It was announced on Wednesday that the Oprah Winfrey Network had purchased the rights to a documentary series about St. Louis Rams seventh-round pick Michael Sam. It will be a series following Sam’s journey in trying to be the first openly gay active NFL player. The question that must be asked about this however is whether or not it was actually a good idea for Sam to agree to this series right now.
There are pros and cons to every decision out there. Sam has made it clear in the past that he wants people to focus on his football ability. However, here is a series that is going to focus more on his journey from the draft and being selected by the Rams through trying to make the team. It is a series that needs to be done but is during this preseason the time to do it though?
The focus for Sam for the next few months should be working on finding a way to make the 53-man roster for St. Louis. After that happens, then a series should be put together where cameras can follow Sam through his first season as a pro football player. There is nothing wrong with highlighting something like a gay athlete trying to make it in this day and age.
Opinions change every day on the topic and maybe in 15 or 20 years, people feel differently about openly gay athletes in sports. Right now though, the opinions are not all positive. Also, how do the Rams feel about this? They probably had no idea that Sam was possibly involved in a project like this.
The plan for this series is for six to eight segments according to various reports. It will be worth watching one way or another but the distractions that this series could cause during training camp outweigh the positives at this point in time. St. Louis is in a very tough NFC West where the other three teams ahead of them could all make it to the playoffs.
The Rams have to be working on getting better and taking a step forward themselves. Sam was drafted to help St. Louis do that hopefully and he has to make the team first to make that happen. At that point is when OWN should begin working on this series and not before then.
Anything for ratings. It's nothing to do with his football ability, but his sexual preference. If there was a show about Tim Tebow being a christian, the outrage would be extreme.
They're exploiting Mr. Sam – plain and simple.
Or rather he is letting himself be exploited. If he truly wants to be judged on what he does in football he should have said no to this.
Any chance of Hard Knocks featuring the Rams this year?
But he is sitting there doing it willingly. I Think he is gonna have a hell of a time making the team.
It will be a miracle if he makes the team, and tbh with the fucking circus that's going on around him I hope that he doesn't.
It's kind of ridiculous that it's a reality show and I'm sure that the Rams won't grant the OWN network any access at the facilities…
I thought it was going to be some sort of documentary, but this is a bit ridiculous IMO.
Good HBO story lines…lol.
As far as Hard Knocks this year, my money is on the Browns. I think that Johnny Football is a story for much longer than Michael Sam.
Good HBO story lines…lol.
Alcon Entertainment, the company that produced the Michael Oher movie The Blind Side has already signed Sam to a movie deal…called His Back Side.
but, according to Sam, his only focus is football……….
personally, from the beginning, i have thought this guys' intentions have been nothing more than to gain as much attention as possible…….. he's a success so far in that department.
nobody is exploiting this guy, he's doing a money grab and took the first & maybe only offer for a tv show. considering the deal was inked before the draft i think it's obvious that his draft re-action was anything but spontaneous.
I can't wait to not watch this.
This. Makes you wonder how serious he is about his football career. I don't want to be in Jeff Fisher's shoes when it comes to a decision on whether cut him or not…
So much for him being treated like everyone else…
Can I get a TV show for a being a poor, fat white man?q
Reports are now that the show has been postponed after his agent spoke with the team.
Conflict with HBO's Hard Knocks?
Could be. I have no clue though. I just got a notification on my phone. I didn't read a story.
I don’t like this at all. Sam wanted this to be about Football and it’s already starting to turn into TV shows and things outside of Football. It may not be all his fault, but he was smart enough to stay away from media scrutiny throughout the Draft process; why not now? I don’t like the situation and I hope Sam can find a way to just focus on making the Rams’ roster, because that is what his main goal should be right now.
Because now he is a professional and there is coin to be made
Honestly if I was in his shoes, Id do the same thing. He is a good rotational/specialist player in the NFL at best looking at 1 year vet minimums after his rookie deal runs out, and has the opportunity to put himself in a position to make significantly more then that. Real fans wont watch it, but I guess a fair amount of people will opening up more opportunities for him
Whorish? Yes. But if there is money to be made, why not