Miami Dolphins Need To Talk To Don Jones About Anti-Gay Comment Concerning Michael Sam


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Don Jones

UPDATE–The Dolphins responded quickly, ordering Jones to pay an undisclosed fine and barring him from team activities until he finishes “training for his recent comments made on social media.”

Jones issued a mea culpa for his remarks.

“I want to apologize to Michael Sam for the inappropriate comments that I made last night on social media,” he said in a statement Sunday.

“I take full responsibility for them and I regret that these tweets took away from his draft moment. I remember last year when I was drafted in the seventh round and all of the emotions and happiness I felt when I received the call that gave me an opportunity to play for an NFL team and I wish him all the best in his NFL career.”

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There seems to be universal reaction of the positive kind to the news from yesterday regarding the football draft pick of Michael Sam.  He was the first openly gay player to enter the draft.

Sam’s selection at No. 249 by the Rams, and the nationally televised kiss he shared with boyfriend shortly thereafter, immediately set off a wave of reaction on social media. As one might expect there had to be one screw-ball in the bunch of tweets to muck it up.  In this case it was Miami Dolphins second-year defensive back Don Jones.

Before I venture further it might be noted that the Dolphins were not a very powerful presence on the field in 2013, so one might think any member of that organization might just keep his head low and do some more push-ups in preparation for the up-coming season.

But that is not what Jones did.

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Immediately after the airing of the video of the kiss Jones tweeted out “omg”, and then to underscore his red-neck quality when someone asked if he was referring to the embrace, he responded: “horrible.”

First this attitude is exactly why the NFL is needing to bring itself into the 21st century, and get in line with the rest of society.  There need to be more men like Sam who will come out of the closet, and shame the likes of Jones to be quiet.

Second, I find it troubling that Jones is not more in line with the civil rights fight for gay people.  He might be reminded what the history books say about the broad coalition of society that gathered to fight for and expand the rights of his race over the decades.  It is time now for Jones and all other African-Americans to lend their voice to the cause of removing injustices for gay people.

 

One thought on “Miami Dolphins Need To Talk To Don Jones About Anti-Gay Comment Concerning Michael Sam

  1. Alinka

    Deke, yesterday I had to explain to an older ,terminally republican relative why “kissing a boyfriend” is not “communism” and Obama is not Stalin. Literally. Still chuckling at the dark hilarity of the premise. Should have demanded some of his tomato plants as a compensation for brainpain that caused me 🙂 Thanks for the book advice (“The Day Wall Street Exploded”) it sounds very interesting and right on the money, pardon the pun 🙂

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