Much has been made of Tony Dungy's recent comments regarding Michael Sam. People have weighed in, sides have been taken, lines have been drawn. Like so many hot button issues - abortion, gun control, religion - I'm not sure there is a right answer. Cogent and defendable arguments can (and have) been made on both sides. But what I think gets lost is this: Ultimately, it comes down to what you believe in. Who you are.
People I read and respect have written about it. And while I appreciate and can't argue the views they've expressed, I think there's an aspect that's been missed. There's no question that with Michael Sam in your locker room there will be distractions. Your beliefs - who you are - will either equip you to handle it or won't. Dungy basically admitted he wouldn't want those distractions. Who knows what played into making that statement. Maybe he's a football-only kind of guy, nothing else. Maybe he weighed the risk-to-reward ratio and decided it wasn't worth it. Maybe his religious beliefs helped form that decision. We've come into a time, perhaps, where being a devout Christian may eventually put you in the minority. But good for Tony Dungy for holding true to what he believes. There's a lot that goes into making a statement like that. And I'm not judging. Maybe the distraction isn't worth it. Maybe he can't get past his beliefs. Whatever the reason, Tony Dungy believes the distraction of Michael Sam isn't worth the reward, and he wouldn't want to be the person to deal with it. He's admitted he's not that guy, and that's OK.
But I'm damn sure glad that Jeff Fisher exists. The world needs more of THAT guy.
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