popular the last year or 2. We don't care about the sex these guys have after games... its only popular because the powers tha be wants us to embrace all things gay.

exactly...