Thoughts On Michael Sam, His Announcement, and Phil Emery’s Response

michaelsamFirstly, Missouri defensive end Michael Sam’s announcement that he’s gay is a momentous occasion for American sports. I’m not sure that can be overstated. A lot of people I follow on Twitter filled my timeline with “I’ll be excited for when this sort of thing ISN’T news”, which struck me as code for “I don’t want to hear about this.” If you truly do want to see a time wherein this sort of announcement is commonplace and routine, then you must recognize that this is a major step toward that reality. We’re not to the point yet that this isn’t a big deal, and we were never going to get there without someone like Michael Sam.

If you needed a reminder of how hard things are going to be for Sam, the anonymous quotes from player personnel executives in Peter King’s SI piece have you covered. A sample:

‘“We talked about it this week,” the GM said. “First of all, we don’t think he’s a very good player. The reality is he’s an overrated football player in our estimation. Second: He’s going to have expectations about where he should be drafted, and I think he’ll be disappointed. He’s not going to get drafted where he thinks he should. The question you will ask yourself, knowing your team, is, ‘How will drafting him affect your locker room?’ And I am sorry to say where we are at this point in time, I think it’s going to affect most locker rooms. A lot of guys will be uncomfortable. Ten years from now, fine. But today, I think being openly gay is a factor in the locker room.”

I asked this general manager: “Do you think he’ll be drafted?”

“No,” he said.’

That strikes me as backwards thinking. The only way things like this will be more normal in ten years is if more players come out between now and then. This is the first step on that road. Furthermore, this anonymous GM cites the potential for a locker room distraction as a reason for not drafting Sam. This is a big enough talking point around the league that Jon Stewart did a segment on it last night, and it’s a shocking display of willful ignorance. There are obvious, storied examples of how integration actually creates a stronger cohesion. It happened with the racial integration of sports and the military, and when the military began allowing openly gay service members in 2011, there was no negative effect. We have specific examples of this exact “distraction” concern not actually mattering, and yet the same people persist with it as a way to avoid change. (I also have limited patience for anonymous quotes on topics like this.)

I agree with what Deadspin’s Drew Magary wrote here, that teams “would much prefer the headache of not drafting Sam to the headache of drafting him.” But the thing is, that potential headache is all perception! Manti Te’o was a headache too, but the Chargers took him and it disappeared. Riley Cooper’s story blew up for two weeks, but then he started catching touchdowns and no one cared. Sam’s story will obviously have more staying power, but there’s one big difference: it’s not a negative story. There will be more media attention, of course, but it won’t be for the wrong reasons. A team with any sort of basic competence with PR should be looking at this as a positive opportunity to embrace, not as a minefield to avoid. Hopefully there’s more than one team that views it that way.

With that out of the way, I feel like I’ve done Sam a bit of disservice by focusing entirely upon his sexuality. As a draft prospect, he should absolutely be evaluated based on his potential to perform on the field. (Obviously prospects are graded on intangibles, and off-field incidents can be red flags. But being gay isn’t a red flag, and by all accounts Sam was a quality locker room presence at Missouri.) What do the Bears think of Michael Sam? Phil Emery released a statement on Sam yesterday:

“Michael stated with great poise and confidence who he is as a person and football player and I have tremendous respect for him in the way he conveyed his thoughts and the courage it took to state them publicly,” Emery said in a statement. “Each and every player in the NFL is a unique individual, as we all are in life. We all ultimately gain respect in our jobs by how well we perform at our chosen profession and if the level in which we perform adds positively to the collective goal of success. Michael stated this and I agree with his thoughts,” Emery said. “It is about his skill set as a football player to add positively to a team’s goals and that’s how he will be evaluated.”

First of all, kudos to Emery and the Bears for that statement. Second, Sam is a consensus mid-round prospect; ESPN’s Scouts Inc. has him ranked 119 overall. I’m not sure how that anonymous GM from earlier could gather that he’s “overrated”; I suppose the fact that he won SEC defensive player of the year despite being a 4th-round prospect might factor in. But even though he isn’t likely to go early (and wasn’t likely to go early before his announcement) he absolutely should be drafted.

Does that mean the Bears should be interested? On one hand, I could see it; he’s a bit of a “tweener” as Michael C. Wright notes for ESPN Chicago. Sam played 4-3 defensive end in college, but he’s a bit undersized for the position. The Bears obviously value versatility, and their selection of Shea McClellin demonstrated Phil Emery’s willingness to go outside the box. The flip side to that, of course, is that McClellin has been a very big disappointment, having been unable to make the switches the Bears projected him to make. I’d think the Bears might take a look at Sam in that mid-round range, especially if he slides to to “concerns” about how big a “distraction” his presence might be. If he’s still available in the fifth or sixth round, there’s surplus value there, and I could see the Bears taking him.

If they do select him, I’m confident that it will be a decision based solely upon his football abilities. And since that’s good enough for Michael Sam, it’s good enough for me.

written by

Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

more bears news

Chase Young to Sign 1-year Deal with Saints as Another DE Goes Off the Board

If you were looking for the Chicago Bears to reunite Montez Sweat and Chase Young, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Young, a free-agent pass rusher who would've made sense as a Bears offseason target, is reportedly...

