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Any NFL team that drafts Michael Sam will be taking on much more than a rookie pass-rusher. But experts say the smart approach for a team that signs the leagues first openly gay athlete -- from a marketing and public relations standpoint -- is to simply let Sams on-field play speak for him and his team. "While this is a significant announcement given the sport, the general hope is that hes just accepted as one of the other men on the roster, and therefore his marketability is still simply tied to his ability to play well on the field and ultimately make the team," said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. Sam declared Sunday that he is gay in interviews with ESPN, The New York Times and Outsports. The Missouri All-American had already come out last August to his coaches and teammates, who respected his privacy. Now Sam is entering uncharted territory as he prepares for the NFL draft. The SECs co-defensive player of the year was projected to be a mid-round selection. At 6-foot-2, 255 pounds, Sam will likely have to transition to outside linebacker, which could impact where hes drafted. But announcing hes gay could also have an impact on his draft status. "Im not naive to think there arent potentially some owners or executives out there who will say, Eh, Im not so sure now." said Golden State Warriors President and Chief of Operations Rick Welts, who came out publicly in 2011. "But also, I hope, there are a lot who would say, Theres an opportunity to do something that I think our fans would actually embrace. And if were supposed to win football games, if this guy helps us win football games, thats somebody we should have on our roster." Sam, 24, joins a growing list of active athletes to publicly come out, including Robbie Rogers, a winger for Major League Soccers Los Angeles Galaxy, and Brittney Griner, who plays for the WNBAs Phoenix Mercury. Conner Mertens, a kicker for Division III Willamette University, came out as bisexual late last month, and is believed to have been the first active college football player to publicly announce his sexuality. Griner, as one of the WNBAs brightest stars, was the centerpiece of the Mercurys marketing campaign. She also made a point of supporting causes that are important to her. "There was nothing about her that was difficult in marketing. We supported what she wanted to do with bullying and the LGBT community. We made those connecting points," said Amber Cox, president of the Mercury before leaving to go to the Big East last fall. Nike has also thrown support to LGBT athletes, signing both Griner and Jason Collins, a former NBA player who came out last year, to sponsorship deals, and launching its "Be True" campaign. Profits from the .BeTrue collection are being donated to the LGBT Sports Coalition to support the goal of ending discrimination in sport. Mark Elderkin of the Gay Ad Network, an online media platform for national advertisers, said NFL teams need only look at Sams track record. "Theyre going to make their choices based on who the best college athletes are. And theyre going to choose Michael if they deem him the best pick. So, I think they need to focus on the facts, and his performance over the years, his All-America status and everything hes done for Missouri," Elderkin said. "Also his relationships with the fans, and with the positive energy he has around his teammates and their full support, shows that hes not going to be disruptive to the team in any way, but is going to add value." But its still a reality that gay athletes face a backlash. Derogatory comments were easily found among the positive posts on social media and other online commentary following Sams announcement. A Pew Research survey last year of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults in the U.S. found that just 4 per cent saw pro sports leagues as friendly toward LGBT people, while 59 per cent saw the leagues as unfriendly and 36 per cent saw them as neutral. Still, even over the past year there have been significant overall victories in gay and lesbian rights, most notably two U.S. Supreme Court decisions in June. One ruling cleared the way for ending a ban on same-sex marriages in California; the other struck down a 1996 law passed by Congress that banned federal recognition of same-sex marriages. It remains to be seen how growing tolerance extends to the NFL playing field. "I think the point thats being made in a lot of the discussion is, Lets just move on," Swangard said. "If the guy makes a team, then he makes the team. His sexual orientation shouldnt be the story." 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THE THUNDER & PACERS BENCHES: In a nutshell, not impressive at all.SAN DIEGO - New England coach Bill Belichick says his Patriots have a lot to get ready for with the streaking San Diego Chargers coming up this weekend.They have a lot of weapons; they do a lot of things well, Belichick said Friday as the Patriots neared the end of their week in San Diego.Slowing Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is among the focal points.Hes a great quarterback, said defensive end Rob Ninkovich, who leads the Patriots with six sacks. He can make every throw so we just have to do a good job of being on top of all the targets and making sure that we make him uncomfortable.That wasnt the case with Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers last Sunday. Rodgers was sacked once as he threw for two touchdowns and 348 yards in the 26-21 win over the Patriots.Last week is a completely different story, Ninkovich said. That guy can get out of the pocket and hes more of a scrambling quarterback, and he makes a lot more plays with his feet..dddddddddddd (Were) moving on from last week. Last week was a different game plan, and this week is something different, so we just have to go out there and execute.New England (9-3) practiced this week at the University of San Diego, having travelled to Southern California after losing to the Packers.Weve had great co-operation from all people that weve worked with, Belichick said. Its been really good.The Patriots will likely be without linebacker Chris White (ankle) on Sunday. He didnt practice on Friday and is listed as doubtful, the only Patriots player expected to miss the game.The Chargers (8-4) were encouraged by the return of right tackle D.J. Fluker and centre Chris Watt; both are questionable.Fluker didnt practice Thursday with a concussion. Watt was absent since exiting Sundays win over the Baltimore Ravens with a calf injury.Nose tackle Ryan Carrethers (elbow) is out and will miss his third consecutive game. ' ' '