How is Football Going?

Michael Sam clocked an official 4.91 in 40-yard dash. Ranking him 18^th among the 42 DE’s participating in the NFL combine.  Let’s be honest, this would not be news worthy if Sam didn’t come-out as the first openly gay player to enter the NFL draft. But instead of talking about his unimpressive combine, the media focused on his sexuality.

He put himself out there, literally. He chose to tell the world who he really is and I think that’s awesome and it took a lot of courage. But you can’t make breaking news and then be shocked that your news is all the media is talking about.

"Heck yeah, I wish you guys would tell me, 'Michael Sam, how's football going?' " Sam said. "I would love for you to ask me that question, but it is what it is. And I just wish you guys would see me as Michael Sam, the football player, instead of Michael Sam, the gay football player."

So far the reported news coverage on Sam is positive from the University of Missouri  (standing O during a men’s basketball game where the football team was being honored). A Missouri fan gave Sam a rainbow button that said “Stand with Sam”. Sam was wearing the rainbow button at his combine press conference. 

There have been reports of other gay NFL athletes, but none that were openly gay during their career. I guess I’m just more surprised that it’s 2014 and a gay athlete is THIS big of deal. Why has it taken this long to just accept one another?

Maybe it’s just me, but I grew up in house where you picked the best player to be on your fantasy teams. The details and adjectives of that player were just labels and not a reason to pass judgment or not draft them. (Unless they play for the Eagles and then I will pass judgment all day.) Michael Sam is gay (Woo hoo. High-five) but all I care about is; can he play at a professional level in the NFL. I can only judge him on the field, what he does off the field (as long as it’s not breaking a law) I could care less.

I’m not a professional athlete and I have no idea what being gay will do to a locker room. But just like Jackie Robinson broke the baseball color line, maybe Michael Sam will break different color lines in the NFL. 

So, Michael Sam, how is football going?

Ring of Fire

It’s no secret that Mother Nature clearly hasn’t taken her meds in months. She’s a crazy, bipolar mess. How is it that the current temperature in Sochi Russia, the host of the2014 winter Olympics, is 60 degrees and I am snowed in my apartment in Washington, DC where it’s a freezing 30 degrees?

Maybe all my sports excitement has been frozen because I’m just not as into these winter Olympic games. And I don’t think I’m the only American sports fan who feels this way.

Going into the winter games I was excited to watch three athletes; Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn, and Lolo Jones. White placed 4^th, FOURTH! And was unable to make a three-peat for gold in the men’s halfpipe event. Vonn announced a week before the games started that she would not be able to compete do to a reoccurring knee issue.  Jones doesn’t compete until the 19^th.

Let’s be honest, we’ve heard more coverage on how embarrassing the facilities and overall operations of Sochi have been less than impressive than we’ve heard on the actual games. How does a host city and the Olympic committee let this happen?

I’m starting to wonder if Sochi was a real place before or did Russia just make it up to host the Olympics? Seriously, according to my 1998 World Atlas, Sochi doesn’t exist.

You don’t need a Russian Spy to find out that snow is required for most of the winter events. American snowboarder, Hannah Teter described Sochi as “the worst pipe I’d ever ridden in my life.” Mark Adams, a spokesman for the International Olympic Committee insisted that on last Wednesday it was "a little bit premature" to be worrying about the weather conditions. "It doesn't seem to be an issue.” Isn’t it the IOC’s job to worry about weather conditions?

There have been numerous reports of the massive amount of stray dogs that are just roaming around the city of Sochi. Athletes are even trying to rescue the canines from being killed by city contractors. American slopestyle skier, Gus Kenworthy, is bringing home a silver medal and four stray puppies!

The five Olympic rings were supposed to transform from snowflakes to the Olympic rings and then into fireworks. However, the top right snowflake never altered into a ring, and the pyrotechnics never happened. The man responsible for technical issues, Boris Avdeyev, was found dead in his hotel room with multiple stab wounds the next day. But, in typical Vladimir Putin fashion the mistake was not shown on Russian television and the cause of death has been listed as “accidental.”

I have no idea how much it cost to host the Olympics, or if it is really a financial gain to host the games, but when I see counting mistakes in basic math like this, (see image below) I have major concerns for the accuracy of those in Russia’s accounting and treasury departments.

But at the end of the day, I love a country that serves vodka as the soup of the day!