ST. Devan Dubnyk Jersey . LOUIS -- The overflow crowd at Rams Park did not intimidate Michael Sam. He seemed almost eager for the attention and scrutiny. The first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team was confident and engaged Tuesday as he was formally introduced by the St. Louis Rams, handling questions and scrutiny with aplomb well beyond that of a typical seventh-round pick. "Im determined to be great," Sam said. "I understand that right now you guys want to make a big deal of it." Sam put his arm around coach Jeff Fisher after sharing the podium with other late-round picks. He joked that hed never before heard the term "tweener" and even rose in his chair in mock intimidation of fellow Missouri draftee E.J. Gaines, a sixth-rounder whod been asked what the SEC co-defensive player of the year was like as a teammate. Sam, who came out to teammates and coaches before his senior season at Missouri, disagreed that his sexuality had been a secret. "Apparently, everybody else makes a big deal out of it," Sam said. "But my teammates and my school didnt." "Its OK to be who you are," he added. "Whether youre gay, straight, black or white, its OK to be comfortable in your own skin." After getting the go-ahead from owner Stan Kroenke and making the pick Saturday, Fisher called it a "second historic moment" for a franchise that signed running back Kenny Washington in 1946 as the NFLs first black player in the modern era. Just as in his post-draft teleconference with St. Louis media that was sprinkled with salty language, Sam was feisty. Hes had a few months to get accustomed to the role of trailblazer instead of a silent star. Sure, hes a role model. Right now hed much rather be the Rams description of "designated pass rusher." "I will always support equality, period," Sam said. "But my job is to focus on football and help this team win a championship." The appearance of perhaps the most famous seventh-round pick in NFL history attracted a massive amount of people. A half-dozen TV trucks lined a crammed parking lot at Rams Park, an hour before the teams two first-round picks were due at the podium. About 80 media members attended the news conferences. Three days earlier when the Rams chose Sam with the No. 249 overall pick, the media contingent was in single digits. "Theres some energy here," general manager Les Snead said with a smile between rounds of interviews. "But I dont think this is a circus. This deserves attention, but well get it over and well get to work." Sam shared the dais with five other players taken in the sixth and seventh rounds Saturday as the draft came to a close. Snead joked that Tennessee State centre Demetrius Rhaney, taken one pick after Sam at 250th overall, should get the first question after it got lost in the hubbub Saturday. "Im not sure anybody knows we drafted Demetrius," Snead said, adding that he hoped someday that pick 249 will someday be a footnote in sports history, and not such a big deal. For Sams subsequent solo session with reporters, he was flanked by Fisher and Snead, with Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff joining the group. Everyone seemed eager to embrace Sam. Second-round pick Lamarcus Joyner, a cornerback from Florida State, has never had an openly gay teammate. He applauded Sams decision. "Hes a courageous young man," Joyner said. "Hes a brave young man that we need in this organization." The teams two first-round picks were first to the podium. Offensive tackle Greg Robinson, chosen second overall, sported a bow tie. Both got their due. Both welcomed Sam to the family. Robinson and Sam did a TV commercial together for a credit card company. Aaron Donald met Sam at ceremonies for the Lombardi and Nagurski awards. "Hes a cool guy," Donald said. "Hes a football player, he works his butt off and thats what you want. You want playmakers around you and hes a playmaker. Third-round pick Tre Mason, a running back from Auburn, said Sam was a "man of his own and hes entitled to do that." "Were a team and hes also a family member to me now." Sam will put on the pads later in the week when the team holds a three-day rookie orientation, much, if not all of it, closed to the media. The Rams drafted Sam even though they didnt need help at defensive end, where they have a pair of first-round picks as starters. Robert Quinn was second in the NFL with 19 sacks last season and Chris Long has been a standout since getting chosen second overall in 2008. But the Rams were well-stocked with picks, finishing with 11 selections, putting them in unique position to make history. "Shortly before we got to our pick, Michaels value as a football player was off the charts," Fisher said. "He has an opportunity now to come in and compete to try to make our team." Sam realizes its up to him to make the most of this chance, and he bristles at the naysayers who contend hes in the NFL only because he came out. "Will I make the cut?" he said, repeating a question. "You want to find out in a couple months, huh?" Luke Kunin Wild Jersey . -- Michael Phelps is 0 for 1 in his comeback to the pool. Ryan Suter Wild Jersey . - Considering where Jeff Gordon was after Richmond, left out of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship in part due to some late-race shenanigans, he couldnt have been happier on Sunday. http://www.authenticwildpro.com/Jonas-brodin-wild-jersey/ . Balotelli was out at dinner with his brother Enoch and came home to discover he had been burgled. The car was later found abandoned. Balotelli wrote Saturday on Twitter: "I feel empty! No emotions .Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss the Winter Classic, the value of the BCS, a possible rule change by FIFA and hockey tournament formats. Bruce Arthur, National Post: My thumb is up to the most recent Winter Classic between Toronto and Detroit at Michigan Stadium, despite everything. In the first period there was so much snow that even completing a pass was an accomplishment. The horn blew midway through the third - and midway through overtime, with Henrik Zetterberg breaking in - to switch ends, because of the wind. It was goofy, but with over 105,000 fans, a record, this game was an irresistible spectacle. And really, it was just hockey. Teams simplify their games all the time. The shootout is a gimmick, indoors or outdoors. And somehow, the Winter Classic makes all its imperfections seem small. Eventually the NHL will exhaust this gold mine. But on New Years Day, we got treated to something rare: beautiful ugly hockey. Dave Naylor, TSN: My thumb is up to the Bowl Championship Series - better known as the BCS - which plays out its existence tomorrow night in the National Championship game between Auburn and Florida State. In its 16-year run, the BCS brought up plenty of controversy and debate, but it also brought us a game each year featuring No. 1 versus No. 2. While some may have said it made other bowl games irrelevant, consider this weeks Orange Bowl between Ohio State and Clemson or Sugar Bowl between Alabama and Oklahoma as evidence that the BCS season was never just about one game. Next year the BCS will be replaced with the four-team playoff. Devan Dubnyk Wild Jersey. But lets remember the BCS fondly as part of the evolution of college football. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is up to Sepp Blatter, normally the occupationally challenged president of FIFA who, shockingly, has come up with a good idea. Borrowing from hockey, Blatter has proposed a virtual penalty box for those who feign injuries. For decades, a visit to the soccer touchline for an apparently mortally injured player has been like a pilgrimage to Lourdes; the healing powers there are miraculous. Now, rather than sprinting back onto the field, that player would have to stay off for an unspecified spell, obliging his team to play a man down. Given the scourge of soccer fakery, Blatter is right. The time has come to institute a time penalty. Dave Hodge, TSN: My thumb would be up to hockeys tournament format, such as we see at the World Juniors and as were about to see again at the Olympics, if only it could be designed differently. To make the quarter-final round at Malmo, Canada needed to win just one game, against Germany. It was considered important to win the group, as Canada did, but it wasnt essential. The games would have been much more compelling if only four of 10 teams qualified for the so-called playoffs, instead of eight. Its worse at the Olympics. Twelve teams take part in round-robin play and all twelve move on to play outside their groups, some with winless records. So next month, wake me when there are games that will eliminate the losing teams, and when the names of those teams arent so obvious. ' ' '