By Erik Hall
The television coverage of Michael Sam’s first preseason game is disappointing through the first half.
The game is being broadcast by the NFL Network — or the Rams Broadcasting Network, which the logos on the screen say exists. Even though the show “Total Access” on the NFL Network immediately before the game touted Sam as being one of the top players in the upcoming preseason game against the New Orleans Saints, the announcers in the booth are mostly ignoring him.
Sam was on the field about five or six plays in the final five minutes of the first quarter, but the announcers did not mention him.
Play-by-play announcer Andrew Siciliano finally mentioned Sam at the start of the second quarter. But Siciliano incorrectly said at the start of the second quarter about Sam that, “It’s the first time we’ve seen him.” Siciliano then said that Sam had just been mentioned by the public address announcer and basically admitted he needed the P.A. guy’s help to realize Sam took the field.
With about 12 minutes, 15 seconds left in the second quarter, Siciliano and the couple color guys in the booth with him talked about Sam some. Sam made his only tackle of the first half. “Michael Sam makes a play on Khiry Robinson,” Siciliano said when Sam wrapped up the Saints’ running back from behind.
One of the color guys then said, “That’s what he’s got to do more of to make this team."
Siciliano’s wise retort was, "We’ve called his name twice today.”
The only other mention about Sam to that point was that he had taken the field.
The color guys on the game are former Rams Super Bowl champions Marshall Faulk and Torry Holt. I haven’t heard them enough to distinguish the two just by their voice.
Siciliano, Faulk and Holt have failed viewers with their lack of acknowledgement about Sam’s historic game. They have not talked at all about Sam being the NFL’s first openly gay player. It does not seem important to them. They seem to be ignoring him.
Sam has just one tackle, but he’s been on the field at least a dozen plays in the first half.
This is the first openly gay player in a National Football League game, and the game’s announcers do not want to acknowledge it.
Announcers usually slobber to talk about a great story, and this is a great story.
I hope the attitude of the announcers changes in the second half, because so far, they are a failure.
*The announcers did not talk about Michael Sam at all in the second half. The only time he was mentioned after halftime was coming out of the halftime break, Siciliano simply said that Sam had played in the first half. Sam did not play any during the fourth quarter.
Before leaving #MizzouProDay around 2:30, Michael Sam stopped to sign a fan’s @SInow cover. @EmpireAthletes pic.twitter.com/ThsWTfMFLJ
— Erik Hall (@hallerik)March 20, 2014
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