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PostPosted: 05/10/14 3:43 pm • # 26 
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Not that long ago these same rightwingnutbars would have bitched about black players in the NFL... until they'd realize they could make more money.


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PostPosted: 05/11/14 9:45 am • # 27 
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YAYYYYY!!!!! ~ I'm thrilled for Michael Sam ~ he gets a solid chance to prove himself on the playing field, which is as it should be ~ :st :st :st ~ Sooz

Openly gay football player Michael Sam drafted by NFL’s St. Louis Rams in 7th round
By Tom Boggioni
Saturday, May 10, 2014 20:42 EDT

Michael Sam, the University of Missouri football player who came out as a gay man on ESPN in February, became the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team when the St. Louis Rams took him with the 249th section in the NFL draft today.

Sam, who was a unanimous 2013 All-America selection and the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, was taken in the seventh round.

The 6-foot 2-inch, 260-pound defensive end, who watched the draft surrounded by his family, friends, and his boyfriend, broke down in tears when he received the call from the St. Louis organization informing him that they had selected him. Recovering, Sam hugged and kissed his boyfriend to the cheers of wellwishers.

Speaking with ESPN, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said, “”In a world of diversity we live in, I am honored to be a part of this.”

Fisher added that Sam was drafted solely for his football ability.

“We drafted a good football player,” Fisher said.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that the crowd at Madison Square Garden, where fans can watch the draft in person, chanted Sam’s name after his selection.

Image

Sam will now get the opportunity to continue his career hours away from the University of Missouri campus where he led his team to a 12-2 record and a Cotton Bowl victory over Oklahoma State in 2013.

Watch video of Sam receiving the call from the Rams below, uploaded by Tristan Thornburgh: [Sooz says video accessible via the end link]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/10/openly-gay-football-player-michael-sam-drafted-by-nfls-st-louis-rams-in-7th-round/


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PostPosted: 05/14/14 6:09 pm • # 28 
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This "TV sports anchor" nails it! ~ but I confess I wouldn't be surprised if his viewer numbers tanked ~ :g ~ Sooz

Remember TV anchor whose Michael Sam speech went viral? He's back
Kenley Young | FOX Sports | MAY 14, 2014 4:51p ET

Remember TV sports anchor Dale Hansen?

Back in February, after former Missouri defensive end Michael Sam came out as gay, Hansen launched an impressive monologue over the airwaves of the Dallas-Fort Worth ABC affiliate.

In his speech, Hansen blasted the hypocrisy and the negative reaction surrounding Sam's announcement.

Hansen ripped to shreds the reported concerns of anonymous NFL officials, and his eloquent, impassioned, cogent argument quickly went viral.

If you missed it, you should watch it:


Well, now that Sam's been drafted, Hansen has more to say on the matter. In another poignant speech Monday filled with insight, humor and sarcasm, he starts by scoffing at how late in the draft Sam ultimately was picked. (He went to the St. Louis Rams with the 249th pick in the seventh round.)

"248 (players) better than the SEC's defensive player of the year? There's just no way," Hansen says.

Hansen then expresses astonishment that some were so critical of the televised image of Sam kissing his boyfriend after learning he'd been drafted.

"When Sam was seen celebrating with his family -- and boyfriend -- the world apparently shook, we almost collided with the sun, and yet SOMEHOW, we have survived another day," Hansen tells his audience.

There's plenty more to watch in this follow-up -- Hansen even gets in a dig at former Texas quarterback Case McCoy -- but much of the monologue can be summed up with this line:

"I do not understand why so many people are so afraid of a gay man in an NFL locker room. I think the other players are gonna be OK."

But it's best if we just let you hear it all from Hansen himself:


http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/dale-hansen-defended-michael-sam-does-it-again-after-st-louis-rams-picked-him-249th-051414


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PostPosted: 05/14/14 7:28 pm • # 29 
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GREAT commentary! I loved his last line.

And to this:

"When Sam was seen celebrating with his family -- and boyfriend -- the world apparently shook, we almost collided with the sun, and yet SOMEHOW, we have survived another day," Hansen tells his audience.

I'd have to add: And all over the US, millions of hetero, traditional, sacrosanct, christian marriages were threatened and almost fell apart.....oh wait. That happens anyway. :b


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PostPosted: 05/15/14 7:11 am • # 30 
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:bow



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PostPosted: 05/15/14 10:18 am • # 31 
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LOL! good one, roxanne.


