Bell: What took so long for Michael Sam to be drafted?; USA Today, 5/11/14

Jarrett Bell, USA Today; Bell: What took so long for Michael Sam to be drafted? :

"Yet amid all of the back-slapping for the NFL, there's an essential question:

Why did it take so long?

Why did Sam have to wait until a team used what is generally regarded as a throwaway pick?

Sam demonstrated great courage in revealing before the NFL scouting combine in February — under the pressure of being outed — that he was openly gay.

He also made an apparent great sacrifice.

There were punters and kickers chosen before a player who led the Southeastern Conference last season with 10½ sacks and 18 tackles for loss. There were players from small schools who played against less-accomplished competition, who were chosen before Sam.

There were undersized linemen just like Sam, chosen before Sam.

Was this because Sam is gay?

It sure seems that way, no matter what we've heard about the NFL culture being progressive enough — with the league advancing a Respect in the Workplace agenda — to tolerate a player without regard to his sexual orientation."