Posted on 02/13/2014 10:00:57 AM PST by nickcarraway
Fancred Michael Sam’s decision to come out has drawn support and praise from fans, owners and players around the NFL. The way he’ll be treated once inside an NFL locker room, though, is a different story.
New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma expressed some doubts about gay players in NFL locker rooms during an NFL Network interview earlier this month.
“I think that he would not be accepted as much as we think he would be accepted,” Vilma said. “I don’t want people to just naturally assume, like, ‘Oh, we’re all homophobic.’ That’s really not the case. Imagine if he’s the guy next to me and, you know, I get dressed, naked, taking a shower, the whole nine, and it just so happens he looks at me. How am I supposed to respond?”
After Sam’s revelation Sunday, Vilma clarified his comments, expressing some regret over his original example.
“It was a poor illustration of the example I was trying to give on the context, so I do apologize for that,” Vilma said on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360″ on Monday, per the Times-Picayune. “I was trying to explain that whenever you have change into something that’s been set in stone for so long, something that’s been going for so long, that change always comes with a little resistance.”
The three-time Pro Bowler said plenty of players would accept and welcome a gay teammate, but a small percentage might not be quite as open-minded.
“You have people that can be more outgoing, more open-minded. You have people that are a little more closed-minded,” Vilma said. “Some people grew up with or without the acceptance of gays within their families. You have a lot of different elements within the locker room that you just don’t see right now. Me being on the inside for 10 years, inside the locker room, I’ve been around that.
“And it’s not to say that the locker rooms are bad. It’s to say that there are going to be people that accept it willingly as soon as he comes in, welcome him with open arms, and then unfortunately, there will be some, I’m about 99 percent sure the minority, will say, well, they’re not comfortable with that yet.
“They don’t know how to respond to that. That’s just what’s going to happen in the first whatever, the first year, two years. When you have more players like Michael Sam coming out and saying that they’re gay, the transition will be a lot smoother.”
Vilma, 31, likely will be released by the Saints this offseason and could find himself out of the league altogether after missing 25 games over the last three seasons.
How long before there is a gay marriage performed at halftime on the fifty yard line? Cheerleaders will be brides’ maids.
For some reason this popped into my head:
“Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy”—Rev. 22:11
The declaration of our rapidly approaching endl? God’s timing is apart from ours, but this Scripture speaks of some kind of judgment around a bent people. A willfully bent people. So bent recovery is highly unlikely?
YOU’re right. It’s like when you’re hiring a new worker. It’s easier to find a reason to deny him or her employee at the front end than to hire and then find a legit reason to fire once they are working esp if there is a labor relations issue.
If no one drafts this guy, then what does he do, sue the NFL? No, as I see it, he shows up as a walk on?
DOes anybody know if the guy is any good?
Defending Free Speech on “Anderson Cooper 360” is a thankless task as Jonathan Vilma was forced to backtrack from what should be a pretty defensible statement. Gee I wonder why, Anderson?
Most people are projecting their own feelings in this situation. I’m not sure that today’s NFL player typically feels like me (a Baby Boomer). They’ve been indoctrinated that “Gay is OK” since they’ve been in elementary school and so are probably not going to oppose Michael Sam — certainly not openly.
High school and college locker rooms are not a billion dollar business. The NFL views those players as property, and they don’t allow opposition. The will enforce a leftist worldview on all players, Any players who dissent will lose their contract.
He won SEC defensive player of the year. Yeah he’s good, though a little undersized for the NFL which is why he was projected 3rd round.
Really people are making way too much about this. The fact of the matter is the teams were going to find out anyway, that’s the kind of stuff background checks are for, and since he came out to his college team they were going to find out fast. By coming out he actually turned it into a non-issue, now it’s not a secret that could distract. In the end the league is about performance many sins are forgiven for doing the job, just look at Riley Cooper. If Smith does a good job nobody is going to care, if Smith doesn’t do a good job nobody is going to care. By the time the combine is over this story will be over except for dedicated ax grinders.
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Isn't there a picture of him in a gay bar stripped to the waist partying? Maybe he made this announcement to check-mate the impact of that photo. Otherwise, why not just go through the draft and answer any questions discretely and honestly about his sexual preferences, when and if they came up?
I'm sure I encounter people every day who are gay. My attitude is I won't bother you with stories about my sexual preferences, please don't burden me with yours.
I might wonder if this guy under-performed at workouts or the Senior Bowl and this is a pre-emptive strike on his (and his agent’s) part to deflect attention from that.
Anyway, is he really big enough to be a pro end? Might project as a linebacker but does he have enough speed or backer instincts? Guess that time will tell.
Because technically a prospective employer isn’t supposed to ask about that and there was a stink at last year’s combine because some teams allegedly (don’t think it ever was proven) asked some players if they were gay. Coming out when he did ends all problems, it won’t be a secret he’s hoping the background check misses, the story will be played out by the time the combine starts, nobody has to ask any pointed questions or wonder. Everybody gets to move on and evaluate his football skills.
“In the end the league is about performance many sins are forgiven for doing the job, just look at Riley Cooper.”
Not sure that Cooper is a good example. Riley Cooper probably would have been jettisoned from the Eagles had they not lost Jeremy Macklin for the year during the first week of pre-season. He was ‘safe’ after that. Nobody expected him to have the season he had when he became QB Nick Foles’ favorite target.
I don’t think they would have jettisoned him, he took his punishment his QB backed him and then he performed. Even before Foles came in the world had moved on, he was doing his job and nobody really cared, it was a non-issue by the time the regular season began.
Cooper is a free agent this year. Let’s see if things have “really blown over” if he opts to sign with another club. If he does the entire affair will be re-opened — you can count on that.
Good point about his QB (Vick) backing him up. I think that stiffened some spines in the Eagles front office. Had he not done that the Eagles might have cut anyway, and despite the loss of Macklin.
I doubt it will re-open, a lot of folks predicted the cornerbacks of the league (who are all black) were some special “treats” for him and none of that happened either. The big question he has going into free agency is was last season his new level or an aberration, I know he’s going to be pushing that it’s his new level but smart GMs won’t be so easily convinced. Given current pay scales that’s about a $5mil/year question, which could keep him out of the league for a while.
That’s paranoid nonsense.
i agree, wht kind of scoop are they getting catching guys in their towels. they’re sports guys, they aren’t going to say anything so spectacular or unpredictable that they can’t just hold a after-game press conference, or catch them on the way out of the locker room.
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