Last week, it seemed like Michael Sam couldn’t be riding any higher on cloud 9 when he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams and landed a deal with Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network for a docuseries that would chronicle his journey to becoming the first openly gay player drafted in the NFL. However, new reports have revealed that Sam has put his docuseries on hold to keep his deal with the Rams from falling apart.
According to the Associated Press, via the Huffington Post, Erik Logan, the president of OWN, met with the St. Louis Rams, who made it clear that Sam’s docuseries would be a “distraction” for him and would jeopardize his chances of making the team.
“After careful consideration and discussion with the St. Louis Rams, ‘The Untitled Michael Sam Project’ has been postponed, allowing Michael the best opportunity to achieve his dream of making the team,” Logan said in a statement.
“It’s clear that we, along with the world, recognize the important opportunity that Michael now has in this moment. We will continue to support him in his journey to earn a spot playing for the Rams,” Logan added.
As noted in the article, the All-American defensive player was only a seventh-round draft pick and will be working tirelessly to ensure that he secures a place on the team for the upcoming season.
“This (postponement) will allow for Michael to have a total focus on football, and will ensure no distractions to his teammates,” added Sam’s agent, Cameron Weiss. “Everybody involved remains committed to this project and understands its historical importance as well as its positive message.”
Well, we definitely would love to have seen Sam on camera as he worked his way towards officially joining the Rams, but it’s more important that he secure his spot on the team than secure a spot on a short-lived docuseries. – nicholas robinson
