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NFL Offseason Thread - Who cares who won we got a draft to prepare for!

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J

jbug617

Banned
SI with the cold facts

But from a purely football perspective, his decision to come out prior to May's NFL draft will make his path to the league daunting, eight NFL executives and coaches told SI.com.

In blunt terms, they project a significant drop in Sam's draft stock, a publicity circus and an NFL locker room culture not prepared to deal with an openly gay player. Sam, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, was projected as a mid- to late-round draft pick prior to his announcement.

While none of the executives overtly condemned Sam's decision, their opinions illuminated an NFL culture in which an openly gay player -- from the draft room to the locker room -- faces long odds and a lonely path.

The executives and coaches were granted anonymity by SI.com for their honesty and their answers were consistently unsparing.

"I don't think football is ready for it just yet," said an NFL player personnel assistant. "In the coming decade or two, it's going to be acceptable, but at this point in time it's still a man's man game. To call somebody a [gay slur] is still so commonplace. It'd chemically imbalance an NFL locker room and meeting room."

All the NFL personnel interviewed agreed that Sam's announcement will cause him to drop in the draft; he was projected between the third and seventh round prior to the announcement. The question will be how far he falls and if he gets chosen at all.

"I just know with this going on this is going to drop him down," said a veteran NFL scout. "There's no question about it. It's human nature. Do you want to be the team to quote-unquote 'break that barrier?'"

Before his announcement, Sam had already emerged as a divisive prospect. Some look at his SEC-best 11.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss and see a high motor pass rusher who could have gone as high as the third round. Others see Sam, who is 6-foot-2 and 260 pounds, as undersized defensive end without a true position in the NFL. Of his 11.5 sacks, nine came in three games against what one scout called "garbage competition" -- Vanderbilt, Arkansas State and Florida. "His numbers are inflated," a scout said. "You've got to see through that."

One former NFL general manager described how Sam's future could play out in the draft room. He said when a team is getting in position to make a pick, there's typically a declaration in the draft room that they're nine slots from choosing and will pick from six different players, or five spots away and choose from three players.

If Sam is among that group of players, the potential distraction of his presence -- both in the media and the locker room -- could prevent him from being selected.

"That will break a tie against that player," he said. "Every time. Unless he's Superman. Why? Not that they're against gay people. It's more that some players are going to look at you upside down. Every Tom, Dick and Harry in the media is going to show up, from Good Housekeeping to the Today Show. A general manager is going to ask, 'Why are we going to do that to ourselves?'"

The former general manager said that it would take an NFL franchise with a strong owner, savvy general manager and veteran coach to make it work. He rattled off franchises like Pittsburgh, Green Bay, San Francisco, Baltimore and Indianapolis as destinations where that could happen. He said that a team with a rookie head coach would not be an ideal destination.
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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/co...140209/michael-sam-draft-stock/#ixzz2sscCsmmd
 
E

eznark

Banned
LJ11 said:
you're largely right about this. always exceptions, Jerry Smith didn't really hide it from my recollection, but he also had Lombardi for a short while who was extremely tolerant, had gay players in GB too. that redskins team had multiple hay players.
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Heard an interview on NFL Radio with one of the players who consulted on North Dallas Forty. Some no name who I will never remember the name of (supported by the fact that his claim to fame was being an uncredited consultant on a cult football movie). It was back when that linemen came out after he retired. The dude basically said that there were a lot of guys who were probably gay, but as long as they banged women every now and then no one cared. I thought that was the dumbest and funniest thing I ever heard.

I think for the most part people give no fucks until you force them to deal with it. Same goes with steroids, video cameras and blow. As long as you do it on your own time it's cool. Once reporters start bothering you for months about your gay teammate though, that's when it gets old fast.
 
C

cdyhybrid

Member
I don't get the locker room dynamic argument unless you're currently a Super Bowl contender. We had a ton of awful teams last season, your precious locker room dynamic wasn't really doing much for you.
 
E

eznark

Banned
Buckethead said:
Since when is throwing a baseball at a minority "awesome"?

Oh. I forgot, you're Eznark.

Sorry buddy, you walked into that one.
Click to expand...

That part was awesome. It was the only section of the game with any unique character. The rest is a paint by numbers rote corridor shooter...and a shitty rote corridor shooter at that.
 
