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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I don’t know about career ending, but I would guess he is going to take a beating out there.
It wasn’t one kiss.
There were three. And the last one was lustful to say the least.
Smith will now be punished.
NFL=Thought Control Commissars, if you do not accept and promote homosexuality you will not play football until you go to a reeducation camp and rid yourself of your evil thoughts.
Michael “Stinky” Sam
I’ll bet 90%+ of the lib commentariat (those who aren’t homos) were disgusted with the lip lock...they just won’t/can’t admit it. They don’t want to lose their jobs.
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Waiting for the gaykkk to turn on Sam for crying on television like a little French schoolgirl.
From “acceptance” to “mandatory”.
If a homosexual commentator were aghast at a heterosexual couple kissing and expressed that on nationwide TV, would he be suspended?
...no...but the heterosexual couple would...
They're stuck with him too. After being the first team to draft an openly gay player, they're not about to be the first team to cut one.
As such, he probably has a very promising career awaiting him. On the practice squad.
“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.”
Clever way to evade the (mandatory) voluntary off-season training sessions....
I’m pretty surprise Stephen A. took this path. Pleasantly surprised.
Meaning it’s no longer being pushed surreptitiously. It’s right out in the open and they’re daring us to challenge them.
...perhaps you meant to say it’s blossoming...unraveling would imply that it’s falling apart...
Looked like an add for a gay porn video.
I would have had the same reaction to a similar hetero display.
The NFL draft just is NOT the venue for this sort of chit.
I’ll bet 90%+ of the lib commentariat (those who aren’t homos) were disgusted with the lip lock
...most likely 90% of the homosexual bunch was also disturbed by it...it was that revolting...
The FCC should ban the NFL from TV.
The veil they’ve been trying to keep it behind has been unraveling for some time. They’ve tried to paint this as an issue about “love,” yet when Christian people speak out about the deviancy of seeing it on a sports network for a second-rate athlete, it’s suddenly this major issue.
I used the word I intended, but the meaning isn’t as clear in my explanation.
I agree 100%. I would have been complained if Johnny Football did the samething with one of his girlfriends.
I wish.....it seems stronger than ever
Homo is the new black.
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