The last seven SEC defensive players of the year went in the first round.
It looks like Michael Sam will not even be drafted.
Shameful.
by John Cole| 88 Comments
This post is in: Gay Rights are Human Rights, Sports, Outrage
The last seven SEC defensive players of the year went in the first round.
It looks like Michael Sam will not even be drafted.
Shameful.
Comments are closed.
RobertDSC-Power Mac G5 Dual
From what I’ve read, his tweener status and an allegedly poor combine effort are a factor.
Trentrunner
Thanks, Obama!
max
It looks like Michael Sam will not even be drafted.
Someone will pick him up, eventually. I’m thinkin’ the Pats.
max
[‘Donald Sterling is nearly as repulsive as a gay guy, or so the NFL seems to have it.’]
p.s. The NFL should double down and force a swap between Snyder and Sterling. Because go for it, assholes.
KG
CJ Mosley was co-defensive player of the year with Sam. He was taken #17. The whisper campaign started before he came out, so this doesn’t surprise me at all. And the “distraction” noise is just that: noise.
The Dangerman
Poor combine, Dude; the Mighty Google can be your friend.
ETA: It could be an accident (I have no idea how numbers are assigned at the combine), but Sam was 42. Yes, Jackie Robinson’s number.
Redshift
I happened to watch Olbermann’s Worst Persons, and one of them was some third-rate wingnut bozo trying to organize a boycott of any team that drafts Sam. In it, he makes an offhand comment that Sam is “not likely to be drafted” anyway. I’m assuming there must be some reason other than homophobia, or he surely would have made a bigger deal of it, but I don’t really know anything about it.
Belafon
@RobertDSC-Power Mac G5 Dual: Given that the last seven guys were picked, what’s the probability that the next guy wouldn’t be? You might argue that they’re independent events, but this is not the same as drawing lottery numbers.
KG
@The Dangerman: Clowney also allegedly had a poor combine. Lots of players don’t do the stupid human tricks well but can actually play the game. Others do really well at the combine and end up being busts
Ronnie Pudding
@The Dangerman:
Awful combine, in fact, for a guy who was never going to be a high pick.
Ronnie Pudding
@KG:
Clowney ran a stunning 4.53 at the combine. Sam ran a 4.9. And Clowney’s a bigger guy.
Bruuuuce
Yannow, if it turns out that my Giants sign him (as they should), I’ll be happy he was available. Even though he shouldn’t have been, by several rounds of the draft, at least.
Funny how I didn’t hear the negative scouting reports before he came out, though.
The Dangerman
@KG:
Not exactly correct:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1971470-jadeveon-clowney-combine-results-and-instant-reaction
His reps were low but his other numbers were spectacular.
KG
@Ronnie Pudding: Clowney was also out bench pressed by a punter
KG
And Sam goes to the Rams
LT
Drafted.
Rams. 7th round, 34.
The Dangerman
@KG:
How can that be? The league is homophobic, doncha know.
Mr Stagger Lee
Like Donnie Shell of the Pittsburgh Steelers, I hope he is picked by someone and becomes an All Pro, just to see all the GM’s and Player personnel directors and oh yes the coaches squirm on why he was passed. Also maybe time to take away some of the NFL’s tax exempt status? I mean why should the LGBT community subsidize the NFL’s bigotry
superfly
Sam was projected as a 3-4th round pick before coming out.
Yes he had a bad combine, but improved his numbers at the Missouri Pro Day, shaved .1 from his 40 time, and increased his vertical jump, broad jump and bench press, so the “bad combine” line is disingenuous.
He produced on the field in the SEC, nuff said.
and he was just drafted, so that’s good…
James E. Powell
Is There Any Other Way To Interpret This Other Than Homophobia?
I’d say yes, there is, because Michael Sam was not very highly ranked, draft-prospect-wise, at any time. One can win college awards without being a very good NFL prospect.
There are people ranked just above and just below him who were also not drafted.
ETA – Okay, he was drafted by the Rams – Best of luck to him.
