Tom Brady Suspended Over DeflateGate

Via Yahoo Sports:

The NFL took deflate-gate very seriously, hammering the New England Patriots with unheard of punishment in the matter of deflated footballs. The league announced that quarterback Tom Brady was suspended four games, the team was fined $1 million and will lose its 2016 first-round draft pick and a fourth-round pick in 2017. The league has been considering punishment since the release of investigator Ted Wells' report last Thursday. That's a huge punishment considering there was no evidence Brady was directly involved and the Wells report said Patriots ownership and coach Bill Belichick weren't involved. The league said it was for violating playing rules and not cooperating fully in the investigation.

But their Super Bowl win stands.

Tim Tebow Returns To The NFL

The wingnuts are doing cartwheels.

Aaron Hernandez Found Guilty

Details.

NFL Tackles Domestic Violence

Via Slate:

An anti-domestic violence PSA will air during the Super Bowl this Sunday, courtesy of the No More campaign and the National Football League, which donated its internal ad agency to create the spot and, according to the Wall Street Journal, half a minute of air time on NBC, "where ad time costs roughly $4.5 million for 30 seconds." No More is billing it as the first of its kind. The NFL and No More previously teamed up for a series of PSAs titled "Speechless," which featured footage of current and former players emoting over domestic violence, that aired during NFL games on Thanksgiving; this ad downplays the NFL’s role, instead borrowing its conceit from a tale first published on Reddit last year by a former 911 dispatcher, who recalled taking a call from a woman who had feigned ordering a pizza in order to get police to respond to her home without tipping off her abuser.

POLL: 73% Back Gay Athletes

Via the Public Religion Research Institute:

Roughly three-quarters (73%) of Americans say they would support a professional sports team signing a gay or lesbian athlete, while about 1-in-5 (19%) say they would oppose this action. There is broad support for a professional sports team signing a gay or lesbian athlete across demographic and political groups, including 66% of Republicans, 75% of independents, and 79% of Democrats. A majority of all religious groups would support a professional sports team signing a gay or lesbian athlete, although white evangelical Protestants register lower levels of support. Roughly 8-in-10 white mainline Protestants (77%), Catholics (78%), minority Protestants (66%), and the religiously unaffiliated (84%) favor teams signing gay and lesbian athletes. In contrast, a significantly smaller majority (54%) of white evangelical Protestants say they would favor a team signing a gay or lesbian athlete, while 36% would oppose such a move

Embiggen the image above or go here for more..

St. Louis Rams Perform Ferguson Tribute

Teabagistan is predictably outraged.

HomoQuotable - Michael Sam

"If I had it my way, I never would have done it [come out] the way I did, never would have told it the way I did. I would have done the same thing I did at Mizzou. Which was to tell my team and my coaches and leave it at that. But since I did tell my team, word got out.  People think the word didn't get out. It did. Or it did and it didn't. They kept it confined within our family. But the recruiters knew, and reporters knew, and they talked to each other, and it got out. If I didn't have the year I did, nobody would have cared. But I did have that year. And a lot of people knew. Someone was gonna ask me, 'I heard you told your team a secret.…' Well, I was comfortable with who I was, and I wouldn't have denied it. And then I wouldn't have been able to control the story. But I have no regrets. Some people can argue that I had the potential to go higher in the draft. But I think everything happens for a reason. It looks good to see me in the position I'm in now, because I can show the world how good I am and rise up the ranks. I'm at the bottom now. I can rise up, show I'm a football player. Not anything else. Just a football player." - Michael Sam, speaking to GQ Magazine.

Michael Sam Is A GQ Man Of The Year

Via the Washington Post:

This fall, GQ magazine found room for an athlete on its annual list of celebrities who have left a mark on pop culture. This isn’t any athlete, though. It’s Michael Sam, the first openly gay player taken in the NFL draft last spring. Sam joins “Guardians of the Galaxy” star Chris Pratt, comedian Dave Chappelle, actors Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley of “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Foxcatcher” star Steve Carell. The magazine revealed all six covers Monday, with a story on each honoree being rolled out daily this week. Sam was drafted by St. Louis Rams and he quickly crossed from a sports story into a cultural one when he kissed his partner in celebration.

Sam was cut by the Dallas Cowboys last month and remains unsigned.

