Conservative Group To Protest Dallas Cowboys And Michael Sam

A self-described Christian conservative group is reportedly planning a protest in Arlington, Texas this coming week to express its opposition for the Dallas Cowboys' decision to add openly-gay player Michael Sam to its practice roster.

Jack Burkman, a conservative lobbyist and organizer of his group "American Decency," recently announced to media outlets that his group will be protesting the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Arlington, Texas as they open their NFL season in a game against the San Francisco 49ers.

A press release by the American Decency group says "We cannot just stand idly by as Christian values and morals are trampled. We will do whatever we can to preserve family values in this country."

"[Dallas Cowboys owner] Jerry Jones has betrayed American values, Christian values, and his own city's values. The people of Dallas–and Christians all across this land–are about to make him pay a huge financial price. The Cowboys are no longer America's team."

The press release is referencing the Cowboys' decision to draft Michael Sam, the first openly-gay NFL player, for their team's practice roster. Sam, a graduate of the University of Missouri, made waves during the 2014 draft season when he became the first publically gay player to be drafted by an NFL team. Although he was originally drafted by the St. Louis Rams, he was then dropped and subsequently picked up by the Dallas Cowboys.

Burkman has previously made headlines by proposing a bill that called for the banning of all openly gay players in the NFL and resulting in large fees for teams that disobey the ban. No members of Congress have come forward to support Burkman's bill.

Although Burkman has boasted that his group has over a million members, the American Decency Facebook page only has 135 followers.