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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." J.J. 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With Major League Soccers youngest general manager Tim Bezbatchenko at the helm and the vastly experienced Tim Leiweke heading up the organization, we are starting to see encouraging signs as the foundation is laid for a much improved roster in 2014. Of course, there have been many false dawns before at a club that has changed direction far too many times in its short history, but this time it feels different. There actually seems to be a plan being carried out by people who have the ability, knowledge and relationships to get the job done. The signing of24-year-old Brazilian forward Gilberto as a Designated Player on Friday could be a major piece of the puzzle, but other moves made this week also give an indication that progress is being made. Jacksons arrival from FC Dallas provides the club with some MLS experience as well as someone who can play in a number of different positions. The trade of Stefan Frei along with re-signing of Joe Bendik ensured the goalkeeping situation was dealt with in a timely manner. The fact that these moves are being made in early December instead of March is a welcome change. At Toronto FCs Downsview Park training facility, “the war room” as Bezbatchenko likes to call it has a board with long lists of players they are chasing. The moves the club is making are calculated. There are top targets, and many back-up plans as the GM and his team work through a process paying great attention to detail, determined to get the best fit possible for their club in both a football and financial sense. They have made no secret of their intention to sign a big-name Designated Player. Jermain Defoe is set to join the club in January from Tottenham Hotspur, but he is just one of four or five topp level DPs the club has targeted.dddddddddddd Plan B, C and D are all on stand-by in case there is a last minute hitch with the England forward, although I understand the deal has already been agreed to to bring Defoe to Toronto for a transfer fee that could rise as high as $13 million. Beyond the DP signings there are also two or three other key players Bezbatchenko expects to bring in. Dwayne De Rosario is a potential target, but only if the deal is right. TFC certainly wont overpay to bring the veteran home. Bezbatchenko is taking a methodical approach that will hopefully ensure the club isnt left scrambling in preseason looking to sign players as has been the case on so many previous occasions. This year, there should be no need for 10 players to turn up for a preseason trial in Orlando, or for multiple players to be rushed to the border to activate work permits on the afternoon before the season opener. There was even an occasion a few years ago where a deal was done so late that a player had to sign his contract in the taxi on the way from the airport to the stadium for the first game of the season! I sense those days are over. When talking with Tim Bezbatchenko it is easy to see he has a plan. He also has the relationships within the league to assist in making that plan work. In the tight knit community of Major League Soccer, the importance of having relationships with other clubs, agents and players cannot be underestimated, and having worked at league office, Bezbatchenko has earned respect across MLS. Toronto FC fans have the right to be skeptical - they have seen failure too many times before. 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