The drafting of the first openly-gay football player Michael Sam into the NFL’s St. Louis Rams was quite a feat for a sport and country that isn’t always accepting of others deemed “different,” but at least one NFL player wasn’t feeling very tolerant when the news broke Saturday. Miami Dolphin safety Don Jones summed up his apparent displeasure with a one-word tweet: “omg.” And when asked if that tweet was in reference to Sam kissing his boyfriend in celebration, Jones tweeted: “horrible.”
The Dolphins reacted quickly by fining Jones an undisclosed amount. The organization has also suspended him from team activities until he undergoes “educational training” for his actions, according to a statement released by Dolphins Coach Joe Philbin:
“We were disappointed to read Don’s tweets during the NFL Draft. They were inappropriate and unacceptable, and we regret the negative impact these comments had on such an important weekend for the NFL. We met with Don today about respect, discrimination and judgment. These comments are not consistent with the values and standards of our program. We will continue to emphasize and educate our players that these statements will not be tolerated.”
[Image: USA TODAY Sports]
Jones also apologized:
“I want to apologize to Michael Sam for the inappropriate comments that I made last night on social media. I take full responsibility for them and I regret that these tweets took away from his draft moment. I remember last year when I was drafted in the seventh round and all of the emotions and happiness I felt when I received the call that gave me an opportunity to play for an NFL team and I wish him all the best in his NFL career. I sincerely apologize to Mr. Ross, my teammates, coaches, staff and fans for these tweets. I am committed to represent the values of the Miami Dolphins organization and appreciate the opportunity I have been given to do so going forward.”
Let’s be real, Jones isn’t apologizing for his tweets; he’s apologizing because he got in trouble. There’s no way his homophobia could’ve been corrected in 48 hours.