Subject :Any NFL team that drafts Michael Sam will be taking on much more than a rookie pass-rusher. Jay Pros
Any NFL team that drafts Michael Sam will be taking on much more than a rookie pass-rusher. Jay Prosch Jersey . But experts say the smart approach for a team that signs the leagues first openly gay athlete -- from a marketing and public relations standpoint -- is to simply let Sams on-field play speak for him and his team. "While this is a significant announcement given the sport, the general hope is that hes just accepted as one of the other men on the roster, and therefore his marketability is still simply tied to his ability to play well on the field and ultimately make the team," said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. Sam declared Sunday that he is gay in interviews with ESPN, The New York Times and Outsports. The Missouri All-American had already come out last August to his coaches and teammates, who respected his privacy. Now Sam is entering uncharted territory as he prepares for the NFL draft. The SECs co-defensive player of the year was projected to be a mid-round selection. At 6-foot-2, 255 pounds, Sam will likely have to transition to outside linebacker, which could impact where hes drafted. But announcing hes gay could also have an impact on his draft status. "Im not naive to think there arent potentially some owners or executives out there who will say, Eh, Im not so sure now." said Golden State Warriors President and Chief of Operations Rick Welts, who came out publicly in 2011. "But also, I hope, there are a lot who would say, Theres an opportunity to do something that I think our fans would actually embrace. And if were supposed to win football games, if this guy helps us win football games, thats somebody we should have on our roster." Sam, 24, joins a growing list of active athletes to publicly come out, including Robbie Rogers, a winger for Major League Soccers Los Angeles Galaxy, and Brittney Griner, who plays for the WNBAs Phoenix Mercury. Conner Mertens, a kicker for Division III Willamette University, came out as bisexual late last month, and is believed to have been the first active college football player to publicly announce his sexuality. Griner, as one of the WNBAs brightest stars, was the centerpiece of the Mercurys marketing campaign. She also made a point of supporting causes that are important to her. "There was nothing about her that was difficult in marketing. We supported what she wanted to do with bullying and the LGBT community. We made those connecting points," said Amber Cox, president of the Mercury before leaving to go to the Big East last fall. Nike has also thrown support to LGBT athletes, signing both Griner and Jason Collins, a former NBA player who came out last year, to sponsorship deals, and launching its "Be True" campaign. Profits from the .BeTrue collection are being donated to the LGBT Sports Coalition to support the goal of ending discrimination in sport. Mark Elderkin of the Gay Ad Network, an online media platform for national advertisers, said NFL teams need only look at Sams track record. "Theyre going to make their choices based on who the best college athletes are. And theyre going to choose Michael if they deem him the best pick. So, I think they need to focus on the facts, and his performance over the years, his All-America status and everything hes done for Missouri," Elderkin said. "Also his relationships with the fans, and with the positive energy he has around his teammates and their full support, shows that hes not going to be disruptive to the team in any way, but is going to add value." But its still a reality that gay athletes face a backlash. Derogatory comments were easily found among the positive posts on social media and other online commentary following Sams announcement. A Pew Research survey last year of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults in the U.S. found that just 4 per cent saw pro sports leagues as friendly toward LGBT people, while 59 per cent saw the leagues as unfriendly and 36 per cent saw them as neutral. Still, even over the past year there have been significant overall victories in gay and lesbian rights, most notably two U.S. Supreme Court decisions in June. One ruling cleared the way for ending a ban on same-sex marriages in California; the other struck down a 1996 law passed by Congress that banned federal recognition of same-sex marriages. It remains to be seen how growing tolerance extends to the NFL playing field. "I think the point thats being made in a lot of the discussion is, Lets just move on," Swangard said. "If the guy makes a team, then he makes the team. His sexual orientation shouldnt be the story." Ryan Griffin Jersey . -- Jerome Williams glanced at Philadelphias schedule and realized he would be facing the Oakland Athletics yet again, with another new team. Duane Brown Jersey . Bradley is one of eight players selected to the team who also played in this years World Cup in Brazil. The MLS all-stars will compete against German giants Bayern Munich in Portland on Aug.Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha will join Helen and Fenners on the sofa for this Saturdays Soccer AM. Countdowns Rachel Riley and footballer turned boxer Leon McKenzie will also be on the show.Liverpools Christian Benteke will be answering questions on his favoured footwear in the Boot Room while Jimmy Bullard will be at Colchester for You Know The Drill. Elsewhere on the show:Soccer AM does CountdownTyler Swifts Top Five FootGolf Trick ShotsFans of the Week - CardiffShowboatEuro 2016Top BinThe SpecialistLast Man Standing - Norwich Citys Academy Dont miss Soccer AM at 10am, Saturday, Sky Sports 1 and Sky 1 or 11am on Sky1 +1 (channel 172) What is the route for the opening stage of the Tour de Yorkshire 2016? Beverley to Settle Beverley to Doncaster Title Mr Mrs Miss Ms Other First Name Last Name Email Address Home Telephone Mobile Telephone Date of Birth 1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th11th12th13th14th15th16th17th18th19th20th21st22nd23rd24th25th26th27th28th29th30th31st JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember 200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972197119701969919681967196619651964196319621961196019591958195719561955195419531952195119501949194819471946194519441943194219411940193919381937193619351934193319321931193019291928192719261925192419231922192119201919191819171916 House Number or House Name Address Town County AvonBedfordshireBerkshireBuckinghamshireCambridgeshireCheshireClevelandCornwallCumbriaDerbyshireDevonDorsetDurhamEast SussexEssexGloucestershireHampshireHerefordshireHertfordshireIsle of WightKentLancashireLeicestershireLincolnshireLondonMerseysideMiddlesexNorfolkNorthamptonshireNorthumberlandNorth HumbersideNorth YorkshireNottinghamshireOxfordshireRutlandShropshireSomersetSouth HumbersideSouth YorkshireStaffordshireSuffolkSurreyTyne and WearWarwickshireWest MidlandsWest SussexWest YorkshireWiltshireWorcestershireClwydDyfedGwentGwyneddMid GlamorganPowysSouth GlamorganWest GlamorganAberdeenshireAngusArgyllAyrshireBanffshireBerwickshireButeCaithnessClackmannanshireDumfriesshireDunbartonshireEast LothianFifeInverness-shireKincardineshireKinross-shireKirkcudbrightshireLanarkshireMidlothianMorayNairnshireOrkneyPeeblesshirePerthshireRenfrewshireRoss-shireRoxburghshireSelkirkshireShetlandStirlingshireSutherlandWest LothianWigtownshireAntrimArmaghDownFermanaghLondonderryTyroneAntrimArmaghCarlowCavanClareCorkDonegalDownDublinFermanaghGalwayKerryKildareKilkennyLaoisLeitrimLimerickLondonderryLongfordLouthMayoMeathMonaghanOffalyRoscommonSligoTipperaryTyroneWaterfordWestmeathWexfordWicklowNot Listed Country IrelandUnited KingdomOther Postcode Remember my details Yes, Sky Sports may contact me Yes, I agree to the terms and conditions. Zach Cunningham Jersey. Submit Also See: Soccer Saturday Sky Sports experts Super 6 Up to ￡30 free matched bet Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
|
Majalah Online