Brian R.
Awesome.
The Rams were always the natural choice — defensive minded team, same state as his university.
Pete Mack
I’m thinking Pete Carroll will snap him up immediately after the draft. Since he’ll be a free agent, he actually has the possibility of getting more financially than he would if he’d been drafted. Kind of crazy, eh?
David Koch
You have to understand the NFL’s position: it’s too much of a distraction to hire a gay man, when they’re too busy dealing with rapists, drug addicts, drunk drivers, wife beaters, murders, adulterers, racists, brain injuries, rampant PEDs, midget rednecks, prothletising Jesus freaks, and gang members. You’re just asking them too much of them to deal with teh ghey when they already have so much on their plates.
Mr Stagger Lee
@LT: I think St.Louis knows his potential when he played at Mizzou. I hope he becomes an All-Pro, though that might be at the expense of the Seahawks.
Dr. Bloor
He fell because he’s a difficult-to-project tweener in a pretty deep draft. Conference/collegiate awards really don’t mean much to scouts and GMs, as they have poor predictive value (see Tebow, Tim).
Ironically, the Rams did him no favors. He’d have been able to cut himself a better deal as an UDFA.
Pete Mack
Whoops, spoke too soon! D’oh!
Mr Stagger Lee
@David Koch: And don’t forget the threat to their tax exempt status, plus the need to put a team in London
LT
@Mr Stagger Lee: Is there going to be a single more motivated player in the league?
No.
Add that to his obvious skills, dude’s gonna play some ball. Good on ya, Rams.
Brian R.
@Dr. Bloor:
Yeah, Sam never would’ve been a first-rounder due to his size. But he otherwise likely would’ve been a fourth-to-fifth rounder at worst. He definitely wouldn’t have gone after a goddamn DE from fucking Marist.
The Dangerman
Don’t cry for me,
ArgentinaMichael Sam.Per ESPN:
the Conster
He’s a Ram – #249. Not sure that’s preferable to not being picked at all.
Morzer
@Brian R.:
That DE from copulating Marist has a pretty decent record of producing on the field.
And no, Sam was a 6th/7th rounder. He has mediocre measurables, was unimpressive at the combine – and, bear in mind, would be extremely difficult to cut if things didn’t work out. This is not the sort of player GMs want to take a risk on.
Mr Stagger Lee
@efgoldman: Sadly true(FYWP, I wanted that post deleted because I posted that before I knew he was drafted)
Morzer
@the Conster:
Clearly a case of Sam Ram thank you ma’am.
David Koch
God-dell works in mysterious ways.
James E. Powell
Damn I hope you guys are watching the draft (I’m watching NFL network but they say it was also on ESPN). As Rich Eisen said, that’s a draft celebration we never expected (he said it with a warm smile). If I had the capacity for normal human emotions, I would have cried. I hope everybody who follows football sees that. Another brick kicked out of the wall.
A lot of people are going to be pulling for this kid to make it.
David Koch
This draft really was dramatic and exciting. Hollywood should make a movie about it.
Morzer
@efgoldman:
Sure, but GMs are more likely to note that bad combines often go with bad attitudes or limited athleticism – neither of which bodes well for a player’s future. You can’t really blame them for making it a factor in their decisions.
Ronnie Pudding
@efgoldman:
Yes, the combine can mislead, but NFL scouts still take it seriously. It’s not something they invented just to discriminate against Sam.
And there really are plenty of guys out there who were great college players but busts in the NFL.
Bob
John, you need an update. Sam is a Ram.
Comrade Mary
On the other hand, Conchita Wurst won Eurovision with this lost Bond song.
Morzer
@Comrade Mary:
But can she get yards after the catch?
Comrade Mary
@Morzer: She looks pretty fit to me. Won’t know until she tries.
Heliopause
Yes. His size and skill set are not good fits with many NFL defenses. For the team I’m most familiar with, the Seahawks, he’d find it extremely difficult to even make the roster. You should also check out Nate Silver’s piece on him.
