Dein erstes Forum » anged at all and well see as the year goes along.

Any NFL team that drafts Michael Sam will be taking on much more than a rookie pass-rusher. But experts say the smart approach for a team that signs the leagues first openly gay athlete -- from a marketing and public relations standpoint -- is to simply let Sams on-field play speak for him and his team. "While this is a significant announcement given the sport, the general hope is that hes just accepted as one of the other men on the roster, and therefore his marketability is still simply tied to his ability to play well on the field and ultimately make the team," said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. Sam declared Sunday that he is gay in interviews with ESPN, The New York Times and Outsports. The Missouri All-American had already come out last August to his coaches and teammates, who respected his privacy. Now Sam is entering uncharted territory as he prepares for the NFL draft. The SECs co-defensive player of the year was projected to be a mid-round selection. At 6-foot-2, 255 pounds, Sam will likely have to transition to outside linebacker, which could impact where hes drafted. But announcing hes gay could also have an impact on his draft status. "Im not naive to think there arent potentially some owners or executives out there who will say, Eh, Im not so sure now." said Golden State Warriors President and Chief of Operations Rick Welts, who came out publicly in 2011. "But also, I hope, there are a lot who would say, Theres an opportunity to do something that I think our fans would actually embrace. And if were supposed to win football games, if this guy helps us win football games, thats somebody we should have on our roster." Sam, 24, joins a growing list of active athletes to publicly come out, including Robbie Rogers, a winger for Major League Soccers Los Angeles Galaxy, and Brittney Griner, who plays for the WNBAs Phoenix Mercury. Conner Mertens, a kicker for Division III Willamette University, came out as bisexual late last month, and is believed to have been the first active college football player to publicly announce his sexuality. Griner, as one of the WNBAs brightest stars, was the centerpiece of the Mercurys marketing campaign. She also made a point of supporting causes that are important to her. "There was nothing about her that was difficult in marketing. We supported what she wanted to do with bullying and the LGBT community. We made those connecting points," said Amber Cox, president of the Mercury before leaving to go to the Big East last fall. Nike has also thrown support to LGBT athletes, signing both Griner and Jason Collins, a former NBA player who came out last year, to sponsorship deals, and launching its "Be True" campaign. Profits from the .BeTrue collection are being donated to the LGBT Sports Coalition to support the goal of ending discrimination in sport. Mark Elderkin of the Gay Ad Network, an online media platform for national advertisers, said NFL teams need only look at Sams track record. "Theyre going to make their choices based on who the best college athletes are. And theyre going to choose Michael if they deem him the best pick. So, I think they need to focus on the facts, and his performance over the years, his All-America status and everything hes done for Missouri," Elderkin said. "Also his relationships with the fans, and with the positive energy he has around his teammates and their full support, shows that hes not going to be disruptive to the team in any way, but is going to add value." But its still a reality that gay athletes face a backlash. Derogatory comments were easily found among the positive posts on social media and other online commentary following Sams announcement. A Pew Research survey last year of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults in the U.S. found that just 4 per cent saw pro sports leagues as friendly toward LGBT people, while 59 per cent saw the leagues as unfriendly and 36 per cent saw them as neutral. Still, even over the past year there have been significant overall victories in gay and lesbian rights, most notably two U.S. Supreme Court decisions in June. One ruling cleared the way for ending a ban on same-sex marriages in California; the other struck down a 1996 law passed by Congress that banned federal recognition of same-sex marriages. It remains to be seen how growing tolerance extends to the NFL playing field. "I think the point thats being made in a lot of the discussion is, Lets just move on," Swangard said. "If the guy makes a team, then he makes the team. His sexual orientation shouldnt be the story." Nike Air Max 270 React Bauhaus Cheap . 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Air Max 270 React Bauhaus AT6174-002 .J. -- Kevin Gilbride retired Thursday as offensive co-ordinator for the New York Giants.ST. PETERSBURG, Florida – The Blue Jays remain hopeful that Jose Reyess and Casey Janssens stints on the disabled list will be brief and with that, roster decisions are looming in the next 10 to 14 days. “Ideally, we wouldnt carry three,” said general manager Alex Anthopoulos of the clubs current catching situation. “Its really game-to-game right now.” Dioner Navarro is locked in as the starting catcher and Josh Thole broke camp as the back-up specifically because of his history and comfort level with knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Erik Kratz, a late-camp cut, ended up beginning the season with the Blue Jays as Janssens roster replacement. If all else was equal, it would have been Kratz in Tholes spot. The prevailing opinion during spring training was that Kratz would be the backup because, while not a batting average or on-base percentage hitter, Kratz offers a power threat that Thole doesnt. Kratz hit 18 home runs in 375 at-bats playing behind Carlos Ruiz in Philadelphia over the last two seasons. In a pinch-hit at-bat on opening day, his first at-bat as a Blue Jay, Kratz launched a two-run home run over the centre field fence. Thole hit .175/.256/.242 for a .497 OPS last season. A left-handed bat, his insertion into the line-up on days when Dickey lines up against the divisions top left-handers like David Price, CC Sabathia and Jon Lester, creates a significant hole at the bottom of the order. The back-up catcher likely will have to play more this season – Navarro hasnt appeared in more than 89 games since 2009. One wonders if theres wisdom in tying another roster spot to Dickey, one pitcher who throws a specific pitch. “The thing is Josh has had some offfensive success,” said Anthopoulos.dddddddddddd “I know he didnt have it last year and the second half of the year with the Mets in 2012 but in the past, if you look at it, hes been a .700 OPS guy, he can draw some walks, low strikeout rate, he can put the ball in play and grind out some at-bats.” Anthopoulos cautions against jumping to conclusions, reminding that rosters can be changed in a heartbeat. The Blue Jays could play an 18-inning game, necessitating the recall of a reliever in support of a tired bullpen; somebody else could get hurt. There are a number of variables, a number of possibilities. “Obviously, Josh was the guy who made the team out of spring,” said Anthopoulos. “That hasnt changed at all and well see as the year goes along.” HAPPS ROLE J.A. Happ threw a light side session on Wednesday as he works his way back from a back problem. Hes eligible to come off the disabled list on April 13 and, at the moment, there isnt a spot for Happ in the starting rotation. Anthopoulos hasnt yet approached Happ about being a reliever. “Well deal with all that,” said Anthopoulos. “Hopefully, like anything, we have five starters that are rolling and theyre winning all their games and we have too many starters. Thatd be a great problem to have. Id sign up for that right now. You deal with those things as they come. Everyday something else can happen, in the next 10 days, two weeks. You cant plan that far ahead.” ANTHOPOULOS ISNT SHOPPING FOR INFIELDER A self-explanatory headline. Anthopoulos isnt looking to swing a deal for a middle infielder to support the club while Reyes is out. “We expect Jose to be back somewhat soon,” said Anthopoulos. ' ' '