Allow my indulgences here if you please. If one only knows about me through my sporadic writings on The Majors, it may be a surprise to a reader that my political leanings are to the left. In most cases it isn’t important, one may even believe in this case it isn’t really important but I must admit, I feel like I have been taken for a sucker.
I am no fan of “reality” TV (except “So You Think You Can Dance” that’s my wife’s fault), so you can imagine my eyes roll as I hear about the upcoming wedding of Katherine Webb and A.J. McCarron. Who cares, I mean, let’s face it folks, if Brent Musburger wasn’t so thirsty over her, we would never have heard of her.
Now, back in March it was brought to light that Michael Sam, the reigning defensive co-player of the year of the SEC, came out as he is gay. I wrote a book a few years back where one of my main characters was gay and he was the tough linebacker on his high school team. Then I heard the magic words. “I just want to be a football player”. Sure the media wouldn’t let him live with his life but hey, if he plays football eventually, it will be an incidental like “Jim Parsons is gay…” Then treated with the shrug it deserves.
History happens Michael Sam is drafted, just a football player is ringing in my head…he kisses his boyfriend…still shrug worthy. I mean no ones head exploded when A.J. and Katherine kissed after his bowl game. Now, I’m not disgusted… more properly disappointed…until now. Oprah Winfrey comes along, waving money in his face, for a “documentary” about a seventh round draft pick. Michael, what happened to “I just want to be a football player”. I know Michael Sam isn’t the first gay athlete, he’s not even the first gay American football player and I know he didn’t ask to be a symbol but that being the case, why would you agree to a glorified “reality” show? Doesn’t that go against ‘just wanting to be a football player”? Why doesn’t Oprah care about the other 7th round picks?
I get it, he’s 24 and damn if I didn’t make some bad decisions at 24. I would suggest that he works hard and gets back to that idealistic view of just wanting to be a football player. That would assist the next gay athlete much more than an Oprah “documentary”/”reality show”.