T

Trey

Member
MRSA said:
Also that gay NCAA guy, its noble and all. But to come out before the draft? Publicity stunt to me.
Click to expand...

It was going to come out eventually, and no one will care in three months. He did the least gaudy thing by putting out there expeditiously and getting ahead of it all.
 
P

Paches

Member
jbug617 said:
SI with the cold facts


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/co...140209/michael-sam-draft-stock/#ixzz2sscCsmmd
Click to expand...

"I don't think football is ready for it just yet," said an NFL player personnel assistant. "In the coming decade or two, it's going to be acceptable, but at this point in time it's still a man's man game. To call somebody a [gay slur] is still so commonplace. It'd chemically imbalance an NFL locker room and meeting room."
Click to expand...

In a decade...or TWO? Sad times, man.
 
M

MRSA

Banned
Trey said:
It was going to come out eventually, and no one will care in three months. He did the least gaudy thing by putting out there expeditiously and getting ahead of it all.
Click to expand...

If he came out at the beginning of the season I would commend him. Now not so much.
 
B

Buckethead

Banned
eznark said:
That part was awesome. It was the only section of the game with any unique character. The rest is a paint by numbers rote corridor shooter...and a shitty rote corridor shooter at that.
Click to expand...
Yep, true. And Levine and co. bitched out and wouldn't even let you do that.

The Lottery without the winning number is pussy ass fiction.

#visionary #artist
 
L

LJ11

Member
eznark said:
Heard an interview on NFL Radio with one of the players who consulted on North Dallas Forty. Some no name who I will never remember the name of (supported by the fact that his claim to fame was being an uncredited consultant on a cult football movie). It was back when that linemen came out after he retired. The dude basically said that there were a lot of guys who were probably gay, but as long as they banged women every now and then no one cared. I thought that was the dumbest and funniest thing I ever heard.

I think for the most part people give no fucks until you force them to deal with it. Same goes with steroids, video cameras and blow. As long as you do it on your own time it's cool. Once reporters start bothering you for months about your gay teammate though, that's when it gets old fast.
Click to expand...

right, agree with the second part greatly, its the media circus that will ultimately cause more issues for a team than what a particular players does in bed. as long as you show up on Sundays no fucks are given, but distractions on the other hand....
 
T

Trey

Member
eznark said:
lolol, so you think he is the first gay pro athlete?
Click to expand...

No. He said he felt the information would leak (he told his entire team and coaching staff a year ago), and he wanted to get ahead of the entire thing.

His options were to stay in the closet as an NFL player with random rumors swirling about him his entire career, or announce that he was gay. And this moment has the least "collateral damage."
 
E

eznark

Banned
Trey said:
No. He said he felt the information would leak (he told his entire team and coaching staff a year ago), and he wanted to get ahead of the entire thing.

His options were to stay in the closet as an NFL player with random rumors swirling about him his entire career, or announce that he was gay. And this moment has the least "collateral damage."
Click to expand...

Ah, now your comment makes more sense. Didn't know that.
 
R

RBH

Member
BgEZucOCEAISHgr.png



Yay
 
T

TheLegendary

Member
LJ11 said:
you're largely right about this. always exceptions, Jerry Smith didn't really hide it from my recollection, but he also had Lombardi for a short while who was extremely tolerant, had gay players in GB too. that redskins team had multiple gay players.
Click to expand...
For such a hardass Lombardi had a soft spot with civil rights.

Best of luck to Michael Sam. If he can play D bring him to the Packers! No way Thompson would go for it at this point though. The biggest obstacle for him or any others in the near future is the media hoopla that's going to be around the issuw, not the fact that he's gay.

100 bucks says Sam goes to the Jets.
 
C

cdyhybrid

Member
TheLegendary said:
For such a hardass Lombardi had a soft spot with civil rights.

Best of luck to Michael Sam. If he can play D bring him to the Packers! No way Thompson would go for it at this point though. The biggest obstacle for him or any others in the near future is the media hoopla that's going to be around the issuw, not the fact that he's gay.

100 bucks says Sam goes to the Jets.
Click to expand...

I could see the Seahawks taking him. A lot of our pass rush is either old or on short contracts. Pete also has had success with undersized DEs in the past.
 
E

Elfforkusu

Member
TheLegendary said:
For such a hardass Lombardi had a soft spot with civil rights.

