Did the Rams draft Michael Sam back in 2014 simply to avoid being forced to appear on HBO’s hit show, Hard Knocks? A new report from veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer suggests that that’s exactly why the Rams made history by bringing Sam on board during the 2014 NFL Draft. According to Balzer, the Rams—who are scheduled to appear on Hard Knocks this summer—didn’t want to have to appear on Hard Knocks that year. So they struck a deal with the NFL that called for them to draft Sam and help the league avoid a potential headache in exchange for not having to appear on the show.
Surprised? Sam isn’t. A short time after Balzer sent out that tweet, the now-former NFL player responded to it with this:
But Rams head coach Jeff Fisher has come out and downplayed Bazler’s report. He claims that it’s “insulting” to think the Rams would draft Sam simply to avoid Hard Knocks.
“It’s 100 percent incorrect,” he said with regards to the report. “I was really taken aback by those comments. It’s insulting, from my standpoint, as it relates to Michael. We had three seventh-round picks. When we drafted Michael, he was the best player on the board. Who in their right mind would think that you give up a draft choice to avoid doing something like that?”
Hmmm…What do you think? It doesn't seem that crazy to think that the Rams would have agreed to a deal to keep themselves off Hard Knocks. You can read Balzer's full report here.
Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com.
[via Deadspin]
