2.13.14 Editor’s Desk

The NFL finally received the test it’s deserved for so long, requiring the organization to look at itself squarely in the mirror and ask if it’s ready for a gay player among its ranks.

It’s a stupid question, really. There have been gay players in the NFL before, and there probably were in the most recent season. The law of statistics proves that, even though none have made a public proclamation about their sexuality. We are everywhere, whether a macho-sports world wants to admit that or not.

There were no gay men on my high school baseball team or track team—at least until a handful of us came out years later during and after college.

We gay men are not more fragile than our hetero counterparts and orientation does not determine one’s ability to catch a ball, run a touchdown or block other behemoths on the field.

The mentality of the NFL as an organization has evolved significantly over the years, with players and teams supporting the gay rights movement and even participating in Pride events. But when it comes to one of their own declaring that he dates men—not necessarily those with whom they share a locker room—players in the NFL have a long way to go.

This month, University of Missouri player and suspected mid-round NFL Draft pick Michael Sam shared that he was gay on ESPN’s Outside the Lines. This “breaking news” immediately lit up news websites, social media and cable news channels.

But it wasn’t news to his teammates. He told them about his orientation early on in the season when a team-building exercise required players to share something about themselves that others may not know.

The men of the Mizzou Tigers—which represent my alma mater, I must add proudly—had an incredible season despite this not-so-earth-shattering news.

Now the debate is whether the NFL is ready to open its ranks—and locker rooms—to gay players. A similar debate was held when women entered the sports reporting field. How would women in the locker room affect the cohesiveness of a team? Won’t gay men in the locker room be distracting?
Like those cameras aren’t distracting already?

One player has even said that a gay player would make him uncomfortable, especially in the showers. It seems like those worried about gays invading their space need to do some internal reflection before speaking out against a possible gay teammate. And, straight guys, not all gay men have an uncontrollable urge to peek or paw at your genitalia.
Unless Sam has a pre-game ritual of painting himself with body glitter and entering the locker room to a dance mix of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” there’s no evidence that he—or any gay man—would be a distraction in the showers or locker room.

I’ve yet to see a report of a team falling apart simply because one of its members is in a relationship with another man. Every report discussing the decline of the Denver Broncos at the Super Bowl fails to mention homosexuality as being the cause of the embarrassing loss.

Joking and snarkiness aside, Michael Sam has a heavy weight to bear and I hope that my mainstream media brethren are smart with how they handle his interviews and his career. The focus on his sexuality is interesting because it’s a cornerstone in the gay rights movement. But it’s unfortunate that it’s even an issue in 2014.

For the immediate future, Sam will be the “gay football player.” His sexuality will be referenced every time his name appears on the news scroll along the bottom of the screen and each time he appears in public.

But eventually, the media and NFL fans will have to look at his abilities on the field. All he truly has to prove is that he can continue his career as the incredible player he was in college.

He led the SEC with 11.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss last season, which helped Missouri reach the SEC championship game.

NFL players should be held to a higher standard, but they aren’t. Just look at the arrest records. What matters is what happens on the field, and Sam should be no exception to that rule.