Michael Sam’s father came under fire last week after he seemed to tell the New York Times that he wasn’t happy about his NFL hopeful son coming out as gay. However, Michael Sam Sr. is now calling foul against the Times and saying that he was misquoted.
In his interview with the Times, Sam Sr. was quoted as saying, in regard to his son’s sexuality, that he is was ‘old-school” and a “a man and a woman type of guy.” Sam Sr. was also quoted as saying that the idea of a gay player in the NFL upsets him and that he didn’t want his grandkids “raised in that kind of environment.”
However, According to ESPN, in a new interview with the Galveston (Texas) News Daily, Sam Sr. says that he was “terribly misquoted.”
“I did not say anything about my grandkids,” the Galveston paper quoted him as saying.
Sam Sr. admits that much of what he told the Times was accurate, but he says that some things were taken out of context, specifically his quote about Hall of Fame defensive lineman Deacon Jones “turning over in his grave.”
“I told them Deacon Jones is going to roll over in his grave because here comes my son and that he’s going to be a star in the NFL,” Sam Sr. said.
Despite Sam Sr.’s claims, the Times reportedly sent an email to the Galveston paper and defends themselves, saying that Sam Sr. was quoted “accurately and fairly.”
Sam Sr. says that he’s had time to reflect on his relationship with his son and that he wishes he’d spent more time with him as a kid. But he says that he’s proud of his son and that he did the right thing by coming out.
Well, we hope that Sam Sr. really is proud of his son and sees just how important his son’s bravery is to the NFL and the whole world, and we also hope that the two can now find a way to repair their relationship. – nicholas robinson
