AdamZyglis,May12,2014,TheBuffaloNews

ThecartoondepictsMichaelSam,SECDefensivePlayeroftheYear,holdingafootball
andhisfistintheair.OverhisheadisasignreadingForwardProgress...Hisrightgloveis
rainbowcoloredandtheRamssymbolisonbothofhisshoulders.Theissuethatinspiredthe
cartoonisthedraftingofMichaelSam,thefirstopenlygayplayerintheNFL.Hewasdraftedby
theRams249thoverall.Thegloveonhislefthandsymbolizeshissexualorientationbecause
therainbowflagrepresentsthediversityoftheLGBTcommunity.Thecartoonistsupports
MichaelSambecausethesignindicatesthattheNFLismovingforward.Iagreewiththe
cartoonistbecauseIliveinacommunitywheresexualorientationisnotanissue.Thecartoonist
isliberalbecausehesupportsequalityinprofessionalsports.Thestyleofthiscartoonissimple
andforceful.

DaveGranlund,May13,2014
ThreeguysaresittingatadinerandtalkingaboutMichaelSam.Theyarewearingplaid
shirts,suspendersandhats.Theyareeatingcoffee,donuts,andeggs.Theoneinthemiddleis
holdinganewspapertitled,SportsNews.Thedialogueballoonsindicatethatthemainonthe
leftisquestioningtheRamsdecisionindraftingMichaelSam.Thewaytheyaredressed
representsthemasoldfashioned.Themanontheleftisconcernedthatitwillleadtoplayers
huggingandpattingeachotheronthebutt,whiletheguywiththepaperpointsoutthatthisis
whattheyalreadydo.ThecartoonistbelievesthathavingopenlygayplayersintheNFLwillnot
changetheirbehavior.Iagreebecauseitwillnotchangefootballplayersconductduringthe
games.Thecartoonistislookingatthisissuerealistically.Thecartoonismeanttobefunnybut
stillprovesapoint.

JoeHeller,February11,2014,GreenBayPressGazette
Inthiscartoonabartenderisservingaladyaglassofwhine.Theladyisquestioningwhy
amannexttoherislookingsad.ThebartendersaysthatheisdistraughtbecausetheNFLis
changing.ThesadlookingmaniswearingahatthatsaysBigotry.Thiscartoonwaspublished
beforethedraftingofMichaelSam.Italsomentionsthecontroversysurroundingthenameofthe
Washingtonfootballteam,theRedskins.ThereareNativeAmericangroupsopposedtothe
namebecausetheybelieveitisaracialslur.Theteamsownerwhoiswhitehassaidhewill
neverchangethenameoftheteam.Thecartoonistisdealingwithbigotryontwofronts,both
racialandsexual.Thecartoonistisaprogressivebecauseheissatirisingpeoplewhotake
solaceintheirbigotry.Thecartoonismeanttoquestionwhypeoplefindintoleranceacceptable.

JohnDarkow,May12,2014,ColumbiaDailyTribune
InthemiddleofthecartoonthereisaRamchargingthroughastonewall.Leavinga
gapingholeandtossingstoneseverywhere.HisheadisdownandonhishideitsaysMichael
Sam.UnderneaththecartoonisthetitleBarrierBreaker.ThedraftingofMichaelsambreaksthe
gaybarrierintheNFL.MichaelSamisportrayedasarambecausehewasdraftedbytheSaint
LouisRams.Thesubstantialappearanceofthewallmakesthepointthatthebiasagainstopenly
gayplayerswasalongstandingissueintheNFL.Thecartoonistbelievesthatitisanimportant
breakthrough.ThecartoonistportraysSampositively.Thecartoonistmakesthebreakingofthe
barrierseemlikeavictory.Thecartoonintendedtoevokethatsomethinggoodwasdone.

