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Any NFL team that drafts Michael Sam will be taking on much more than a rookie pass-rusher. But experts say the smart approach for a team that signs the leagues first openly gay athlete -- from a marketing and public relations standpoint -- is to simply let Sams on-field play speak for him and his team. "While this is a significant announcement given the sport, the general hope is that hes just accepted as one of the other men on the roster, and therefore his marketability is still simply tied to his ability to play well on the field and ultimately make the team," said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. Sam declared Sunday that he is gay in interviews with ESPN, The New York Times and Outsports. The Missouri All-American had already come out last August to his coaches and teammates, who respected his privacy. Now Sam is entering uncharted territory as he prepares for the NFL draft. The SECs co-defensive player of the year was projected to be a mid-round selection. At 6-foot-2, 255 pounds, Sam will likely have to transition to outside linebacker, which could impact where hes drafted. But announcing hes gay could also have an impact on his draft status. "Im not naive to think there arent potentially some owners or executives out there who will say, Eh, Im not so sure now." said Golden State Warriors President and Chief of Operations Rick Welts, who came out publicly in 2011. "But also, I hope, there are a lot who would say, Theres an opportunity to do something that I think our fans would actually embrace. And if were supposed to win football games, if this guy helps us win football games, thats somebody we should have on our roster." Sam, 24, joins a growing list of active athletes to publicly come out, including Robbie Rogers, a winger for Major League Soccers Los Angeles Galaxy, and Brittney Griner, who plays for the WNBAs Phoenix Mercury. Conner Mertens, a kicker for Division III Willamette University, came out as bisexual late last month, and is believed to have been the first active college football player to publicly announce his sexuality. Griner, as one of the WNBAs brightest stars, was the centerpiece of the Mercurys marketing campaign. She also made a point of supporting causes that are important to her. "There was nothing about her that was difficult in marketing. We supported what she wanted to do with bullying and the LGBT community. We made those connecting points," said Amber Cox, president of the Mercury before leaving to go to the Big East last fall. Nike has also thrown support to LGBT athletes, signing both Griner and Jason Collins, a former NBA player who came out last year, to sponsorship deals, and launching its "Be True" campaign. Profits from the .BeTrue collection are being donated to the LGBT Sports Coalition to support the goal of ending discrimination in sport. Mark Elderkin of the Gay Ad Network, an online media platform for national advertisers, said NFL teams need only look at Sams track record. "Theyre going to make their choices based on who the best college athletes are. And theyre going to choose Michael if they deem him the best pick. So, I think they need to focus on the facts, and his performance over the years, his All-America status and everything hes done for Missouri," Elderkin said. "Also his relationships with the fans, and with the positive energy he has around his teammates and their full support, shows that hes not going to be disruptive to the team in any way, but is going to add value." But its still a reality that gay athletes face a backlash. Derogatory comments were easily found among the positive posts on social media and other online commentary following Sams announcement. A Pew Research survey last year of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults in the U.S. found that just 4 per cent saw pro sports leagues as friendly toward LGBT people, while 59 per cent saw the leagues as unfriendly and 36 per cent saw them as neutral. Still, even over the past year there have been significant overall victories in gay and lesbian rights, most notably two U.S. Supreme Court decisions in June. One ruling cleared the way for ending a ban on same-sex marriages in California; the other struck down a 1996 law passed by Congress that banned federal recognition of same-sex marriages. It remains to be seen how growing tolerance extends to the NFL playing field. "I think the point thats being made in a lot of the discussion is, Lets just move on," Swangard said. "If the guy makes a team, then he makes the team. His sexual orientation shouldnt be the story." David Bote Jersey . On paper, it looks a little like Andre the Giant taking on a midget wrestler. It has all the makings of a rout with the Americans adding an eighth win in nine outings of this biennial event. The Yanks have eight players in the top 15 in the world while the Internationals have just one. Lee Smith Jersey .com) - The Buffalo Bills will return to the friendly confines of Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday when they welcome the upstart Cleveland Browns to town. https://www.cheapcubs.com/120t-cole-hamels-jersey-cubs.html. - This win was more the New Jersey Devils style. Xavier Cedeno Cubs Jersey . Perhaps their first trip to the city of Winnipeg in 16 years can serve as the shakeup they need. Chicago Cubs Shirts . Aaron Hill and Cliff Pennington hit home runs in the first inning for the Diamondbacks, who beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 on Friday night.VANCOUVER - Carl Robinson impressed in his first season as head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps, but hes ready for more in 2015 and beyond.Robinson and his coaching staff signed multi-year contract extensions with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday, with the Wales international saying that although he was pleased with his first season as a manager, he wants to lead the team to even greater heights.Ill be even more determined to work even harder next year because I think we can get even better than we were last year, said Robinson.Thats saying something, as Robinson led Vancouver to arguably its best-ever season in 2014.Under his guidance the Whitecaps reached the MLS Cup playoffs and hit the 50 point-mark — the club’s highest-ever point total in Major League Soccer and the most ever by a Canadian MLS club. The team also won the Cascadia Cup and qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time in club history.In just one year, Carl and his staff have done an exceptional job in establishing a foundation, bringing in quality players and people, and taking this team to the next level, said Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi in a statement.They are all highly respected not only within our club, but also around the league and the soccer world. We are confident that their eye for talent, dedication and hard work will continue to yield positive results.Assistant coaches Martyn Pert and Gordon Forrest, and goalkeeper coach Marius Rovde also agreed to contract extensions with Vancouver. Robinson sees these deals as an opportunity to further push and challenge hhis players.ddddddddddddJust because I end up signing a multi-year deal doesnt mean that my foot comes off the gas, said Robinson. Ill actually be putting more pressure on the players now because we put a foundation in place which I think was pretty successful. But I dont want to be pretty successful, I want to be very successful.The hard work starts now.The 38-year-old Robinson was named Whitecaps head coach December 2013 after two years as an assistant. Robinson began his coaching career as a player/assistant coach in his second and final season with New York Red Bulls. Robinson also played three seasons with Toronto FC, where he served as the co-captain from 2007 to 2009, and was twice named the clubs most valuable player.Robinson knows that although hes seen a lot of success in Vancouver, he and his staff must continue to evolve to keep the Whitecaps competitive.Im not naive enough to think that theres not areas I need to improve on, that me and my coaches need to get better on, because players expect that, said Robinson. That certainly will happen this year. Therell be more demands put on them.Well continue to have a learning environment, a constructive environment, for these players to progress as well. ... Its important we grow together.The terms of the deals were not disclosed, as per club policy.When asked if the contract takes Robinson through his three-year plan or his five-year plan — an attempt by a reporter to find out the length of the deals — the Whitecaps manager laughed and said Itll take me past the next year, Ill give you that. ' ' '