American sportscaster Dale Hansen has been receiving attention for addressing the negative reaction to NFL prospect Michael Sam coming out as gay.
The Missouri defensive end publicly came out on Sunday, causing quite a stir in the football community.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, NFL officials said Sam wouldn’t be welcome in an NFL locker room.
But in a video that has gone viral, the sportscaster on ABC’s Dallas affiliate WFAA, delivered a powerful speech, urging NFL officials and viewers to embrace people’s differences.
“You beat a woman and drag her down a flight of stairs, pulling her hair out by the roots, you’re the fourth guy taken in the NFL draft,” Hansen said.
Hansen goes on to list examples of other players who managed to get away with despicable behaviour. “You kill people while driving drunk. That guy’s welcome…You love another man. Well now you’ve gone too far.”
“I’m not always comfortable when a man tells me he is gay, I don’t understand his world, but I do understand that he is part of mine,” Hansen added.
Sam later took to Twitter to thank Hansen for showing his support. “@dalehansen Loved your segment, agreed with everything you said #GetEmDale.”