Best of luck to Michael Sam. If he can play D bring him to the Packers! No way Thompson would go for it at this point though. The biggest obstacle for him or any others in the near future is the media hoopla that's going to be around the issuw, not the fact that he's gay.

100 bucks says Sam goes to the Jets.
Click to expand...
Packers are pretty isolated, they could minimize the circus. Really amounts to what value they think he has.

We could use a 5th round DE that is actually 3rd round prospect!
 
E

eznark

Banned
there isn't enough money invested in third day guys for off the field stuff to make a difference, if Thompson has him on the board I assume Thompson would take him. Robots don't hate gays
 
E

Elfforkusu

Member
eznark said:
there isn't enough money invested in third day guys for off the field stuff to make a difference, if Thompson has him on the board I assume Thompson would take him. Robots don't hate gays
Click to expand...
.

I'm not sure Ted even thinks of football players as human beings. To him they are probably a complex series of equations
 
L

LJ11

Member
TheLegendary said:
For such a hardass Lombardi had a soft spot with civil rights.

Best of luck to Michael Sam. If he can play D bring him to the Packers! No way Thompson would go for it at this point though. The biggest obstacle for him or any others in the near future is the media hoopla that's going to be around the issuw, not the fact that he's gay.

100 bucks says Sam goes to the Jets.
Click to expand...

Italians weren't treated kindly in his day, he was going to be a priest early in his life, and I believe his brother was gay.

Terrible husbad/father though, terrible may be too harsh but he wasn't a good one and lets leave it at that.
 
C

Colasante

Member
If Michael Sam's draft stock is actually affected by this and he slips, I could definitely see the Patriots drafting him. They need another nickel rusher badly and they don't care about anything besides whether a player can play.
 
K

Konka

Banned
Colasante said:
If Michael Sam's draft stock is actually affected by this and he slips, I could definitely see the Patriots drafting him. They need another nickel rusher badly.
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Well they have a long history of bucking the trend in the NFL, they're the only team with a female QB for example.
 
M

MechDX

Member
Paches said:
In a decade...or TWO? Sad times, man.
Click to expand...

Then you get another opinion:

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet · 48m
Why do younger GMs matter, on Michael Sam coming out? Team exec: “… increased tolerance and awareness of younger generations.”

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet · 50m
A team’s top executive on Sam: “The league is in a better place to handle this now than a few years ago given the influx of younger GMs.”
Click to expand...

Also, I don't know who said it because my twitter feed is blown up with this news but someone stated his stats were inflated due to 3 games vs bad, non SEC teams. Also he is undersized for a traditional DE in the NFL
 
T

theprodigy

Member
MechDX said:
Then you get another opinion:



Also, I don't know who said it because my twitter feed is blown up with this news but someone stated his stats were inflated due to 3 games vs bad, non SEC teams. Also he is undersized for a traditional DE in the NFL
Click to expand...

Florida confirmed kicked out of the SEC
(and Vanderbilt lol)
 
S

slabrock

Banned
MechDX said:
Then you get another opinion:



Also, I don't know who said it because my twitter feed is blown up with this news but someone stated his stats were inflated due to 3 games vs bad, non SEC teams. Also he is undersized for a traditional DE in the NFL
Click to expand...

6'1 and 255 tweener. He's thought of as a 3-4th rounder. Gonna have to put in work at the combine.
 
C

Colasante

Member
Buckethead said:
Good point.

On an unrelated note, Matthew McConaughey is unreal in Dallas Buyers Club.
Click to expand...

He's been unreal the past two years. His production has been insane, especially considering how much of a joke he'd become become five years ago. Dallas Buyers Club, Mud, Killer Joe, Magic Mike, Wolf of Wall Street, Bernie, and now True Detective with Christopher Nolan's Interstellar still to come.
 
T

TheLegendary

Member
LJ11 said:
Italians weren't treated kindly in his day, he was going to be a priest early in his life, and I believe his brother was gay.

.
Click to expand...

True, but unfortunately those ingredients don't always create an accepting and open minded person. Especially his devout Catholic background as you mentioned. Fortunately he was the type of Christian that (tried to ) follow Christ's example of being a good person rather than strictly adhere to some of those rules that people have constructed around his ideals... but I digress.
 
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