Michael Sam became the first openly gay athlete in the NFL. He was selected by the St. Louis Rams. Madison Square Garden was almost empty. Why? No one stays around for the last 50 picks.
The spin with ESPN sportscasters began immediately. First, they were saying his numbers did not qualify him for the NFL, but as soon as he was chosen all that changed. It was absolutely dismaying. The sportscasters were suggesting that they were rooting for him. Please.
Michael Sam should have been selected in the 3rd or 4th round, not the 7th. The NFL knows that and so does every football fan. When was the last time an SEC defensive player of the year not taken in the first round? 2006. These are the same type of hiring practices that have been used against women and minorities for years; subjectivity. Michael Sam was better than a 249th pick.
There have been several tweets from former and current St. Louis Rams players welcoming Sam to the league. Great. Bravo also for the General Manager of the Rams, Jeff Fisher, for making the right decision.
In the end, Sam will prove himself one way or another. I just hope the men in the NFL don’t show what we have come to expect; intolerant a**holes. I hope in the coming months they prove me wrong.
