Mac,I don't doubt any of your analysis there of what you saw on film,in fact I honor your work, I haven't forgotten you insistence on Alshon Jeffrey and how so many of us whiffed on him (including our Rams)but I still have a very tough time accepting the idea that Sam is near third round talent . His combine numbers weren't that lofty first of all.and second but even more important to me ,the implication as to why he fell.
You make a primafacia case for the entire league to be homophobic as well as many tallent evaluators and I have trouble leveling those kind of charges against anyone until I know it to be the case,charges of racist ,homophobe,sexist are so serious in my mind and get thrown out just to gain sway in argument in such a cavalier way ,once that bell gets rung you can't unring it and IMO are more hurtful to the target than any epithet because of course thinking people know the epithet really reflects upon the issuer and doesn't REALLY diminish the target . Once labeled that way where do you go to get your reputation back ? We must consider the humanity of all parties here before we give in to our own prejudices.,NOT BTW saying you are giving in .
Well, I appreciate the props on Alshon. I really do put a fair bit of detailed work into looking at players, I just can't look at enough.
Secondly, and I really, really don't want to hijack this thread, but I have six names.
Kerry Rhodes. A top 5 Free Safety gets "outed" with pictures of him and a guy supposedly his boyfriend. Instead of getting a new contract with the Cardinals or ANY contract offers, even Vet minimums from any teams, he gets nothing. From anyone. Kerry Rhodes was healthy and a top 5 Free Safety in the prime of his career in a pass happy league. He's OUT OF THE LEAGUE.
Brendan Ayenbadejo. LB with the Ravens. Stands up for gay rights openly. As is the case with LBs not All-Pros, they aren't irreplaceable. Fairly quickly, he's gone from the Ravens. Not surprisingly, he's also OUT OF THE LEAGUE.
Chris Kluwe. Outspoken punter for the Vikings (not remotely about liking or not liking him, his stances, or his personality). Like LBs, not an irreplaceable position. Had an okay year before being replaced, but was a solid NFL punter. Actually held back by poor coverage units as the stats continually show (meaning he could have had better stats like greater distance if they coverage units could do better covering his kicks, which they could not). In large part due to his coach and likely the prevalent views on that staff, he was replaced. The NFL does NOT like outspoken anything, but especially about Gay rights. Thus, he's OUT OF THE LEAGUE.
Note: Except in the case of Kerry Rhodes, I'm not obviating that a football case can be made for BA and CK losing their jobs. However, that all went from highly regarded pros to completely out of the league doesn't pass the smell test even including the football cases made against them.
Michael Sam. I won't restate his case. I will say as someone who's looked into him a fair bit that the before and after his announcement is striking and undeniable.
Tony Dungy. All I'm going to say, for good and ill is that I think he's emblematic of the NFL. He's a good man who doesn't even notice his gross hypocrisy. He stated on air many times that he'd be willing to give Michael Vick a second chance after his felony conviction not only for dog fighting, but he'd set up an entire criminal enterprise including funding the full infrastructure of an entire dog kennel and gambling ring set up solely to indulge his "pasttime". Knowing that giving Michael Vick a second chance would not only cause difficulties in the locker room (how many players were openly disgusted and openly talked about it at the time? Plenty as I recall) and knowing that Michael Vick was the most polarizing figure in all of sports since perhaps Ali...I mean people didn't just give up season tickets, they burned all of their Eagles gear in protest and picked another team. And STILL, Tony Dungy stood by his stance that he'd give Michael Vick another chance. Again and again, he said it. So, the idea that with Michael Sam, he wouldn't draft him because "he'd be too much of a distraction" is just BS. Coaches embrace distraction all the time if they feel the player can help them win. And as we saw, Michael Sam wasn't hardly any distraction at all. But while Tony Dungy and the rest of the NFL can STILL make room for the Ray Rices of the NFL (John Harbaugh, a Head Coach who is listened to, called the "incident" between Ray Rice and his then fiancee and I quote "not a big deal") if they think the player can help them win, there just is NO room for a gay player who isn't in the closet. Tony Dungy has acknowledged as in subsequently statements that he's not homophobic and I don't doubt that. I think his evangelical background would likely create a bias to a degree, but I think if he found out a player was gay, I doubt he'd treat that player badly or different. That said, I dunno that he'd treat that player well, either. The point about Dungy is that he basically let the cat out of the bag. It's not so much "homophobia", but "homo, don't wanna know ya" and it became VERY CLEAR during the draft that that view was pervasive throughout the NFL.
Mike Priefer. His comments about gays were not only disgusting, but unprofessional. As former Navy, I know a thing or two about being salty and in my time in the Navy and all my time around Vets from every branch including vets from other countries (one of my good friends is a big Russian who's former Spetsnaz), I've NEVER heard anyone say anything as disgusting as that (well, my Macky stories are pretty blue, but they don't disparage anyone). The problem is that the reportage is that Mike Priefer was a rather ordinary coach... meaning that while his words may have been extraordinary, his attitudes...weren't. So, we can't ignore this dynamic when it comes to evaluating the whole thing.
Do I think the league is "scared of the gay" like the word, homophobic, suggests? No, not in that way.
However, for a number of factors varied and nuanced enough to write several books, the NFL simply has shown via action and inaction that it will tolerate violence and criminal behavior, but it will NOT tolerate even speaking out on behalf of gay rights, let alone being gay.
Now, if it weren't for Stan Kroenke and Jeff Fisher and Les Snead, I really think that not only wouldn't Michael Sam have been drafted, I honestly don't know which team would have even offered him a camp invite. Why would I think that?
Well, Kerry Rhodes is still out of the NFL...