The Bears Turned Down a Better Trade Offer to “Do Right” By Justin Fields

Even with the Justin Fields situation resolved by way of Saturday’s trade between the Bears and Steelers, I still found myself coming back to this Ryan Poles quote from Combine Week. The bold emphasis is mine (and you’ll see why...

More D-Line Help: Bears Add Byron Cowart to Defensive Mix

More defensive line help is on the way for the Chicago Bears. On Saturday, the Bears added to their mix of defensive linemen by signing defensive end Jake Martin. And because the job of building out a 90-player offseason roster...

Poles Plan, Sorting Through Fields Mess, What are the Steelers doing? And Other Bears Bullets

The first Monday of the post-Justin Fields era is here and Bears fans are still coming to grips with it. I get it. Lost in the weekend haze was the Bears burying a trade of their former starting quarterback in...

Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft 3.0

In the wake of the Justin Fields trade and week one of free agency, things are starting to take shape, so let’s fire up the PFF Draft Simulator and try to sort out the rest of the 2024 roster with...

Ryan Pace, Darnell Mooney, and Kirk Cousins are Central Figures in NFL Tampering Investigation

In news that has nothing to do with the Chicago Bears trading Justin Fields, a pair of former Bears (and someone the Bears are quite familiar with) find themselves in the middle of an NFL tampering investigation. Ryan Pace, Darnell...

Justin Fields Trade Fallout (And Other Bears Bullets)

Usually, I reserve Sunday's Bears Bullets to be a dumping ground for things I didn't get to in a given week. But today is different (and for obvious reasons). Here is what you missed in case you spent all day...

Here’s What Ryan Poles Had to Say About the Justin Fields Trade

The Justin Fields trade is still oh, so very fresh. Here is what Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles had to say about the trade in a statement issued by the team: We have engaged in multiple trade conversations in...

It’s Over: Justin Fields Traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers

So long, old friend. May the Force be with you. The Justin Fields trade is happening. So says NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, who is reporting it and sharing the news on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1769131145688461483 UPDATE (7:45 PM CT): It's officially...

Justin Fields Says Goodbye and Thank You

That Justin Fields trade sure is something. ICYMI: The Bears and Steelers have reportedly agreed on a deal to send Fields from Chicago to Pittsburgh in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick. And while it could become a fourth-rounder based...

Latest News

De’Aaron Fox Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Grizzlies – Monday, March 18, 2024

To beat his 3-point prop, De'Aaron Fox must make three from beyond the arc on Monday, when his Sacramento Kings face the Memphis Grizzlies, tipping off at 10:00 PM ET.De'Aaron Fox's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the GrizzliesDe'Aaron Fox's over/under for...

Malik Monk Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Grizzlies – Monday, March 18, 2024

Will Malik Monk make three 3-pointers when the Sacramento Kings face the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday at 10:00 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his prop for the game.Malik Monk's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the GrizzliesMalik Monk's over/under for three-pointers...

Bogdan Bogdanovic Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Lakers – Monday, March 18, 2024

At 10:30 PM ET on Monday, it'll be the Atlanta Hawks against the Los Angeles Lakers, with Bogdan Bogdanovic needing three trifectas to beat his 3-pointer prop.Bogdan Bogdanovic's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the LakersBogdan Bogdanovic's over/under for three-pointers in this...

Anthony Davis Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Hawks – Monday, March 18, 2024

The Los Angeles Lakers face the Atlanta Hawks at 10:30 PM ET on Monday, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this clash requires just one make from Anthony Davis.Anthony Davis' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the HawksAnthony Davis' over/under...

Dejounte Murray Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Lakers – Monday, March 18, 2024

To beat his 3-point over/under, Dejounte Murray must make four from downtown on Monday, when his Atlanta Hawks face the Los Angeles Lakers, tipping off at 10:30 PM ET.Dejounte Murray's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the LakersDejounte Murray's over/under for three-pointers...

D’Angelo Russell Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Hawks – Monday, March 18, 2024

To beat his 3-point over/under, D'Angelo Russell must make three from beyond the arc on Monday, when his Los Angeles Lakers play the Atlanta Hawks, starting at 10:30 PM ET.D'Angelo Russell's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the HawksD'Angelo Russell's over/under for...

LeBron James Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Hawks – Monday, March 18, 2024

To beat his 3-point over/under, LeBron James needs to make three from downtown on Monday, when his Los Angeles Lakers face the Atlanta Hawks on Monday at 10:30 PM ET.LeBron James' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the HawksLeBron James' over/under for...

Finally, a Team Wanted the Reigning NL Cy Young Winner

The rumors all wound up being true: Blake Snell would take a two-year deal in the $60 million range, the Giants were probably the favorites now, and the pressure was on to get something done. Per Jon Heyman, it two...

Damian Lillard Pulled Up to Watch the Bulls Play the Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard wants to be traded to the Chicago Bulls confirmed. The Milwaukee Bucks All-Star starter was a surprise guest at the Chicago Bulls' Monday night game. Lillard made the drive down from Milwaukee for an opportunity to sit courtside...

Rockets vs. Wizards Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Tuesday, March 19, 2024

The Houston Rockets (32-35) are favored (-5.5) to continue a five-game win streak when they visit the Washington Wizards (11-57) at 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at Capital One Arena. The matchup airs on MNMT. The matchup...

more bears news