Teams won't draft him because he has high bust potential, as all undersized college defensive lineman do who have to transition to linebacker in the pros. But you can't just bury him on the bench or outright cut him due to the PR consequences, at least not in his first couple years. That makes him a very risky pick.

2/11/2014 4:44:32 PM

^I don't think I agree with the points about you not being able to cut or bench him. With him coming out before being drafted, the team will have knowingly drafted a gay player. If they later choose to cut or bench him for performance reasons, how could any sane person attribute that to his sexual preference?

Now, had he been drafted and THEN came out... you could possibly make that argument, regardless of whether it's true or not.

2/11/2014 5:07:33 PM

I lol'd

Quote :

"The entire concept of male camaraderie practically survives off of latent homosexual behavior, anyway. So I don't really see the big fucking deal, here."

2/11/2014 6:15:26 PM

Because there's a big difference in calling your buddy a faggot and your buddy actually being a faggot.

2/11/2014 6:17:40 PM

Quote :

"Sam's father took the news hard. He said he was eating at a Denny's restaurant but had to leave after receiving the text. "I couldn't eat no more, so I went to Applebee's to have drinks," Sam Sr. told the newspaper."

2/11/2014 7:01:55 PM

Quote :

"Because there's a big difference in calling your buddy a faggot and your buddy actually being a faggot."

It's true. Locker room games of grab ass just aren't as macho or masculine when a homo is involved. Little Timmy just won't enjoy his usual towel snapping anymore now that a gay might be in the locker.


Maybe all of those guys in the locker room who feel nervous should go have a bros night out at Applebees to help cope with their mixed emotions.

2/11/2014 8:23:41 PM

Bros night of appletinis and manicures

2/11/2014 8:25:59 PM

breaking news: alpha male pro athletes aren't as accepting of homosexuals as you and your progressive friends, even in 2014

2/11/2014 8:28:48 PM

which is exactly why this is a big deal

once exposed, opinions tend to change

gotta start somewhere

2/11/2014 8:30:32 PM

Those alpha males are probably some of the gayest dudes in the locker room, anyway, so who gives a shit.

2/11/2014 8:38:55 PM

imo, he will need to make a pro bowl or something for things to change even a little bit

then maybe one day in the future, pro players will stop making locker room jokes about other players' wives and kids and appearances, etc

2/11/2014 8:39:12 PM

why?

2/11/2014 8:52:34 PM

TO PROVE THAT HE AIN'T NO LIMP WRISTED DANDY!



Ain't but two ways to be a man, junior. Either fuck a bunch of ladies, or fuck up a bunch of dudes. This here America, goddamit.

2/11/2014 9:01:27 PM

JHC keeps acting like he's gonna rationalize with pro athletes who get paid millions to concuss each other

i just don't think the culture of NFL players will fully embrace a homosexual player as an equal unless he is All Pro caliber on the field

[Edited on February 11, 2014 at 9:03 PM. Reason : whether its right or wrong]

2/11/2014 9:02:16 PM

at the most basic level they're still humans, though

and if there are a few homophobes in each lockerroom who realize "oh wait, they're just a regular human, not an evil sub-human like I thought", that represents change

2/11/2014 9:05:19 PM

but if you're just an average player, gay or straight, you're basically sub-human in that culture

a homosexual player on the practice squad isn't gonna change shit. an All Pro might.

I would argue that the text message exchange we saw between Incognito and Martin isn't a rarity as far as opinions of NFL players. And I'd argue they're not gonna completely change their mindset because they have a gay teammate. Unless he is a superstar.

[Edited on February 11, 2014 at 9:09 PM. Reason : .]

2/11/2014 9:08:23 PM

I'm not disagreeing with you. I just find it amusing that the ones the most concerned about this are likely the ones who are most likely to participate in borderline gay locker room games.

You can't tell me that Tim Hardaway never thought about getting soapy with Chris Mullen or Alonzo Mourning. I promise you that dude took a glance at Ronny Seikleys package at least one in his career.

2/11/2014 9:08:59 PM

I hear that. I just think it's a lot easier to convince average people like us to accept homosexuality into every day life, than elite professional athletes.

But I do think there are plenty of racists and bigots on NFL teams, that will much more willingly accept a player of another race or background if they are making big plays and helping their team win.

[Edited on February 11, 2014 at 9:13 PM. Reason : .]

