The difference in Vick being a distraction and Sam is that at least Vick had proven he could help a football team win. He was a great QB at times pre-dawg killin. Sam is a questionable 7th round draft pic AND a media distraction.
Unfortunately, it is better to break a barrier and be elite. For example, Jackie Robinson was awesome and so happened to be the first black baseball player in the major leagues. In Sam's case it would be better for coaches if he were more likely to at least contribute considering it is very likely he will have a circus following him around.
I completely agree. It's always easier when a "first" is memorable for more than being why he's famous to most media outlets.
But let's not act like Michael Sam is the first gay football player in the NFL. Nearly every coach in the NFL when asked has said he's knowingly had gay players on his squad before. Now, you can mark that up to sucking up to the outside media or you can look at it as 50% true.
But even if it's not true, I'm sure most people couldn't name the first black NFL player. I'm sure Jim Brown is THE guy most people look at as the first breakthrough black football player.
If that does anything is should reaffirm how special Robinson really was. Not just his talent, but that he had the guts and thick skin to deal with everything while competing at that level.
I think Michael Sam was drafted right where he should have been based on everything. To me, that's on par with bringing in a Michael Vick years removed from organized football.
Because that's what we're talking about here. Two questionable talents (one being a tweener, one being a guy locked in a prison cell instead of hanging out in camps or training facilities for a long period of time).
