Dallas sportscaster Dale Hansen, who made headlines in February when, after Missouri’s Michael Sam came out publicly as gay, and addressed the notion that some people will be “uncomfortable” with an openly gay NFL player, revisited the topic on Monday to make note of Sam’s late pick in the NFL draft.
“Now you’ll never convince me there were 248 better college players … and better NFL prospects … in that draft. Two-hundred and forty-eight better than the SEC’s defensive player of the year? There’s just no way,” said Hansen, who reports for WFAA-TV.
Hansen added:
“I do not understand why so many people are so afraid of a gay man in an NFL locker room. I think the other players are gonna be okay. I’ve worked with gay men in my station and in my department for more than 40 years now and not one of those guys has ever hit on my and I’m starting to get a little ticked off about it.”
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
Watch:
On Tuesday, Hansen participated in a CNN panel discussion with Ken Blackwell of the anti-gay “hate group” Family Research Council to discuss the televised kiss between Sam and his boyfriend, Vito Cammisano, when Sam learned he had been drafted by the St. Louis Rams.
Blackwell said the kiss “was inaapropritate and over the top,” and “a very clear opportunity for Mr. Sam and others to co-op a professional sports, in this case the NFL, as a platform and as a force multiplier for advancing their agenda.”
Watch:
