Michael Sam on the lam

[HometownBoy]

I just wish this would stop. Michael Sam stories are such an eyesore.

 

[BadCompany]

You'd think the Als GM would know that. Instead he's saying he's very surprised and doesn't know why.

I'm wondering if this isn't a Jonathan Martin situation.

I don't think this is a Jonathan Martin situation. Not exactly anyways. There are whispers that Sam was not playing well, and some of the veterans were calling him out on that. Sam appeared to be disappointed/surprised in his own play.

Again, just rumours, but as I mentioned when Sam first signed with Montreal he had better be prepared for the quality of play in the CFL. Many dismiss the league out of hand, but he is far from being the first quasi/former NFLer to show up north of the border, throw his helmet on the field, and then be surprised when it came back with a pink slip. Not saying Sam was cut (he wasn't), but if he thought his spot on the roster was guaranteed because he's an NFLer and he was getting whupped in practice every day...

 

[Moostache]

Serious or not, if this were anybody else, we would never have been aware of it... Why I didn't want him to begin with and was thrilled when he went away...Had nothing to do with his personal life, just everything to do with the circus atmosphere that will follow him wherever he goes...

Right or wrong, he is the gay Tebow.
Neither he nor Tim Tebow will ever be "just another player"...which is sad and a commentary on the obsessions of fans with things that should not matter to be an athlete.
Is what it is, though if this does not turn out to be a really serious health issue for a family member, Sam may have just torched his last chance at professional football...then again, Chip Kelly seems to like bringing in high attention busts, so there's still a Lloyd Christmas chance I guess...

 

[Ky Ram]

personal opinion bro...and gleaned from the fact he didn't go to the CFL last year...they basically had to beg him to come play some football for $$$$....Bet Oprah didn't have to beg him to film his training camp. The Rams had to tell him to stop all the foolishness. And I'm not talking about DWTS...but that's proof too..Name one player that did DWTS that wasn't a star, pro-bowl type player?

Point taken, and to be honest its a show I've never watched so I'm not sure who all who has been on it.
My understanding on the CFL thing last year was that he had enough reps in the NFL to give the league another shot after his Dallas stint. Then he shows up to the combine and sh-ts himself, so the CFL is all he had left.
Look I have no personal investment in the guy, but I'll be damned if his sexuality doesn't play into the way that his play is assessed on the field. It happens to a lot of former college athletes (Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Reggie Bush, the list goes on and on). These guys were THE guys in college, so they keep getting shot after shot on NFL rosters even though they've proven thus far that for one reason or another they're incapable of getting it done at the next level.
If Michael Sam isn't gay I think he receives that same kind of treatment. JMO

 

[Psycho_X]

Well after his latest stint, or lack there of, I think he's just a head case and has burnt his last bridge. I wish him all the luck in the world trying to parlay his name into some sort of successful endeavor but it won't involve football. He's obviously not fully invested.

 

[rams2050]

I just know that in my own life if I wanted something badly enough, I would simply charge ahead -- focus ONLY on that -- and do my best to attain it. Being engaged soon after getting drafted had to be a huge personal distraction, especially for a gay couple. I'm not sure about gay men, but a soon-to-be-bride can often wallow in the drama of her upcoming wedding, reception and honeymoon. And that is just for starters. Michael Sam would probably have been better served by keeping his nose to the grindstone, including telling his beloved, "Later, dear," when it came down to making a commitment. He is young; he has his entire life ahead of him. If he truly wanted an NFL career, THAT is what he should have focused on, almost exclusively. And any other person worth his salt (his beloved) should have encouraged him to do so because an NFL career would have lasted longer than his momentary dance with Fame on TV and in the tabloid headlines.

I cannot say what his 'personal issues' are, but most -- even the most pressing, unless it is an impending death or a serious illness such as cancer that requires immediate surgery -- can be put to rest in a week or less. Again, I would do anything and everything possible to make it my ONLY business to be on that field and work my butt off; that is, if I were truly serious about wanting to be in the NFL.

