Michael Sam

Colbert Throws Penalty Flag on Michael Sam's Gay Kiss for 'Holding!' and 'Unnecessary Tenderness!'
By Randy Hall | May 13, 2014 | 9:07 PM EDT

Even though baseball season has finally arrived, the focus of last weekend's TV sports was the annual draft of college players to join teams in the National Football League. This year's selection was the first of its kind since Michael Sam, an open homosexual who “came out” in February, was among the hundreds of young men hoping to make the leap to professional sports.

After the African-American candidate joined the St. Louis Rams as the 249th pick, Sam's enthusiastic hug and kiss of Vito Cammisano -- his male partner -- became the focus of liberal comedian Stephen Colbert during Monday's version of The Colbert Report, when the host used a football theme by blowing a whistle and tossing a yellow penalty flag in the air for “Holding!” and “Unnecessary Tenderness!”

MSNBC’s Capehart: Tolerance ‘Should Not Be a Two-Way Street’
By Paul Bremmer | May 13, 2014 | 5:19 PM EDT

Liberals often say they’re big on tolerance, but apparently tolerance must flow only one way – toward liberals and their favored identity groups. So says MSNBC contributor Jonathan Capehart.

Appearing as a guest on Monday’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, Capehart rebuffed the idea that supporters of Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted into the NFL, should have to tolerate the views of those who don’t agree with Sam’s lifestyle. Capehart argued:

On CNN, ESPN's Granderson Likens Michael Sam's Detractors to the KKK
By Matthew Balan | May 12, 2014 | 6:15 PM EDT

On Monday's CNN Newsroom, ESPN senior writer L.Z. Granderson compared those who decried Michael Sam's kiss with his boyfriend after he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams to a racist organization that lynched minorities: "Yes, some of the objection is part of the storyline, but we didn't celebrate the KKK during...the March on Washington."

Anchor Carol Costello praised Sam's "courage," and lamented that Americans haven't gone far enough in their support of the homosexual agenda: [MP3 audio available here; video below the jump]

Networks Hype Social Media 'Backlash' Against Michael Sam Fueled By 'Every Creep and Cretin'
By Kyle Drennen | May 12, 2014 | 2:21 PM EDT

Despite the overwhelmingly positive reaction to Michael Sam being drafted by the St. Louis Rams as the first openly gay player in the NFL, the Big Three network morning shows on Monday all hyped a negative one-word tweet from another NFL player as evidence of a social media "backlash" against Sam, where "every creep and cretin" could attack him. [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]

At the top of ABC's Good Morning America, co-host George Stephanopoulos touted Sam "making history," but fretted over "the backlash that blew up over his celebration sealed with a kiss," referring to Sam embracing his boyfriend as he got the news. In a later report, correspondent Mara Schiavocampo warned that "not everyone is celebrating the news," proclaiming: "It's sports history sealed with a kiss, and this morning, a little controversy."

NBC's Lauer: NFL Won't Be on 'Right Side of History' Until More Gay Players Come Out
By Kyle Drennen | May 12, 2014 | 9:56 AM EDT

Talking to NBC sportscaster Bob Costas on Monday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer reacted to openly gay football player Michael Sam being drafted by the St. Louis Rams on Saturday: "The big picture here in terms of the NFL, is this a sea change or is this a one-off? Is this the league moving to the right side of history? Which by the way, they really can't do unless more players come forward." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]

Costas responded: "Oh, I think more players will come forward. And in that respect, Michael Sam, no matter what kind of NFL career he has, is a significant figure....And this stuff is moving at warp speed. This kind of acceptance is happening quicker than any of us might have thought. And so I think the NFL is just getting in line with what's happening in society overall."

‘GMA’ Hypes Gay Football Player Before NFL Draft
By Matt Philbin | May 7, 2014 | 12:21 PM EDT

If an NFL team ends up taking Michael Sam in a late draft round – or not at all – don’t blame the media. The Missouri defensive end came out of the closet to near universal media adulation (coincidentally timed with the NFL Combine in February). Now, with the draft looming on May 8, ESPN and ABC are doing their parts to make sure Sam is picked.

ESPN announced May 7 that it’s bestowing Sam with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. The ceremony doesn’t take place until July, but it’s never too early to remind NFL coaching staffs that Sam had the courage to join society’s most trendy and celebrated grievance group.