JimmyMargulies,Feb10,2014
ThecartoonisofafootballfieldwithMichaelSamandareferee.Therefereeisholdinga
rainbowflag.Anannouncerissaying,MichaelSamcomesoutoftheclosetandthere'saflag
ontheplay!...Whattheannouncerisreferringtoisnotapenaltyflagbuttherainbowflag,which
isthesymbolfortheLGBTmovement.TheissuethatisbeingreferredtoisMichaelSam
revealinghissexualorientationwellbeforetheNFLdraftoccurred.Thecartoonistsopinionisthat
itisfineforhimtobegaybutinsomeplacesitwillbyacauseforalarmbecauseusuallyaflag
meansapenalty.Samlooksveryproudandsecurewithhisownsexualorientation.Iagreethat
theissuecausedalotofdiscussionincertaingroups.Thecartoonistisliberalbecauseheisnot
portrayingSamsbeinggayasabadthing.Thecartoonisintendingtoprovokesurprisethat
Samsbeinggaywouldbeanissueatall.

DrewLitton,May13,2014,drewlitton.com
MichaelSamisstandingontheleftfromastatueofJackieRobinson.Samisholdinga
newspaperandiswearinghisfootballgear.JackieRobinsonwasthefirstAfricanAmericanin
MajorLeagueBaseballandplayedasnumber42fortheBrooklynDodgers.Heisasymbolof
breakingthecolorbarrierinbaseballjustasSamisbreakingthegaybarrierinfootball.Robinson
isexplainingthatwhatreallycountsishowwellSamplays.Healsoadviseshimtohaveagood
setofearplugsbecauseofthetauntinghewillinevitablyreceivefromthefans.Thecartoonistis
makingthecomparisonbetweenbreakingthecolorbarrierandSamssituationbecauseofthe
prejudicesbeingoverthrown.CartoonistsbelievesitwillbeamajorbreakthroughintheNFL.I
agreewiththecomparisonbetweenthepioneers.Whatheisdoesnotmatter,whatcountsis
howwellheplays.Thecartoonistisprogressivebecauseheshowsthatitisanotherstep
towardsequality.Thecartoonwantspeopletorealizethatacceptanceispossible.
SummaryandReflection

Basedonthecartoonsabovemostofthecartoonistareprogressiveliberals.Allofthe
cartoonssupportSamsacceptance.AllofthecartoonswithSaminthemportrayhimasa
strongandproudtobegay.Thereislittlenegativitytowardshiminanyofthecartoons.Theones
thatdonothavehiminitaremakingfunofpeopletakingoffensethatheisgayandhowthatwill
affecttheNFL.Thecartoonistsusedifferentdevicestoexpresstheirviews.Someusesatire
whileothersaremoresimple.Thecartoonistsapproachtothisissuedidchangemyview
becausetheymadeitseemlikeastridetowardsequalitythatandIdidnotthinktherewouldeven
besixcartoonsaboutMichaelSam.ThecartoonistdidsupportthemajorityopinionbutIcould
notfindanycartoonsfortheotherside.Therehavebeenpeoplewhohavespokenoutand
believeitisnotrightbutthereviewpointswerenotexpressed.ThecartoonIlikethemostisthe
onebeDrewLitton.IbelievewhatJackieRobinsonsaysisverytrue.Whateverybodywillbe
watchingishowheperforms.Thisisaffectedbythecrowdsoitisimportanttoblockthemout.
SamsjerseyisthesecondmostpopularrightnowonNFL.comandheisgettingalotofpress.
HehasagreedtodoadocumentaryseriesproducedbyOprahWinfrey.Mostofthecartoonsare
fromMayorFebruary.Therewaslittleactivityinbetweenmeaningthatthisissuewilllikelydie
downuntilSamwalksontothefield.ThereisstillthepossibilitythattheNFLcouldfindnotworth
thenoiseheismaking.NFLteamsdonotlikenoise.TaketheDenverBroncos.In2010the
BroncosdraftedTebowahighlycovetedcollegefootballplayer.In2010theBroncoswent4and
12butin2011whenTebowstartedtheywent88andmadeitintotheplayoffs.Afterthatyear
Tebowwascuteventhoughhehelpedturntheteamaround.Thisisbecauseofallofthenoise.