Two CFL players have been charged by the league for negative remarks they made on social network sites against openly gay Missouri Tigers player Michael Sam.
Defensive end Sam came out during a television interview on Sunday night, and has received widespread support for his announcement ever since.
However, Montreal Alouettes slotback Arland Bruce III and Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive tackle Bryant Turner both responded poorly towards Sam's interview, leading to fines for both, despite their tweets and Instagram pictures being swiftly deleted.
In a statement, CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon said: "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.
"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 organisation that specialises in this subject and look forward to announcing a formal partnership with them in the near future."
Among those in support of Sam is Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy, who has said that he will choose players based on their abilities rather than their sexual preferences when the NFL Draft takes place in May.
Joe McPhee