 

[LACHAMP46]

to be honest its a show I've never watched so I'm not sure who all who has been on it.

I've seen it, barely too...But some names that have done it, Kurt Warner, Emmitt Smith, Mike Irvin, and that wr from the Ravens that almost won SB MVP.....damn my memory is getting bad.

Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Reggie Bush,

Ouch! Those guys had/have talent, despite what they've done in the pros...I still feel, a guy could sleep with animals, and if he could play, he'd be on a roster. That's just how they do it in this business.

 

[BonifayRam]

Perhaps we wait until we see why he left before trashing him? It's not like he hasn't already played football for a decade.

Why would we treat him differently than any other player who would do this?

Just saying if it were Barrett Jones who made a decision like Sam.... would we wait before posting our thoughts on his actions if Snead & Fisher has said that they did not know why?

Is there a double standard for some & not for others? I try as much as anyone to re-frame from going negative on a player but its a rough real world out there & it requires most of all of us to make good decisions as much as possible if you want to be treated like a pro you must act like a pro. If you make a bad decision expect some heat:double: it may help think harder before making another bad decision again & thats a good thing.

 

[drasconis]

The thing that is weird here is that no one seems to know why he left...it seems like the GM or coach should know....or at least have a basic idea. They may not share it, or be able to, but then their statement would be along the lines of the usual "it is a personal matter, we are aware of it and Sam has been excused we aren't at liberty or say more at this time" instead he seems to have up and left. I know in every job I have had where I had emergency I let my boss (or a relevent manager) know generically why I had to leave. You have time to book a flight and get to the airport then you have time to pick up a phone and leave a message to your employer. As someone earlier said it is like drama follows him....

 

[-X-]

Michael Sam reportedly left the Alouettes after getting the sense that he wouldn’t make the team.


Michael Sam’s disappearing act in Montreal was due, in part, to his diminishing chances of making the Alouettes’ roster.

Sam, who signed a two-year deal with the CFL team last month, requested a leave of absence on Friday and hasn’t been back. The team suspended Sam on Monday, a calculated move that allows the Alouettes to retain his rights while he’s away from the team.

RELATED: SAM'S CAREER WILL BE OVER IF HE DOESN'T RETURN, ALOUETTES GM SAYS

While Sam hasn’t explained his absence — the team says he’s away for personal reasons — the Montreal Gazette reports that sources think Sam fled Montreal once he got a sense that he would not make the team.

The newspaper reported that the “theory ... in the Als dressing room” is that Sam wanted to spare himself and the team the awkward situation of trying to explain Sam being cut.

The team released six players on Monday, trimming its roster down to 65 players. CFL teams carry 46 players; NFL teams carry 53-man rosters.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/michael-sam-left-cfl-team-fear-cut-report-article-1.2259917?utm_content=buffer55d89&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=RVacchiano Twitter

 

[OnceARam]

Point taken, and to be honest its a show I've never watched so I'm not sure who all who has been on it.
My understanding on the CFL thing last year was that he had enough reps in the NFL to give the league another shot after his Dallas stint. Then he shows up to the combine and sh-ts himself, so the CFL is all he had left.
Look I have no personal investment in the guy, but I'll be damned if his sexuality doesn't play into the way that his play is assessed on the field. It happens to a lot of former college athletes (Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Reggie Bush, the list goes on and on). These guys were THE guys in college, so they keep getting shot after shot on NFL rosters even though they've proven thus far that for one reason or another they're incapable of getting it done at the next level.
If Michael Sam isn't gay I think he receives that same kind of treatment. JMO

If Sam wasn't gay we wouldn't be talking about him. He was a seventh round pick that didn't make the 53. How many guys that fit that bill get the attention he gets. 0 (zero).

 

[Robocop]

You're gathering all this from...?

Seriously, say what you will about his lack of a professional career on the football field, but last time I checked he's far from the first NFL player to do dancing with the stars and he gets paid to make those other appearances just like he got paid to do that.

