CLEVELAND -- Once Michael Sam is drafted in the NFL, the Missouri defensive end will be judged strictly on whether he can play and whether he can help his team win. Beto Portugal Jersey . Everything else -- even that hes gay -- will be trivial. As the first openly homosexual player to enter the draft, Sam could face scrutiny unlike any player before him. But many of the greatest players and coaches in football history dont believe hell be subjected to any hatred, harassment, discrimination or bullying by teammates. "I dont think hell have any problem in the locker room. I dont think hell have any problems on the field," said Hall of Fame offensive tackle Art Shell. "The one thing about football players, theyre inclusive. They will take you for who you are, not what people try to portray you as. "Its who you are: Youre a football player, then you can play with us. I dont see that as being a problem in the National Football League." Shells stance was shared by several other Hall of Famers, including Lions running back Barry Sanders, Buffalo coach Marv Levy, and Giants linebacker Harry Carson, who appeared along with nearly 100 other inductees at a two-day "Fan Fest," the largest gathering ever of football legends outside Canton, Ohio. Sanders, who retired at the peak of his career following the 1998 season with 15,269 career yards rushing, believes theres an unwritten code among football players to ignore anything other than a persons skills and talents. "From the time youre a kid and you start playing, youre almost programmed for Can a guy play or not?" he said. "By the time you get to the NFL, thats well ingrained. Im pretty sure every guy in this league has been around gay individuals before, and so I dont think it will be much different." Sams courageous decision to reveal his sexual orientation was an important personal milestone. It was also an historic moment for the NFL and all major sports as it provides a deeper reflection of societys openness and willingness to accept his individuality. Sams revelation may not have been met with such overwhelming approval just a few years ago. In the macho arena that is pro football, Sam may have been an outcast in previous generations. "Hes a very bold guy to come out," said cornerback Michael Haynes, a nine-time Pro Bowler elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997. "The timing is good. If hed done that in the 60s or 70s, maybe not so good because everybody was really struggling with how to understand differences like that in people. "Diversity has become a critical topic, people are talking about it all the time and I think the world is different. Remember Magic Johnson with AIDS? It starts with education. Hell be judged on football." Carson, who retired in 1988 after 13 seasons in New York, said he was "proud" of Sam for choosing to be open about his sexuality. Carson recalled that one of his Giants teammates, offensive lineman Roy Simmons, was suspected as being gay and was never ostracized. "It never really swayed anyones opinion of him," Carson said. "But its something he lived with and he didnt have to by himself because he had teammates, and the teammates he had were guys who supported him. Even though he never said anything, were a team and guys on the team who are unselfish are going to support their teammates regardless of how they choose to live their lives." Simmons, the first player to acknowledge he was HIV positive, died early this year. He was 57. Its possible there will be some awkwardness for Sam in the locker room, where he could be subjected to jokes and playful ribbing. Sanders believes those days are long gone. "Guys are more forward thinking than you think," he said. "It helps that hes a big guy. No one will mess with him." The 6-foot-2, 261-pound Sam has been projected to be drafted from the third round on. Sam didnt perform well on the field at the scouting combine, where he calmly handled tough questions about his decision to "come out." Levy, who led the Bills to four straight Super Bowls, said his criteria before deciding to draft Sam would be pretty simple. "Is he the best guy at his position when were on the board, and do we need a guy at that position?" the 89-year-old Levy said. "If so, Ill take him. Id like to know his character qualities and other things, but that would not factor into my decision." If he were coaching a team that selected Sam, Levy said he would not feel any need to address his players. That may not have been the case 10 or 20 years ago. "I wouldnt make an issue of it," Levy said. "I think society has adjusted to the point where its an acceptable thing and why make an issue of it? That would be my approach. Things change, plus Ive got to worry