Michael Sam is currently out of a job, and one current NFL player has a theory as to why:
ESPN.
CFL's Montreal Alouettes reach out to Michael Sam, are waiting for him to call back
The St. Louis Rams passed on adding Sam, the first openly gay player to be drafted in the NFL, to their practice roster. Coach Jeff Fisher said the reason came down to position issues the Rams have, forcing them to add depth elsewhere.
No other NFL team, however, has yet to reach out to Sam. He cleared waivers after the Rams made him one of the few remaining roster cuts to get down to the 53-man limitation.
ESPN report on Michael Sam showering habits hurting Sam's chances of making a roster
Huffingtonpost.com reported that Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Eric Wood had a theory as to why Sam has not yet found a practice-roster home.
@RossTuckerNFL blame that on espn. No one wants the distraction
— Eric Wood (@EWood70) August 31, 2014
Sam had 11 tackles and three sacks during the preseason, prompting Ross Tucker of NBC Sports Network to take to Twitter to voice his displeasure that Sam has not yet found an NFL home, as Huffington Post reported.
ESPN apologized for a segment in which reporter Josina Anderson talked about Sam's showering habits when he was with the Rams. She made the comments on ESPN's SportsCenter, probing how Sam was fitting in with his teammates.
Huffington Post added that ESPN later apologized for the report. Its statement read, "we collectively failed to meet the standards we have set in reporting on LGBT-related topics in sports."
It has not yet been reported publicly whether Sam has answered a phone message left for him by the Montreal Alouettes, who owns Sam's rights in the Canadian Football League. The Alouettes are hopeful that Sam decides the best way to resurrect his professional football career.
Despite the apology from ESPN, Rams coach Jeff Fisher ripped ESPN and called Anderson's piece "very, very unprofessional."
Now that Wood has blamed the NFL for Sam's exit, it will be interesting to see whether any other players come to Sam's defense.
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