University of Missouri defensive end Michael Sam became the first openly gay player to be taken in the NFL draft, when the St. Louis Rams selected him in the seventh round, the 249th pick out of 256.
At 6-1, 261 pounds, Sam is considered undersized for his position and not a great fit for the Rams’ 4-3 defense, so he’d have to be considered a long shot to make the team. But still, his high-profile draft selection breaks an awfully important barrier for gay athletes weighing the career implications of coming out of the closet. So kudos to the Rams for using a draft pick to make this statement.
Awesome!
I hadn’t heard of him before he came out, but I don’t really follow college football. But isn’t he pretty good? He might be better than a long shot; in either case, good for the Rams for drafting him.
Also, this post scoops Slog, making HA gayer than Slog a day after the tenth year of HA!
@3 Slog is still gayer than HA. But I follow football.
@4 Don’t let the religious right or any bigot shame you into thinking that you side with the intolerant gay mafia, and that you will be dammed and not go to heaven because you yourself are tolerant of the gays. They want control of your mind and body.
I don’t think that there is one gay person out there that feels he should be on the team just because he is gay, and that it doesn’t matter how he can play. I think the concern with any gay person is that he be excluded from playing just because he is gay, not because he is not good enough.
No one is suggesting that he be on the team even if he can’t perform, but if he performs he shouldn’t be excluded just because he is gay.
Why is it that the bigot is going to say well he isn’t good enough, just because he is gay?
How is this newsworthy?
@7 – only a bigot would feel that it wasn’t newsworthy.
@8 Ladies and gentlemen (whoops thats probably not pc anymore)…I present to you, a prime example of the tolerance of the left.
@7 It’s newsworthy because I deemed it newsworthy. That’s how this blog works.
@9 Would you like some quotes from the Free Republic to see what REAL intolerance looks like?
Some of us on the left are no longer tolerant of the intolerant, it gains us nothing. We will call you on your stupidity as we see fit.
Here is a classic joke a strong conservative told me.
My conservative friend busted out laughing, he thought that was the best joke ever!
You remind me of him.
So not caring about an openly gay football player, automatically makes one a bigot? If you liberals let your skin get any thinner, you are going to need to get to an ER quick.
If the left wants to label me a bigot for a having a nonchalant attitude about gay people and their career choices…I’ll wear that sticker proudly.
@12. But you took the time to write a post, dismissing it on a public message board, and then got all indignant when you are called on it for being a bigoted comment.
You have the right to your opinions. but you don’t have the right to post any damned fool inflammatory thing you want, without consequence or comment.
@13. My post was “inflammatory”?…LOL.