about how to pick up the blitz." Custom Portugal Jerseys . The moves were the first punitive steps taken by the Dolphins since a report on the NFLs investigation of the case was released last week. Investigators found that guard Richie Incognito and two teammates engaged in persistent harassment directed at tackle Jonathan Martin, another offensive lineman and an assistant trainer. Cedric Jersey . The Tournament of Champions, which starts Friday, is his first event since a freak accident in Shanghai two months ago. Snedeker was on a Segway scooter during a corporate outing at Sheshan International when he took a tumble and injured his left knee. http://www.soccerportugalshop.com/world-cup-ruben-dias-football-jersey/ . Raonic, the No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., had 18 aces in the match. He needed one hour 39 minutes to complete the victory.PHILADELPHIA - The Winnipeg Jets will aim for a third straight win when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers for a Black Friday matinee at the Wells Fargo Center. Fans in the Jets viewing region can watch the game on TSN Jets beginning at 10am ct/11am et and listeners can tune in to TSN Radio 1290 Winnipeg. The Jets ended a four-game slide with Mondays win in New Jersey and then added a road victory Wednesday evening against the New York Islanders. The consecutive wins came at the start of a season-long six-game road trip and improved Winnipegs away record to 5-5-1. Winnipeg recorded a 3-2 regulation win against the Islanders, as Mark Stuart, Andrew Ladd and Devin Setoguchi all tallied in the second period for the visiting Jets. Al Montoya bested his former club by posting 28 saves for the Jets. Montoya played two seasons for the Islanders from 2010-12. "We gave them some life late, but we managed the game well when it counted most," Jets head coach Claude Noel said. "Al made some big stops for us and we found a way to hold on." Winnipeg has won two straight against the Flyers and is 5-2-1 over the last eight games in this series. Philadelphia had also lost six straight home games against the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise before posting a 5-3 decision against the visiting Jets on Feb. 23. Fridays encounter is the second of two scheduled meetings between the Jets and Flyers this season. Philadelphia visited Winnipeg on Nov. 15 and the Jets earned a 3-2 shootout win. Ondrej Pavelec earned the win for the Jets with 32 saves through regulation and overtime in that meeting earlier this month and expects to get the start today. Pavelec is 7-3-1 with a 3.24 goals against average in 12 career outings against Philly. The Flyers will aim to end a two-game slide when it takes the ice on Friday. Philadelphiia dropped consecutive tests at Florida and Tampa Bay after winning all three outings on a three-game homestand from Nov. Bernardo Silva Jersey. 19-23. The Flyers also had a 6-0-1 record in the seven games prior to the recent losses against the Panthers and Lightning. After dropping a 3-1 decision against the Panthers on Monday, the Flyers were dealt a 4-2 setback Wednesday night in Tampa. Victor Hedman scored twice for the Lightning, who nearly coughed up a three-goal lead in the final two minutes of regulation, but held on to top the Flyers and spoil Vincent Lecavaliers return to Tampa. Lecavalier spent 14 seasons with the Lightning and the former No. 1 pick of the 1998 draft totaled team records of 1,037 games played and 383 goals, along with 491 assists and 874 points. He was honored by the hosts with a lengthy video tribute in the first period, which drew a standing ovation. With the Flyers down 3-0 heading into the final two minutes of the third period, Lecavalier scored on the power play to cut the deficit to two. Mark Streit tallied for Philly just 40 seconds later to make it a 3-2 game, but Tyler Johnson would seal with win for the Lightning with an empty-net marker with 34 seconds left. Ray Emery made 31 stops for the Flyers. Emery is 3-4-0 this season after posting a 17-1-0 record for Chicago during last years lockout-shortened campaign. "Theres no excuse for not being motivated," Emery said. "We could have found tons of stuff to get motivated over." Steve Mason expects to start for the Flyers on Friday. The goaltender is 2-0-1 with a sparkling 0.88 GAA in four career tilts against Winnipeg. The Flyers played Wednesday without forward Matt Read, who is questionable for Fridays tilt with a lower-body injury. Read has eight goals and three assists in 23 games this season. China Jerseys Wholesale Cheap Jerseys Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys Wholesale NFL Gear Cheap Jerseys Online Disocunt Football Jerseys Cheap NFL Black Jerseys ' ' '