Dallas Cowboys Cut Michael Sam

NFL Domestic Violence Presser Disrupted

Via Mediaite:

The Roger Goodell NFL press conference was humming along without incident when all of a sudden a man started shouting as security removed him from the room. “Don’t take me to an elevator!” the man yelled, in an obvious reference to Ray Rice. Reporters on the scene and watching from elsewhere are confirming that the man hauled out of the press conference was Benjy Bronk from the Howard Stern radio show.

Beyond bizarre.

Media Matters: Right Wing Rodeo

"The week's worst in conservative media." This week: Rush Limbaugh says when women say no to sex, sometimes they mean yes.  Sean Hannity says the government will make it illegal to teach kids that being gay is wrong. Greg Gutfeld rails against Media Matters for calling him out on Benghazi.

NOM Hero Indicted For Child Abuse

Last May, NFL star Adrian Peterson was lauded by NOM for "courageously sharing" his opposition to same-sex marriage. Yesterday Peterson was indicted for bloodying his four year-old son's legs with a whip made out of a tree branch. (Tipped by JMG reader Scott)

Jack Burkman: I Canceled My Michael Sam Protest Due To Death Threats

"I and others in my organization received death threats over the phone Saturday and early Sunday. We took them very seriously and I did not want to risk anyone’s life to send a message. Whether gay radical activists or others made these threats is not clear yet. What is clear is that there are those who oppose us so vehemently that they will stop at nothing–and even resort to violence–to attack Christian values. Whoever did this are no different than terrorists." - Nutcase alleged GOP lobbyist Jack Burkman, in a press release distributed by the paid service PR News Channel. Last week Burkman declared that his group American Decency, which he claims has 3.6M members, would protest against Michael Sam outside the Dallas Cowboys game. The Dallas CBS affiliate deleted their report on that planned protest after the American Decency Association issued a statement disavowing any association with Burkman. (Tipped by JMG reader Tom)

DirecTV NFL Spot Features Gay Couple

Hate Group American Decency: We're Not The Hate Group Protesting Michael Sam

This morning the Dallas CBS affiliate reported that a group called American Decency will be protesting against Michael Sam at this weekend's Cowboys game. Another group calling themselves American Decency, about whom I've written in the past, wants you to know while they definitely hate homosexuals, they aren't behind the alleged protest in Dallas.

We started the day with hate emails and posts on our Facebook alleging that we are behind a protest in Dallas against the Dallas Cowboys in their hiring of homosexual and homosexual activist Michael James. A few examples suffice: Jesus weeps for bigots like these idiots. There is not an ounce of human decency to be found in them. You make Christians look bad, and I am a Christian!!!! Shame on you! And, a few others that we deleted due to their vitriolic content.

In saying, this, we are not the group in Texas using the name “American Decency” headed by Jack Burkman that is being targeted as planning a protest against football player Michael Sam in Dallas this Sunday. However, let me make it clear: We at American Decency Association do support Biblical, traditional marriage. Here is our position. When Michael Sam made a big spectacle of his homosexuality on draft night it was a complete turn off! You’ll remember the contrived kiss with his “boy friend.”

On what presumably was the biggest night of his life in his development as a football player (meeting many personal goals), what was most important to draftee Michael Sam before a watching world? It was to make a statement about his sexuality not about celebrating the high athletic accomplishment of his being drafted into the National Football League (NFL). In saying all of this, I make this point: We are not the ones behind the protest, but we also do not condone the lifestyle of Michael Sam.

It appears now that anti-gay crackpot Jack Burkman lied to the Dallas CBS station, who has deleted the report that I excerpted this morning.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: American Decency calls for all Americans to cut up their Target cards. American Decency says the DOMA ruling was as bad as the attack on Pearl Harbor.

DALLAS: Christian Group To Protest Against Michael Sam At Cowboys GameUPDATE: This Story Is A Likely Hoax

Crackpot Christian activist and alleged GOP lobbyist Jack Burkman says his group will protest against Michael Sam at Sunday's Dallas Cowboys game.

The group American Decency says thousands of right-wing Christians will demonstrate at AT&T Stadium Sunday to protest the Dallas Cowboys signing Michael Sam to its practice squad. Sam is the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL. Jack Burkman heads the group which claims to have 3.62 million members in 41 states. Burkman says, “We cannot just stand idly by as Christian values and morals are trampled. We will do whatever we can to preserve family values in this country.” Rafael McDonnell of the Resource Center, which provides services to the LGBT community, says Sam could help the Cowboys win on and off the field. “He is a talented football player, and if he can help us win, it’s a bonus that he happens to be part of the LGBT community. It shines a light about how difficult it is to be open and out at your job.”

