First, I don't know how many athletes have matriculated through the hallowed halls of the NFL, a very large number, I am sure. I am assuming they have all been males, and I find it inconceivable to believe that not a one of them, has been GAY.
The NFL is headed up by a guy who makes 40 or so million a year, and they are tax exempt, and they don't want any GAY guys out there playing the game. Who runs football? In my mind there is only one ruling or governing body and that is TELEVISION. Their income is generated from television. I have heard the figure that only about 5 percent of ALL of those watching on TV, have ever gone to a game, in the multi million dollar stadium, only 5 percent. That means that 95 percent are watching it on TV, watching commercials, so who RULES the game, TV. There is a guy standing on the sideline, the ones I have seen had a red sleeve on one arm, when that sleeve is hoisted in the air, the game stops, commercials, TV rules the game!
So why all the publicity about Sam, you just heard it, publicity. What size audience will watch his first game, HUMUNGOUS numbers. They did a similar campaign with Michael Vick and his return games in the NFL.
I often think back to Harold's Club in Reno. A media covered session on the roulette wheel. Some students from the university had a system on the wheel. They were winning, crowds in the club, publicity in the newspaper, they reached $100,000.00, the world heard about it, they kept winning, I forget the number they reached, and then, their luck changed .... they stated losing, back down to $100,000.00 .... Pappy closed the table on them ..... "Take your money and go back to school." That was a lot of money in those days. Harold's lost ..... $100.000.00 .... it was in every newspaper in the world, on every news show. Harold Smith had a grin on his face. The advertising value of his $100.000.00 loss, was in the multi-millions.
So why the controversy, the NFL needed the publicity, they have been getting some bad publicity, so now, next season, they have a new HERO, every game he plays in will have BIG numbers.
"Oh yea, I guess he is gay, but look at those numbers, next season we are going to bring in a leper, we are trying to find one who plays football ..... and then, a guy with one leg, a midget, then a woman, then a gay woman .... you got any other ideas .......?"
