"One man with courage makes a majority." ~ Andrew Jackson
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Posted on 05/14/2014 7:05:20 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith blasted the Miami Dolphins' decision to suspend safety Don Jones after he tweeted "omg" and "horrible" after watching footage of Michael Sam celebrate becoming the first openly gay NFL player by kissing his boyfriend live on TV. Smith has said people should not be punished just for reacting negatively to a homosexual couple kissing, and insisted that those with views that do not condone homosexual behavior should also be respected.
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Smith, who appeared to talk about ESPN's coverage of Michael Sam, on FirstTake on Monday, stressed that the kiss "didn't bother me," and that he was celebrating in a similar manner to how "we see with heterosexual couples all the time."
The commentator said that he had not seen footage of Sam and his boyfriend Vito Cammisano smashing cake into one another's faces in celebration but "if I saw all of that... I would say the same thing I would say to a heterosexual couple: 'Get a room'."
Earlier this week, the Miami Dolphins announced that Jones would be fined and suspended from team activities until training camp because of his negative social media reaction to Sam, which did not sit well with Smith.
"When it comes to the players and their tweets, I don't believe they should have been punished for it. I'm of the mindset that there is freedom of speech. People have the right to say what they feel and if there are ramifications for it, so be it. If advertisers and sponsors and them, they don't want to endorse them or something like that, then that's the price you clearly was willing to pay and you have to pay it," Smith explained. "But I think it's a very, very dangerous thing when people see something and they have a problem with what they're seeing and they express themselves and ultimately they're fined."
Fellow ESPN commentator, Skip Bayless, who is a Christian, also chimed in, saying that while to the gay community, Sam's display of affection may have been "tender," "compelling and powerful," those who did not find it the same way, were equally entitled to their opinions.
"I also defend the right of those who believe that the Bible says a man should not be with a man and a woman should not be with a woman. If you believe that, then because your country was founded on religious freedom, then you have the right to believe that. But again, those in the locker room, who hold that spiritual or Christian view, that biblical view, they still, they need to be tolerant of Michael Sam," said Bayless.
Having spoken to prominent pastors on both sides of the issue, Bayless said he is personally split, but noted, "For those who don't believe it, the repetition on this and other networks was cringe worthy after a while: 'Gee it's again and again, you're sort of rubbing our nose in it here'."
Smith also added: "If we're going to call ourselves a Christian nation, then we have to be sensitive to some of the beliefs that emanate from the Christian religion," and that the public has overall become much more educated about the LGBT community in recent years.
"[When a person is] in the process of learning it Skip, when someone is willing to say....'I was watching the NFL draft. I didn't expect to see that. It just shocked me. And oh by the way, it was shown over and over and over again and I wasn't ready for that.' Is that wrong? Is that a crime? Is that something that warrants a fine and being ostracized from team activities until training community?'" he added.
Sam was drafted by the St. Louis Rams as the 249th pick in the seventh round.
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The homosexual agenda is starting to unravel, as I see it. This whole event, a very public spectacle, has turned normal Americans into “homophobes” for simply voicing an opinion. It is now considered disrespectful for one to voice dissent. America’s darkest days are nearing.
Exactly. If a homosexual commentator were aghast at a heterosexual couple kissing and expressed that on nationwide TV, would he be suspended?
We learned that Michael Sam is more interested in being a gay activist than he is in being a football player.
"One man with courage makes a majority." ~ Andrew Jackson
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But you see, Sam has made it all about his gay-ness, so he needs to flaunt flaunt flaunt his gay-ness twenty-four-seven. How that is going to translate to on-the-field performance I don't know. Maybe he'll kiss the opposing O linemen?
I won’t watch NFL again.
No conservatives should be watching NFL games or participating in any NFL related events. At least no conservative that is willing to do more than talk.
Just curiously, will football sponsors now be Leggs panty hose, Revlon, Cover Girl...etc.??
Solution - just say your wife, girlfriend, daughter, son, cousin, brother, father, etc. was on your twitter.
PROBLEM SOLVED - IF WEINER COULD DO IT, SO CAN YOU!
You just nailed it. BIG TIME!
Maybe the opposing offensive linemen will get so annoyed by his antics that they will award him a career-ending injury.
“Miami Dolphins’ decision to suspend safety Don Jones after he tweeted “omg” and “horrible”’
I suspect this is what most NFl platyers were thinking. Let’s hope they speak out in Jones defense.
The NFL goes “all in” for Michael Sam and gets some new cheer leaders for the games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRDOdXbWpW8
Hahahah this is hilarious.
The only reason any of this type of commentary is being allowed is because now black people are getting all upset that it is black people being portrayed and/or highlighted as being homosexual.
When it was/is all white people, you only hear crickets.
This will be a great knot to watch the lib coalition wrestle with.
The NFL has made a pact with the devil. They will rue the day.
It’s always fun to watch the left turn on itself...
This whole thing is getting weirder by the day. Is there REALLY any heterosexual that is not, at least on some level, repulsed at the sight of two grown men snogging? Sorry all you Nancy boys, it will NEVER be normal.
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