So the National Football League is confronting its first openly gay college draftee? Well my goodness, pardon me for wondering why this ought to be a big deal. And in fact, thankfully, most of the NFL personnel who have commented on the “coming out” of Missouri lineman Michael Sam don’t seem upset by his disclosure. And when Sam told his teammates at Mizzou before the start of the last season, their reaction was one of total support. The young man won all-conference honors and is expected to be drafted in the early or middle rounds by by the NFL.

So the response by a few pro football players is pretty startling. They don’t mind facing a 350-pound lineman on the field but are scared of Mr. Sams’ sexuality in the locker room? Really? You have to question not only their common sense but their courage if that’s what’s bugging them. They wonder how they can be around a gay man in their locker room? First the chances are they’ve already been around more than one still-closeted gay teammate. And second, what sort of boudoir is their locker room? I’ve been in a few as a reporter, and they are landscapes of chaos with players, coaches, reporters, hangers-on and the rest jostling each other in a burbling sea of activity. The prospect of sexual invitations or even innuendos is ridiculous.

So my counsel for those worried NFLers is just this: man up. You’re supposed to be the toughest guys around. So if someone makes a pass at you in the locker room, just walk away. Hey, girls have been doing it for generations.