Missouri senior DL Michael Sam has admitted that he is in fact gay and doesn’t have a problem about his sexuality. In the world we live in today some people still oppose homosexuality, but a lot of society has been open to change in society. Michael is not the first athlete to go public about his sexuality; NBA basketball player Jason Collins admitted to the media last year that he was gay. Collins became the first basketball player to come out. Collins have been very supportive with Michael’s decision to come out and is very excited for the team that will draft him.
The reactions surrounding this matter throughout the league vary. Former WR Patrick Crayton thinks that Michael’s idea will haunt him in the near future.“A lot of people are mad because I said there goes the NFL,” Crayton tweeted. “I say that because now this young man is (going) to get all the wrong attention for his sexual choice and a lot of players and execs will get asked about playing with a gay guy and they are going to have to lie about how they really feel.“
Crayton continued with several more tweets, “This young man will come in with notoriety for announcing his sexual choice more then his ability to play the game he loves. This will be a major thing in football for years to come. So for all u guys cussing at me and calling me a bigot, a–hole or whatever, know where (expletive) I’m coming from before u do what u hate others to do when a situation like this is announced!”
“I think we’re still, as a society, we’re growing from it,” said Antonio Pierce, former all-Pro linebacker and team captain with the New York Giants, on ESPN on Monday. “So just to sit there and say that the NFL right away is going to adapt and open arms, I don’t think that’s the case, that’s not reality. Guys are scared to say the truth, because they don’t want the backlash.”
“One of the more compelling developments in terms of the issues around homophobia and the way in which LGBT athletes and employees are treated within sports settings, is how much of that change is being driven by the younger generation, who, in their world view, none of this makes any sense to them,” says Ellen Staurowksy, professor of sports management at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Michael may get a lot of backlash from critics and players for his announcement. Last season we have seen the bullying affect from players that were associated with the Miami Dolphins just because a player was different. Will Michael be able to handle that type of pressure along with performing at his best?
“I came to tell the world that I’m an openly, proud gay man,” Sam said today in interviews with ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” and the New York Times. “I want to own my truth,” he told Connelly. “Two weeks ago at The Senior Bowl I didn’t realize how many people actually knew, and I was afraid that someone would tell or leak something out about me or tell a story. I just wanted to control the situation and tell my story.”
He said he hopes ” That they see not just a gay athlete, but they can see an athlete who knows how to play the game.”
In a word where race, gender, sexuality, and nationality is still existent will the league be ready for an “openly” man to come to work without being scrutinize for the way he is. “I don’t think football is ready for [an openly gay player] just yet,” said an NFL player personnel assistant. “In the coming decade or two, it’s going to be acceptable, but at this point in time it’s still a man’s-man game. To call somebody a [gay slur] is still so commonplace. It’d chemically imbalance an NFL locker room and meeting room.”
If Michael is selected he will become the first “openly” male to play the game and football. If this does happen the game off football will be forever change. More players would use Michael Sam as a guide to be themselves and be proud of who they are. Michael is just one player that admits it time for him to come out and shine the light on his game and not his personal life.
In the meanwhile several teams and players have begun to tweet their interest and or support in having Sam join their rosters. No matter what gets stirred up between now and May, come draft time, it will boil down to what he can do for a team on the field. Off the field, he will pave the way for others to find the courage and comfort to be who they are no matter what they do for a living.
