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From The Bench, Episode 4: Are distractions in sports really that distracting?

Wade Davis and Cyd Zeigler talk about the role of distractions in sports and whether the media and fans blow it out of proportion.

The media and fans have seemed obsessed with the idea of "distraction" for athletes over the years. Recently, much of the conversation around NFL rookie Michael Sam has swirled around the idea of "distractions." The team is going to be distracted because there's a gay player in the locker room, Sam will be distracted by cameras following him for the Oprah Network.

Is there a difference in the impact of distractions between rookies and veterans? And what's the role of "knowing your place" on a team when it comes to outside attention?

In the latest episode of From The Bench, Outsports' Cyd Zeigler talks with former NFL player and current You Can Play executive director Wade Davis about the ability of athletes to overcome distractions, when those distractions truly matter, and the people truly obsessed with minimizing every potential distraction for players: The coaches.

You can find the guys on Twitter @cydzeigler and @wade_davis28.