Bernie: Sam's story is still one of success

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RamBill

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Bernie: Sam's story is still one of success
• Bernie Miklasz

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colu...cle_0af6f40a-aaec-53f4-a33f-e6a02605622d.html

Released at the final cutdown Saturday, rookie defensive end Michael Sam failed in his quest to make the St. Louis Rams’ 53-man roster.

That was his only failure.

In trying out for the Rams this summer, Sam triumphed over fear, paranoia, hatred and historically-embedded assumptions that are so hard to shake.

An athlete can’t declare that he’s gay. He’ll kill his career. Wrong.

An NFL team would never draft an openly gay player. Wrong.

A gay player wouldn’t be accepted by teammates. Wrong.

The presence of a gay player would cause “distractions.” Wrong.

“There was no distraction,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “If someone perceived or thought there may be a distraction — they weren’t in the building. We’ve said that all along. This was a football decision. Mike fit in very, very well. He was fun to be around. He was a good teammate. There was no issue there.”

The “distractions” thing always made me laugh.

Understand that distractions are everywhere in team sports. There are players getting arrested. Players flunking league drug tests. Players partying too much. Players making fools of themselves on social media. Players getting consumed by celebrity, wealth and fame and losing focus on their jobs. It’s part of the NFL culture … oh, but Michael Sam was going to arrive and set off an earthquake that would bring the house down? Please.

In Sam’s case, I viewed the “distraction” caterwauling as a protective shield carried by those that couldn’t quite bring themselves to tell the truth. They just couldn’t come out and admit that they didn’t like Michael Sam or approve of his lifestyle and were sourly displeased by the thought of a gay man being part of a team.

These folks didn’t fear distractions. They feared the fact that it was 2014 and the world was changing around them, and that Michael Sam was going to get his shot to play pro football — and frankly, there wasn’t a damned thing they could do about it.

The only people made uncomfortable with the Rams giving an opportunity to Sam are simply uncomfortable with the modern reality. And uncomfortable about their own intolerance.

Well, get comfortable.

It’s way past time to accept the differences in fellow human beings who want what everyone wants: health, happiness, love, family, accessible goals and the right to pursue a chosen career.

The Rams and Sam had the guts to go for this.

And their courage easily conquered cowardice.

There was one distraction at Rams Park this summer, and I guess you can say it was Sam’s fault … Sam Bradford, that is. The coaches and players were shaken for a day or two by the news that they’d lost Bradford, their starting quarterback, to a season-ending knee injury.

With Michael Sam there was no media stampede. There was one dumb story on ESPN about Sam’s showering habits. (And only ESPN was distracted — by having to issue an apology.)

There were no hidden spy cams to track Sam’s every movement. Rams players welcomed him. Sam went to work, practiced and studied hard, and impressed with his energy. He gave about as many interviews as any other player. Training camp was orderly and businesslike.

If Rams coaches, executives, players and staff could quickly accept Michael Sam as a person and a player, respect his relentless worth ethic and support his quest to make the squad, well, that’s more powerful than hatred or paranoia.

Sam’s coaches and teammates at Mizzou knew he was gay and didn’t care. The 2013 Tigers had a great season. The Rams were happy to have Sam in camp and may add him to their practice squad.

We assume that the other 31 NFL teams noticed that Sam was drafted, and spent the summer working in Earth City, and that Rams Park is still standing. And that Sam, the man, made a positive impression.

The Rams and Sam showed the way to enlightenment.

Perhaps less enlightened teams will be emboldened to follow.

“There were a lot of things that were said right around the draft, right after we drafted him that this was a historical moment, for the league and everything,” Fisher said. “We’re proud to be a part of that, but it was a great experience but there were no issues. No issues in this team meeting room, on the field, any place.

“I just think there was a lot more made of it than there should have been and obviously, as I said back at draft time, I was proud to be a part of that. Enjoyed the experience and with Mike (and) Mike’s got the ability, Mike played well. He has the ability to play someplace and it’s got to be the right place, it’s got to be a fit.”

