OWN ‘postpones’ Michael Sam docuseries; right move for him, St. Louis Rams?
It’s not often that you see the worlds of television and sports collide in the way that you do with this Michael Sam story, and maybe in a way that is what makes this so interesting. The issue of Michael Sam getting his own TV show on OWN really raises questions about what publicity is publicity you want, and also what trying to do the same thing as everyone else constitutes.
So with the new announcement that Sam’s docuseries has been postponed indefinitely (possibly forever, depending on what happens here), we’re left with a number of various reactions. Is it understandable that Sam wanted to get his message out there? Sure, given that he is the first openly-gay player in the NFL, and this is a tremendous platform to share his story.
This is where things get tricky. Neither the NFL or the team that drafted Sam in the St. Louis Rams were privy to the fact that he was involved in a potential TV show prior to the draft happening, He said he wanted to be like everyone else on the team, and then you have something that can be pinned off as an obvious distraction.
In case you are curious, OWN president Erik Logan said the following about the postponement today:
“After careful consideration and discussion with the St. Louis Rams, The Untitled Michael Sam Projecthas been postponed, allowing Michael the best opportunity to achieve his dream of making the team … OWN is about elevating and empowering people to achieve their best. 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.”
Do we necessarily feel like this show had to be a distraction? Not at all, and it may even be code with some people in football just not wanting the extra flurry about a guy who may or may not make a football team.
The part of this story that is getting lost in all the hoopla is this: Doesn’t Michael Sam have a right to make money for himself? 7th-round draft picks do not traditionally have a long life in the NFL, and you have to get the dollars where you can, even if that means capitalizing on your story sometimes. We don’t blame him for that … but it probably would have been a good idea to explain your plans to the team first.
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Photo: OWN