All things offseason discussion part II

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by SirLK26

Because if someone were to say they wouldn't draft a black player in this day and age, it would be straight up racial discrimination. What distraction would a straight male black player who played college ball at a high level bring?

If Sam were gay, but Dungy knew he wouldn't be a distraction, Dungy would draft him. He's not "discriminating" against Sam because he's gay, but because of the distraction he would bring. There's a difference.

Jackie Robinson was worth every bit of distraction he brought, being one of the best major league players ever and all. Sam might not even make the Rams' roster. I think the distraction versus what you get out of the distraction should definitely play a part.

I think if you were an NFL coach, you would have a different view. Football isn't all about talent. It's about teamwork, camaraderie, and all that good stuff. Not saying definitively the Rams won't play well together because of Sam, but Dungy apparently thinks things might not work so well over there. And, according to Derrick Brooks, it's likely that's a near-unanimous consensus among NFL teams.

First, I get the "teamwork, camaraderie" aspect and its importance. Also, I understand your premise that refusal to draft a black player b/c their blackness would allegedly create distraction is an obvious ruse. However, neither of these alters the fundamental question: Is it okay to make roster decisions based gender-preference. Can I cut a more talented player who will cause a distraction based on their gender-preference to retain a lesser talented player who creates no such distraction?

I think it a given that, but for his homosexuality, Sam was a draft worthy player. Thus, the question remains: Is it permissible to say "You're gay, I won't draft you b/c you're a marginal talent and your gender-preference is likely to be a distraction."

For Dungy the distraction preventing Sam's drafting is his homosexuality. Dungy is discriminating based on gender-preference because it is the "but-for" causation of the alleged distraction. If Sam is not gay, no distraction and no prohibition on drafting a marginal player. Sam is gay, so deemed a distraction, and, thus, prohibition on drafting a marginal player.

Again, you can couch it however you want, but Dungy's reasoning for saying he wouldn't draft Sam ultimately turns on Sam's gender-preference and nothing else. To assert it is anything other than is "straight-up discrimination," is a denial of reality ["The Civil War wasn't about slavery, it was about State's rights."].

As for your statement: "If Sam were gay, but Dungy knew he wouldn't be a distraction, Dungy would draft him." As it applies to Sam, it is a logical fallacy.
The logical statement: "If x, but not y, then z."
In your statement: x= Sam is gay; y= a distraction; z= gets drafted

The logical fallacy is that the only way that Sam is "not a distraction" is if he is "not gay". Thus:

1. not y (not a distraction) = not x (not gay); consequently
2. y (distraction) = x (gay); thus,
3. If x, but not x, then z.

A result cannot occur conditioned on the simultaneous existence and nonexistence of "x". Because Sam is gay, Dungy will always assume he will be a distraction. [Again, if Sam were a first round talent, superstar then no gender based discrimination occurs. The gender based discrimination occurs only because Sam's talent does not outweigh the distraction caused by his gayness].

Discrimination is not inherently illegal - we could not function if we did not discriminate between good and bad, right and wrong. The question is not "Is Dungy discriminating based on gender preference?" b/c he is. The onlyquestion is whether this type of discrimination is permissible.

In the NFL is gender-preference based discrimination right or wrong in your book? Simple question. Is it okay to say, "Your homosexuality will be a distraction that outweighs your talent so I will not sign you"? [Again, from a different era - under this reasoning, it was fine to discriminate against marginal black players in the era of segregation b/c their distraction caused by their skin color outweighed their talent level].