If it turns out that a relative passed away or something like that there is going to be a lot of soul searching on this forum

if its a relative or something then you're right but if he just quit then CHAMP is right. either way as far as "Dancing with the Star"s, since when was Sam a star? and name another athlete that is suppose to be preparing and fighting to make a squad after being given a 3rd chance but instead did a reality tv show? just saying work ethic, he was never in good shape and had a horrendous 40 time and other numbers

 

[Prime Time]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000497222/article/michael-sam-placed-on-suspended-list-in-cfl

Michael Sam placed on suspended list in CFL
By Gregg Rosenthal

Michael Sam's CFL career is on hold, and there is no telling if it will continue again.

The Montreal Alouettes announced Monday that Sam was placed on the team's suspended list after leaving the team over the weekend.

"He wanted to go home, and that's what he did. I don't know why," general manager Jim Popp told the Montreal Gazette. "When a guy wants to go home, they go home. He had some personal things to take care of.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he returns. I'm surprised he left. I was very surprised. If he doesn't come back, I would think football's over for him. He's the one that has to face that. But I don't think he doesn't want to play football. That's why he came here."

Sam, the NFL's first openly gay player, spent time on the Cowboys practice squad last year after spending the offseason in St. Louis. The newspaper said that Sam was struggling initially with the Canadian game, but had showed improvement. It was unclear if he was going to make the team's roster. The Alouettes also cut former NFL running back Chris Rainey on Monday.

 

[LACHAMP46]

http://network.yardbarker.com/author/article_external/18975523?widget=true


Report: Michael Sam was ‘pouting’ after teammate made comment about him
June 16, 2015
by Steve DelVecchio

Michael Sam’s career with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes may be over before it started, but the team’s general manager is leaving the door open for Sam to come back.

If Sam does not return to the Alouettes, Jim Popp speculates that the former Missouri star’s football days will likely be over.

“There’s nothing to tell you. He wanted to go home, and that’s what he did,” Popp told Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette. “I don’t know why. When a guy wants to go home, they go home. He had some personal things to take care of.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he returns. I’m surprised he left. I was very surprised. If he doesn’t come back, I would think football’s over for him. He’s the one that has to face that. But I don’t think he doesn’t want to play football. That’s why he came here.”

Sam has been placed on the Alouettes suspended list, and a source told Zurkowsky that the likelihood of Sam returning to the team is “non-existent.” Another source speculated that Sam left after overreacting to a comment a teammate made about him.


“All I know is I heard somebody made a comment about him, about how he wasn’t very good and wasn’t having a very good camp,” the person said. “He took it personally and was pouting in his room. It’s very strange. I have no idea what’s going on. He might have a personal issue.”

The whole situation is bizarre, as Sam certainly seemed excited for the opportunity when he made these comments after signing with the Alouettes. It will be interesting to see if he returns or just gives up on football altogether.

 

[Back Jlack]

I think its cool he broke the gay barrier and all but it really grinds my gears how much undeserving attention he gets while other low draft picks and UDFA get zero coverage. I guess you can blame the media for that, his jersey is more expensive than other players on the team on certain websites and he's not even on the team anymore!

 

[Prime Time]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...k-in-montreal-expected-to-practice-next-week/

Michael Sam is back in Montreal, expected to practice next week
Posted by Michael David Smith on June 26, 2015

AP

There’s still been no explanation for why Michael Sam abruptly left his Canadian Football League team two weeks ago. But now he’s back.

Sam was in Montreal last night as his team, the Montreal Alouettes, opened the season with a loss to the Ottawa Redblacks. Sam still has a locker in the team’s locker room and is expected at team meetings on Sunday and at practice the following day, the Montreal Gazette reports.

When Sam left the team, there was some talk that he simply wasn’t good enough. But Alouettes General Manager Jim Popp has said Sam will be welcomed back, suggesting that the team thinks he can help them win.

Sam became the first openly gay player to be drafted in the NFL when the Rams took him in the seventh round last year. Although he played well in the preseason, he did not make the Rams’ regular-season roster. If he plays for the Alouettes, he’ll become the first openly gay player in a CFL game.

