Michael Sam - NFL's first openly gay prospect

[cardsfansince82]

when did the tampa tribune interview take place?

this dispatch article says the winfrey show was cancelled on 5/16

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... b0bf0.html

im confused, the tribune writer waited 2+ months to write the article?

The interview was months ago.

do you know when specifically?

It was before the reality show was even announced, but that hasn't stopped Dungy from citing it as a reason. The show was announced and postponed within two days.

[thrill]

It's impossible for his faith to not play a role in every opinion he holds or decision he makes if it is as important to him as he claims it is. Therefore, even if he's trying to be objective, it's impossible.

See, I completely disagree with this. Maybe I'm a bad Christian, but my Christianity has NO impact on most of the business decisions that I make on a daily basis. Seriously........ none.

This might be our disconnect. I grew up in a faith where to be a christian was to be Christ's representative on earth. Shining light on the hill, salt etc. It wasn't just believing that Jesus was God's son and died for sinners. If I took my role as an ambassador for Christ seriously, I would be mindful of that when giving an interview to a major media outlet.

[Socnorb11]

I don't believe that Dungy's comments were motivated by his faith. I think he was speaking from a football perspective, and only a football perspective. Maybe we'll never agree on that. Fine.

I'm not sure how you can reach that conclusion if Dungy himself said Sam belongs in the league.

I'm not following you.

It's not a football perspective if the football perspective says he's a worthy player.

I get your point now.

I think Dungy's point is that his fringe football ability was not worth dealing with the distractions, for Dungy. Specifically, if you draft him, and then have to cut him for some reason, there could be a firestorm. If you draft him and he's more focused on his reality TV show than he is on football, that's a problem. He belongs in the league (probably good enough), but will anyone be willing to give him a chance and face that potential firestorm? Dungy apparently wouldn't.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

This seems pretty uncomplicated with the info that Dungy provided in his follow up statement. He said he wouldn't have drafted Sam because the media(and at the time, a reality show) would've made his presence a distraction for the team, and not because of Sam himself or any worries about how Sam would fit into the locker room, etc. This is a profoundly dumb opinion, and possibly/maybe/probably one informed at least in part by Dungy's beliefs. It's also the exact same opinion that has been expressed by dozens of people, from analysts to 'anonymous' NFL personnel people, for months about Sam in the lead up to the draft. It's not unique to Dungy and his worldview, so while you're probably not wrong in saying Dungy is biased/bigoted/whatever towards Sam, you could infer just as much if he had never been quoted about him at all.

[Socnorb11]

when did the tampa tribune interview take place?

this dispatch article says the winfrey show was cancelled on 5/16

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... b0bf0.html

im confused, the tribune writer waited 2+ months to write the article?

The interview was months ago.

do you know when specifically?

It was before the reality show was even announced, but that hasn't stopped Dungy from citing it as a reason. The show was announced and postponed within two days.

Where is the link to the date of the interview?

[haltz]

It's impossible for his faith to not play a role in every opinion he holds or decision he makes if it is as important to him as he claims it is. Therefore, even if he's trying to be objective, it's impossible.

See, I completely disagree with this. Maybe I'm a bad Christian, but my Christianity has NO impact on most of the business decisions that I make on a daily basis. Seriously........ none.

This might be our disconnect. I grew up in a faith where to be a christian was to be Christ's representative on earth. Shining light on the hill, salt etc. It wasn't just believing that Jesus was God's son and died for sinners. If I took my role as an ambassador for Christ seriously, I would be mindful of that when giving an interview to a major media outlet.

That's how I was raised. The Great Commission.

[stlouie_lipp]

Tony Dungy says it is the coach's job to put the best team on the field possible. Tony Dungy says Michael Sam is a good football player. Tony Dungy says a gay player would not be ostracized by teammates. Tony Dungy claims to be welcoming of people of all backgrounds. Tony Dungy says he would not draft Michael Sam.

...because it would be a distraction. Criticize him all you want because it is deserved, but at least don't lose sight of what he actually said.

Define distractions.

I didn't say it, so I can't define it. I'm just pointing out the conversation in this thread seems to have evolved to the point of "Tony Dungy said he wouldn't draft a gay football player" and that's not what he said. Would he draft a gay player? Probably not and that is likely because of his beliefs/bigotry. In my mind it's more likely that he meant he wouldn't like the media surrounding his team during camp asking the same questions over and over.

[Jocephus]

ray rice beats his wife, on camera, gets a 2 game suspension. but luckily, according to coach, its not a big deal

Speaking about Rice's punishment after the team's first full-quad workout of training camp Thursday in Owings Mills, Maryland, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said: "It's not a big deal. It's just part of the process. We said from the beginning that the circumstances would determine the consequences. There are consequences when you make a mistake like that. I stand behind Ray. He's a heck of a guy. He's done everything right since. He makes a mistake. He's going to have to pay a consequence."

however, the possibility of a gay player making the team (or being cut) is too much of a distraction.

i realize RR, on the field, has proven a lot and sam hasn't (at least in the NFL) but don't give me this distraction malarkey.

[lukethedrifter]

Tony Dungy says it is the coach's job to put the best team on the field possible. Tony Dungy says Michael Sam is a good football player. Tony Dungy says a gay player would not be ostracized by teammates. Tony Dungy claims to be welcoming of people of all backgrounds. Tony Dungy says he would not draft Michael Sam.

...because it would be a distraction. Criticize him all you want because it is deserved, but at least don't lose sight of what he actually said.

Define distractions.

I didn't say it, so I can't define it. I'm just pointing out the conversation in this thread seems to have evolved to the point of "Tony Dungy said he wouldn't draft a gay football player" and that's not what he said. Would he draft a gay player? Probably not and that is likely because of his beliefs/bigotry. In my mind it's more likely that he meant he wouldn't like the media surrounding his team during camp asking the same questions over and over.

Sounds great until you remember Tim Tebow and Mike Vick.

[KyCardinalFan]

when did the tampa tribune interview take place?

this dispatch article says the winfrey show was cancelled on 5/16

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... b0bf0.html

im confused, the tribune writer waited 2+ months to write the article?

It may look like I'm backtracking, but Dungy said he had been in Oregon on vacation for the last six weeks and that the Oprah show was going on. Ira Kaufman said on the DP Show that it was " a week or two back". I don't know if Dungy lost track of time while on vacation or if Kaufman underestimated how long it had been. I am relaying what I heard from the persons involved.

On Tuesday’s edition (7/22) of The Dan Patrick Show, Kaufman provided context and further insight regarding the remarks.

“I think what he was trying to say, and this is what’s going to make it very difficult in terms of an additional response, because it’s sensitive,” Kaufman said. “Dan, this is not Sammy Watkins. This is Michael Sam. And by that I mean, by definition, a seventh-round draft pick is marginal. The guy’s marginal. May make the roster, may not make the roster. Nobody’s gonna be surprised if any seventh-round pick doesn’t make the roster.

“So I think it’s almost like he’s not worth the trouble,” Kaufman said of Sam. “Now, you can’t say that, that’s a very crude way to put it. And Tony won’t put it like that. But I think you’ve got to factor in the fact that [Sam] almost went undrafted, and there’s no question that the Oprah Network and TMZ, they’re gonna be at Rams Park, and they’re not gonna be there to check on Aaron Donald’s progress at nose tackle. And you know that. They’re gonna be there for a specific purpose . . . . He put his coaching hat on and not as an analyst for NBC in answering the question and as a coach, a marginal prospect weighed against the distraction, and that’s why he said what I said. That’s what I think he meant.”