2/11/2014 9:11:47 PM

Quote :

" But I do think there are plenty of racists and bigots on NFL teams, that will much more willingly accept a player of another race or background if they are making big plays and helping their team win. "

I doubt that. Most likely, they'll just accept that individual person as "one of the good ones" while applying their backwards ass thinking to the rest of the community. Because that's what bigots do.. if someone is still racist in the NFL today, then there's no helping the sorry bastards.

2/11/2014 9:31:29 PM

Racism and homophobia aren't dead. ESPECIALLY in a place with a bunch of entitled alpha males like the NFL.

But most racists, or homophobes, or people who don't like murderous felons, are much more likely to accept someone of another race, or sexuality, or murderer, if they help them win championships.

2/11/2014 9:39:49 PM

What's really going on here is that late 20, 30-something year old posters on an internet forum are trying to make themselves out to be macho by claiming expertise on pro locker rooms from their experience in high school locker rooms 15-20 years ago. A lot has changed.

A lot of people have moved on. You're still wearing jorts and frayed college caps with a hook on them.

2/16/2014 11:05:51 AM

I'm personally just going off what numerous pro athletes have recently said about the culture of pro locker rooms

I'll take their word for it

2/16/2014 11:12:17 AM

Cause I'm pretty sure we've seen a lot of guys either say nothing about it or stick up for him in the past week.

But post your proof, dude.

2/16/2014 11:13:42 AM

How am I going to post what current and former pro athletes have said on sports talk radio?

again, just because you're progressive doesn't mean your average NFL athlete is

[Edited on February 16, 2014 at 11:59 AM. Reason : .]

2/16/2014 11:51:20 AM

If it's noteworthy, some shitty blog has it. Or the station has a recording of it. You could just point us there instead of being your usual dense self.

This has nothing to do with my personal views and is mostly based off the reactions of the couple people I know who actually do play or have played pro or college sports, plus the reactions that have been covered this week. Once again, a lot of you people assume that only liberals or whatever will be accepting of this. Most people no longer give a shit no matter what they identify as politically (like, for instance, Richie fucking Incognito, who said he didn't care), save a few vocal morons.

[Edited on February 16, 2014 at 12:11 PM. Reason : Lots of "locker room experts" wearing jorts itt]

2/16/2014 12:08:34 PM

lol at using Richie Incognito as an example

If he says he doesn't care, I'm sure he's telling the truth. Athletes never tow the company line and give politically correct answers that they don't mean.

And what makes you such an expert on pro locker rooms? Do your jorts give you more knowledge?

[Edited on February 16, 2014 at 12:16 PM. Reason : .]

2/16/2014 12:15:01 PM

http://www.ksdk.com/story/sports/2014/02/15/mizzou-westboro-baptist-church-protest-michael-sam/5518111/

2/17/2014 12:35:35 AM

i hate those guys so much.

2/17/2014 1:06:58 AM

Hate is too strong a word. Why would you 'hate' an entity like the wbc? Hate should be reserved for the worst of the worst, like al qaeda, or the UNC.

2/17/2014 3:11:16 AM

Quote :

"Most people no longer give a shit no matter what they identify as politically (like, for instance, Richie fucking Incognito, who said he didn't care"

read the Weiss report and the text messages between him and martin. Incognito bashed the shit out of a fellow lineman everyone thought was gay, and even the coaching staff jumped in on the hazing. Incognito may be a bad example because he doesn't have a filter and hazed everyone, but the examples from the rest of the teammates and coaching staff speak otherwise.

2/17/2014 9:17:36 AM

Seems like a one year wonder and it looks like it will be difficult to switch to LB in pros for him.

2/17/2014 9:18:16 AM

Most athletes are progressive liberals and have no issues with a gay guy in their locker room. We're living in the '10s!

2/17/2014 9:37:07 AM

I think it's fair to say that in order for one to be tolerant, they don't have to be a progressive liberal

also, this:

http://www.thewire.com/culture/2014/02/thankfully-not-all-anonymous-nfl-surveys-are-homophobic-michael-sam-gay/358178/

2/17/2014 1:50:23 PM

the majority. good for them.

2/17/2014 2:32:29 PM

^^that study proves what the executives are saying. If 86% are ok with it, then 14% or approximately 8 people on the roster won't be. It's also kind of dumb to say that 86% of players are OK with a gay teammate but only 75% of them would be comfortable in the showers around one. If 15 people on your roster aren't comfortable showering with the guy, then it's no wonder the top executives see this as a potential problem.

2/17/2014 9:32:18 PM

Can someone explain to me the shower thing? Like what do they think is going to happen?

