The NBC Sports analyst and Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy said that he wouldn’t have drafted gay football player Michael Sam. The reason he gave is that he wouldn’t want to deal with the distraction that would come with drafting the first openly gay football player in the NFL.
Is this a valid reason? Maybe…but what about his support of quarterback Michael Vick who surely would have brought a distraction to any team after his release from federal prison on dog fighting charges? What’s the difference between Michael Vick’s distraction and Michael Sam’s distraction? A lot if you ask me. Vick’s distraction was the result of a serious lack of character, outright defiance of the law, and cruelty to animals. Sam’s distraction was the result of personal courage, dignity, and honesty.
What could be the real reason why Tony Dungy wouldn’t have drafted Michael Sam? In 2007, he supported a group trying to ban gay marriage in Indiana and define marriage as a union between a man and woman, so it’s not too far of a stretch to wonder if Dungy was repudiating Sam.
Many will remember that Dungy’s son also committed suicide in 2007 without explanation. An independent sports blogger wrote:
“Knowing Coach Dungy and his constant religious pontificating, my gut told me that his son was hiding a deep secret. My instinct told me James was gay, and if you understand the parallel universe that Christians operate in, sometimes death might be preferable to the *insert shriek here* horror of being gay.” – The Ultimate Sports Road Trip
Although you cannot completely discount Tony Dungy’s comments because Michael Sam and his agent canceled plans for a documentary with the Oprah Winfrey Network to ensure that Sam would not bring media distraction to his team.
