On February 9, 2014, Michael Sam publicly declared he was a homosexual. The Missouri Tigers Defensive End and SEC Defensive player of the year is eligible for the upcoming NFL draft in May. The watershed announcement gives rise to a bit of a legal minefield and the league and teams will look to ensure that no lines are crossed. Lets break it down. Does the NFL have any rules any place protecting homosexuals from discrimination? They do have protection for homosexual players, although it wont apply unless Sam gets drafted. Article 49 of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement provides that you cant discriminate against a player on the basis of "race, religion, national origin" or "sexual orientation". The reference to "sexual orientation" is brand new in the CBA, and the other 3 major sports also have a similar provision. Heres the catch: the CBA wont apply to Sam if hes not drafted. While the CBA provides that it covers all "present and future" players, it still restricts that player pool to drafted rookies or undrafted players who are negotiating with a team. If undrafted, Sam wouldnt qualify as either type of player. So that means if Sam goes undrafted, the NFL CBA wont apply to him. Is that it? Is there nothing else protecting a player like Sam? There is, but its not perfect. Theres no federal law prohibiting discrimination based upon sexual orientation. The existence of such a law would be ideal for Sam since it wouldnt matter where he would end playing since a federal law covers the entire country. There are laws at the state level, although not every state has them. In all, 21 states have laws on the books that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in the context of private employers. So that shakes out to 27 of the 32 NFL teams being the subject of gay employment protection laws. So which teams are in states where there arent state or other local laws protecting gay people? The five teams are as follows: Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans. Heres the big question: if Michael Sam is not drafted, can he sue and win? Indeed, that is the big question. Sam is projected to be a mid to late round pick. In order to be successful in a lawsuit against the league he will need to show that he was not drafted because he is a homosexual. That can be tough in the context of a draft – even if it is true. We have seen the draft stock of players inexplicably drop in all the sports. We routinely see players drafted a lot later (or earlier) than projected. Apart from the top prospects, drafts can be highly unpredictable. Indeed, drafts are complicated beasts and it can be hard to show that a player wasnt drafted simply because he is gay. To have a shot at winning a lawsuit, Sam would need strong evidence supporting his case. He would be looking for things like incriminating statements or emails that provide that a team conspired not to draft Sam because of his sexuality. That may not be easy to find. Teams may pass on Sam because he is gay, but just never say it. Ultimately, Sam would need a smoking gun, and absent that he would have a tough time winning a lawsuit. Do you think teams will take a pass on Sam because hes gay? Reason would suggest that some teams may shy away from Sam because he is gay. From a philosophical standpoint, some executives may not be comfortable with the idea of a gay player. Other teams may not have an issue with his sexuality, but may still take a pass because they fear he will become a distraction. Indeed, we have already heard anonymous executives express this sentiment. While some may believe he could become a distraction, and by extension adversely affect his team, it seems unlikely to be the case. The NFL is filled with real and legitimate distractions: DUIs, domestic violence, vehicular manslaughter, murder and whatever Dez Bryant did last Sunday. None of these events have led to the downfall of a team or the demise of the league. And most certainly something as innocuous and irrelevant as a players sexuality wont become a problem. Cheap Yeezy Powerphase Ireland . Coetzees finish, with six birdies and no bogeys, took him to 19-under 268 overall and past South African compatriots Thomas Aiken and Justin Walters, the overnight co-leaders. Coetzee was flawless on the East Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club to clinch his maiden title after 24 top 10 finishes. Adidas Nmd Ireland . He was 26. Edwards, the Supercup Championship leader, was in the passenger seat as an instructor for a private training session at Queensland Raceway at Willowbank, outside Brisbane, Porsche Motorsport said. http://www.cheapnmdsneakersireland.com/adidas-basketball-shoes.html . Radulov scored the lone goal in the shootout, and the Predators edged the Minnesota Wild 2-1 on Tuesday night to reach 100 points for the second time in three seasons and fourth in seven. Adidas Nmd Womens Ireland . Mark Van Guilder, Austin Watson and Colton Sissons also scored for the Admirals (22-13-10), who are 2-0-2 in their last four outings, while Roussel tacked on an assist for a two-point night. Greg Pateryn scored once for the Bulldogs (20-22-4), who lost their fifth straight contest, and also assisted on Gabriel Dumonts goal. Shop Adidas Basketball Shoes . - Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II says the NFL has told the team it will not be docked a pick in this years draft for coach Mike Tomlins foray onto the field against Baltimore last November.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Los Angeles Clippers hope to put Tuesdays season- opening loss to the Lakers behind them Thursday night when they host the Golden State Warriors. The Clippers, a trendy NBA championship pick by some after Doc Rivers left the Boston Celtics to become the head coach, lost to their fellow Staples Center tenants 116-103 in what was technically a road game. "The game just didnt look right to me throughout the game. I just didnt feel good about it. You could sense it," Rivers said on Wednesday. "I thought we came with the right intentions. We just didnt do them very well. I thought we broke down a lot. All of the things that weve worked on that we do in a drill and when the lights came on, we didnt do them." Rivers preached defense as a way for the Clippers, last seasons Pacific Division champs, to make a leap in the postseason. On Tuesday, the Lakers, without Kobe Bryant, scored 41 points in the fourth quarter, and shot 48 percent from behind the 3-point line. Blake Griffin led the Clippers against the Lakers with 19 points, but shot 3- for-10 from the foul line. Chris Paul, who re-signed with the Clips in the offseason, had a double-double with 15 points and 11 assists. DeAndre Jordan (17), Jamal Crawford (15) and J.J. Redick (13) all scored in double figures for L.A. The Warriors clobbered those same Lakers in their season debut Wednesday night att Oracle Arena.ddddddddddddGolden State routed the Lakers 125-94 thanks to an awesome performance from Klay Thompson. The shooting guard was sensational with 38 points, including 27 at the half on 10-for-12 shooting. For the night, Thompson went 15-for-19 from the floor and 5-for-7 from the 3-point line. "After like my third three; I just knew I was getting open looks," said Thompson. "I was locked in before the game, too. Actually, I knew in the pre-game, I was hitting everything." David Lee, an All-Star last season, enjoyed a great game with 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists. The Warriors were up 33 points to start the fourth quarter, so Thompson was the only Golden State player to go more than 30 minutes. Steph Curry only had 10 points and Toney Douglas notched 13 off the bench. Andre Iguodalas Warriors debut was pedestrian with seven points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. "It was a lot of fun. This is my 10th one, you kind of get tired of opening night and the theatrics, youre just ready to go play." said Iguodala. "I think it was done well and it kind of gave us a boost of energy coming out. So weve got to let that energy carry us throughout the first month of the season, keep it going and just stay focused." The Warriors won three of the four meetings last season, but are 5-13 in the last 18 road matchups. ' ' '