Michael
Sam is an All-American, SEC Co-Defensive Player of the year from Missouri. In
the 2013 season, he led the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss. He is projected
to be a 3rd or 4th round pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
But,
that isn’t what made headlines this week. This week, Michael Sam came out of
the closet. When he is drafted, he will be the first openly gay football player
in the NFL.
To be
perfectly honest, it wasn’t until this week that I really knew a lot about
Michael Sam. I’ve seen a highlight or two, heard his name, and read a quick
profile when he was selected as an All-America. When you live in Utah, the only
conferences you really hear about are the PAC-12 and Mountain West Conference.
The only other teams that get a lot of coverage on TV, the radio, and in the
newspapers are BYU and the teams that are either in the BCS National
Championship Game, or are usually in BCS National Championship Game (i.e.
Alabama). You just don’t hear about the SEC.
However,
if you follow college football at all, you know that the SEC players can play. Before
Florida State (ACC) won it all this year, the last non-SEC team to win the
National Championship was Texas in the 2005 season. In the 2013 game, Florida
State beat Auburn, an SEC team, in a very close game. The competition is tough
in that conference. If you are a top player in this conference, then you are
probably pretty darn good. So, logically, I felt confident enough to say
Michael Sam would be an almost guaranteed NFL draft pick this year.
I would
venture that my opinion of him was the general opinion of most people out here
in the western states. We knew him by name, and just figured that he was a
pretty good football player because of his stature in a dominant conference.
Since he
came out on Sunday, my opinion hasn’t changed one bit. If he can perform well
on the field, who cares about his sexual orientation? If I were an NFL exec, I
would be looking for a player that would help my team win.
Unsurprisingly,
not everyone agrees with me. I was listening to NBC Sports Radio on my drive
home on Monday night. As with all of the different sports media outlets, the
host was discussing the impact of a homosexual player on an NFL team. He was
seemingly supportive of Sam, as was his NFL retiree guest. A listener from
South Carolina called in with a different opinion, and his opinion just so
happens to be the same opinion I’ve heard from several NFL fans: Michael Sam’s
sexual orientation should bar him from the NFL. Their reasoning? He will be a
naked, homosexual man in a locker room with naked, heterosexual teammates.
So, let
me get this straight. According to this mindset, Sam will be checking out ALL
of the other athletes because he is attracted to ALL of them. What’s more, he
cannot control his urges and will make advances on his teammates. The safety
and comfort of the heterosexual players will be pushed aside because a sexual
deviant is playing with them.
First of
all, if you think homosexuality makes you a wicked person, then there is something
wrong with you. There are child molesters and all kinds of other sex offenders
that have done things far worse than sleeping with someone of the same gender.
But, I digress.
The
thing that puzzles me is this belief that homosexual men are attracted to all
men. I’m a heterosexual man, but that doesn’t mean I’m attracted to every woman.
If I’m at a beach, I don’t flirt with every woman I see in a bikini. I don’t
get aroused every time I see a girl in yoga pants. Not every woman is
attractive to me. Even if I do think a girl is pretty, I’m married. I’m
committed to my wife, and only my wife. I’m in love with her, not every woman
on the planet.
These
people that think Michael Sam shouldn't be in an NFL locker room believe that he
will be attracted to his teammates and acting on that attraction. If they believe
that, does that mean that they are attracted to every woman they have ever
worked with? Granted, they have probably never seen their female coworker in
the buff, but you don’t need to see someone naked to be attracted to them. Do they
feel the urge to attack the woman in a sexual way because they see her in a
low-cut blouse or a short skirt? If so, do they act on it? That is essentially
what they are saying about Sam—that he will act on his sexual urges and
desires, whether it be appropriate or not. If you ask me, this kind of attitude
is an indication of an oversized ego. Heterosexual men shouldn’t flatter
themselves into thinking that every homosexual man wants to sleep with them.
That’s just not how it works.
Also, he
won’t be the first gay NFL player. He may be the first one so open about it,
but there have been homosexual players in the past, and you can bet that there
are gay players already in the league. The other players only care if their
teammate is playing well and easy to get along with. They are mature enough not
to care about the sexual orientation of their teammates.
My point
is this: If Michael Sam is making plays on the football field, then he does in
fact belong in an NFL locker room. His sexual orientation should not be what
keeps him from playing the sport that he loves. His teammates were okay with it
in college; his future teammates in the NFL will be okay with it as well. This
isn’t a religious or political. This is football. Period.
