Mizzou's Michael Sam comes out

[rams80]

What happened to his self-proclaimed moral authority?

It hung itself from a ceiling fan December 22, 2005.

Dungy's a spokesman for "All Pro Dad" btw, because you can't make this up.

[OnWis97]

It's a huge deal that we just might get to witness the first openly gay athlete get to play in a Big Four sport, and the biggest of them all. Something we've never had. It's something that will probably be the biggest moment towards the LGBT community no longer being outliers in America.

Actually we already have...and that player is roughly of Sam's caliber (albeit on the other end of his career).

I cannot think of much to say about Dungy that has not been said, so I'll say this...

Dungy's candor on this issue, whatever it says about him, is important. It's important because you know he's not the only one. He exposed the NFL and its "distraction" boogeyman for all of us to see. A player that had been projected (if I am not mistaken) as a roughly 5th round pick ended up barely above Mr. Irrelevant and a former NFL coach uses the "D" word...that's not a coincidence.

So, please, all the "why do we have to hear about this/why should this matter?" crowd...you just got your answer. THIS is why it's important. Because people in the NFL (and, one would suspect, other fields) have the fear, bigotry, lacking courage, ignorance, whatever to say "I would not hire a gay person" and a critical mass of people have their backs. So yeah, it matters.

[Gothamite]

Hmm. Well put.

It is somewhat comforting how quickly he's had to walk it back, though. We still have a long way to go, but at least open bigotry isn't acceptable any more. That's something.

It's also good news to hear that Michael Sam's jersey was the sixth-highest-selling jersey during the first quarter of the league's fiscal year.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000366369/article/browns-johnny-manziel-leads-nfl-in-jersey-sales

The American people, as is so often the case, are ahead of their so-called "moral leaders".

[Ateles fusciceps]

Julius Peppers is gay and he was a superstar in his prime.

What happened to his self-proclaimed moral authority?

It hung itself from a ceiling fan December 22, 2005.Dungy's a spokesman for "All Pro Dad" btw, because you can't make this up.

Didn't they rule that incident autoerotic asphyxiation? Although, I guess technically it's still suicide.

[(probably)notabandwagonfan]

Julius Peppers is gay and he was a superstar in his prime.

Someone is still bitter.

[Gothamite]

Ateles, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and presume you're trying to be funny, but it isn't exactly working.

[BBTV]

So if his jersey is selling so well, does that endure he makes the team regardless of performance?

[Gothamite]

I'm not entirely sure I understand your question, Vet.

If you're asking would jersey sales stay strong if he fails to make the team, perhaps, but I doubt for long. If you're asking are jersey sales enough to keep him on the roster, I don't see any team doing that.

[Gothamite]

It should probably come as no surprise that ESPN's First Take held a typically contemplative, nuanced debate on this subject.

Here's Deadspin's pull quote:

I am a proponent of most of the causes the gay community has fought for. And I think that it's wrong how they've been prejudiced against. But having said all that, I think it's important to recognize that that doesn't mean [you] have a right to [people being] comfortable with you.

Now I know that "Stephen A. Smith" is a particularly loathsome character, and that we're not supposed to take his lines seriously, just notice how outrageous they are, but this is embarrassing. Especially from an African-American.

Change but one little word, and you've got words right out of 1947:

I am a proponent of most of the causes the black community has fought for. And I think that it's wrong how they've been prejudiced against. But having said all that, I think it's important to recognize that that doesn't mean [you] have a right to [people being] comfortable with you.

Shameful.

[rams80]

I'm not entirely sure I understand your question, Vet.

If you're asking would jersey sales stay strong if he fails to make the team, perhaps, but I doubt for long. If you're asking are jersey sales enough to keep him on the roster, I don't see any team doing that.

At the end of the day, if the difference between victory and defeat for the Rams rides on the 48th/53rd man on the roster, well they're screwed anyway. If Sam is close, I'm pretty sure he makes the team.

[WSU151]

We still have a long way to go, but at least open bigotry isn't acceptable any more.

Sure it is. Bigotry isn't a one-way road.

Bigotry exists because it isn't possible to know and understand every single viewpoint. When someone disagrees, we label them or shame them and make them feel inferior. That's bigotry. Happens to everyone.

[Gothamite]

We still have a long way to go, but at least open bigotry isn't acceptable any more.

Sure it is. Bigotry isn't a one-way road.

Bigotry exists because it isn't possible to know and understand every single viewpoint. When someone disagrees, we label them or shame them and make them feel inferior. That's bigotry. Happens to everyone.

