http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/rams-agreed-draft-michael-sam-avoid-hard-knocks-article-1.2575617 On Wednesday, the Rams were named the subject of this year's edition of "Hard Knocks," the HBO show that takes you inside training camp with an NFL team, but according to a tweet from veteran NFL journalist Howard Balzer, they could have been in the show two years earlier were it not for a behind-the-scenes deal with the NFL.
Balzer, citing "sources," tweeted Wednesday that the Rams avoided the 2014 edition of "Hard Knocks" because of their decision to select Michael Sam, the first openly gay player to declare for the NFL draft, in the seventh round that year.
"Sources say NFL agreed not to have Rams on Hard Knocks in 2014 if they drafted Michael Sam," Balzer tweeted.
Balzer clarified the tweet several hours later, stressing that it was a predraft arrangement between the league and team to save face and insure that the first openly gay player to declare for the NFL draft did not go undrafted.