When Fisher referred to “fit” he meant Sam’s potential to fill a role. He didn’t fit the 53-man roster in St. Louis because the Rams had an abundance of quality defensive linemen, shortages at other positions, and couldn’t afford the luxury of carrying an extra pass rusher. Moreover, Sam was outplayed by fellow rookie defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks. As a seventh-round draft choice, the odds were against Sam from the beginning.

It didn’t work out for Sam. Not now, anyway. But Sam’s experience was a success on many other levels. Irrational fear and loathing will never vanish entirely, but Sam gave it a battering while knocking down a significant barrier.

As a player, Sam didn’t quite prove that he belonged on the 53-man roster. But as a person, Sam proved that he belonged in the locker room. More than that, Sam belonged at the center of a unique and powerful moment in sports history.

I doubt that we’ll see a seventh-round draft choice do as much for the NFL as Michael Sam has this summer. He opened doors and minds.

Far from being a distraction, he was an inspiration to the next Michael Sam … and the Michael Sam after that … and every subsequent Michael Sam who will refuse to surrender to homophobia or bigotry to follow their dream.
 

RamBill

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Fisher: Cutting Sam was a 'football decision'
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_bd251348-dc1f-59fc-aeb6-ad84023ddad2.html

When the Rams selected Michael Sam just eight picks before the end of the 2014 NFL draft in May, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said it was a football decision — nothing more.

On Saturday, when the Rams made Sam one of their final cuts to reach the 53-man roster limit, it was also a football decision — nothing more.

“I will tell you this, I was pulling for Mike,” Fisher said. “I really was. I don’t say that very often, but I was. Mike came in here and did everything we asked him to do.”

But the odds were long from the outset for Sam, a consensus all-American and the defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference last season at the University of Missouri.

The Rams’ defensive line is stacked, particularly at the end position. New defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, in fact, has called it the best defensive line from top to bottom he’s ever been around during his lengthy coaching career.

“Those four defensive ends that we have on the roster are good,” Fisher said, referring to Robert Quinn, Chris Long, Williams Hayes and Eugene Sims. “And they play a lot. They’re very productive, as well as the tackles. It’s the strength of our football team.”

Couple that with the emergence of Ethan Westbrooks, the undrafted rookie from West Texas A&M, and there was no place for Sam on a roster that now has nine D-linemen.

“Nine defensive linemen on a roster is a significant number,” Fisher said. “If you go with 10, then you’re gonna be short someplace else.”

And the fact that the Rams are carrying cornerback Trumaine Johnson (knee) and center/guard Barrett Jones (back) on the active roster despite injuries that will sideline them for several additional weeks did Sam no favors.

There was some thought the Rams might place Jones, who’s rehabbing from surgery, on the injured reserve or IR/designated for return lists. As for Johnson, a starter, his injury may have been the reason the team decided to keep undrafted rookie cornerback Marcus Roberson.

Entering Saturday, the Rams had four roster moves to make after cutting 17 players Friday. As the clock drew close to 3 p.m., the deadline for reaching the 53-man limit, it became known that offensive guard Brandon Washington has been cut.

That move wasn’t expected, and meant there might be an opening for Sam to make the squad. Then it became known that defensive tackle Matt Conrath was being cut, which was expected. That meant there were just two unknown cuts — expected to be safety Christian Bryant and tight end Justice Cunningham.

Well, Bryant was cut. But Cunningham made the 53-man roster despite suffering what a source said was a high ankle sprain in the preseason finale against Miami. So instead of Cunningham being released, it was Sam.

Regardless of those machinations, Fisher said cutting Sam “was not a difficult decision.”

Fisher added: “Let me point out our sixth-round pick (quarterback Garrett Gilbert), and we had four seventh-round picks — none of them are on the active roster, OK? So we made football decisions with respect to our draft choices, with respect to our undrafted free agents.

“When you look at the big picture, that implies that we’re getting better. This team is getting better because we’re releasing draft choices.”

Three of those four seventh-rounders were released: Sam, Bryant, and offensive lineman Mitchell Van Dyk. A fourth, center Demetrius Rhaney, was placed on injured reserve last week with a knee injury.

