Saturday, May 17, 2014

NFL: Michael Sam Reality Show/Documentary Series With OWN Put on Hold


When the Oprah Winfrey Network announced that it was doing a documentary series surrounding Michael Sam, it was met with harsh criticism.  The series was supposed to document Sam’s journey as the first openly gay player in the NFL.  The issue however was that it contradicted Sam’s claims that he just wanted to focus on football.  Well I guess the critics voices were heard because the show has been put on hold.

Sam’s agent released a statement saying, “After today’s meeting with the Rams, we collectively feel it is best to postpone the project. This will allow for Michael to have a total focus on football, and will ensure no distractions to his teammates. Everybody involved remains committed to this project and understands its historical importance as well as its positive message.”
When the project was announced on Wednesday, Sam said in a statement that, “my focus is on playing football to the very best of my ability.” And the show was reportedly slated to show Sam hard at work trying to make the Rams’ roster.
Following Sam’s initial statement there were reports that the show wouldn’t film Sam during OTA’s and Rams training camp, then the show got postponed altogether.  There were also reports that the NFL wasn’t aware of the documentary and that at least one Rams player had concerns about the show.
OWN says they continue to support Sam and will leave the door open to working with him in the future.

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