Michael Sam must be able read minds. In actuality, he probably just has a smart business team.
We were prepared to use this space to caution Sam, a seventh-round draft pick by the St. Louis Rams in this year’s NFL draft, in going forward with a proposed documentary that would follow him as he tried to find a spot on the Rams’ regular-season roster.
We thought Sam should keep his focus on the football field rather than the small screen. Not that doing such a documentary was a bad idea. As the first-openly gay player in the NFL, Sam could capitalize on his fame, while also helping to break down barriers for the LGBT community.
But Sam’s main responsibility lay with his Rams teammates, not with OWN viewers.
Thankfully, Sam, his representation and OWN reconsidered. It took just two days for the proposed documentary series to turn into a postponed documentary series.
“After careful consideration and discussion with the St. Louis Rams, ”˜The Untitled Michael Sam Project’ has been postponed, allowing Michael the best opportunity to achieve his dreams of making the team,” OWN president Erik Logan said in a statement.
That was a curious part about the proposed series: OWN and Sam hadn’t discussed the planned documentary with the Rams prior to last Wednesday’s announcement.
One of Sam’s agents, Cameron Weiss, said that after meeting with the Rams last Friday, all parties involved thought it best to postpone the project to allow Sam to have “total focus on football” and “ensure no distractions to his teammates.”
Distraction was the word most commonly associated with concerns about the proposed documentary. An unnamed Rams player told ESPN’s Josina Anderson that the documentary “raises eyebrows” and “may be somewhat of a distraction.” The player told Anderson that the team would have to wait and see, but even a potential distraction is more or less a distraction.
Sam isn’t an established veteran, or even a high draft pick that the team handcuffs itself to financially. He was a seventh-round pick, the seventh-to-last player taken in the draft.
Not all seventh-round picks make their team; many don’t. So Sam isn’t guaranteed to be one of 53 players on the Rams’ roster when St. Louis opens its season on Sept. 7. He has to earn that spot.
If Sam does make the team, it will be in a reserve role. The most famous Ram at the moment is destined to begin his career as a role player.
And with 53 players with whom to deal, an NFL coach doesn’t want to have to manage distractions surrounding a star player, let alone a bench player.
That is why Sam needs to focus on football, as he has said repeatedly, and which is the supposed reason for postponing the proposed documentary. If Sam can make the team ”“ a good bet for a player with smarts and a relentless motor ”“ and fit into his role on the Rams, then he can earn that documentary, and turn “postponed” back to “proposed.”
But for now, Sam only has to ”“ thankfully ”“ focus on football.
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Today’s editorial was written by Sports Writer Wil Kramlich on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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