issue 19 / volume 40

Coming out strong

» Michael Sam’s announcement a brave one

Eric Wilkins
Sports Editor
“sports
@theotherpress.ca

 

4 \ a
Foy is a big month for

the NFL. It starts off with the
Super Bowl, and then slots in
the NFL Combine near the end.
This February, however, stood out
for a different reason. NFL Draft
hopeful Michael Sam, a Missouri
defensive end who was an All-
American and the Southeastern
Conference’s Defensive Player of
the Year this past season, came
out as being homosexual. My
initial thought had no opposition
in my mind.

Michael Sam is an idiot.
It was a publicity grab.

A media stunt. A desperate
clamouring for the spotlight. Just
what did Sam hope to achieve
from his announcement? Every

NFL team with a half-decent scout :
: pounds, Sam lacks ideal size for

: the position—falling into the

: classic “tweener” category—and

: there have been concerns about

: his ability to adapt to an outside

: linebacker position regardless of
: it being ina 4-3 or 3-4 defence.

: To sum it up, teams were already
: going to have to gamble on Sam

: about whether he would even

in his area already knew about
it. All of Sam’s teammates were
aware of it, and a few reporters
likely were, as well. In essence,
the only ones who didn’t know
were those who didn’t matter:
the general public. By coming
out and making himself avery
public figure, Sam was hurting
his draft stock. NFL teams don't

like distractions. Players who tend :
: the megaphone that the media

: will have taped to his mouth, a

: borderline prospect loses even

: more ground. All Sam had to do

: was keep his mouth shut for even
: just a few more months until he

: stuck ona roster and put pen to

to gather unwanted attention to
themselves, and by extension,
the team, have to be very good to
have their negatives overlooked.
Exhibit-A for distractions is

Tim Tebow. For all the flack he’s

: picked up in his career, Tebow

: isa proven winner. Technically

: sound? Of course not. But can

: you really argue with the results?
: Tebow had no business taking out :
: the Steelers in the playoffs a few
: years ago, but he did. And now,
: because of the intense focus the
: media and the public place on

: him, he’s out of a job. Not even on :
: a practice roster.

Sam was expected to bea

: mid-round pick—perhaps as

: high as a third-rounder. After

: his announcement though, I

: had doubts about how true that
: prediction would remain. Will

: he even be drafted? Tebow has

: experience and isn’t even in

: the league; Sam hasn't played a

: single down, and already has an
: incredible following of his own.
: On top of the sideshow Sam will
: bring, teams will also have to

: consider the football side of it

: all. Sam is a defensive end but

he’s undersized. At 6’2” and 255

be able to play, and now, with

> contract. Then he'd have it all: the
: dream, the money, and his life.

: just football, and this is what

: account for. Don’t think that Sam
: wasn’t aware of the consequences
: of his coming out. If other people
: knew of his situation, don’t doubt

: his agent were aware of others

: knowing. Agents are all about

: Squeezing every last dime out

: of their clients, and there’s little

: reason to think Sam’s is any

: different. The All-American would
: have been well-schooled on the

: fact that he stood to potentially

: lose out on millions of dollars. But
: he still did it anyway.

: knowledge of the possible

: repercussions, Sam made it

: known what was most important
: to him: living his life. It wasn’t

: about the money. It wasn’t about

: theattention. It was about being

: himselfand not having to hide

: from that. Now, regardless of what
: happens to him, Sam has become
: asymbol of hope for others,

: and his actions are something

: all of us, not just homosexuals,

: can learn from. Don’t care what

: others think. Don't place financial
: considerations ahead of what

: really matters. Do what you need

: todo to be comfortable and happy
: with yourself first. The NFL has

: long been seen as the macho-est

: of the professional sports leagues,
: and if someone has the courage

: to be different and walk right into
: that lion’s den with their head

: held high, anything is possible.

sports // 19

But there’s more to life than

many, myself included, failed to

for asecond that both Sam and

In doing so with full

 

Michael Sam // By Tim Heitman / USA TODAY Sports

 

Trade'n 2014

» NBA trade deadlines

: only a 36 per cent shooting

: average from the field, and it’s

: rumoured Terry was traded

: because the 36-year-old dinosaur
: is likely to retire soon, freeing the
: Kings of any obligations.

Courtnie Martin
Sports Reporter

 

he much anticipated 2014-

15 NBA trade deadline has
come and gone, but the trades
were far from impressive and very
much last minute—eleven trades
happened within 24 hours of
the February 20 deadline. While
big names floated around in the
rumour-mill, including the stellar
small forward Carmelo Anthony
of the New York Knicks, no trades
involved big stars.

The Sacramento Kings had a
two-for-one, receiving shooting
guard Jason Terry and power
forward Reggie Evans from the
Brooklyn Nets in exchange for
shooting guard Marcus Thornton.
With Isaiah Thomas making
a name for himself, the Kings’
curiosity may hurt them as they
try to find Terry a place alongside
Thomas. Then again, Terry has

are complete for the upcoming season

The Golden State Warriors

: received point guard Steve

: Blake from the Los Angeles

: Lakers for MarShon Brooks and

: Kent Bazemore. While moving

: Blake—who was averaging 7.3

: assists per game—wasa step in

: the right direction for the Lakers,
: they really wanted to move Chris
: Kaman, Jordan Hill, and/or Pau

: Gasol as well. Lamar Odom,

: who is currently playing for the

: Laboral Kutxa of the Spanish

: ACB League, has been through

: a whirlwind of suspicions of

: drug addiction, and is itching to

: find himself back in his home

: league. He was fighting to take

: the potential empty seat with the
: Los Angeles Lakers if Pau Gasol

: was shipped out, but will have to
: wait at least another season since

: Gasol managed to stick around.

: Spencer Hawes, the Philadelphia
: 76ers received two second-round
: picks, centre Henry Sims, and

: small forward Earl Clark. Since

: Clark’s contract is not even

: guaranteed next year, I'd say

: Philadelphia certainly scored

: on this trade. Miami secured a

: second-round pick by handing

: over Roger Mason Jr. to the

: Sacramento Kings. Mason barely
: contributed last season, playing a
: whopping 260 minutes the entire
: year.

: Washington Wizards, the Denver
: Nuggets and the Philadelphia

: 76er’s moved Andre Miller, Jan

: Vesely, Eric Maynor, and three

? second-round picks. The Wizards
: picked up Miller and a protected

: second-round pick. Denver scored
: Vesely, and Philadelphia got

: Maynor and two second-round

: picks—one from Washington and
: one from Denver.

In a trade to get rid of centre

In a three-way trade, the

 

Jason Terry drafted to the Sacramento Kings // By Wikipedia