Going Commando Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I don't think so. Either the NFL community already knew he was gay or they didn't. If they didn't, then you certainly don't want to surprise the team that drafted you with this issue AFTER the fact. If they did already know, then it shouldn't make any difference whether you come out now or in six months. NFL teams already knew he was gay but he hadn't come out publicly. That's the issue. He's a media circus now and THAT's what NFL teams are going to avoid. If he had waited until after he was drafted and signed to come out publicly, he could have gotten his first contract in the bank before his team could have done anything about it. A third round pick has so much more security right off the bat than a 7th rounder or an UDFA. I think my point was that I've started to see rumblings that he might go undrafted, and I rather doubt that. Realistically, I think there are probably only a few teams that will draft him at all. And that means he's probably going late or going undrafted. If he were a blue chipper, teams would be far more willing to take on the baggage of drafting him. But he's not a clean prospect and won't fit a lot of schemes even if he were totally anonymous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor703 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 And according to PFT, teams are already taking him off their draft boards. I couldn't careless about a players sexual orientation, if he can play than I want him on the team. Let other teams stupidity be our gain. 11.5 sacks in the SEC is nothing to scoff at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MassSkinsFan Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Where will he be drafted? Will be accepted by all his teammates, the NFL still has plenty of bigots within the sport from players all the way to ownership. I can definitely see some teams move him off their draft board completely, just because his gay. The first time he rings someone's bell in practice or in a game, he'll be accepted by the teammates who count. There are always bigotted outliers, but rarely a whole team of them. Good luck Mr. Sam! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 NFL teams avoid media circus...since when? No such thing as bad publicity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetoaster Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 NFL teams avoid media circus...since when? No such thing as bad publicity. If NFL teams did not care about a media circus, Tim Tebow would be on an NFL roster. It's a huge distraction that most teams do not want to put up with. Now, you can learn to deal with the distraction depending on how good the player is, but for a marginal player, the distraction is usually not seen as worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 If NFL teams did not care about a media circus, Tim Tebow would be on an NFL roster. Yeah, it couldn't possibly be because of his talent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetoaster Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Yeah, it couldn't possibly be because of his talent. I am not saying he would be a starter somewhere, but I think he could be on a roster as a third-stringer or at least brought into a camp. The bottom line is that many teams have changed and do not want to be a part of an immense distraction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I would love for the Skins to draft him. He's going to be a steal in the 4 or 5 rounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burgundyrush Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I think it's hypocritical for fans to label players like Vince Young, Chad Johnson, and Brandon Marshall as distractions/locker room cancers then turn around and act like everything will be normal when there is a openly gay player in the locker room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Harris Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I am not sure I follow you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 If NFL teams did not care about a media circus, Tim Tebow would be on an NFL roster. It's a huge distraction that most teams do not want to put up with. Now, you can learn to deal with the distraction depending on how good the player is, but for a marginal player, the distraction is usually not seen as worth it. They did not get rid of Tebow because he was a media circus....they got him for that reason and they sold tickets because of it, they got rid of him because he sucks as an NFL QB, and refuses to play any other position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santana_4_prez Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 And even though he was productive, a lot of that productivity was against questionable competition where he had a strength advantage that isn't going to translate to the NFL. Dude he had 3 sack games against Vandy, Arkansas State and Florida. How is that questionable competition? They all made bowl games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Harris Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I am not saying he would be a starter somewhere good...now I can read the rest of your post., but I think he could be on a roster as a third-stringer or at least brought into a camp. The bottom line is that many teams have changed and do not want to be a part of an immense distraction. Tim Tebow had two things going against him. No. 1, he is a marginal player and 2. He's a distraction. I think if you are 1 you can get by with hard work and by avoiding being number 2. If you are no. 2 you can get by by making sure you aren't no. 1. Skills trump distractions. Back ups do not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhead36 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Sheehan just put it best on 980: "I don't care if he is a vehicle for change. All I care about is whether or not he can play. The only change I want is change from 3-13."(paraphrasing a bit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsburySkinsFan Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 I think it's hypocritical for fans to label players like Vince Young, Chad Johnson, and Brandon Marshall as distractions/locker room cancers then turn around and act like everything will be normal when there is a openly gay player in the locker room. Huge difference between a guy like TO (a legit locker room cancer) and a gay player, your assumption also omits the possibility that there are already gay players in the NFL and that his orientation isn't known by players in his locker room. Sheehan just put it best on 980: "I don't care if he is a vehicle for change. All I care about is whether or not he can play. The only change I want is change from 3-13."