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PostPosted: 05/22/14 9:37 pm • # 32 



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PostPosted: 07/17/14 10:15 am • # 33 
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I'm a Michael Sam fan, whom I greatly respect for his courage and his personal dignity ~ I also confess this video left me in tears ... but happy and proud tears ~ Sooz

Watch Michael Sam's emotional speech at the ESPY awards
James Parziale | FOX Sports
JUL 17, 2014 9:59a ET

Michael Sam made history by becoming the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL. Since then, the St. Louis Rams rookie has tried to keep a low profile, shifting the focus from his announcement to his play on the field.

His scheduled reality show was nixed after he got drafted, again, seemingly to keep the focus on football.

But on Wednesday night, Sam delivered a moving speech at the ESPYs after being given the Arthur Ashe Award for courage. He detailed his tribulations, and also shared a moving story about how he consoled a friend’s sister that thought about killing herself “rather than sharing with her loved ones that she was gay,” he said.

Check out Sam’s poignant speech in its entirety:


http://msn.foxsports.com/buzzer/story/watch-michael-sam-s-emotional-speech-at-the-espy-awards-071714


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PostPosted: 07/17/14 10:37 am • # 34 
This was a wonderful speech. I am proud of Sam the MAN.

Sam's got some problems though. His success in the NFL is far from assured. He was drafted in the 7th round and he will have to focus on his performance on the field to keep his job into the regular season.

Remember all the attention around Tim Tebow who really wasn't good enough at QB to make it as a starter in the NFL. He was probably good enough to be in the NFL as a backup or in another position. However, he was pretty much poison to his NFL teams because of the media and hype surrounding him. Sam will have to be careful to excel on the field, be a positive role model, and to not create too much hype to distract from the business of winning football games.


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PostPosted: 08/27/14 12:32 pm • # 35 
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Progress, even when painfully slow, is still PROGRESS ~ I'm really hoping Michael Sam makes the Rams team ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

ESPN ‘Regrets’ Report About Michael Sam’s Locker Room Showering Habits
by Travis Waldron Posted on August 27, 2014 at 10:22 am

ESPN issued a brief apology Wednesday morning for a widely criticized report on whether Michael Sam’s St. Louis Rams teammates were comfortable showering with the man who could become the NFL’s first openly gay player.

“ESPN regrets the manner in which we presented our report,” the network said in a statement posted on its web site. “Clearly on Tuesday we collectively failed to meet the standards we have set in reporting on LGBT-related topics in sports.”

The report was immediately and roundly criticized Tuesday by players like Rams defensive end Chris Long and You Can Play Project co-founder Patrick Burke. You Can Play executive director Wade Davis, a former NFL player who came out as gay after his career ended, also expressed disappointment in the segment in an email to ThinkProgress.

“Training camp is extremely mentally and physically exhausting for all players and to echo what Mike’s brothers’ said, ‘no one is watching or noticing when ANYONE showers.’ The majority of the guys are focused on making the team not being shower monitors,” Davis said, referencing the fact that two of Sam’s teammates cited in the report said only that they weren’t tracking his shower habits.

“The media can continue to try and perpetuate the ‘homophobic’ athlete narrative or we can use this opportunity to debunk myths and create an environment where LGBT youth are curious & excited to be involved in sports,” Davis said, adding that it was “beautiful to watch the team focused on coming together as a family” during his visit to Rams camp this week.

ESPN has done a good job covering Sam and other gay athletes in its print and web products. ESPN The Magazine, for instance, featured Kate Fagan’s profile of openly gay basketball player Brittney Griner on a June 2013 cover, and The Mag also published an excellent David Fleming piece that detailed what goes on in locker room showers and why Sam will have no problem fitting into NFL locker rooms (the piece featured positive reactions to Sam from some of his teammates, including Long). Its online beat writers have provided solid reports about Sam’s efforts to make the Rams’ roster.

But the network’s on-air coverage of Sam and other gay athletes has varied in quality. Its live coverage of moments like Sam’s draft experience (including a post-selection kiss with his boyfriend) and openly gay player Robbie Rogers’ return to Major League Soccer, has received high marks from ombudsman Robert Lipsyte and other observers. But as Rolling Stone’s Jordan Sargent and others have noted, the on-air product has at times struggled to live up to the standard the print side has set, with Tuesday’s segment another example.

