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Any NFL team that drafts Michael Sam will be taking on much more than a rookie pass-rusher. Wholesale Chargers Jerseys China . 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." Doug Flutie Jersey . And it showed Thursday night. The Canadiens, playing in their second game in as many days, however, got a good performance in the end from their backup goaltender as he filled in for an injured Olympic gold medallist . Wholesale Chargers Jerseys . Cilic cruised to victory, beating the seventh-seeded Seppi 6-1, 6-3 in just 72 minutes. He faced only one break point, winning 24 out of 29 points played on the first serve. http://www.cheapchargersjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-junior-seau-jersey . While the pair of Spain internationals return, midfielder Xavi Hernandez will not be included in the squad after failing to recover from a muscle strain to his left leg. CANASTOTA, N.Y. -- "The Golden Boy" is golden again. Oscar De La Hoya, who won Olympic gold and became a champion in six weight divisions in winning 10 world titles, has been selected for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. "I am honoured and appreciative to be chosen, and I thank everyone who has been a part of this journey with me," De La Hoya said in a statement released by the Hall of Fame. "This is the dream of everyone who puts on a pair of gloves and steps between the ropes and through the good and the bad. You always hope that when all is said and done you put on good fights, entertained the fans, and will be remembered for what you did in the ring. "To know that I will be in the Hall of Fame with the greats of this sport is humbling, but its also put a smile on my face that isnt coming off anytime soon." De La Hoya headlines the class of 2014 announced Wednesday, and two of his contemporaries in the modern era -- Puerto Rican star Felix "Tito" Trinidad and Joe Calzaghe of Wales -- will join him on stage June 8 at the induction ceremony in Canastota, N.Y. Joining the hard-punching trio are George Chaney, Charles Ledoux and Mike ODowd in the old-timer category, while Tom Allen is the lone honoree in the pioneer category. The Hall of Fames 25th class also includes promoter Barry Hearn, referees Richard Steele and Eugene Corri, journalist Graham Houston and veteran Sports Illustrated photographer Neil Leifer in the non-participant and observer categories. Inductees were selected by the Boxing Writers Association and a panel of international boxing historians. De La Hoya had an amateur record of 223-5 with 153 knockouts and won the lightweight gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He turned pro later that year and captured his first world title, the WBO super-featherweight crown, in only his 12th bout. De La Hoya also won titles as a lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight. Hiis 2007 bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Lance Alworth Jersey. was one of the richest in boxing history, attracting nearly 2.5 million pay-per-view fans. He retired after a 2008 loss to Manny Pacquiao with a professional record of 39-6 with 30 knockouts and in 2002 established Golden Boy Promotions. The fame hasnt come without some of the bad. De La Hoya admitted himself to a treatment facility in September as he continues to fight substance abuse. The move came on the eve of the biggest fight of the year for his promotion company between Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez. De La Hoya first admitted two years ago that he was an alcoholic and drug user and had been in treatment. Trained by his father, Trinidad began boxing at age 10 in his native Puerto Rico and became one of its most accomplished fighters, posting a 51-6 amateur record before turning pro. He stopped Maurice Blocker in two rounds to capture the IBF welterweight crown in his 20th pro bout and defended his title 15 times, one of those a controversial 12-round majority decision over De La Hoya. Trinidad moved up in weight to win the WBA light middleweight title from David Reid in March 2000 and later that year unified titles with a 12th-round knockout against IBF champ Fernando Vargas. In 2001, he became a three-division champion with a fifth-round knockout of William Joppy for the WBA middleweight title. The three-time world champ was a fan favourite because of his big-punching style and devastating left hook. "This is a great honour for me, my father, my family and my whole team," said Trinidad, who retired in 2009 with a record of 42-3 with 35 knockouts. "This is the biggest triumph of my career." Calzaghe was the Rocky Marciano of his division -- nobody beat him in 46 professional bouts, which included a division-record 21 defences of his super middleweight title. 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