Michael Sam

[g-mann17]

So just wanted to see if anyone else find this as interesting as I do...

7th round pick (a little late based on his predicted draft stock 5th or 6th) because of being a tweener.

His jersey is available for sale on the Rams Team shop, front and center, the position normally reserved for your first round selection. I am unable to find any other late round jerseys available, for instance Pierre Desir (which is much better story overall).

So is this exploiting the moment?

[Dr Z]

Word is, there are tons of orders for the Sam jersey right now. While a good story, I'm not sure the Desir jersey would sell so good (right now). Most decisions made by the NFL have to do with the money, this is no different. @RattoCSN: “Give them 15 minutes. The NFL can hear a dollar bill hitting a down pillow.”

A native of Haiti, the 23-year-old Desir came to the United States at age four. He didn't start playing football until his freshman year in high school. After a strong senior season at Division II Lindenwood, Desir appeared in the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.

[zippy5]

Sam has the #2 selling jersey. Behind Manziel and in front of Clowney. Not so much exploiting as making a good financial decision, no?

[GP1]

Exploiting a situation is a time honored tradition of making money in this country. The Sam story provides a profitable result for the Rams and the NFL in many areas. First, there is the obvious story about him playing for Missouri so he is playing for the hometown team on which he won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in a year when the Tigers came in second in the league. Everyone likes a winner.

There is also the second story if him growing up poor and that is always a good seller and can make a player's jersey more popular.

Lastly, the homosexual story will make it a big seller among some people who may not have had much of an interest in the NFL let alone a single players.

Sam is good for the NFL because he makes it money and he expands the customer base. Good business is good business.

[a-zip]

Make no mistake, Sam is working this and HE is going to make plenty of money whether he makes the roster or not (he already has an endorsement deal with Visa too). While I am all for making a buck, I admire what he has achieved from where he came, and I feel he is extremely courageous to come out - it is all a bit much for me personally. I am not homophobic but I could do without the kissing and smashing cake in each others faces like groom and groom with the cameras ready. Seemed a bit staged to me. Seriously, did anyone think he would NOT get drafted? By him going in the last round - it kept people watching, tweeting, chatting, and talking about Michael Sam and the NFL draft.

It is going to be interesting to see how this plays out because every move, comment, tweet by coaches and players are going to be scrutinized……it will also be an incredible distraction to the team. If he gets cut…….oh boy….watch out!!!! I wish him well, I hope he earns and spot on the team and plays well.

[g-mann17]

Sam is good for the NFL because he makes it money and he expands the customer base. Good business is good business.

And that is the most interesting part to me. Good Business. So my thought is that there is no way he doesn't make the 53 man roster. Regardless of the Rams needs, he will be on the roster when the season starts. The NFL will not want this to "fail", not for the cultural reasons, like they should, but simply for the ability to market the product to another group, who quite frankly was already watching anyway.

[GP1]

And that is the most interesting part to me. Good Business. So my thought is that there is no way he doesn't make the 53 man roster. Regardless of the Rams needs, he will be on the roster when the season starts. The NFL will not want this to "fail", not for the cultural reasons, like they should, but simply for the ability to market the product to another group, who quite frankly was already watching anyway.

I think Sam will make the NFL because he is good enough to be at least a special teams player for the length of a rookie contract. Every team needs special teams guys. He performed great in the SEC. That tells me he can play at a professional level even if it is as a marginal player. Once he establishes himself for a couple of years, learns to be a pro, then the last couple years of a rookie contract are a given if you show some progress. I don't see him playing any more than a year or two past a rookie contract.

[skip-zip]

It is going to be interesting to see how this plays out because every move, comment, tweet by coaches and players are going to be scrutinized……it will also be an incredible distraction to the team. If he gets cut…….oh boy….watch out!!!! I wish him well, I hope he earns and spot on the team and plays well.

I see distractions as well. And I think you can already assume this...

It will be scrutinized that he should have gotten picked earlier, until training camp starts.

Then, it will be scrutinized if he doesn't make the team

If he makes the team, it will be scrutinized if he doesn't play.

"Watch Out" is right. I hope the Rams organization is ready for this. I don't think they are. There will be cameras and reporters watching every move. Players, coaches, administrators, AND fans. They'll be looking for any false move that they can make a story out of.

Just think about the little things. What if someone gets in an altercation with him in practice? What if a coach berates him over not executing a drill properly? Everything is going to be watched, and little things might (will) get blown out of proportion to create a story.

[Dr Z]

Put me down as thinking it won't be as big of a deal as some think. If he's one of the best 53 in camp, he'll make the team, if not, he won't. Plain and simple. From the very little highlights I have seen of him, he seems to struggle in coverage. GP1 is right, he can make the team playing good special teams. He seems like he is a good tackler, good pass rusher, and has good instincts. Might get to see him in sub packages. I'm rooting for him.