For his part, Sam made the first roster cut Tuesday, when NFL teams had to trim their rosters from 90 players to just 75. He is currently battling at least two other defensive linemen for what is thought to be a single spot on the final 53-man roster, which NFL teams have to announce by noon Saturday.

http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2014/08/27/3476191/espn-regrets-report-about-which-rams-players-are-showering-with-michael-sam/


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PostPosted: 08/27/14 2:46 pm • # 36 
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“ESPN regrets the manner in which we presented our report,” the network said in a statement posted on its web site. “Clearly on Tuesday we collectively failed to meet the standards we have set in reporting on LGBT-related topics in sports.”

Horse puckey! Y'all regret nothing.


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PostPosted: 08/30/14 4:53 pm • # 37 
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First openly gay NFL draftee Michael Sam cut by Rams

Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted into the National Football League, has failed to make the final roster for the St Louis Rams.

The Rams filed their roster before Saturday afternoon's deadline and Sam was not among the 53-strong squad.

The 24-year-old defensive end can still be picked up by another team ahead of the season-opening matches next week.

Sam's move to declare his homosexuality in February was applauded by many, including President Barack Obama.

'I can play'

Sam was one of 22 players waived in the Rams' final cut.

He had been selected by the Rams on the final day of this year's draft in May and he kissed his boyfriend as a national television audience looked on.

Head coach Jeff Fisher had said he was mainly focused on what the footballer could do on the field.

Fisher said on Saturday there would be no challenge for any team that picked up Sam.

"He's not about drawing attention to himself. He kept his head down and worked and you can't ask anything more out of any player for that matter," Fisher said.

"The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I've always known. The journey continues," Sam tweeted after the Rams' decision was announced.

Sam featured in the 26-24 loss to the New Orleans Saints, saying afterwards: "You know, I can play in this league."

Sam played college football at the University of Missouri.

He had revealed his sexuality to his former college teammates, but admitted doing so publicly was "a weight off his chest".

"I probably may be the first but I won't be the last. And I think only good things will come from this," he added.

In February, basketball player Jason Collins become the first openly gay athlete to play in a competitive game for a major US professional sports league when he came on for the Brooklyn Nets against the LA Lakers.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29001290#


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PostPosted: 08/30/14 5:30 pm • # 38 
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Reading this makes me sad ~ he was so happy to be picked by the Rams ~ but he's a very good player and I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that he's picked up by another team ~

Sooz


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PostPosted: 08/30/14 5:44 pm • # 39 
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he had a lot of competition for that spot with the Rams. he should try another squad that is short on linemen.


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PostPosted: 09/03/14 4:40 pm • # 40 
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Michael Sam to Cowboys: Latest Details, Reaction and Analysis

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2181 ... d-analysis


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PostPosted: 09/04/14 1:42 pm • # 41 
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I frequently say I generally don't hate anyone, that I see hate as a wasted emotion ~ but some people force me to hate them via their proudly ignorant and tunnel-visioned mindset ~ I will always and forever choose to spend time with the Michael Sams over any of them ~ :ey ~ Sooz

Conservative Christians plan protest, boycott of Dallas Cowboys over Michael Sam signing
By Travis Gettys
Thursday, September 4, 2014 14:07 EDT

Right-wing Christians plan to protest the Dallas Cowboys signing of Michael Sam, the first openly gay NFL player.

The outside linebacker was cut last week by the St. Louis Rams, which had drafted him in the seventh round out of the University of Missouri, and picked up by the defense-starved Cowboys.

He will join the team’s practice squad if he passes a physical exam.

The move angered anti-LGBT Christians, who had threatened to boycott the Rams before Sam was released.

“We cannot just stand idly by as Christian values and morals are trampled,” said Jack Burkman, the GOP lobbyist working to keep Sam out of the NFL. “We will do whatever we can to preserve family values in this country.”

Burkman has drafted legislation barring gay players from the NFL, but his brother said his efforts were a publicity stunt to draw clients to his lobbying firm.

“I think the idea that he is pushing legislation that is just hurtful and ridiculous is just plain stupid,” said Jim Burkman, an anesthesiologist who is openly gay. “He is not a legislator and he can’t really push legislation. I don’t think there are any cosponsors for a bill. It is just an attention grab and a media grab to pander to those folks who pay him to lobby on their behalf.”

