NFL Off Topic

[wwharton]

Quote: Originally Posted by OSUFan_88

Maybe Robinson would have wanted a reality show, but I doubt it. Something about Sam the person rubs me the wrong way. And it has nothing to do with his sexual preference. His complaining about how he was going from a day 2 pick to a 7th rounder...I dunno. Seems like he is seeking out anyone who is saying something negative and using it as a crutch. Seems like he wants to shove the narrative of him being gay down everyone's throat, whether they like it or not. I'm not sure Michael Sam was the right person to be the first openly gay man drafted in the NFL. Gay or not, he seems to be a guy who really likes the spotlight. As for the Rams, they must have liked him. Why aren't they taking the blame? Because I haven't heard of anything that says the Rams were looking to get Michael Sam a reality TV show. If they were, then they are equally open to criticism too and I would question whether they were the right team to take on something this sensitive and controversial. This whole situation seems like it's getting unnecessarily bigger. It was big, now it's becoming a circus. It's getting close to Tebow levels. Hope that franchise is ready for it.

Honestly though, it would take someone who likes the spotlight to come out. Sam is far from the first gay NFL player. If they don't want the spotlight, there's no way they'd let it be known. That's why this is such a big deal to begin with.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Quote: Originally Posted by OSUFan_88

Seems like he wants to shove the narrative of him being gay down everyone's throat, whether they like it or not. I'm not sure Michael Sam was the right person to be the first openly gay man drafted in the NFL. Gay or not, he seems to be a guy who really likes the spotlight.

He's a football player, though, a lot of them do like the spotlight. He's no different than anybody else, but he just happens to be openly gay in a country where it hasn't really been accepted to be openly gay.

I also don't get the forceful narrative, but I stay successfully unplugged from mainstream media for the most part so I don't see all the headlines that he's been getting.

[jmood88]

I really don't understand all this "they're trying to shove this story down our throats" stuff that people keep saying. Compared to all the things that sports media has tried to push on people, this has been a blip on the radar. There was a lot of coverage on Day 3 of the draft and since then, the networks have focused on other things. If Sam was getting Tebow-style coverage, then I would understand but after the day he got drafted, the coverage has been on everything else.

[slickdtc]

Of course this is going to be a circus. It's only just beginning, really. I don't know if embracing it or shying away from it is the right decision, but there's going to be a lot of exposure and coverage regardless of how much Sam wants to be involved. I also think that as the first gay NFL player he's got a lot of weight on his shoulder to handle it professionally both from within and from outside forces (organizations, family, friends).

How Sam is treated, handles it, and pans out will influence other athletes on whether revealing their sexuality is smart or not.

[OSUFan_88]

Maybe I'm wrong. I'm willing to admit that.

I just don't see another draft pick getting a reality show. He's putting a lot of unneeded pressure on himself.

[slickdtc]

Quote: Originally Posted by OSUFan_88

Maybe I'm wrong. I'm willing to admit that. I just don't see another draft pick getting a reality show. He's putting a lot of unneeded pressure on himself.

It's also possible that he's doing it to show how committed he is to football and have people get a glimpse into his life and realize its not that different from any other football players besides he likes men.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Quote: Originally Posted by OSUFan_88

Maybe I'm wrong. I'm willing to admit that. I just don't see another draft pick getting a reality show. He's putting a lot of unneeded pressure on himself.

You could argue he did that when he came out publicly.

[OSUFan_88]

Quote: Originally Posted by Fresh Tendrils

You could argue he did that when he came out publicly.

Being himself isn't putting unneeded pressure on himself. That's just him being him.

Quote:

It's also possible that he's doing it to show how committed he is to football and have people get a glimpse into his life and realize its not that different from any other football players besides he likes men.

Well, did anyone think his life would be that much different than any other football player? Well, now he has a reality TV show...