Not only am I a huge fan of the NFL, but I love watching college football too. In fact, sometimes I find college ball more interesting because of the unbridled passion that these unpaid athletes show. Anyone who really watches NCAA football will be very familiar with the SEC (Southeastern Conference) because they continually have the best teams in the nation. And if you watch SEC football, you would be familiar with Michael Sam for what he did on the field, especially in December 2013 when he was named the Defensive Player of the Year after getting more sacks than Jadeveon Clowney (the young man who was drafted first overall at this year’s NFL draft).
When Sam declared that he was entering the NFL draft, I thought, “wow! I wonder how many sacks he will get in the NFL.” And after Sam announced that he’s gay I thought, “wow! I wonder how many sacks he will get in the NFL.” His sexuality meant nothing to me BEFORE I knew he was gay, and it definitely remained unimportant after he revealed his sexuality.
But when the media got a hold of it, the story exploded and he became a household name which is now culminating in him receiving his own reality TV show on Oprah’s OWN Network. While I’m happy that he is now living his truth, I will NOT be watching this series, not because I have a problem with Sam or homosexuality, but because the liberal media wants him to be something that he’s not: A homophobia-slaying media marvel.
When I watched Michael Sam’s press conference with the St. Louis Rams brass, I realized there is really only one title he cares about: Football player.
At the 8:00 mark, a young woman asks Michael for his thoughts on Missouri’s state policy where people can be fired for their sexual orientation, to which he responds, “I mean, it’s sad that they can be, but, you know, uh, I can’t really do anything about that.”
Now I’m not homosexual or excessively liberal, but I can tell that his answer was NOT what that young writer was looking for. In fact, the entire press conference was pretty bad simply based on the fact that Sam’s comments were very short, sometimes biting and even filled with annoyance. Michael wants to be recognized as a gay-football player (hell, that’s why he came out), but the latter part of that title is just as important as the former part to him – but the liberal media isn’t recognizing that.
But Michael is not just a helpless victim in his own annoyance because he has to realize that making history WILL come with excessive attention, especially in this day and age. He welcomes the press because it gives him an opportunity to control his own message, but with increased press comes more attention and scrutiny. I can understand how he can be mentally and emotionally exhausted with the constant questions, but he’s in no position to fully rebuke the media storm he had a hand in creating.
The truth is Michael Sam doesn’t want, nor need, to be asked about marriage equality, homosexual rights in Missouri, or whether or not gay folks should eat Chick-Fil-A. Sam wants to hit running backs, sack quarterbacks and cover kickoffs. He’s not going to give you grandiloquent quotes on the state of homosexuals in America, but he can tell you about his role in a cover 3 defense.
He’s not going to single-handedly pioneer a discrimination free utopia in America and anyone looking for that has got the WRONG man. What Michael Sam WILL do, is try to become such a historic force on the football field that the word “gay” isn’t always used to precede “football player.” Unfortunately, going on shows like Oprah’s will only continue to allow his sexuality to supersede his talents on the field.
Photo credit: Brandon Wade/AP
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Lincoln Anthony Blades blogs daily on his site ThisIsYourConscience.com, he’s an author of the book “You’re Not A Victim, You’re A Volunteer” and a weekly contributor for UPTOWN Magazine. He can be reached via Twitter @lincolnablades and on Facebook at This Is Your Conscience.