Recently in the NFL, there was a huge rock that created ripples in the whole league. Michael Sam, a 1st team All-American Defense End from Missouri, announced to the world that he was gay. Gay. Michael Sam, who recently came out to the world, will now have to face the NFL draft. The issue with Michael is that even though his sexual orientation does not affect his NFL career, it will possibly affect his draft position. His draft position will definitely affect his personal income. It is very well known that depending on your draft position, is exactly how much money you can expect to be paid.
Many cable networks including ESPN have been stating that Michael Sam’s decision will affect his NFL draft position. Why? The reason lies in the possible distraction. Being the first NFL draftee to come out, there will be extra added attention to the particular team that will draft him. With this added attention, will the other players get tired of being asked how Michael’s decision affects them? Some players may not want the added distraction and therefore present their cases to the upper office for Michael not to be on the team. By announcing his homosexuality, Michael has risked his opportunity for a higher payday. In our idealistic mindset, we think that everybody should be objective. However, this is not the world we live in.
Michael Sam is a perfect example that your personal decisions will affect your income. It is very important to fully understand personal decisions post likely will affect your income bracket.