Still, that doesn’t mean homophobia wasn’t a factor on a team by team basis, but there’s no way to know until some insider writes his memoirs.
LT
@the Conster:
He’s a Ram – #249. Not sure that’s preferable to not being picked at all.
Uh huh. Pretty sure average NFL rookie salary – around $500k – makes being drafted anywhere preferable.
Brian R.
@Morzer:
Pffft. Put me in pads and *I* could produce against the likes of Davidson, Sacred Heart and Drake.
Morzer
@Comrade Mary:
I dare say she wouldn’t be the Wurst option available to a team.
Brendan in Charlotte
What’s the over/under on complaints to ESPN regarding that fact that they showed 2 men kissing….?
Villago Delenda Est
The combine results give the NFL cover for any charges of homophobia.
However, it’s not unlikely that some team will pick him up later.
On Edit: Well, forget that, the Rams (my second favorite team after the Seahawks) drafted him.
Why are the Rams a favorite? Have been since I was in elementary school…cool helmets!
Morzer
@LT:
Divide by 10 and you’ve got something close to what Michael Sam can expect as a signing bonus.
Comrade Mary
I love this pic of Michael Sam celebrating.
scav
@Morzer: Or for the half-time show, could be a cost-savings.
ETA: and I find it oddly enjoyable that the manic French entry was about wanting a mustache.
Morzer
@Villago Delenda Est:
Sam is a Ram
Green eggs and spam
John Cole is glad
And no longer mad.
Morzer
@scav:
The French always want mustaches to conceal their lack of AMERICAN MANHOOD!
Villago Delenda Est
@Morzer: Well, they don’t go around with holsters to show off their manhood, now do they?
scav
@Morzer: Advertising that lack is rather one of their selling points, exactly.
DougJ
@Dr. Bloor:
Yeah, but the Rams did the league a favor.
Villago Delenda Est
@Comrade Mary: Wait…he has a boyfriend?
Well, this is going to disappoint some guys in the locker room, I’m sure…
Villago Delenda Est
@David Koch: Perhaps Kevin Costner is available for one?
And Cole’s mom to call him up and tell him he’s an idiot?
Morzer
@Villago Delenda Est:
Would it surprise you to learn that the French have a long-established tradition of manhood holsters?
http://tinyurl.com/9rnfwah
SiubhanDuinne
@scav:
Somewhere recently (don’t think it was here, but it could have been), someone pointed out that Guns Everywhere, Open Carry, and SYG legislation coincides curiously with a lot of “Low Testosterone”advertising.
scav
@Morzer: That one shows a remarkable defensive rather than offensive capability, the offensive and dangerous usually being emphasized here. Perhaps fighting them off is more of a common problem lá-las.
Morzer
@scav:
You know, we may just have stumbled on the conservative body armor growth area of the future. I reckon we could sell them in Texas and make our fortunes.
Mnemosyne
Though I’m sure Sam and his family and friends had some anxious moments over the past few days, I think that coming out prior to the draft and letting the controversy die down a little was the right decision — it took the rumors off the table and it sounds like the Rams may be a good fit for the kind of defensive player he is. Happy (or at least reasonably content) ending for all concerned.
Gravenstone
@Mnemosyne: Just imagine the uproar if the first time the world at large learned he was gay was during the post-selection kiss of his boyfriend. Heads exploding all over the country.
Villago Delenda Est
@Gravenstone: The heads of shitheads are exploding anyways.
Fuck the homophobe fucktards. With Newt Gingrich’s diseased dick.
Villago Delenda Est
@Morzer: That looks like some sort of appliance for Theon Greyjoy…
different-church-lady
Annnnnnnnd… Cole pulls another Syria!
SFAW
@Morzer:
What do you have against French women?
SFAW
@efgoldman:
I just saw a pic of Claude blowing kisses to Plekanec.
Belafon
@different-church-lady: What would this site be without melodrama.
2liberal
espn insider gave Sam a pre-draft numerical grade of 43, with an overall rank of 224. He went at #259.
