Some CFL news as the season there approaches - and it's Michael Sam!

Michael Sam, the defensive end from Missouri cut from the Rams before the season last summer, and famous for being the first openly-gay American football player drafted by the NFL, has signed a two-year contract with his Canadian Football League rights-holders, the Montreal Alouettes, for the 2015 season.

(Which begins in just five weeks, by the way, with Montreal playing Ottawa!)

The most interesting comment, I thought, was in the press release from the general manager, Jim Popp:

"With the signing of Michael Sam, we have become a better organization today," Alouettes general manager Jim Popp said in a release. "Not only have we added an outstanding football player, we have added even a better person that brings dignity, character, and heart to our team."

I find that interesting because there are two ways to take that: One, it's just PR to say how "hip" you are with gay people and he's really a great guy because he's gay...or Two (and having watched this saga the last 15 months or so, this is my feeling), he realizes that it's most likely the absolute truth. Sam has played every media opportunity correctly: not a self-promoter, not playing up or down his homosexuality, but simply being Christianly appreciative of the opportunities he's being given, as any non-star player should be. 

I may not be a fan of his "lifestyle", as we euphemistically call homosexuality, but I'm a fan of his. Good luck, Mr. Sam!  

PS - here's my fave tweet on the subject so far...

Siobhan Morris ✔ @siomo

Michael Sam has to be the first CFLer ever.....to compete on Dancing with the Stars. (right?)

9:56 AM - 22 May 2015