President Barack Obama on Monday
weighed in on Missouri Tigers defensive end Michael Sam's coming out
gay.
On Sunday, Sam, 24, publicly announced
he's gay: “I'm Michael Sam. … And I'm Gay.”
(Related: Michael
Sam, NFL draft prospect, comes out gay.)
“Congratulations on leading the way,
@MikeSamFootball,” Obama messaged to his more than 41 million
followers on Twitter. “That's real sportsmanship.”
MSNBC's Morning Joe questioned
whether the NFL would accept an openly gay player.
Co-host Thomas Roberts gave the issue
some perspective: “The league can overlook alleged murderers, wife
beaters, and people that don't play child support,” Roberts said.
“I don't think that letting in a nice, clean-cut gay guy is going
to hurt anybody.”
Joe Scarborough opined that football
was about winning games and the NFL “would take an avowed
communist,” if it was in their interest.
(Watch
the segment on MSNBC.)
(Related: Michelle
Obama, Deion Sanders, Jason Collins cheer Michael Sam's coming out.)