The conservative lobbyist claims his threatened boycott would have cost the Rams “tens of millions of dollars,” a fate he said now awaits Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

“Jerry Jones has betrayed American values, Christian values, and his own city’s values,” Burkman said. “The people of Dallas – and Christians all across this land – are about to make him pay a huge financial price. The Cowboys are no longer America’s team.”

Fan reaction in Dallas has been mixed, reported KTVT-TV, with some recognizing the team’s defense needs all the help it can get, but others are uncomfortable rooting for a gay player.

“I don’t want my kids looking up to me and say, ‘Daddy, what does that mean that he’s gay?’” one fan said during a radio call-in show.

Demonstrators plan to gather outside AT&T Stadium to protest Sam’s signing.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/09/04/conservative-christians-plan-protest-boycott-of-dallas-cowboys-over-michael-sam-signing/


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PostPosted: 12/28/14 9:31 am • # 42 
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Michael Sam is a class act ~ and I fully agree with him in questioning why gays are "required" to declare their sexuality publicly ~ that is a violation of anyone's privacy ~ :g ~ Sooz

Sam: Coming out was right thing to do
Associated Press | Associated Press | By R.B. FALLSTROM | 10 hrs ago

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Michael Sam dismissed the thought that his sexuality has cost him a spot in the NFL.

"I don't like to think that way," Sam said in an Oprah Winfrey Network documentary that aired Saturday night. "But I do believe I'm a very talented football player and I'm going to continue working hard and try to get that opportunity to play in the league."

The first openly gay player drafted in the NFL has no regrets.

"I did everything I was supposed to do. I did everything right," Sam said. "I am proud of how I handled things."

Sam said coming out was the right thing to do. He would have preferred the news come out after he informed the team that drafted him, but he feared it would be revealed and felt pressure to control the situation.

"It didn't need to be public," Sam said. "Why do gay people have to do it?"

The production was billed as the player's first TV appearance since being cut by the Dallas Cowboys in mid-October and played like a personal "Hard Knocks." The 90-minute program was followed by a one-on-one with Winfrey, who asked Sam whether he believed sexual orientation is hurting his chances, and how long he'd keep trying.

"As long as I can," Sam replied.

The documentary details countless anxious hours during the NFL draft, which Sam called "the longest three days of my life." The New York Jets telephoned his agents to say they weren't interested, and the Cowboys texted to say they were out, too.

Sam, who rose to stardom after a difficult childhood in tiny Hitchcock, Texas, asked that the sound on the TV be turned down at one point before the St. Louis Rams took him late in the seventh round.

"Am I going undrafted?" a frustrated Sam asked agent Cameron Weiss. "This phone still has not beeped."

Sam said the reassuring hand of his boyfriend, Vito Cammisano, on his shoulder during the wait to get picked affirmed the decision last February to reveal his sexual orientation to the nation. He informed Missouri coaches and players before his senior season and was the team MVP and SEC co-defensive player of the year.

"In that moment, I was like `I don't care what happens. I made the right choice to come out,'" Sam said.

Sam broke down in sobs when Rams coach Jeff Fisher telephoned just before the team made him the 249th pick of the 256-pick draft. He had been projected to be chosen as early as the fourth round.

Sam kissed and hugged Cammisano and then the two smashed cake in each other's faces as a national television audience looked on.

"Some say the kiss, the cake, it was all just too much," Winfrey said in the voiceover prom for the program. "Some say he wasn't good enough. Others say he should have never come out, one saying during the introduction to the program that he would be the mother of all distractions."

Sam called it the "infamous kiss." He said it was spontaneous and added he'd thought the cameras had been turned off.

"Everyone made a big deal out of it," Sam said. "It's just a kiss. Did you forget that I was gay? Should I be kissing a woman instead?"

Sam was among 21 players waived by the team to reach the 53-player limit before the season opener.

Echoing his remarks after making the pick, coach Jeff Fisher said several times it was purely a football decision. The Rams were well-stocked with pass rushers, and undrafted Ethan Westbrooks grabbed the final defensive end spot.

"I will tell you this: I was pulling for Mike," Fisher said then. "I really was, and I don't say that very often. Mike came in here and did everything we asked him to do."

On Twitter, roughly an hour after he was cut, Sam thanked the Rams and the city of St. Louis. He also wrote "The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I've always known. The journey continues."

Sam spent seven weeks on the Cowboys' practice squad before being released and is currently a free agent.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/sam-coming-out-was-right-thing-to-do/ar-BBhht8L


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