Many have speculated on the possible effect of NFL hopeful Michael
Sam coming out as gay earlier this year, but two thirds of fans now think it
will have no effect on his career.
A Marist Poll released on Monday found that 65% of American
football fans across the US thought his coming out would have no effect on
whether or not he is drafted.
One in four people said the NFL teams would be less likely to pick
him, and just 6% said they thought he would be more likely to be selected
because of coming out as gay. 3% said they were unsure.
Men were more likely to think Sam’s coming out would have a
negative impact with 29% of men compared to 20% of women.
“These results indicate that many football fans view professional
football as a sport which is increasingly accepting of openly gay athletes,”
says Dr. Keith Strudler, Director of The Marist College Center for Sports
Communication.
”They believe that Michael Sam’s abilities, not his orientation,
will determine his professional future.”
The poll was conducted by the Marist College Center for Sports
Communication.
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