The Daily Show Takes a Look at Michael Sam and the NFL's Homophobia

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Video segment and analysis here.

Comments

[trog.livejournal.com]

He left out a ton, too. Like that dude from the Patriots, Hernandez or whatever, who's being tried for murder; that dude who shot himself in the leg and served jail time; every single aspect of Ryan Leaf's life; Cecil Collins, and so on. I think we're less than 15 years away from total homo-acceptance in sports.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

For the NFL, that may be about the point that it starts seriously declining as more and more parents don't let their kids play a sport that causes brain damage even at high school levels.

[trog.livejournal.com]

Definitely.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure The Raiders did recruiting in San Quentin prison in the 1970's.

[trog.livejournal.com]

Point conceded.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

Apparently this guy will be the first openly gay man to play in a professional football league anywhere.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

Maybe he should try to do some Tebowing.
That would shake some people up.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

LOL

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

tebowing still sounds dirty to me.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

Heh, though it sounds like something mutual at least,
something like 69ing.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

:-)

[lafinjack.livejournal.com]

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

But think of the fellow players! All that fragile masculinity in the locker rooms!

[moonshaz.livejournal.com]

Oh noz! The gay guy might see their junk! *faints dead away at the thought*

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

I think its cool his teammates, including ones who were competing with him for a draft spot, knew about his sexual preference and said zilch.

[cinnamontoast.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was the part that impressed me the most. I kind of hope that it's the generation and my optimism is justified.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

The "controversy," in this case, is less about the locker room (which may be an issue in some teams, unfortunately), but the media circus that will inevitably surround it. Teams avoided Tim Tebow for a time for the same reason (until they realized he couldn't really play), and the media crunch will be a significant distraction for some teams.

I'm personally popping my popcorn for the inevitable "he got drafted in the fourth round 'cause he's gay" tweets as opposed to the point that he's not really a top player.

[rowsdowerisms.livejournal.com]

Tebow was a first round draft pick...

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Talking when he was cut. The surprise when the Pats scooped him up were based around the distraction he would cause.

Interestingly, this guy seems like a Belichick type.

[oslo.livejournal.com]

Meanwhile, I'll pop my popcorn to watch all of the people who claim to reason based on evidence that his fourth-round draft pick was based solely on his not being a "top player," and had nothing to do with the fact that he was gay, because something something something. Probably: "It would make no sense to pass on a good player for another who isn't as good, when the better player's only fault is that he's gay; that would allow other teams without that discriminatory attitude snap up the better player; therefore we can conclude that no team, in fact, discriminated on this basis."

There - now you don't need to find a blog to give you your line.

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

The arguments against the guy remind me of nothing less than Senator Sam Nunn touring submarines in 1993 and being shocked, shocked!, that anyone would CONSIDER letting a sailor who is gay crew in such a confined space, leading to the "compromise" of "don't ask, don't tell".

It takes some prodigious yet despicable talent to ignore that.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

he's not really a top player.

He'll get picked for his talent despite the fact that he is gay. Dude wins:

In Sam’s senior season, Missouri finished 12-2 and won the Cotton Bowl. He made first-team all-American and was voted by his teammates as Missouri’s most valuable player. (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/12/sports/football/for-nfl-prospect-michael-sam-upbringing-was-bigger-challenge-than-coming-out-as-gay.html?_r=0)

But plenty of people are supporting him gracefully (http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-michael-sam-reactions-20140210,0,4876144.story#axzz2tEnOSjqu), which is nice.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

“I’m closer to my friends than I am to my family,” Sam said. (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/12/sports/football/for-nfl-prospect-michael-sam-upbringing-was-bigger-challenge-than-coming-out-as-gay.html?_r=0)

Father Baptist. Mother JW. Wow. This was NOT easy. But he's used to not easy. How many of us lived in cars during our childhood? How many of us stood up to bullies like Michael Sam has?