Cooking queen Paula Deen, whose Paula Deen Ventures just received a $75 million investment from Najaf Media despite her admission of using racist slurs, has stuck her foot directly into her mouth again. In an interview with People Magazine, Deen compared her struggle back to respectability to the backlash being endured by Michael Sam, the first openly gay NFL prospect in football history.
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"I feel like 'embattled' or 'disgraced' will always follow my name. It's like that black football player who recently came out," Deen said. "He said, 'I just want to be known as a football player. I don't want to be known as a gay football player.' I know exactly what he's saying."
Deen certainly has struggled since her use of the N-word was brought to light; her television show was dropped from the Food Network, while dozens of endorsements flew out the window, including her lucrative deal with Smithfield Foods.
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Jahm Najafi, the frontman of Najafi media, is reportedly known for taking chances on beleaguered businesses and franchises such as Deen's. He is also a part owner of the Phoenix Suns, a team which has shocked the NBA by remaining in playoff contention in the Western Conference despite being pegged as one of the league's worst clubs in the preseason.
However, even Najafi may want to distance himself from Deen at this point, who just wrapped up comparing her admitted racism to Michael Sam's homosexuality. She is sure to come under fire for not only comparing a slur with being gay, but also off-handedly referring to Sam as "that black football player."
As for Sam, he just finished up at the NFL Combine, where he unfortunately didn't seem to help his cause. He was near the bottom of his position in the bench press and broad jump, typical measures of explosiveness.
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