Fisher pointed out that Sam saw a lot of playing time during the preseason, so the coaching staff got a good look at him.

“The second-most snaps on the defensive line — to Ethan Westbrooks,” Fisher said. “Well over 120, 130 snaps, and was productive. As we said on the front end of this, this was gonna be a tough road (for Sam).”

So Sam’s bid to become the first openly gay player to make an NFL regular-season roster now takes a different turn. The other 31 NFL teams have until noon Sunday to claim Sam off waivers. If Sam clears waivers, the next option is the practice squad.

In part for strategic reasons, Fisher was noncommittal when asked whether the Rams would try to add Sam to their practice squad.

Although practice squads have been expanded to 10 players this year from eight, the Rams need at least two receivers and a least two linebackers, for example, to help them get through practice. They’d probably like to add at least two defensive backs as well, a quarterback, and maybe an offensive lineman or two.

Even if it doesn’t work for Sam here, Fisher thinks he has the attributes to play somewhere in the NFL.

“Mike was co-SEC defensive player of the year because of his motor,” Fisher said. “I mean, he just plays hard all the time. He’s smart. I think he’s learned to use his hands better, hand placement. He’s gotten better in the pass rush.

“But the plays he made (in the preseason) were effort plays. After playing a lot of plays, effort plays are what you look for. So I think he’s got skills to fit in someplace.”

Fisher makes it a point to tell players face-to-face when he releases them. That wasn’t possible Saturday because Sam was in Columbia, Mo., watching the Tigers open their season against South Dakota State.

Fisher said he called Sam about an hour before his 3:30 p.m. press conference at Rams Park to tell Sam he had been cut. They plan to meet Sunday to talk things over more in depth.

On Facebook and on Twitter, Sam offered these thoughts on his Rams experience:

“I want to thank the entire Rams organization and the city of St. Louis for giving me this tremendous opportunity and allowing me to show I can play at this level. I look forward to continuing to build on the progress I made here toward a long and successful career.

“The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy — this is a lesson I’ve always known. The journey continues.”
 

Amitar

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Umm, Bernie makes it sound like this is the end for Sam. Whatever Bernie.
 

Tron

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Thanks Bernie for an extra long article about how Sam being gay wasnt a distraction....as if me and Mr.Stlouis hadnt just been discussing this very topic.....
Released at the final cutdown Saturday, rookie defensive end Michael Sam failed in his quest to make the St. Louis Rams’ 53-man roster.

Everyone already knows this

An athlete can’t declare that he’s gay. He’ll kill his career. Wrong.

Says who? Bigots?

An NFL team would never draft an openly gay player. Wrong.

No shit, everyone in the fkn world knows he got drafted, but thanks for the reminder "captain state the fucking obvious"

A gay player wouldn’t be accepted by teammates. Wrong.

He was, wow please tell me more I didnt know.....

The presence of a gay player would cause “distractions.” Wrong.

The only distraction has been the non stop media machine that includes yourself for not focusing on him as a player you fucking shit stain.

The “distractions” thing always made me laugh.

And yet you still bring it up and dedicate an entire article to it..

Understand that distractions are everywhere in team sports. There are players getting arrested. Players flunking league drug tests. Players partying too much. Players making fools of themselves on social media. Players getting consumed by celebrity, wealth and fame and losing focus on their jobs. It’s part of the NFL culture … oh, but Michael Sam was going to arrive and set off an earthquake that would bring the house down? Please.

Can an earthquake please bring your house down? Please!!!!

In Sam’s case, I viewed the “distraction” caterwauling as a protective shield carried by those that couldn’t quite bring themselves to tell the truth. They just couldn’t come out and admit that they didn’t like Michael Sam or approve of his lifestyle and were sourly displeased by the thought of a gay man being part of a team.

No one cares how you viewed it and want to hear you talk about his sexuality yet again.

These folks didn’t fear distractions. They feared the fact that it was 2014 and the world was changing around them, and that Michael Sam was going to get his shot to play pro football — and frankly, there wasn’t a damned thing they could do about it.

I wish they could do something about you writing shit articles.