 

[Dodgersrf]

Michael Sam reportedly left the Alouettes after getting the sense that he wouldn’t make the team.


Michael Sam’s disappearing act in Montreal was due, in part, to his diminishing chances of making the Alouettes’ roster.

Sam, who signed a two-year deal with the CFL team last month, requested a leave of absence on Friday and hasn’t been back. The team suspended Sam on Monday, a calculated move that allows the Alouettes to retain his rights while he’s away from the team.

RELATED: SAM'S CAREER WILL BE OVER IF HE DOESN'T RETURN, ALOUETTES GM SAYS

While Sam hasn’t explained his absence — the team says he’s away for personal reasons — the Montreal Gazette reports that sources think Sam fled Montreal once he got a sense that he would not make the team.

The newspaper reported that the “theory ... in the Als dressing room” is that Sam wanted to spare himself and the team the awkward situation of trying to explain Sam being cut.

The team released six players on Monday, trimming its roster down to 65 players. CFL teams carry 46 players; NFL teams carry 53-man rosters.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/michael-sam-left-cfl-team-fear-cut-report-article-1.2259917?utm_content=buffer55d89&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=RVacchiano Twitter

His career is officially over.
Who would want a guy that isn't going to battle until the end.
Running with your tail tucked is not going to impress any coach at any level.

 

[Dodgersrf]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...k-in-montreal-expected-to-practice-next-week/

Michael Sam is back in Montreal, expected to practice next week
Posted by Michael David Smith on June 26, 2015

AP

There’s still been no explanation for why Michael Sam abruptly left his Canadian Football League team two weeks ago. But now he’s back.

Sam was in Montreal last night as his team, the Montreal Alouettes, opened the season with a loss to the Ottawa Redblacks. Sam still has a locker in the team’s locker room and is expected at team meetings on Sunday and at practice the following day, the Montreal Gazette reports.

When Sam left the team, there was some talk that he simply wasn’t good enough. But Alouettes General Manager Jim Popp has said Sam will be welcomed back, suggesting that the team thinks he can help them win.

Sam became the first openly gay player to be drafted in the NFL when the Rams took him in the seventh round last year. Although he played well in the preseason, he did not make the Rams’ regular-season roster. If he plays for the Alouettes, he’ll become the first openly gay player in a CFL game.

OK
Maybe I was wrong. Sounds like his career may not be over after all.

 

[VeteranRamFan]

Here is my take....once someone has in their mind that they want out, want to quit, don't want to do this for what ever reason, they will not make it back. They have defeated themselves in their mind and it is extremely difficult to get your mindset back to the task at hand. It was so easy once the decision to walk away was made to just walk. Coming back now is just a formality. He does not have the heart to continue. He has already convinced himself of that.
His football career in the pro's is over by his own choice. It doesn't matter if he is cut now or not. His desire is not there.

 

[RamFan503]

Why would we treat him differently than any other player who would do this?

Just saying if it were Barrett Jones who made a decision like Sam.... would we wait before posting our thoughts on his actions if Snead & Fisher has said that they did not know why?

Exactly.

The thing that is weird here is that no one seems to know why he left...it seems like the GM or coach should know....or at least have a basic idea. They may not share it, or be able to, but then their statement would be along the lines of the usual "it is a personal matter, we are aware of it and Sam has been excused we aren't at liberty or say more at this time" instead he seems to have up and left. I know in every job I have had where I had emergency I let my boss (or a relevent manager) know generically why I had to leave. You have time to book a flight and get to the airport then you have time to pick up a phone and leave a message to your employer. As someone earlier said it is like drama follows him....

This is pretty much what I was going to write. There really is no excuse for the coach to not know why he left. None. And I don't give a crap how personal his reason. Has anyone seen a situation where the coach had no idea why a player didn't show up? Least of all a rookie?

His football career in the pro's is over by his own choice. It doesn't matter if he is cut now or not. His desire is not there.

I think it is obvious that the desire and commitment to be an NFL level player is not there. I'll just say that I'm glad he is not a Ram.