In a sport known for speed and violence, most NFL players can expect life is as Thomas Hobbes prescribed: short,brutish and nasty. The average professional lifespan is just three years.
Given football's hold on the popular imagination and its command of advertising revenue, the decision by Michael Sam, a talented player from America's most popular college league to come out before turning pro was considered an act of courage - and a challenge to the professional sport.
But in a world where performance is measured in both physical and monetary terms, the fact that of all the players selected in the leagues annual draft of amateurs, Sam was selected close to the bottom (a reflection widely considered to be more about the league's uncertainty about how this would be received than about his talent) but that his jersey was the second best seller, ahead of every player but one selected before him may be a signal of the public's interest in how this will work out. And a mark of their acceptance of his preference. PS, for anyone unfamiliar with the story, Sam is the big guy in the pink shirt on the left. JL
Chris Chase reports in USA Today:
Sam sold nearly as many jerseys in the first weekend as Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and Tim Tebow, combined.
Nearly 250 players were selected before Michael Sam in the 2014 NFL draft, but only one sold more jerseys over the weekend. Sam, the historic seventh-round selection of the St. Louis Rams, sold the second most rookie jerseys over the weekend, behind only college superstar Johnny Manziel.
The list of early rookie jersey sales, from NFLshop.com:
1. Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns
2. Michael Sam, St. Louis Rams
5. Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars
Though unprecedented for a third-day pick to rank among the best-selling jerseys, Sam’s appearance on the list is hardly a surprise. He has a national fan base that extends far beyond the football field. People all over the country could want a Michael Sam jersey, whereas the market for Jadeveon Clowney jerseys is limited. Even with the two-day head start the first-round picks had, the trailblazing Sam was always going to have a popular jersey, whether he was drafted or signed as undrafted free agent.
According to Darren Rovell, Sam sold nearly as many jerseys in the first weekend as Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and Tim Tebow, combined.
Those who bought Sam jerseys will have to wait a little while. Since the Rams have yet to assign Sam a number, the jerseys won’t ship until two weeks after that happens. (The No. 10 is a place holder.)
In addition to Sam, the top five was rounded out by the three biggest names of the draft and Blake Bortles, a quarterback who played in relative anonymity in college and was drafted by a team that’s drafted many would-be saviors.
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