Brian
In the same interpretation where Johnny football was supposed to go top 1 or 2 according to non scouts.
MattR
@Brian: And Bridgewater was talked about at #1 as well. Granted he had a horrific time throwing the ball at his pro day.
shirk
@DougJ: Yeah, but the Rams did the league a favor.
Yep. Speculation on the draft liveblog I was following was that Goodell was sweating and would end up strong-arming some team into taking Sam to avoid the negative publicity. And @Morzer is absolutely right about the difficulty of cutting him, even if he genuinely doesn’t make the jump to performing at an NFL level.
Stephen White analyzed five of Sam’s games in detail and concluded Sam is the best corner rusher that I have broken down thus far, so here’s hoping he comes on strong and silences all the naysayers.
Seth
Poor measurables.
http://mockdraftable.com/player/4596/
apocalipstick
@Bruuuuce:
Then you weren’t listening. Sam’s size has been a concern for a while. He’s the classic college tweener–6’2″ x 260 isn’t big enough to put his hand on the ground as an every-down DE, but there’s no evidence that he can be a true NFL OLD either. He’s going to have to go the James Harrison route–simply outplay people on the field until he gets his spot.
apocalipstick
@efgoldman:
And Bruschi slid down the board. The Patriots did not draft a sure thing, either.
MattR
FWIW, reports are that had he not been drafted Sam would have chosen between free agent offers from the Rams, Giants, Bears and Ravens.
Ronnie Pudding
He doesn’t get that salary unless he makes the team. If he weren’t drafted, he’d at least have some say as to which team he could try out for (assuming he had multiple offers).
karen
@Morzer:
France and their desire of the moustache then Conchita and her beard, facial hair FTW in Eurovision.
kdbart
Sam’s a tweener who lacks the necessary speed to play linebacker in the NFL. Only way he’ll make a roster is as a third down pass rushing specialist and/or as a special teams player. BTW, The Big XII Defensive Player of the Year, Jackson Jeffcoat of Texas, wasn’t drafted either. He was also a Consensus All American and the winner of The Ted Hendricks Award and is the son of former NFLer, Jim Jeffcoat.
MoeLarryAndJesus
Tom Brady went in the 6th round.
Calm the fuck down.
Ed in NJ
Brandon Coleman. Rutgers U. Draft grade 59, 89th-rated prospect projected to go in the 3rd round. Undrafted and heterosexual as far as I know.
Ayn Randy
@Ed in NJ:
Tore his meniscus and had a mediocre season.
moderateindy
Cole, that’s some good, old fasioned, poorly informed commentary there. Did you hit your head, and revert back to your days as a right winger?
I actually know someone that works for an NFL franchise who does work evaluating college talent. We discussed this not too long after Sam came out publicly. He said that from purely a talent, and potential aspect, Sam was at best a late sixth rounder. He also said that for every team that was afraid of drafting an openly gay player, there was a team that saw a possible PR win in doing so.
Mostly, he looked too slow on tape to be an OLB, and his size precluded him from being an effective DE. (This was before the combine, which, I imagine, didn’t exactly help that perception.)
Most GM’s pick players based on physical tools, and the potential those tools bring. Best example, former basketball players turned tight end.
There’s plenty of racism, sexism, and homophobia out there already to be outraged over, we really don’t need to go around inventing it.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and a tweener is just a tweener.
apocalipstick
@superfly:
So did Heath Shuler. Tim Tebow. JaMarcus Russell. Rex Grossman. Tim Couch. Past performance is not a guarantor of future results.
Ed in NJ
@Ayn Randy: Thanks for making my argument. The point is Coleman is a much better prospect, didn’t get drafted and no one is assuming anything other than what you stated. This is a losing argument for gay rights advocates, of which I am one, because most people, especially here, are clueless about how NFL execs evaluate talent and potential. Tom Savage was drafted well before AJ McCarron.
ron
@David Koch: i saw that joke day 1 of the draft on twitter.