2/17/2014 9:59:28 PM

it's fucking ridiculous that people are even attempting to make it an issue

especially considering that there has never been an incident of any kind

[Edited on February 17, 2014 at 10:49 PM. Reason : but people tend to grasp at straws when they don't really have an argument]

2/17/2014 10:43:49 PM

I'm gonna need Wyld Stallyn's opinion before I can make up my mind

2/17/2014 11:24:05 PM

^^dude, the study you posted basically said 1 in 4 players aren't comfortable showering with a gay guy.

We're not talking about ideals and how it should be. Nobody's arguing that this should be an issue. Most people agree it shouldn't be an issue. We're just accepting reality, as demonstrated by the study you posted: some athletes will have issues with (open) gays in their locker room. I don't even understand why you're trying to argue that, except that you so badly want to be tolerant that you're trying to project it on professional football players.

2/18/2014 11:56:30 AM

Quote :

"some athletes will have issues with (open) gays in their locker room."

The thing is, NFL players have no idea what it's like having an open gay person in their locker room. Maybe their opinion is the way it is because they have no idea what to expect so they're thinking the worst (whatever the hell that could be). I think once an openly gay player is in a locker room and it's no issue, then the opinions will quickly change.

2/18/2014 11:58:41 AM

True, that would be ideal.

(did you grow-up around any meatheads or athletes in general? would you think all the guys that played on your high school football team would be okay showering with a gay guy? if so, you must have gone to a pretty progressive high school)

[Edited on February 18, 2014 at 12:19 PM. Reason : ]

2/18/2014 12:05:41 PM

Quote :

"dude, the study you posted basically said 1 in 4 players aren't comfortable showering with a gay guy. We're not talking about ideals and how it should be. Nobody's arguing that this should be an issue. Most people agree it shouldn't be an issue. We're just accepting reality, as demonstrated by the study you posted: some athletes will have issues with (open) gays in their locker room. I don't even understand why you're trying to argue that, except that you so badly want to be tolerant that you're trying to project it on professional football players."

I thought it pretty obvious that I was responding to the post above mine. it's a flawed argument because it's rooted in thinking that there have never been gay athletes in the showers before. it's not the athletes who I have an issue with, it's the people who parrot the tired "but what about the showers??" line.

but apparently that means I really, really want to be tolerant

2/18/2014 12:36:56 PM

Quote :

"t's a flawed argument because it's rooted in thinking that there have never been gay athletes in the showers before."

It's not flawed, this is about "openly" gay athletes in the locker room.

2/18/2014 1:27:41 PM

so what difference does that make?

does the fact that they're open make them more or less of a "threat"?

2/18/2014 2:07:11 PM

uh oh, here comes thegoodlife3 to ruin another thread with his extremist political opinions.

2/18/2014 2:45:54 PM

^^i don't understand how you don't understand this.

yes, if a person is openly gay, they're more of a "threat" to someone who wouldn't be comfortable showering with someone who is gay. they're less of a "threat" if the homophobe doesn't realize they're gay.

2/18/2014 2:54:16 PM

all I'm pointing out is how ridiculous of a position that is

and you're just playing devils advocate

2/18/2014 3:04:16 PM

i know i'm playing devil's advocate, hopefully i've made that clear. i'm not the one who has an issue with a gay guy in the locker room. i'm just saying that there will be some athletes who have an issue with it. to deny that is denying reality. i know it's ridiculous, but reality is ridiculous sometimes.

2/18/2014 3:05:58 PM

Quote :

"yes, if a person is openly gay, they're more of a "threat" to someone who wouldn't be comfortable showering with someone who is gay. they're less of a "threat" if the homophobe doesn't realize they're gay."

that seemed pretty obvious to me. I'm not sure how he managed to miss that point.


it's the tree falling in the forest analogy.

it doesn't fucking matter if there -have- been gay men in the locker room before. What matters is that no one "knew" about it.


now everyone will be extremely aware of the sexual preference of Michael Sam. It shouldn't be an issue, and it's laughable that anyone of them would think Sam would do something to them because he's gay.

What ... is going to rape them because he thinks they are sexy?! but that's neither here nor there.

everyone (who isn't a moron) knows this is a completely ridiculous arguement, but it's still the arguement none the less... people are fucking dumb welcome to earth.

2/18/2014 3:06:41 PM

I'm pretty sure I made it clear that I wasn't talking about athletes a few posts up

[Edited on February 18, 2014 at 3:12 PM. Reason : I also never said anything about 100% of athletes accepting it at first, but whatever]

2/18/2014 3:10:22 PM