And you thought favoritism on the basis of sexual orientation was a bad thing

We've talked about the "gay pass" (see here), according to which you get extra leniency for doing something stupid or even criminal. Now we have the "gay advantage" in professional athletics, whereby, if you are gay, you get extra help from places like the NFL solely based on your sexual orientation.

If you're Michael Sam, you get special treatment:

Usually when a player is cut, his agent will contact other teams to gauge interest, but Michael Sam enjoyed a much more powerful advocate. Incredibly, NFL officials called teams around the league asking them to consider adding Sam to their roster. 

This was history in the making as the NFL had never previously been in the business of lobbying for any particular player. Certainly, no NFL official ever called a team promoting the selection of Tim Tebow, the evangelical Christian quarterback. 

... Unlike Tebow, Sam will be a part of a NFL team this year. The Dallas Cowboys added him to their practice squad. Undoubtedly, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones saw this as an opportunity to score points with a league that may still fine him for being pictured with strippers in suggestive poses a few years ago. The scandalous photos were released online in early August, but at this point the NFL has not issued any statement or levied any fine against Jones.

Read more here.