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. Air Jordan Shop Italia è Sicuro . 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." Nike Roshe Run Online Outlet .com) - The New York Knicks announced they signed guard Langston Galloway to a second 10-day contract. Jordan 4 Retro Prezzo . They are the two best not because of any perimeter player but due to the offensive line of scrimmage players, the lineman. DENVER -- Lindsey Vonn will skip the World Cup races next week in Beaver Creek, Colorado, as she recovers from a downhill training crash in which she partially tore one of the reconstructed ligaments in her surgically repaired right knee. The reigning Olympic downhill champion will continue to go through therapy on her knee and is not ruling out a possible return to racing in Lake Louise, Alberta, the following week, her personal publicist, Lewis Kay, said in a statement Friday. The Sochi Games are less than three months away and its unclear whether Vonns crash earlier this week will affect her Olympic aspirations. The four-time overall World Cup champion fell during a training run at Copper Mountain, hurting the same knee she injured in a high-speed crash at the world championships in February. She also suffered minor facial abrasions and a bruised shoulder blade, which are on the mend. On her Facebook page Friday afternoon, Vonn wrote: "Thank you all so much for your support and well wishes. It has been a very difficult few days and your positive messages have helped tremendously. Rehab is going well and I am worrking as hard as I can to race in Lake Louise in a few weeks. Nike Air Max 2016 Italia. . Thank you again, Im proud to have the best fans in the world! Love, Lindsey." She then added, "PS: dont worry guys, this is only a temporary setback. Nothing will keep me from picking myself back up and continuing to fight for my dreams." Her surgeon, Dr. Bill Sterett, said that Vonn is "progressing well while not losing any of the strength she worked so hard to achieve." Vonn, who lives in Vail, was looking forward to making her season debut in Beaver Creek on a new womens course set up ahead of the 2015 world championships. Vonn knows Lake Louise quite well, though, and has been so successful there -- winning 14 times -- that its become known as "Lake Lindsey." After Lake Louise, the World Cup womens circuit swings back to Europe for super-G and giant slalom races in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Dec. 14-15. Then, its off to Courchevel, France, for a slalom event on Dec. 17. Vonn remains three wins away from matching Austrian great Annemarie Moser-Proells record of 62 World Cup race victories. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys ' ' '