(paraphrasing a bit) And as long as this is the attitude of the players on his team, then excellent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Harris Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Huge difference between a guy like TO (a legit locker room cancer) and a gay player, your assumption also omits the possibility that there are already gay players in the NFL and that his orientation isn't known by players in his locker room. And as long as this is the attitude of the players on his team, then excellent! it's like he thinks dude is going around yanking on his teammates in the locker room Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88Comrade2000 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Here's an article from SI on that: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20140209/michael-sam-draft-stock/ I don't think the NFL is ready yet but it will take a strong owner or ownership group to be the ground breaker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaGoonie55 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Question: Does his sexual orientation require a separate changing facility? Would be akin to having a female football player, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predicto Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I wouldn't be at all certain. If I'm Joe Acme, considering an endorsement deal with this guy, I have to look at 1) How many people will come to my product, because of this guy? 2) How many people will stay away, because of this guy? Not only does #1 have to be bigger than #2, (something which I doubt would be true, to begin with), it has to be enough bigger to justify the money I'm paying him. I don't agree with this analysis. You are correct that a market leader like McDonalds or Nike or Coke probably will not sign an endorsement deal with this guy, because they have too much to lose and too little to gain. However, if I run a company with a 2 percent market share that is trying to move up, I would be willing to take that chance. I might lose some of my already (not numerous) existing customers, but I run a good chance of significantly raising my company profile among liberals and gays who would want to reward my company for taking that risk and being progressive. Might be able to jump from a 2 percent market share to a 10 percent market share that way. That would be huge. So I'd be looking to a company like Fanta rather than Coke, or Subaru rather than Ford. Could be a bonanza for the right company - kind of like a reverse Chick-Fil-A situation. Question: Does his sexual orientation require a separate changing facility? Would be akin to having a female football player, no? No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 NFL teams already knew he was gay but he hadn't come out publicly. That's the issue. He's a media circus now and THAT's what NFL teams are going to avoid. If he had waited until after he was drafted and signed to come out publicly, he could have gotten his first contract in the bank before his team could have done anything about it. A third round pick has so much more security right off the bat than a 7th rounder or an UDFA. Realistically, I think there are probably only a few teams that will draft him at all. And that means he's probably going late or going undrafted. If he were a blue chipper, teams would be far more willing to take on the baggage of drafting him. But he's not a clean prospect and won't fit a lot of schemes even if he were totally anonymous. Not necessarily. I think some teams might want to draft him so that they can make it into a positive for their team. Meaning, they were the team that gave the first openly gay football player his chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaGoonie55 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 No. Why? I'm curious because this came up at work and this is where we are stumped. Would you please elaborate for my understanding? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Going Commando Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Dude he had 3 sack games against Vandy, Arkansas State and Florida. How is that questionable competition? They all made bowl games. It's a problem that almost all of his sack production came in just three games first and foremost. But he wasn't facing NFL caliber competition in them. Of his 11.5 sacks, nine came in three games against what one scout called "garbage competition" -- Vanderbilt, Arkansas State and Florida. "His numbers are inflated," a scout said. "You've got to see through that." http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20140209/michael-sam-draft-stock/#ixzz2swaqmpaE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Why? I'm curious because this came up at work and this is where we are stumped. Would you please elaborate for my understanding? Same reason they don't have separate lockerooms at the YMCA for straight or gay males/females. Do you think they are just going around checking out everyone's junk or are using the lockeroom like a night club in hopes of "picking someone up?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Not necessarily. I think some teams might want to draft him so that they can make it into a positive for their team. Meaning, they were the team that gave the first openly gay football player his chance. I can't see ANY NFL team giving that even a miniscule factor in their assessment of him. Not even the Redskins, who some could argue might use some Political Correctness points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherrardsd Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Same reason they don't have separate lockerooms at the YMCA for straight or gay males/females. Do you think they are just going around checking out everyone's junk or are using the lockeroom like a night club in hopes of "picking someone up?" Obviously. The gays are like the blacks, they cannot control their sex drives. On a serious note, I am glad he decided to come out and I hope it works out well for him. I refuse to believe that there aren't several gay players playing in the NFL now and obviously everything is fine. But wait...maybe there are a lot of cases of player rape that we aren't hearing about!! maybe that will come out later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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