[GP1]

There will be cameras and reporters watching every move. Players, coaches, administrators, AND fans.

There won't be much to see. Sam is an NFL player, but a marginal player. The media and fans will grow tired of stories relating to a back up player and worry more about why they are in last place...again. The drafting of any seventh round player isn't going to change the problems the Rams have.

I hope players and coaches are watching every move. The video every practice and grade out every play. The players need to worry more about how they individually look on those films and not worry about how Sam looks on film. Those discussion will be made between him and his position coach. I really don't think this is going to be an issue for the Rams. They have bigger problems.

[skip-zip]

There won't be much to see. Sam is an NFL player, but a marginal player. The media and fans will grow tired of stories relating to a back up player and worry more about why they are in last place...again. The drafting of any seventh round player isn't going to change the problems the Rams have.

I hope players and coaches are watching every move. The video every practice and grade out every play. The players need to worry more about how they individually look on those films and not worry about how Sam looks on film. Those discussion will be made between him and his position coach. I really don't think this is going to be an issue for the Rams. They have bigger problems.

Sorry, you may have misunderstood. I meant that the media will be watching the other players, fans and coaches. Not that the players fans and coaches will be watching Sam.

[Balsy]

So is this exploiting the moment?

Yes it is. But I would offer another question: So What?

A lot of people (not saying you) have felt that Michael Sam exploited "coming-out" as a way to springboard his personal NFL stock. EVERY player tries to boost their individual stock. We've become accustomed to many of these "story-lines" already, so when to spring up, we tend to ignore them. But examples of exploits include:

Coming from nothing, homeless to stardom, overcoming personal tragedy (death of parent etc...), overcoming addiction, religion (lets be real here...Christianity specifically)...the list goes on and on and on.

Story-lines sell, and this is a perfect example of a story-line...especially one that has never been covered before, so of course it's going to be exploited.

[g-mann17]

Yes it is. But I would offer another question: So What?

I guess, my response, is that it's the concept of a fake "social moment". Realistically a 7th round pick has about a 15% chance of making a team. yet he has the number 2 selling jersey in the NFL right now. No other late round picks even have their jersey's featured, they have to be special ordered.

He still is what he is, the first NFL player, brave enough, to be honest about his preferences. The league needs to let this thing happen naturally. It's not like the 40's where there was an actual ban of a specific type of people.

They are forcing it so they can say "well that's over with".

And yes people emphasize their stories, but that is what we all do, look at resumes, or college applications. If people did as many amazing things as they say on those things then there wouldn't be hunger or poverty in the world.

[Dr Z]

The NFL is not forcing people to wear Sam's jersey. Apparently lots of people are paying money because they want to wear the jersey. His popularity has little to do with his draft position. I'm not seeing the hubbub. You can create just about any name on a team jersey. Just not Ron Mexico. Tons of people bought Tim Couch jerseys, now that is the real travesty.

[Balsy]

Exactly. And I wouldn't say its a fake social movement...it is a social movement, however it's not one the NFL started. I see it with my students all the time, they're simply more accepting and don't find an issue with homosexuality, because they don't see it at something that defines them or their peers. In fact, they usually don't understand why it's an issue at all. So I wouldn't go as far Asa saying its a fake social movement, because it's quite the opposite.

Trust me: if any other player picked in the 7th round was as notable...teams would be just as willing to sell those jerseys. If Johnny Mansfield lasted to the second, would it have drastically effected the sales of his jersey? No. Would dropping to the7th round had effected his jersey sales? No. People buy jerseys for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with the round they were drafted.

[g-mann17]

Just for clarification here, I'm saying the NFL is creating a fake "social moment" not movement. I'm part of that generation that doesn't care, love is love.

It just feels to me like the NFL is taking advantage of a moment it never intended to have.

I'm not saying the NFL is forcing people to buy anything, I'm saying they are forcing this moment, with a low caliber athlete.

I couldn't care less, he's a player, I think he got disrespected in the draft (should have been 4-5th round pic), I just think the NFL's response is completely fake, and exploitative.

[skip-zip]

There were a half-dozen TV trucks and 80 media members at Rams headquarters, an HOUR early, just to see him introduced to the media.

If anyone thinks that the media is not going to be watching every move by anyone over the next few months, you're nuts

[Dr Z]

Oprah Winfrey Network to produce Michael Sam documentary

The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) announced Wednesday that it would create a multi-part documentary series on Sam and "his historic journey as he prepares to enter the biggest professional sports league in America." It's an untitled project, but the network is working with Emmy-winning producer Craig Piligian and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Amy Rice. In the news release, OWN says its cameras will follow Sam, but it's unclear how much locker room/practice field access the network will get from the NFL.