The only people made uncomfortable with the Rams giving an opportunity to Sam are simply uncomfortable with the modern reality. And uncomfortable about their own intolerance.

Well, get comfortable.

Oooooo you got em there!! Call em out big guy!!!

It’s way past time to accept the differences in fellow human beings who want what everyone wants: health, happiness, love, family, accessible goals and the right to pursue a chosen career.

The Rams and Sam had the guts to go for this.

They did? I had no clue. I hadnt read anything since the draft and had not known the Rams drafted him.

And their courage easily conquered cowardice.

There was one distraction at Rams Park this summer, and I guess you can say it was Sam’s fault … Sam Bradford, that is. The coaches and players were shaken for a day or two by the news that they’d lost Bradford, their starting quarterback, to a season-ending knee injury.

That was a distraction? Wtf are you talking about.

With Michael Sam there was no media stampede. There was one dumb story on ESPN about Sam’s showering habits. (And only ESPN was distracted — by having to issue an apology.)

No media stampede? Are you fucking kidding? The media has not stopped talking about it, you dont have to look further than this article to see that you media shithead!!!

If Rams coaches, executives, players and staff could quickly accept Michael Sam as a person and a player, respect his relentless worth ethic and support his quest to make the squad, well, that’s more powerful than hatred or paranoia.

Did you expect non of them to except him? Its called professionalism you fuck.

We assume that the other 31 NFL teams noticed that Sam was drafted

You dont say? You think they might have? What gave you that idea? Not like they tracked every single player drafted, and the udfa. Thatd make no sense for a pro football team to do....

“I just think there was a lot more made of it than there should have been"

You mean like articles like this one coach?

Far from being a distraction

You are right, he wasnt a distraction, you helped him into one though with this shit. Why not talk about all the roster cuts and just mention him as being one of them. That would do more for him than this shit filled article.



Sorry for the ranting, but Bernie+Sams sexuality in the league=fucking shut the hell up Bernie.
 

Thordaddy

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Rich
I hope Fish was sandbagging on whether we plan to PS the guy, I want to bring him back and put him and that motor in an NFL weight room and make the rest of what he needs to make this roster out of him,IMO he's gonna be good for someone,might as well be us.
 

MTRamsFan

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Why do we continue to post stories this guy writes? He irritates most, and IMO he is such a poor journalist. I vote to ban Bernie's articles from gracing the ROD atmosphere.
 

Tron

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Why do we continue to post stories this guy writes? He irritates most, and IMO he is such a poor journalist. I vote to ban Bernie's articles from gracing the ROD atmosphere.
They were for a while. It was nice lol
 

RamBill

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Rams Insider Howard Balzer says the reports of Michael Sam being distraction were overblown and that he has shown that he is capable of playing in the league.

Listen to Balzer Talk Sam
 

Mackeyser

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Capable of playing in this league? Yes.

Going to be in this league? Unlikely.

And I think we're going to hear all the same garbage. Yes, garbage. I disagree in the strongest terms that he's a source of distraction, solely a LDE, that he's one dimensional, slow or bound by his Combine numbers or any of the other inaccurate descriptions. He proved that he's got the talent to contribute as a DE in the NFL and that he's been nothing other than a solid member of the team in every way. Be a starter? Probably not except on the weakest of DLs. However, he's got the skills to contribute to a team. More importantly, even if teams disagree because Michael Sam won't know their schemes, he's certainly talented enough to find his way onto SOME team's PS.

I'm sorry to come across this way. I bang the table for players from time to time, but this is different. This isn't really JUST about disagreeing about talent. It's more than that.

And rest assured, if Michael Sam is out of the league as I suspect he will be, it sure as hell won't be because he didn't properly acquit himself on the football field, in the meeting room, in the locker room or with the media. As everyone with the Rams organization has noted, he did everything they asked him to do.

The NFL SHOULD be a meritocracy. In that meritocracy, Michael Sam would have a place and none of that would have anything to do with anything other than his football acumen and abilities. Unfortunately, it seems like the bar has been set much higher for him than other players. Acting as if that isn't so doesn't make it any less real or any less actually so.