Tim Tebow, Michael Sam, Tony Dungy and the NFL's "Distraction" Issue

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

I love when people leave comments on our site.

Really, I do. It gives me such joy that people take even 20 seconds to either express their agreement with my view or, more commonly, tell me I'm an idiot. 

These comments are usually reserved for my high school power rankings and all star teams, but every now and then somebody will take issue with something I say on a national sports story. When I wrote my blog on Tony Dungy I fully expected it to be one of those kinds of posts.

The issue of gay athletes seems to get people riled up on both sides, and is certainly something that is going to be in the news for much of the foreseeable future.

Now, with these comments, I usually just respond with a couple of sentences in the comments section, but this particular remark, I believe, represents the beliefs of a very large group of the American sports fan population.

If you don't feel like going back and reading the comment in my Dungy blog, I have pasted it below.

Tony Dungy Should Just Own His Homophobia Already

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

In the least shocking incident of the NFL off-season, football moral compass and former Bucs/Colts head coach Tony Dungy publicly stated that he wouldn't have selected Michael Sam, the first openly gay player in the history of the NFL Draft.

I say least shocking because, if you know anything about Tony Dungy, you know he is a devout Christian who has spoken out in favor of a Gay Marriage ban in Indiana, and taken President Barack Obama to task, albeit briefly, on Twitter for "veering from the Biblical interpretation" of marriage.

Here is Dungy's exact quote on Sam.

“I wouldn’t have taken him,’’ Dungy told the Tampa Tribune. “Not because I don’t believe Michael Sam should have a chance to play, but I wouldn’t want to deal with all of it. It’s not going to be totally smooth . . . things will happen.’’

That's all fine and dandy. The former Super Bowl winning coach is entitled to his faith and his views. This is America, after all.

My issue is that a man who used to occupy what is essentially a hiring position (NFL head coach) outright said he wouldn't hire someone because they are a minority… And we take that as a "stance."

Breaking Down the Semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Jerome Bettis made a career out of running over people, but can he break through and make the Hall of Fame on his 4th try?

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has released its list of the 25 men that have qualified as semifinalists for induction.

Among them are 20 players, three coaches, a former executive and a now disgraced owner. So, let's take a look at each semifinalist (and one notable omission) to gauge their chances of making it.