For Michael Sam fans worried about the effects of him being openly gay in a major league sport, a recent survey by ESPN, and published by Sports Illustrated, should prove heartening. Of the 55 players surveyed, almost an entire team’s roster, an overwhelming majority (86 percent) said they would have no problem with a gay teammate. Furthermore, they would not have an issue showering with him or welcoming Sam as an equal on their team.
League owners and officials, on the other hand, were far less magnanimous in their views. In exchange for anonymity, their comments provided an unsparing look at how Sam might fare as an openly gay player in the league. “”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 would chemically imbalance an NFL locker room and meeting room.” They also addressed how Sam’s decision to come out would affect his draft pick chances. “”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?”
The four questions asked were given as true or false, and allowing for a degree of fear for seeming politically incorrect, here are the following questions followed by their responses: ‘A player’s sexual orientation matters to you.’ (7 true, 44 false) ‘I had teammates and coaches who used homophobic slurs this past season.’ (32 true, 19 false) ‘I would shower around a gay teammate.’ (39 true, 12 false) And, lastly, ‘An openly gay player would feel comfortable in an NFL locker room.’ (21 true, 25 false and 5 no answer)
“You’re going to have to have one confident general manager or head coach that is certainly entrenched in his position and established to draft a player like that,” the assistant personnel director said. “It’s one thing to have Chris Kluwe or Brendon Ayanbadejo, advocate for gay rights, on your team. It’s another to have a current confirmed player.”
