mike freeman @mikefreemanNFL 1m BREAKING: Bleacher Report will have more soon on the brave decision of Missouri's Michael Sam to come out as gay.
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mike freeman @mikefreemanNFL 1m BREAKING: Bleacher Report will have more soon on the brave decision of Missouri's Michael Sam to come out as gay.
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Array title="GBMelBlount has a reputation beyond repute">
Brave?
I really don't see what the big deal is.
"With love, with patience, and with Faith
....She'll make her way" ~ Natalie Merchant
I see it as dumb ...Originally Posted by GBMelBlount
here is why , he would have been drafted late second to mid 4th dependent on combine results and interview process final grading etc ....
now many of the teams that would have been interested could be taking him off their boards do to team chemistry and locker room concerns ....
what coming out did for him ... cleared his conscience where he no longer has to hide his feelings but at the cost of draft stock and money where as he could have waited till mid May and came out without the negative impact on his earning potential ....
just my opinion
Array title="GBMelBlount has a reputation beyond repute">
Maybe San Francisco will trade up for him.
"With love, with patience, and with Faith
....She'll make her way" ~ Natalie Merchant
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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200...draft-prospect
kid made life a whole bunch tougher on himself , but at the end of the day it was a courageous act to come clean especially knowing the fallout and potential cost
Dolphins all the way. I'm sure Wallace and Incognito will make him feel really welcome...
this has totally consumed Twitter ( most of whom I follow is sport people ) and EVERYBODY has to say something , then 10 more somethings , then the retweets ... I had to close the window mind is numb from reading the same dozen basic comments over and over and over again ....
how much can really be said , its pretty cut n dry ... The man is gay , he came out an now nfl teams will have to decide if he is draftable for their organization the end ....
now he is a hero , a equal rights champion , an everything else under the sun .... STOP he is none of that ( but they will try and convince you he is ) ...
he is a man , he plays football , and he is gay ... THE END
I don't think its a big deal for nfl teams, there are already gay players on teams and there have been gay players on teams for awhile now. I have not heard of any instance of a guy being gay destroying a locker room. As far as him making it tougher on himself by coming out I do not agree, Im sure its much tougher and more degrading to have to hide who you really are.
Array title="zulater has a reputation beyond repute">
All I can say is it wouldn't bother me if the Steelers drafted him at a point when he was a good value pick. I don't think it would disrupt the locker room either.
I will say this though. If this guy is a marginal prospect, a guy who may or may not make the roster, then a lot of teams will stay away from him. Because no coach will want to be put in the position of cutting the gay guy. Because instead of looking at it as the team who gave him an opportunity it will be twisted by the activists as cutting him because he was gay.
Last edited by zulater; 02-10-2014 at 07:27 AM.
"A man's got to know his limitations."
Read more: NFL Prospect Michael Sam Proudly Says What Teammates Knew: He’s GayMr. Sam, a senior who was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 260 pounds, had a stellar season as Missouri finished 12-2 and won the Cotton Bowl. He was a first-team all-American and was named the Associated Press defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference, widely considered the top league in college football.
Yeah, with those credentials there's really no question that if he legitimately washes out, the team/coach that cuts him is going to catch a TON of shit for it. Unless this kid looks to be the next Reggie White or Bruce Smith, I don't think I'd pull the trigger for that reason.
its not just that he is gay and will pose a locker room issue with many players ( showers etc ) but his football ability ...
he has great stats that got him to the status he has achieved but much of those stats IMO are inflated as they came against inferior opponents ( like 8 sacks in 3 games worth ) he is also a " tweener " not big enough to play DE in the NFL in any scheme to big for LB in the 4-3 and IMO to slow of a first step to be effective as an OLB in the 3-4 ....
couple that with a poor showing at LB in senior bowl practices where he looked lost in space and if I am honest his draft projections are inflated and he easily could be a bust regardless of his sexual preference ....
Team will take pause , then look over that tape again an really start to find flaws in his game ... I see his draft stock falling dramatically and he could go undrafted or as a late round flyer as the microscopes are now out with 32 teams
Here's what I think... Good for him for coming out and admitting that he is gay. He should be allowed to play football, regardless of whether he likes men or women. I think that this could hurt him a little in the draft because I think some teams could see this as possibly being an issue in their locker room which I do understand where they are coming from. I also think there will be certain players who will cause problems and say things to him to upset him. He will be drafted by a team and I think it will be a well organized and run team. I wouldn't mind drafting him in the later rounds; as long as he does his job and doesn't cause any issues. Of course, I hope for this from everyone who is drafted by this team.
I have listed Sam in some of my mocks. ( because he has specific skills that the steelers will look at in a DE / OLB)
It took me 5 minutes of scouting Michael Sam's body of work to find out he was gay.
It took a further 5 minutes to find out that he was a team leader and well respected player in the Missouri program.