That's a particularly weak straw man.

Nobody is saying that conservatives don't have the right to seek employment in any job they are qualified for. Nobody is saying that businesses should be able to fire conservatives just because they're conservatives. Nobody is saying that conservatives should not be allowed to marry or adopt. Until that point, pretending that conservatives are somehow the true victims here is both sad and laughable.

[WSU151]

We still have a long way to go, but at least open bigotry isn't acceptable any more.

Sure it is. Bigotry isn't a one-way road.

Bigotry exists because it isn't possible to know and understand every single viewpoint. When someone disagrees, we label them or shame them and make them feel inferior. That's bigotry. Happens to everyone.

That's a particularly weak straw man.

Nobody is saying that conservatives don't have the right to seek employment in any job they are qualified for. Nobody is saying that businesses should be able to fire conservatives just because they're conservatives. Nobody is saying that conservatives should not be allowed to marry or adopt. Until that point, pretending that conservatives are somehow the true victims here is both sad and laughable.

No it's not. Open your eyes. I work in a place where most conservatives are looked down upon as stupid, unsophisticated, and weird. Trust me...that bigotry exists.

Let me know what you think of the Tea Party and the Religious Right. Do you agree with their views? Do you think those people are smart? Are they stupid and wrong and weird and uneducated? Do you cringe when "Teabagger" is used as a description?

Then we'll talk.

Nothing more annoying than someone who is igonorant and/or terrified of his own bigotry. The PC Police can be quite an insidious force.

[Braden]

Eff Tony Dungy. GMs & Owners were saying the "distraction" BS about him when he was looking to be a Head Coach.

Now he's saying the same as the reason why he wouldn't draft Sam? While CREATING that distraction?

Coming from someone who has received awards for his support on banning marriage equality?

I disagree with YOUR lifestyle living as a hypocrite, Tony Dungy.

[WSU151]

Eff Tony Dungy. GMs & Owners were saying the "distraction" BS about him when he was looking to be a Head Coach.

Now he's saying the same as the reason why he wouldn't draft Sam? While CREATING that distraction?

Coming from someone who has received awards for his support on banning marriage equality?

I disagree with YOUR lifestyle living as a hypocrite, Tony Dungy.

Not to argue your post, but being historically correct here - Dungy wasn't really breaking ground in the NFL. Art Shell was the first black head coach.

[Needschat]

So Dungy is saying that the two, maybe three more cameras at Rams camp is more of a distraction than the 10s more that surrounded Michael Vick, more distracting than the HBO "Hard Knocks" cameras?

His very thin veil of religious bigotry has shown. Someone needs to get him a ladder so he can climb out of the hole he's digging.

[dbadefense1990]

So Dungy is saying that the two, maybe three, more cameras at Rams camp is more of a distraction than the 10s more that surrounded Michael Vick, more distracting than the HBO "Hard Knocks" cameras?

To me, that's a leg-up for the gay rights movement. The fact that only 2-3 extra cameras are there for Sam whereas HBO had a freaking documentary involving Michael Vick gives me hope for the future. I wish for a sports world where gays can play in any sport, the media goes all "meh" on the gay subjects and just focuses on that player's skill. The only criticizing the player gets, I hope one day, will be because he failed to cover his defensive route and allows the wide receiver to go 80-deep on him for a touchdown, not because others in the locker room and the press are afraid of his sexual orientation and beliefs, and what will happen to the sport because of it.

That's just me; the less attention Sam gets because of his sexual orientation (and the more he gets because of his performance on the field), the better.

[Nyk33]

We still have a long way to go, but at least open bigotry isn't acceptable any more.

Sure it is. Bigotry isn't a one-way road.

Bigotry exists because it isn't possible to know and understand every single viewpoint. When someone disagrees, we label them or shame them and make them feel inferior. That's bigotry. Happens to everyone.

That's a particularly weak straw man.

Nobody is saying that conservatives don't have the right to seek employment in any job they are qualified for. Nobody is saying that businesses should be able to fire conservatives just because they're conservatives. Nobody is saying that conservatives should not be allowed to marry or adopt. Until that point, pretending that conservatives are somehow the true victims here is both sad and laughable.

No it's not. Open your eyes. I work in a place where most conservatives are looked down upon as stupid, unsophisticated, and weird. Trust me...that bigotry exists.

Let me know what you think of the Tea Party and the Religious Right. Do you agree with their views? Do you think those people are smart? Are they stupid and wrong and weird and uneducated? Do you cringe when "Teabagger" is used as a description?

