ESPN Just Made Michael Sam's Dad Look Like a Giant Dick

(Source) - While Michael Sam has mostly received an outpouring of support since announcing that he is gay, his father is struggling with the news, according to a published report.

Sam revealed to his Missouri teammates he is gay last August, but he didn't disclose his sexual orientation to his parents until last week. He said Sunday in interviews with ESPN's "Outside The Lines" and The New York Times that he is gay.

Michael Sam Sr. told The New York Times that he received the news last Tuesday when his son wrote in a text: "Dad, I'm gay."

Sam's father took the news hard. He said he was eating at a Denny's restaurant but had to leave after receiving the text.

"I couldn't eat no more, so I went to Applebee's to have drinks," Sam Sr. told the newspaper. "I don't want my grandkids raised in that kind of environment."

Sam Sr., who described himself as "old-school," told the newspaper the idea of a gay player in the NFL bothers him, even when that person could be his own son.

He told the newspaper that late Hall of Famer Deacon Jones, the leader of the Rams' Fearsome Foursome who is credited with terming the word sack, "is turning over in his grave."

He told the newspaper, however, that he loves his son and hopes he makes it into the NFL.

"As a black man, we have so many hurdles to cross. This is just one he has to cross," Sam Sr. told The Times.

So some dynamite journalist at ESPN took it upon himself to write an entire article that takes a few out of context quotes from Michael Sam's dad that refer to NFL culture and tradition and make it sound like the guy doesn't give a fuck about his son anymore. Geniuses on the internet are looking at it and talking about, "How is Michael Sam going to win over an NFL locker room if he can't even win over his own father?"  Hey guys, try reading the article.  His dad was fucking shocked by the fact that he just found out his son was gay and then whichever unnamed writer (seriously, they don't even list a journalist to accept blame if there's any fallout) at ESPN wrote the article decided to only include negative quotes that make it sound like his family is about to disown him because this is some unforgivable sin in the eyes of his father.  Meanwhile he/she sneaks in a tiny one-sentence aside that tells you everything you need to know about the truth of the matter: "He told the newspaper, however, that he loves his son and hopes he makes it to the NFL." Sounds pretty fucking supportive to me.  Michael Sam Sr. just had a bombshell dropped right in his face and is taken aback by the news, pretty standard reaction to life-changing news.  The man needs some time to process the whole situation.  But don't make it sound like he doesn't accept his own son because of the fact that he's gay. Sam Sr. admits to being wary of the lifestyle - something not so shocking for an elderly conservative black man from Texas - but at the end of the day still says he loves his kid.  Classic ESPN propaganda saying whatever the fuck they want to create controversy while tucking the truth neatly away between paragraphs. Then half the rest of the world sees the headline Michael Sam Sr. Troubled by News and immediately starts jumping to conclusions before they even read the full story.  

All of the speculation about Michael Sam is ridiculous.  Talking about it won't matter until draft day and then we'll see what happens.  Until then the media isn't doing anything but making this kid's already extremely difficult life even harder.  His fear of media speculation is what forced him to come out in the first place and now that he is out of the closet he has people writing articles about how his dad doesn't accept him when in reality that isn't the case at all.  I don't know about you but considering half his family is in jail, the other half is dead, and he just came out to the world in the most public way possible I say we give this gayball a fucking break and let him live his own life without our two cents for a couple months until the draft when the issue actually becomes relevant.

PS - Hey ESPN, since we already know you're going to make a 30 for 30 about this I'll just give you the title right now.  Michael Sam: An NFL Fairy Tale.  Get it?  Fairy, like because he's gay.