Dungy doesn't appear to be a fan of players that would cause distractions.

[Damned Thing]

Simply put, he doesnn't want to say that Sam isn't good enough to play in the NFL and have people question whether or not it's because of some perceived bias.

It probably has nothing to do with beliefs or convictions, but is instead an objective football talent evaluation.

Being openly gay doesn't have a thing to do with how good you are at football.

[Dan Drives a Van]

It probably has nothing to do with beliefs or convictions, but is instead an objective football talent evaluation.

I think if the evaluation were based on talent alone, he would have simply said that. It's the statement least likely to cause controversy, and most people already accept that Sam isn't going to be a world-beater in the NFL.

The word 'distractions' can be a euphemism for many things, but not for a lack of talent.

[CbEagle]

He's a homophobe and does not want to get called out in todays society so he took the chicken shit way out.

[TerpEagle]

He's a homophobe and does not want to get called out in todays society so he took the chicken shit way out.

The Slate breaks it down pretty well.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2...chael_sam.html

[Hopkins 48]

So if someone's religion doesn't believe in homosexuality, he is a homophobe. I don't believe in it, but do not care if anyone else is a homosexual.

[TerpEagle]

So if someone's religion doesn't believe in homosexuality, he is a homophobe. I don't believe in it, but do not care if anyone else is a homosexual.

Yes - assuming that this person is adherent to his religion:

If someone's religion says that eating human flesh is ok, he's a cannibal.

If someone's religion says that women are property he's sexist.

If someone's religion says that certain races are superior to others, he's a racist bigot.

[McCarthy12]

His job is to win football games. Football locker rooms are filled with meatheads. Having a homosexual in my office or your office would probably have zero effect on the workplace. Might not be the case in an NFL locker room. Sad but true. I wasn't shocked at all by his comments.

[Drama Queen]

Dungy clarifies the

The Slate breaks it down pretty well.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2...chael_sam.html

situation. I think its a non-issue.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200...ut-michael-sam

[Hopkins 48]

So everybody got to think like you and have your beliefs. He was not spewing hatred, just doesn't believe in it. Nobody is allowed to have their own thoughts anymore. Just another I am right and everybody else is wrong simpleton.

[slag]

The problem here is that you didn't define homophobia.

Homophobia is generally defined as an extreme and irrational aversion toward homosexuals.

Are you saying that Dungy has an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexuals because of religion?

[PackWest]

Let me re-phrase that one

Are you saying that Dungy has an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexuals because of religion?

Because of his religion, Tony has a need to create the perception that he has an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexuals.

When you choose to be a spiritual leader/religious role model, you have to accept a certain amount of hypocrisy that goes with the position

[Dan Drives a Van]

Because of his religion, Tony has a need to create the perception that he has an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexuals.

When you choose to be a spiritual leader/religious role model, you have to accept a certain amount of hypocrisy that goes with the position

I'm not sure I agree with either premise. I don't think Dungy is trying to come off as extreme or irrational. His statement in response to the controversy certainly doesn't give that impression.

I also don't think a religious view of homosexuality necessarily means hypocrisy. Christianity, before it gets warped by politics and agendas, is about love for humanity (like just about every other religion). Many Christians believe that they love all people - including homosexuals, which is why they hope they 'find the true path to salvation' and thus turn away from their 'misguided lifestyle.'

This is only hypocrisy if you accept that homosexuality is an inherent, natural trait that cannot be suppressed without denying the basic needs of humanity. I accept this. Most Americans by now accept this too. Many devout Christians don't.

Dungy's view isn't rooted in hate. It's rooted in a inability to accept that certain sexual differences are innate and natural.

You can call this belief extreme and irrational if you want. You can also call a belief in a mystical judge who lives in the sky and is always watching us extreme and irrational. But then you're being intolerant of religion - which many people believe is innate and natural.

[udontknowme]

The first openly gay athlete in any sport will inevitably attract more media interest than a comparable player that is not openly gay. I don't think its unfair to say that at all, and that could certainly be considered a distraction.

A great followup would've been to ask Dungy if whether that same line of thinking would've been acceptable and/or morally right with the first african american athletes in any respective sport. Inevitably that was a "distraction", but it was the right thing to do.

Dungy might've been just trying to be pragmatic, but to me it takes a bit of guts to be that first coach or GM to give someone an opportunity from a previously excluded portion of society, and those that have those guts should be celebrated. Good for the Rams and Jeff Fisher. Maybe Dungy just wouldn't have been that brave, or maybe it was moreso a risk/reward calculation that a marginal player like Sam might not bring enough to the table. I think the greater societal gain would need to be factored into that equation, but I understand how a coach in a win now league might not value that as much as staying employed. I hope Sam sticks around at least a season or two, because once the door is busted down, it might not be a big news story in a few years.

[TerpEagle]

The problem here is that you didn't define homophobia.

Homophobia is generally defined as an extreme and irrational aversion toward homosexuals.

Are you saying that Dungy has an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexuals because of religion?

Homophobia: irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals

"Extreme" is not part of the definition and is just a qualifier that people use to make something seem not so bad and rationalize behavior.

His stance is irrational. It's irrational to think that possible conflict over Sam's minority status in the locker room is worth avoidance of his merit-based inclusion.

It's especially irrational from Dungy's point of view because he himself was that qualified minority presence that made people uncomfortable.

[TerpEagle]

So everybody got to think like you and have your beliefs. He was not spewing hatred, just doesn't believe in it. Nobody is allowed to have their own thoughts anymore. Just another I am right and everybody else is wrong simpleton.

Anyone can think anything they want. Including me. So if someone follows an ethos that says that certain people are second-class citizens/humans, I am so inclined to disagree.

Just because the word homophobia sounds bad/mean to the homophobe, it doesn't mean that Dungy (or others who subscribe to homophobia based on religious/cultural/whatever beliefs) don't fit the bill.

Like I said. There are religions that promote eating human flesh. Am I a simpleton for calling those people cannibals? That's what they are. That's a fact. Their justification for it is secondary to the fact.

Dungy chooses to be homophobic, or perhaps his parents chose it for him through indoctrination. Regardless, it's an active choice and opinion that he is entitled to and I'm entitled to disagree with.