Dropped from the Rams, and maybe from professional football entirely. Some are blaming an ESPN story inquiring about Sam’s showering with or without the team and related publicity. Very sad if that’s the reason why.
More. A possible reprieve, with the Dallas Cowboys. Now that would be interesting, Texas-wise.
10 Comments for “The Michael Sam Shower Saga”
posted by Mark J on
Latest news is that he will likely be picked up by the Cowboys.
Still, for a player who was the defensive lineman of the year … there really is only one reason he hasn’t already been picked up.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
Some are blaming an ESPN story inquiring about Sam’s showering with or without the team and related publicity. Very sad if that’s the reason why.
It’s probably not. Sam was among 20 cut from the roster.
The ESPN story was bullshit, though, typical of ESPN’s focus on the trivial and sensational. I don’t follow the NFL, but ESPN’s reporting about NASCAR (e.g. the Danica Patrick saga) is every bit as inane.
I have no doubt that Sam’s situation is complicated by being out. It is always hard being the first to break a barrier, and professional football, embodying all the straight male fantasies about toughness and manliness, is a tough nut to crack.
posted by Houndentenor on
The reality is that they didn’t need him. They had to cut the roster by a certain date and a bunch of guys had to go. It looks like he’s being picked up by the Cowboys for the practice team. That’s not a bad gig for a rookie. (I recommend following Kris Kluwe on twitter. He has interesting perspective on how this goes. The exact same thing happened to him in his first season.)
posted by Houndentenor on
I don’t know of any evidence to support that hypothesis. He wasn’t needed on the team so he was cut. It happens. As for the ESPN story, once again evidence for why cable is not worth paying for. A “reporter” (yes, those are sarcasm quotes) sniffed around to find a few quotes to tell the story she wanted to tell. A teammate was quick to trash her. These are grown men. They don’t have a problem with this. And as one podcaster noted: If you’ve been to a gym, you’ve showered with a gay person. There has been a lot of homophobia around this story, mostly from the media. Unless someone has evidence that Sam was cut because he was gay, I’m not going to assume that was the reason.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
More. A possible reprieve, with the Dallas Cowboys. Now that would be interesting, Texas-wise.
Ah, the next breathless ESPN story, served up right here on IGF.
posted by Mike in Houston on
Ah yes, the “isn’t it amazing that a gay person would get a job in Texas of all places” storyline… packaged by an elitist east coaster from a supposedly gay- friendly enclave (who enjoys public accommodation, employment and marriage protections).
posted by Houndentenor on
The Dallas burbs are remarkably right wing and fundamentalist, even by Texas standards. I’ve been shocked at the nutbaggery around these parts. So, yes, it is surprising and I say that as a Native Texan, former Houstonian and current (and thankfully temporary) Metroplex dweller.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
The Dallas burbs are remarkably right wing and fundamentalist, even by Texas standards.
That’s nothing new. Dallas has been rabid right for decades, a haven for the John Birch Society, the Minutemen and other fringe organizations. It must be something in the water.
posted by Tom Jefferson III on
It is difficult to say — for certain — how much ‘weight’ is given to Sams’s sexual orientation by the proverbial NFL deciders. Naturally, the NFL is not stupid enough to admit to engaging in overt, unfair discrimination.
A straight man was kicked off the Minnesota Vikings and some people felt it was because he had publicly support marriage equality. A recent lawsuit about the issue was eventually settled.
Again, the Vikings are not stupid enough to actually say ‘Yeah, we kicked ‘x’ off the team because of something that is not really relevant or germane to his performance’.
Now about ESPN . Its reputation for providing great sports news, analysis, commentary, etc has certainly taken a hit with this ‘shower’ news story.
Most of the time I have to say that I do generally like what ESPN does and they do — generally — act as professionals even when their are heated debates.
Someone in the ESPN corporate ladder should have questioned the merits of this particular story.
Maybe straight men do worry about ‘the shower’ issue, but the ESPN ‘news’ article seemed to be feeding into the fears rather then acting as, you know, actual news.
Kris Kluwe comments were quite insightful.
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