I Don't Care
Michael Sam is a gay football player. He is heading out of college and into the pro's if he's drafted. He had to announce his sexual orientation for the world to consider.
I get all of that.
It's sort of a non-story for me because I don't care.
Not that I don't care about him or his rights. I think it's pretty short-sighted of non-gay people to judge gay people, but I am also mindful that gay people make up 4% of the population.
You wouldn't really know that by how many gay people appear in the sitcom world.
Again, it is not for me to judge, and that's my official proclamation, but when I heard the news about it, I also considered that the world has become a truly different place.
I thought about my boys.
Jake is usually up and moving around real early as well. The best mornings are when we have a couple of moments to chat about the sports story of the day before we leave.
The other morning he popped into the room as the Sam story was getting it's full hour on Sports Center.
(That station can really beat a story to death, by the way).
I was curious.
"What do you think about that story?" I asked.
"I don't care," he said. "Why would it matter if he can play? They let you play if you do drugs, shoot people, kill dogs...who cares if he has a boyfriend?"
I smiled.
That's just about, word-for-word the same answer I'd give if someone asked me that question.
"A lot of people are going to really hate him," I said.
"They hated Jackie Robinson too."
Just as Jake said it ESPN said it.
We watched some of the footage. The network was talking about where the player may be slotted in the next draft.
"But what if he doesn't get drafted," I said.
Jake was sort of through with considering the story, but he threw out one more bit of wisdom:
"That's when it's really gonna' get ugly."
And it will for that kid, somewhere along the way. If he deserves to play in the league based on his abilities does it matter who he does or doesn't love?
"What if the Bills drafted him?" I asked.
Jake said it one more time.
"I really don't care."
Bob Dylan's song "These times are a changin'" came out 50 years ago.
They could have played it beneath this story as well.
I get all of that.
It's sort of a non-story for me because I don't care.
Not that I don't care about him or his rights. I think it's pretty short-sighted of non-gay people to judge gay people, but I am also mindful that gay people make up 4% of the population.
You wouldn't really know that by how many gay people appear in the sitcom world.
Again, it is not for me to judge, and that's my official proclamation, but when I heard the news about it, I also considered that the world has become a truly different place.
I thought about my boys.
Jake is usually up and moving around real early as well. The best mornings are when we have a couple of moments to chat about the sports story of the day before we leave.
The other morning he popped into the room as the Sam story was getting it's full hour on Sports Center.
(That station can really beat a story to death, by the way).
I was curious.
"What do you think about that story?" I asked.
"I don't care," he said. "Why would it matter if he can play? They let you play if you do drugs, shoot people, kill dogs...who cares if he has a boyfriend?"
I smiled.
That's just about, word-for-word the same answer I'd give if someone asked me that question.
"A lot of people are going to really hate him," I said.
"They hated Jackie Robinson too."
Just as Jake said it ESPN said it.
We watched some of the footage. The network was talking about where the player may be slotted in the next draft.
"But what if he doesn't get drafted," I said.
Jake was sort of through with considering the story, but he threw out one more bit of wisdom:
"That's when it's really gonna' get ugly."
And it will for that kid, somewhere along the way. If he deserves to play in the league based on his abilities does it matter who he does or doesn't love?
"What if the Bills drafted him?" I asked.
Jake said it one more time.
"I really don't care."
Bob Dylan's song "These times are a changin'" came out 50 years ago.
They could have played it beneath this story as well.
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