WashPost Compares The Prospect of Gay Player Going Undrafted to Dolphins Racial-Bullying Scandal
By Tim Graham | May 7, 2014 | 8:03 AM EDT

The front of Wednesday’s Washington Post sports section worries “If Michael Sam goes undrafted, NFL might have a public-relations problem on its hands.” Sam announcing his homosexuality apparently makes it mandatory that he be drafted this week. That's a little insincere. The media are promising they'll give the NFL a PR problem is Sam goes undrafted.

For example, Post reporter Kent Babb equated Sam going undrafted with the controversy over lineman Jonathan Martin of the Miami Dolphins being racially bullied and harassed:

Into Left Field: 5 of the Most Obnoxious Political Intrusions on Sports
By Matt Philbin | April 3, 2014 | 10:32 AM EDT

It’s Opening Day week and all things are new again. Except the fact that liberals won’t let us just be happy watching our sports. That’s not new. In fact, as anyone who’s read Roger Kahn’s “The Boys of Summer” knows, determined liberals have been trying to suck the joy out of the sporting endeavor for decades.

But it does seem that the space carved out for the care-free enjoyment of our favorite sports is shrinking a little bit every year. Sycophantic ESPN is being used to sell Obamacare in exchange for the president’s bracket picks. Obama’s now annual interview has been ruining the guacamole at Super Bowl parties since 2009. 

MSNBC Republican: Ariz. Religious Freedom Law Is ‘Outright Discrimination’
By Paul Bremmer | February 24, 2014 | 5:51 PM EST

MSNBC truly doesn’t have much use for dissenting views – even from the Republican contributors who appear on the network to offer a supposedly conservative or (lowercase-L) libertarian perspective. On Saturday’s Weekends with Alex Witt, GOP strategist Susan Del Percio marched in lockstep with all of the liberals on MSNBC by lashing out at Arizona’s proposed religious freedom bill.

Del Percio appeared as part of the episode’s “Big 3" panel. Liberal contributor Goldie Taylor was the first to comment on the Arizona bill, and she was predictably venomous toward it, believing it was just an excuse for business owners to discriminate against homosexuals. Fill-in host T.J. Holmes then turned to Del Percio and gave her a chance to play up the religious freedom aspect of the bill:

Tebow vs. Sam: A Tale of Two Draft Picks
By Matt Philbin | February 11, 2014 | 3:02 PM EST

Feel that? Something “historic” and “important” just happened. It might even be a “teachable moment,” and it’s certainly therapeutic. Why, liberals will be able to like their country just little bit more. Come on people, feel the love! 

A potential fourth round NFL draft pick has declared his “own truth,” and come out as gay. Having taken the “courageous” step of joining society’s most trendy and celebrated grievance group, Missouri defensive end Michael Sam is now basking in the media adulation.

CNN: NFL Hopeful's Coming Out A 'Landmark Moment in Confronting Homophobia' in Sports
By Matthew Balan | February 10, 2014 | 3:37 PM EST

Monday's New Day on CNN hyped University of Missouri defensive end Michael Sam "making history" with his revelation that "I'm a football player, and I'm gay." John Berman gushed, "Six foot-two, 255 pounds – a big guy, Michael Sam – strong guy. But you want to see real strength? It's what he's doing right now." Berman later heralded Sam's revelation as "a landmark moment in confronting homophobia in professional sports."

Michaela Pereira played up how "it shows how much his teammates respect him that they didn't reveal this. They allowed him to come out with this, and say, this is my news – I'm revealing I'm gay. It's really powerful." However, Chris Cuomo, who recently acclaimed rapper Macklemore's pro-LGBT activism track, surpassed his co-anchors in his over-the-top reaction to the Sam potentially becoming the first openly-homosexual NFL player: [MP3 audio available here; video below the jump]

Networks Hail Gay Football Player Coming Out as 'Watershed Moment in American Sports'
By Kyle Drennen | February 10, 2014 | 11:29 AM EST

After University of Missouri football player and NFL draft prospect Michael Sam came out as gay in interviews over the weekend, all three network morning shows on Monday veered into gay rights activism as they celebrated the announcement. [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]

On CBS This Morning, co-host Norah O'Donnell described the development as "a potential watershed moment in American sports." Later on the show, fellow co-host Charlie Rose asked CBS Sports correspondent Jim Brown to confirm that it was a "watershed moment." Brown replied: "There's no question about that, Charlie, for sure. I think anytime you have a first in any segment of society, it's a watershed moment."