Jonathan Cohn asked an interesting question at The New Republic this week. Where is the mainstream, right-wing reaction to NFL prospect and SEC defensive player of the year Michael Sam’s announcement that he is gay? This is, after all, a historic story that far transcends the world of football. The news has been at the heart of sports radio and social media commentary for the last week, dwarfing even the Sochi Olympics, for obvious reasons. We have never had an openly gay player in one of the major men’s leagues in the United States, and now, with the bravery of one young man, it looks like an imminent reality...Nope. Sorry, but this story that is apparently, to read into the above, such a major story to lefties just isn't that important. So the NFL may soon have an openly gay player. Big deal. Really, it's not that important.
Yes, the crazies in Westboro Baptist Church and some of the more reptilian swamps of the right-wing blogosphere have let loose with the homophobia, but the mainstream has been silent. It is not just Fox. Doesn’t National Review or The Weekly Standard have anything interesting, or even uninteresting, to say about any of this? Nothing? Really?
The left's insistence that people's sexuality be known, flaunted, and "celebrated" is tiresome. Unless I'm getting naked with you myself I truly have no desire to know your sexuality or your sexual practices, and I'd appreciate if you'd practice that discretion with me, thankyouverymuch.
I'm sure the NFL owners are far more interested in whether this guy can play football well than in his sexual preferences. As for the rest of the right-wing blogosphere, well, perhaps The Nation doesn't understand that everyone who identifies as conservative isn't a social conservative and that the libertarian leaners among us don't choose to make a production out of sexual orientation, skin color, religion (especially of the non-Christian variety), etc. Live and let live is a policy practiced only by conservatives; sure, it's not practiced by all conservatives, but it's not practiced by any libs.
Until lefties get past that, they're going to continue to feel compelled to celebrate every time the first black lesbian left-handed Zoroastrian does something mundane.
I'd like to agree with you, in toto ... but several NFL owners, anonymously, have questioned the possibility of drafting him, citing 'distraction' .I agree with you that it shouldn't matter ... but when that is the immediate response, and when players like Chris Culliver (niners) and Jonathan Vilma come out against having gay players in the locker room ... this amounts to a drop in draft value, and with it salary. I've watched highlights, and I am very impressed ... but he probably moved himself from the 3-5th round that was predicted, to 7th ... and I'm calling the niners take him there. I know it's bigotry, and were I a GM, I'd take him if I needed him early ... but he would have been much better be served, personally, if he outed himself AFTER the draft ...or better still, after he signed his contract.
ReplyDeleteI agree this is a non-story. The cynic in me says this is actually genius marketing on the part of Sam. He effectively set a floor to his draft prospects. If he drops past the 5th round and is bypassed by any team that has a defensive need, the claims of discrimination and homophobia will ring out through the media. What GM wants to answer that question and prove the negative?
ReplyDeleteHe was the SEC defensive player of the year ... he didn't need to set a floor. And, a player predicted to 3-5 dropping to 7 is not uncommon, not. is the draft a science. Just look how late Tom Brady, Aaron Rogers, Frank Gore, Warren Sapp and countless others fell. I don't think the GMs would feel any need to dicuss their decision. It could be as simple as "We really wanted him, but we figured we could get him ina later round." I hope that's not what happens--I'd love to see him, or frankly anyone that can tackle, in the Silver and Black...but I I bet it will.
ReplyDeleteThe left's puzzlement is due to their disappointment.
ReplyDeleteLefties believe themselves to be courageous fighters for justice, et cetera and are always on the lookout for opportunities to display both their commitment to justice et cetera and their courage in opposing injustice et cetera.
The widespread indifference on the right to Mr. Sam's announcement has robbed the left of an opportunity to display that courage and commitment. That indifference undermines the left's narrative about themselves and those to whom they claim opposition and that won't do.
But what to do? Mr. Zirin can't very well complain about the lack of bigotry so he goes hunting for an explanation that allows him to hang onto the narrative.
Of course, when you flip over enough rocks you'll eventually find something slimy enough to suit your needs and Mr. Zirin does in the form of Professor Brian Frederick who manages to blame Fox and Fox's audience even in the face of that widespread indifference to Mr. Sam's studiedly dramatic announcement.
There is a perverse genius in finding ways to redefine black as white but it's a genius that only finds appreciation among those who desperately need black to be white.
An interesting side-note to this story: If you didn't know, Michael Sam came out to his teammates in AUGUST, in MISSOURI ... and they didn't care AND they kept it quiet. The entire team and coaching staff...and did I mention? In MISSOURI. He may well be hoping that that counts for something.
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