Now that gay NFL draft pick Michael Sam has opted to cancel his reality show with Oprah (which he initially hid from the St. Louis Rams) he can focus on the task before him: making the roster of an NFL football team.
Michael Sam is still a hot topic right now, and he will be for months. Indeed, the historical impact of his being the first openly gay NFL Draft Pick will be felt for generations. But after the initial tidal wave of press dies down Sam can get down to what he really needs to focus on: football. The cancelled Oprah reality show, which would have been an unwelcome distraction for Sam and the Rams at best, and cheap and exploitative at its worst, is hopefully the last circus attraction for the Rams training camp. At least until the preseason starts.
As many have pointed out since the draft, Sam is obviously talented enough to be a prospect, otherwise he wouldn't have been drafted. No team would have welcomed the media circus that accompanies Sam if they didn't think he was a good ball player (via New York Daily News):
"They drafted Sam in the seventh round, not because they thought the league or the world owed him a job because he announced he was gay on his way out of the University of Missouri. They drafted him because they thought he might be one of those low-round picks who might pay off and help them be a better team someday...
"This was not a noble decision by the Rams. It was a football decision."
Just as with any groundbreaking public figure, Sam's presence does not automatically wipe out prejudice and bigotry. It's going to be an uphill battle, obviously. But this development is a game changer in terms of changing attitudes about diversity and tolerance.
As long as there is open and fruitful dialogue the fight against hatred and prejudice is alive and well.
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