Tuesday, July 22, 2014

The Truth Hurts?

Image result for picture of michael sam kissing
I agree with Tony Dungy.
From the Chicago Tribune:
Esteemed NFL coach turned NBC analyst Tony Dungy is taking fire for saying he would not have drafted Michael Sam, the league’s first openly gay player.
In an interview with the Tampa Tribune published Sunday, the former coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts said he would have passed on Sam.  "Not because I don't believe Michael Sam should have a chance to play, but I wouldn't want to deal with all of it,” Dungy said.
Dungy went on to say, “It’s not going to be totally smooth … things will happen.’’
Dungy did not say what, exactly, were the things he anticipated happening.
Sam, the former Missouri defensive player, was drafted in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams and has the sixth bestselling jersey in the league, according to the NFL.
Dungy's comments drew immediate ire online, with people calling him ignorant and offensive.
Some of those comments included: 
“... to not draft an openly gay player because someone...might...not handle it...is some kind of Jim Crow-era awful,” one Twitter commenter said.
"So it turns out Tony Dungy is a coward? Didn't see that coming,” another commenter said.
Still, there were those who supported Dungy.
"So glad Tony Dungy said what he said. Sorry he has to get bashed for it though. You can't obtain tolerance by forcing it on society,” one commenter said.  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/la-sp-sn-tony-dungy-michael-same-20140721,0,105817.story
Michael Sam is going to be a distraction.
Even before his first training, Sam was trying to get a reality show to film him during training camp without the team's permission.  That was later dropped.
If Sam is cut, there will calls from the gay community that he was cut because he was gay, not because he is not a NFL caliber defensive end.
He will be a distraction in the locker room as there will scores of reporters at his locker and that will distract him from learning the NFL game.
It is NFL tradition to be hazed by the veterans, like taking the veterans pads to the practice field, cleaning up the practice field and other chores.  I am sure there will some people out there that will say he is being harassed.
Sam was a good college player but he will have to step it up a lot because he is small for a defensive end and the chances of him making the NFL team are very small but will the Ram have the courage to cut him if he is not good enough to make the team.  If they cut him, the team may face a backlash and they will lose money from uniform sales.  Will they keep him because he may make money for them? 
But Dungy is right.  Not all teams will want the distractions that come with a Michael Sam.  My guess is there some 2nd guessing already going on.

No comments:

Post a Comment