You scout film on him and he is like many DE conversion OLB prospects.
Decent first step
Good speed rush
Can get to the sideline in pursuit
Needs to work on his coverage and run stopping when making the conversion from DE
He had a monster start to the college season leading the sack total at the midpoint until teams started keying in on him more.
IF he had continued that pace for the entire season you have someone comparable to Jarvis Jones.
He looks like a football player.
Realistic option in the 3rd or 4th round.
Scouts and teams draft pot smokers, petty criminals, suspected rapists and all round bad people. Still drafted despite bad character. Michael Sam does not have bad character nor should homosexuality be grouped as a bad character trait.
Realistic scenario: steelers need a OLB. In the mid rounds do I chose Prince Shembo or Michael Sam. Suspected rapist or homosexual.
I identify the better player and factor in their intangibles.
This subject ( sexual preference) matter should be a non factor.
"NUMBER 7 FOR OUR BELOVED ONE IN HEAVEN"
Array title="ALLD has a reputation beyond repute">
He should play soccer.
All Defense!
Array title="Godfather has a brilliant future">
He should have stayed in the closet and married a Victoria's Secret model for show.
ahha a page out of Tom Brady's book
Array title="vader29 has a reputation beyond repute">
Array title="SteelerFanInStl has a reputation beyond repute">
Excellent post Aussie. Michael Sam is a Hell of a football player and, by all accounts, a great teammate. That's all that should matter.
Living in MO, I've watched him in almost every game this year. He's a tweener, but the guy's got a great motor and he makes plays. He can get after the QB.
I'm sure that his announcement will drop his draft stock but I'd love to see him in Black & Gold.
am I the ONLY 1 that thinks his first step is to slow to be a consistent force as a OLB ?
he also needs more moves but thats an entirely different issue and much more correctable so I won't hold that against him
Array title="Count Steeler has a reputation beyond repute">
One way for a mid round draft prospect to get the limelight.
If he is BPA, take him. If not, pass. Oh, he is gay? Who cares?
Array title="zulater has a reputation beyond repute">
I don't know if any of Sam's Missouri teammates are potential draft prospects or not? But if there are it might be worth nudging them up a smidgen for character. For that team to sit on that news all year without anyone going blabbing to a reporter or posting it on twitter of facebook is impressive in this day and age.
"A man's got to know his limitations."
James Franklin late round or UDFA
Henry Josey late round or UDFA
L'Damian Washington ( love this kid ) but probably a late round prospect
Justin Britt Mid / late round
Kony Ealy First rounder
Andrew Wilson UDFA
E.J. Gaines mid rounder
From my eyes when comparing Michael Sam and Kony Ealy there are notable differences in their first step.
Ealy is your typical big first step.
Sam has a much smaller first step.
They get off the LOS together but Ealy looks like he is deeper into the backfield than Sam.
Sam looks noticeably different, more of a short strider.
I would even go as far to say that Sam has a slight bow in his legs.
A guy his size is going to have to win the leverage battle from underneath. Short, sharp steps can work for you in that scenario.
In all honesty I think he looks like he is a player more than an athlete. His brain may compensate for .1 or .2 of a second in a 40 time.
"NUMBER 7 FOR OUR BELOVED ONE IN HEAVEN"
Scouting downunder . o0
"It comes with the Territory" - Floyd 'Money' Mayweather
Always looking up is a great perspective, unless you are totally kept in the dark.
Loads of Innuendo {In u end ooooooh}
"NUMBER 7 FOR OUR BELOVED ONE IN HEAVEN"
Array title="vader29 has a reputation beyond repute">
this is taking it to far ... in a free society when you can no longer speak your opinion it makes you rethink the term " free society "
they are all for publicizing those who are ok with it but by god do not speak against it , seems to me that is dead wrong of the league ... not everyone will agree , not everyone will be accepting to squelch the opposers while advertising the supporters is a false persona they are feeding the public ...
it pisses me off , I could care less if he is gay , if he is heterosexual or if he is into some other off the wall sexual preference not yet defined by mankind because in no way does it affect me ... but people he could potentially be team and locker room mates with should not be squelched with fines for having an opinion , and opinion that would better help teams define if he is or is not a fit for their locker room
it is not for me to Judge Michael Sam as a person , that will be done at a much higher level than any of us are capable of achieving so the record is clear I am not downing him , nor am I trying to make a hero of him like some clearly have in the media
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200...l-sam-comments
Your still free to express your opinion nobody is going to arrest you for being anti gay.
its not about me , its about players ( CFL , NFL ) and like I said , he can be mechanical sexual or some goofy shit I could care less it wont affect me , all I am concerned with is can he play football at the level that will be expected from him in the NFL or not , will he fit in , in the locker room or will it be a team distraction ( and I do not believe there is 1 set answer to that as each team has a different makeup )
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