Then we'll talk.

Nothing more annoying than someone who is igonorant and/or terrified of his own bigotry. The PC Police can be quite an insidious force.

People not liking the Christian Right and homophobes not liking homosexuals are not things that can be viewed equally.

People in Religious Right aren't being judged for what they are born as but for their ideas and the way they like to push their particular brand of religion down people's throat by oppressing certain groups (gays, bisexuals, lesbians, transgender people, etc).

The LGBT community hasn't done anything as a whole to oppress other groups that I know of.

[Ateles fusciceps]

We still have a long way to go, but at least open bigotry isn't acceptable any more.

Sure it is. Bigotry isn't a one-way road.

Bigotry exists because it isn't possible to know and understand every single viewpoint. When someone disagrees, we label them or shame them and make them feel inferior. That's bigotry. Happens to everyone.

That's a particularly weak straw man.

Nobody is saying that conservatives don't have the right to seek employment in any job they are qualified for. Nobody is saying that businesses should be able to fire conservatives just because they're conservatives. Nobody is saying that conservatives should not be allowed to marry or adopt. Until that point, pretending that conservatives are somehow the true victims here is both sad and laughable.

No it's not. Open your eyes. I work in a place where most conservatives are looked down upon as stupid, unsophisticated, and weird. Trust me...that bigotry exists.

Let me know what you think of the Tea Party and the Religious Right. Do you agree with their views? Do you think those people are smart? Are they stupid and wrong and weird and uneducated? Do you cringe when "Teabagger" is used as a description?

Then we'll talk.

Nothing more annoying than someone who is igonorant and/or terrified of his own bigotry. The PC Police can be quite an insidious force.

People not liking the Christian Right and homophobes not liking homosexuals are not things that can be viewed equally.

People in Religious Right aren't being judged for what they are born as but for their ideas and the way they like to push their particular brand of religion down people's throat by oppressing certain groups (gays, bisexuals, lesbians, transgender people, etc).

The LGBT community hasn't done anything as a whole to oppress other groups that I know of.

Christians & gays bash each other just like liberals & conservatives. Quite frankly, the way the LGBT community bashes religion & gets upset over every little comment they disagree with has gotten almost as annoying as Christians running around trying to tell everyone how to live their life & how homosexuality is wrong.

Personally, if you aren't causing harm to others I don't give two :censored:s what you do or believe in. It's a pretty simple concept. Live & let live.

[Nyk33]

We still have a long way to go, but at least open bigotry isn't acceptable any more.

Sure it is. Bigotry isn't a one-way road.

Bigotry exists because it isn't possible to know and understand every single viewpoint. When someone disagrees, we label them or shame them and make them feel inferior. That's bigotry. Happens to everyone.

That's a particularly weak straw man.

Nobody is saying that conservatives don't have the right to seek employment in any job they are qualified for. Nobody is saying that businesses should be able to fire conservatives just because they're conservatives. Nobody is saying that conservatives should not be allowed to marry or adopt. Until that point, pretending that conservatives are somehow the true victims here is both sad and laughable.

No it's not. Open your eyes. I work in a place where most conservatives are looked down upon as stupid, unsophisticated, and weird. Trust me...that bigotry exists.

Let me know what you think of the Tea Party and the Religious Right. Do you agree with their views? Do you think those people are smart? Are they stupid and wrong and weird and uneducated? Do you cringe when "Teabagger" is used as a description?

Then we'll talk.

Nothing more annoying than someone who is igonorant and/or terrified of his own bigotry. The PC Police can be quite an insidious force.

People not liking the Christian Right and homophobes not liking homosexuals are not things that can be viewed equally.

People in Religious Right aren't being judged for what they are born as but for their ideas and the way they like to push their particular brand of religion down people's throat by oppressing certain groups (gays, bisexuals, lesbians, transgender people, etc).

The LGBT community hasn't done anything as a whole to oppress other groups that I know of.

Christians & gays bash each other just like liberals & conservatives. Quite frankly, the way the LGBT community bashes religion & gets upset over every little comment they disagree with has gotten almost as annoying as Christians running around trying to tell everyone how to live their life & how homosexuality is wrong.

Personally, if you aren't causing harm to others I don't give two :censored:s what you do or believe in. It's a pretty simple concept. Live & let live.

Considering how the religious right people tend to try and make things harder for LGBT people by trying to basically make their lifestyle illegal I can understand the anger.

Once again you can't compare how the religious right discriminates against gays with the understandable disdain LGBT people have for the people that are trying to use to law to make their lives a living hell.