With the Bonnie Tyler '80s classic running through our heads, we joyfully choose to ingore the haters and lovingly aim the ShoutOutHealth spotlight on one influential, empowering, kick-ass individual, who's publicly speaking out for LGBT equality. And our latest "Hero" is ...
This column was created for people like Michael Sam. Ironically, unless you're a big college football fan, you may not have even heard of the 6-foot-3, 260-pound senior at The Univeristy of Missouri, until he uttered these historic words to the New York Times: "I'm Michael Sam. I'm a football player and I'm gay."
With that, Sam -- almost universally predicted to be one of the National Football League's top early draft picks this May -- has broken one of sports greatest barriers. Last spring, 12-year N.B.A. veteran Jason Collins' coming out (post-season) caused a sentation, but Sam's announcement breaks new ground, and comes on the heels of straight-ally and former NFL player Chris Kluwe's recent headlines about anti-gay bigotry in the sport.
It's because Sam is at the very start of his professional career, already having been named a first-team all-American, the defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference, and also voted Missouri’s most valuable player by his teammates. His presence will surely revolutionize pro team sports and the NFL, which released this statement:
"We admire Michael Sam's honesty and courage. Michael is a football player. Any player with ability and determination can succeed in the NFL. We look forward to welcoming and supporting Michael Sam in 2014."
So let the pundits, talking heads and bloggers go wild with speculation as this story unfolds, but it's a good bet that any sports-loving homophobes (or even Jonathan Vilma) out there might think twice before belittling a 6' 3" 260-pound pro football player, don't you think?
Now it's your turn. Do you think Sam's epic announcement will change professional team sports forever? Take our poll and leave your comments!
My football player students already write clever and wellminded papers about homophobia in sports, they are not unsensitive to their sport and the public scene coming with this professional life.
You can be sure that many young players who have success in football or other "I want to be pro-"sports will just not be stopped anymore in their acceleration towards pro life, the sport will soon be hard for homophobic people as pride might be the spare engine for success. BEING gay is a strenght, didn't you know?
Posted by: Gilbert Emond | 02/12/2014 at 10:44 AM