Montreal Alouettes receiver Arland Bruce III has been fined an undisclosed amount by the CFL after posting an Instagram message directed towards NFL prospect Michael Sam, the star Missouri defensive end who earlier this week revealed he is gay.
Bruce wrote the following message attached to a photo of him with an unidentified female:
“YOW! Mr/MSam you scared to rub on [expletive] and [expletive] and [expletive] you gaey. Man up and do some MFN push UPS and get on your knees and submit to God fully. Come out of her: Americas Trap. Lil homie don’t go thru with it it’s a trap bruh.”
Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive tackle Bryant Turner was also fined Tuesday for making inappropriate comments about Sam.
“The comments made by these players are extremely disappointing and do not represent the CFL’s views or the views of the vast majority of our players,” CFL commissioner Mark Cohon said in a statement. “The CFL is supportive of openly gay athletes in professional sports and we commend the courage shown by Michael Sam. During the off-season, we have been working with an organization that specializes in this subject and look forward to announcing a formal partnership with them in the near future.”
https://twitter.com/BurkieYCP/status/433329360582348802
Bruce has yet to publicly address his fine or the message he posted, but his team unequivocally denounced the comments in a statement released Tuesday afternoon, adding “The statements and feelings expressed by Bruce III are disappointing and do not reflect the opinions and values of the Montreal Alouettes Football Club.”
If Sam, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, makes an NFL roster, he would become the first active openly gay NFLer.
“Our organization supports all types of diversity. Every individual is unique and free to make his or her own choices,” Alouettes general manager and head coach Jim Popp stated. “We evaluate players, coaches and support staff based on their skill set and not by gender, colour, religion or sexual orientation. The Montreal Alouettes have a simple criteria to determine who can be a member of our organization. We seek individuals who will make a positive contribution to our team goals and to the Montreal community.”
