He's the first?

[Gob]

American footballer Michael Sam, who aims to become the NFL's first openly gay player, has won praise from First Lady Michelle Obama.



The 24-year-old former University of Missouri athlete revealed his sexuality on Sunday.

Mrs Obama took to Twitter to call Sam "an inspiration to all of us".

The National Football League has also welcomed the defensive lineman's announcement, saying Sam has "honesty and courage".

Mrs Obama said of Sam: "We couldn't be prouder of your courage both on and off the field."

[Gob]

I think I see why now...

"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."

All the NFL personnel members interviewed believed that Sam's announcement will cause him to drop in the draft. He was projected between the third and seventh rounds prior to the announcement. The question is: How far will he fall?

"I just know with this going on this is going to drop him down," said a veteran NFL scout. "There's no question about it. It's human nature. Do you want to be the team to quote-unquote 'break that barrier?'"


An NFL assistant coach called Sam's decision "not a smart move," as he said it "legitimately affects [his] potential earnings." It wasn't lost on the NFL executives that former NBA player Jason Collins, who came out last April in a Sports Illustrated story, hasn't been signed by an NBA team this year.

"You shouldn't have to live your life in secrecy," the assistant coach said, "but do you really want to be the top of the conversation for everything without ever having played a down in this league?"



Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/colleg ... z2sycFEOoD

He sounds like a good bloke..

"I endured so much in my past: seeing my older brother killed from a gunshot wound, not knowing that my oldest sister died when she was a baby and I never got the chance to meet her. My second oldest brother went missing in 1998, and me and my little sister were the last ones to see him ... my other two brothers have been in and out of jail since 8th grade, currently both in jail.

"Telling the world I'm gay is nothing compared to that."

[MajGenl.Meade]

All the NFL personnel members interviewed believed that Sam's announcement will cause him to drop in the draft. He was projected between the third and seventh rounds prior to the announcement. The question is: How far will he fall?

Close to the bottom probably

Perhaps a serious question though. If men's and women's locker rooms (baths, showers, toilets) are separate facilities because one group doesn't want the other group ogling their private parts, should homosexual players have separate (but equal) facilities if other players don't like the idea of that person ogling their private parts? Let's say "viewing" rather than "ogling" perhaps - I don't want to overemphasise a word.

I'm not sure I understand why the cases should be different since the entire male/female thing is based on sexual issues (if not, gender would be as irrelevant as it is in oh say radio and TV quiz shows). If this "viewing" is not an issue, then should not we do away with separate ablution facilities entirely?

[rubato]

All the NFL personnel members interviewed believed that Sam's announcement will cause him to drop in the draft. He was projected between the third and seventh rounds prior to the announcement. The question is: How far will he fall?

Close to the bottom probably

I doubt it. He is a standout player and NFL teams all have a powerful incentive to get the best players they can. This is very late in the history of 'coming out' I suspect that there won't be much to it.

Perhaps a serious question though. If men's and women's locker rooms (baths, showers, toilets) are separate facilities because one group doesn't want the other group ogling their private parts, should homosexual players have separate (but equal) facilities if other players don't like the idea of that person ogling their private parts? Let's say "viewing" rather than "ogling" perhaps - I don't want to overemphasise a word.

I'm not sure I understand why the cases should be different since the entire male/female thing is based on sexual issues (if not, gender would be as irrelevant as it is in oh say radio and TV quiz shows). If this "viewing" is not an issue, then should not we do away with separate ablution facilities entirely?

We had unisex bathrooms in the dorms at UCSC dating from the mid-70s. Not an issue, except for the parents when they dropped their kids off for the first time.

yrs,
rubato

[oldr_n_wsr]

I think the media coverage that will descend on whatever team picks him will present more of a problem than him being gay.

[Big RR]

I think you're right oldr; and that coverage will continue to haunt him for a time. It's hard enough to be a rookie in the NFL without the press using you as a standard bearer for something; every mistake will be front page news. I hope he can stand up to it.

[MajGenl.Meade]

All the NFL personnel members interviewed believed that Sam's announcement will cause him to drop in the draft. He was projected between the third and seventh rounds prior to the announcement. The question is: How far will he fall?

Close to the bottom probably

I doubt it. He is a standout player and NFL teams all have a powerful incentive to get the best players they can. This is very late in the history of 'coming out' I suspect that there won't be much to it.

Perhaps a serious question though. If men's and women's locker rooms (baths, showers, toilets) are separate facilities because one group doesn't want the other group ogling their private parts, should homosexual players have separate (but equal) facilities if other players don't like the idea of that person ogling their private parts? Let's say "viewing" rather than "ogling" perhaps - I don't want to overemphasise a word.

I'm not sure I understand why the cases should be different since the entire male/female thing is based on sexual issues (if not, gender would be as irrelevant as it is in oh say radio and TV quiz shows). If this "viewing" is not an issue, then should not we do away with separate ablution facilities entirely?

We had unisex bathrooms in the dorms at UCSC dating from the mid-70s. Not an issue, except for the parents when they dropped their kids off for the first time.

yrs,
rubato

1. I guess that was over someone's head
2. You took showers together? What I missed by not going to UCSC

[rubato]

1. No "close to the bottom" was the kind of humor more appreciated by people from the UK who can be endlessly amused by anal references; probably a reflection of the whole 'public school'* culture.


yrs,
rubato

* Meaning the opposite of what it does here.

[MajGenl.Meade]

endlessly amused