Burkman declared in May that his group would boycott any team that signed Sam. (Tipped by JMG reader Rob)

UPDATE: This story is a likely hoax.

Tweet Of The Day - Dallas Cowboys

And it's done.

“I’m excited to be a Cowboy, it’s great to be heading home,” Sam said. “It has all happened so quickly, but it’s exciting, I just wanna get back to playing football you know.” Though he grew up in Texas, Sam said “I never followed the Cowboys growing up because I never had a team. I am a fan of defenses and Dallas need some help, that’s why I’m going.” Sam was cut by the St. Louis Rams this past weekend after drafting him in the seventh round in May. The Cowboys were initially not interested in him, but have changed their minds for numerous reasons. “I’m excited to be to be joining Dallas, I just want to play football, it’s great to be heading back to my home state. … It’s been a roller coaster this past week but I’m happy where I’m at now. … I’m just looking forward to being a Cowboy, my focus is on making the team.”

RELATED: The NFL has slashed the price of Michael Sam's St. Louis Rams jerseys by 50%. Dallas jerseys are not yet available.

Dallas Cowboys To Sign Michael Sam

NBC Sports reports that the Dallas Cowboys are going to sign Michael Sam to their practice squad.

The Cowboys plan to bring in Sam for a physical and sign him to the practice squad if he passes, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the Cowboys spent time today calling players to gauge their reaction to signing Sam. Apparently the reaction was what it should have been: If he can help the team, he should be signed. The Cowboys think having Sam on the practice squad could help. There’s been much talk since the Rams cut Sam that teams are avoiding him because they don’t want the attention of having the NFL’s first openly gay player on their roster. But in the case of the Cowboys — where owner Jerry Jones thinks there’s no such thing as bad publicity — if anything Sam’s status as the NFL’s highest-profile practice-squad player may be a bonus.

Michael Sam Goes Unclaimed

Via Yahoo Sports:

The St. Louis Rams named the 10 players they signed to their practice squad. Michael Sam was not one of them. The team made Sam one of its final cuts on Saturday and met with him the following day, but it apparently doesn't have interest at this time in signing Sam. Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said Sam's release Saturday was for "football reasons" and had cited the team's injuries on the offensive line and secondary as reasons why the team was concerned about its depth at other spots and couldn't keep more than 10 defensive linemen on the roster. But not on the practice squad either? Sam was unclaimed by the other 31 NFL teams and remains a free agent, with no teams offering a practice squad spot — despite those rosters increasing this season from eight to 10 players per team — with nearly every slot around the league believed to be filled.

St. Louis Rams Cut Michael Sam

The St. Louis Rams released Michael Sam today in the final cut before the official season begins. ESPN reports:

Sam's efforts to become the first openly gay player in NFL history came up just short in a competition against undrafted rookie Ethan Westbrooks. Westbrooks is one of nine defensive linemen to land a roster spot. Sam officially hit waivers Saturday at 4 p.m. ET when all NFL teams had to trim their rosters down to the league-mandated 53 players. From there, the other 31 teams will have until noon ET on Sunday to put in a claim for Sam. If he goes unclaimed, he will be free to sign with a practice squad. According to one league source, the Rams would like to bring Sam back to their 10-man practice squad. "There will be no challenge, no challenges whatsoever," for whatever team picks up Sam, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said at a news conference. "There's no challenge with respect to Mike Sam," Fisher said. "He's not about drawing attention to himself. He kept his head down and worked and you can't ask anything more out of any player for that matter."

More from the Washington Post:

Now that Michael Sam has been released by the St. Louis Rams, failing to make their season-opening 53-man roster, the question becomes: What’s next for him? It appears that, following a productive preseason, he will have a home in the NFL, although it’s not immediately clear where that will be or what roster status he will have. The most likely outcome, according to people throughout the league, is that Sam ends up right back where he started and is re-signed by the Rams to their 10-member practice squad, making him eligible to practice with the team — and continue to try to develop into an NFL-ready player — but not play in games. That’s if he’s not signed by another team to its roster, which those in and around the league also consider possible.

The celebrating is already underway at Breitbart and Free Republic.

I want to thank the entire Rams organization and the city of St. Louis for giving me this tremendous opportunity and allowing me to (1/2)
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 30, 2014

show I can play at this level. I look forward to continuing to build on the progress I made here toward a long and successful career (2/2)
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 30, 2014

The most worthwhile things in life rarely come easy, this is a lesson I've always known. The journey continues.
— Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) August 30, 2014