I am delighted to post the great news that Michael Sam, who came out earlier this year, is now the NFL’s first openly gay player. Sam is now a Ram.
I have been following the draft each day to watch the selections of my beloved Bears. However, I have been increasing nervous that Sam might not be drafted. It is a great day for the Rams, the NFL, and the country in my view. Sam shattered one of the most virulent barriers in professional sports. While many players and coaches are entirely supportive, the homophobia has a long and disgraceful history with individual players and some owners.
I am very happy with the choices of the Bears. I was a bit surprised by the selection of Ego Ferguson, LSU defensive tackle, but I have come to trust Trestman’s instincts. He was criticized for picking Kyle Long last year and it proved an inspired choice.
Sam was selected as the 249th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He was an All-American and the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at Missouri. It took guts to come out and the Rams secured a noble place in history with this selection. Perhaps in my lifetime the sexual orientation of a player will no longer be such a controversy. In the meantime, watching a player like Sam on the field will do more to overcome stereotypes than every public campaign by every advocacy group in the country. While many people do not like football and may be underwhelmed by this news, it is the most popular sport in the country and watching a gay man play this sport could be a transformative moment for some.
As for Sam, he tweeted “Thank you to the St. Louis Rams and the whole city of St. Louis. I’m using every (ounce) of this to achieve greatness!!”
Many of us want to join Sam and say “Thank you St. Louis Rams.”
Abe
Leave those kids alone
I’m a gay schoolteacher, BTW.
It IS equal to heterosexual. They are human, people, flesh and blood. Are you a time traveler from the 1800’s? Hatred and bigotry are a curse. Hey are you from the Christian Broadcasting Network? Youre not that old guy who said Katrina was punishment from God are you?
I am saying that about America. The world would be a little lower due to china and India.
First they wanted to just come out of the closet. Second they wanted to be given rights such as visiting in hospitals. Third they wanted marriage. Now they want the same benefits that a husband and wife get. Next they want their lifestyle promoted in school as equal to heterosexuals. It never stops. For thousands of years mankind has been trying to live outside the confines of God’s order and each time punishment came. This is why scriptures teach that “blessed” is the nation whose lord is God. If a nation chooses another path then they will be cursed. Anyone with half a brain can see the demise in our country. Just look at the jobs. Almost all created jobs are minimum wage. Look at rising food prices. Wake up before it is too late.
I am going to say that if God did not want homosexuals he/she/it would not have created them.
George – are you saying that 90% of the world’s population believes in the Old Testament?
Paul Schulte, your robot will have to be a human for you to marry it. Marriage is for humans, what are you a freak? Chill, I’m kidding.
90%, LOL.
God didn’t establish marriage. Pagans in the forests and jungles who never heard of God were getting married.
That is where you are wrong Abe. Besides agnostics and atheists, about 90 % of the worlds population agrees that mankind began with Adam and Eve. That belief means God established marriage and only he can change it no matter what man thinks.
“The advancement of their cause is leading to a demise in our culture.”
Which culture is that? They have always been here. How does it hurt anyone if they can finally acknowledge who they are?
” If we all were gay then a short time into the future there would be no more people.”
Apparently unaware of IVF and artificial insemination. Serious scientific ignorance at work here.
Nobody owns the term “marriage”.
Yeah George, daddy is to blame. Listen to Paul.
Who is worried? I am saying that they need strait people to keep their lifestyle going. Who gave them the right to re-define marriage when they didn’t define it in the first place?
I think that in ten to fifteen years men will be able to have children. There is so much going on that we could not even imagine when I was young. Since there is all this new sciencey stuff going on, traditional marriage as the only option seems silly. I am hoping to marry my service robot in the near future. I am going to program it not to nag.
Well we aren’t all gay, we will never all be gay and the human race is increasing in numbers. Why are you so worried? Explain how the culture is being negatively affected.
Not hereditary. That’s the attempt to justify the position. Sorry.
George – there is a genetic disposition and it comes from the father’s side.
No transformative moment. The advancement of their cause is leading to a demise in our culture. If we all were gay then a short time into the future there would be no more people. See, they need strait people to further their cause.
The truth undeniably.
George – from a DNA standpoint, homosexuality is inherited from the father’s side.
Oh, never mind. It’s gone.
Nice, called a queer in comment number two. Thank you St. Louis Rams!
Jonathan – glad Sam found a ‘home.’ Which I could trust the instincts and intuition of the Cardinals, but they only thing I can trust is their wallet. They are so cheap their shoes squeak.