McNabb's play is the real issue

by Ed Valentine on Sep 19, 2007 7:32 AM EDT in News Comment 15 comments

Memo to Donovan McNabb: Quit whining, play better football, get your team in the end zone once in a while and you won't hear quite so much criticism!

McNabb, as you most likely know by now, played the race card Tuesday on HBO's 'Real Sports' with Bryant Gumbel.

"There's not that many African-American quarterbacks, so we have to do a little bit extra," McNabb tells HBO. "Because the percentage of us playing this position, which people didn't want us to play ... is low, so we do a little extra."

McNabb goes on to say that white quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer don't get criticized as much as black quarterbacks.

"I love those guys. But they don't get criticized as much as we do. They don't."

I hate this crap! Why is it that every time someone criticizes an African-American athlete, or accuses one of some form of wrong-doing, the race card gets played immediately?

There are still those who believe Michael Vick was railroaded into pleading guilty to dogfighting charges because he's African-American. That the media persecutes Barry Bonds because he's African-American, not because he's a cheating moron who treats people like flies on wallpaper. That O.J. is a great guy who is targeted because of the color of his skin.

Please! Enough already! I know we don't live in a perfect society, but aren't we better than that? I know some issues ARE about race, but not every single one. For African-Americans to cry racism every time a controversy arises is doing themselves a disservice.

Many of the world's most popular athletes are African-American. Tiger Woods, LeBron James, Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan leap to mind.

But, back to McNabb. To me, his claim is off base. A small percentage of people in this country may still view African-American quarterbacks differently than white ones, but that isn't why McNabb is getting booed.

He is getting booed in Philly because it's been a long time since he has actually played well for the Eagles. He is not the player he used to be, the Eagles are 0-2 this season and haven't scored a touchdown.

I also think there are a couple of other things eating at McNabb. Last season the Eagles played better after McNabb was injured and Jeff Garcia took over at quarterback. Then, in the off-season Philadelphia drafted Kevin Kolb as his eventual successor.

Stung by all of that, McNabb refuses to look in the mirror. Instead, he does the easy thing. He plays the race card and tries to turn attention away from his own failures.

Give me a break, Donovan! You play in Philly. Mike Schmidt -- a white guy and a Hall of Famer for the Phillies -- got booed there. Hell, Santa Claus got booed in Philly!

As for white QBs getting a pass, I don't think so. Peyton Manning was ripped for years as a guy who couldn't win a Super Bowl before he finally did. Jets fans cheered the other day when Chad Pennington got hurt. Eli Manning has taken a ton of criticism in New York. Joey Harrington gets ripped everywhere he goes. Brett Favre has taken lots of heat for his play in recent years.

What about the fact that for years no one really was willing to come out and say Vick really isn't a very good quarterback? Or the fact that you never hear anyone say Tennessee's Vince Young is a mediocre passer. Are media members actually afraid to criticize them because of their race?

In reality, I think we've moved beyond the overwhelming majority of people giving a damn about the skin color of the guy playing quarterback, or any other position for that matter.

I think McNabb is just grasping at straws because his feelings are hurt, his body is betraying him and his team isn't winning.

Hey, Donovan, shut up, play better, win some games. Then they'll cheer you in Philly.

(-- originally posted at Valentine's Views On Sports)

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i bet

once mcNARB retires he trashes philly and their fans in a big way. which is fine with me. screw mcNARB and screw philadelphia.

by DieEaglesDie on Sep 19, 2007 9:24 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Surprised at Donovan.

Maybe it was the pain talking. I thought he was more a class act than this. Then again I've been misled by classless (ex)football players before.
Was it only the people of color who booed Santa Clause?

by big blue wrecking crew on Sep 19, 2007 10:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It's a regional thing.....

more than a skin color thing. If McNabb played in Seattle or Arizona, I think he wouldn't feel the same. There are only a few cities (NY, Philly, Boston) that athletes experience this because they are passonate about their teams and athletes. Carson Palmer plays in Cincy, and they are tickled pink he plays there despite not having won a playoff game!!! Chiefs fans should be irate about the status of their team but they can't wait to wear red and be at Arrowhead next week. You play in these cities (and I should probably include Dallas and Denver for football) it is what have you done for me lately and have you won a title.

www.billkohut.com

by bk0831 on Sep 19, 2007 10:07 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

old hat

I heard a colleague (African American) at work a few mornings ago telling everyone that he was the best employee that had ever walked into the door and worked for this company. When a supervisor approached him, he said "I AM the best worker ever to work here, right?" The supervisor looked at him sarcastically (because everyone knows he is the biggest slacker on the crew). The guy's response to the supervisor was: "You don't have to tell me that I'm the best. I know I am. And if you didn't admit I am the best, well, that proves you're racist."

The race card is a 'way out' for African American people. It's a way out of taking responsibility for their actions. It's a way out of seeing things as they really are. It's a way out of having to look in the mirror.

I'm definitely not saying that racism doesn't exist, but this card came out of McNabb's mouth way too quickly in that interview. White QBs don't get raked over the coals as much as African American QBs? Wow.

I can misprove that with one White guy. You all know him. He is Eli Manning. Wow, I have heard NFL analysts (in droves, at times) talk about him as if he should just quit playing football and start coaching pony league. Almost every analyst that I heard this pre-season said that Eli wouldn't make it 'over the hump', and that he would not make a decent progression as QB of the Giants. Pretty negative press if you ask me.

McNabb is pissed because he has come back from a serious injury way too early, and he can't run around as he used to. He's pissed because the Eagles haven't scored TDs through passing as he once took part in. He's pissed because he hasn't thrown the ball nearly as effectively as in years past.

What really pisses him off is that people see all of those things, and then they throw those explinations into the list of reasons why he may be sucking at the time. His way of avoiding the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, is by playing the race card. The race card is his shield from reality.

by GAgiantfan on Sep 19, 2007 11:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Etv...

McNabb is definitely a class act. His comment rings true. It is a fact that there are still plenty of people (remember Rush Limbaugh) who think white is the preferred color for a quarterback. Donovan answered Limbaugh's ridiculous comments on the field with his play as an elite quarteerback.

Truth be known he is probably hurt more than we know and isn't using it as an excuse.

I couldn't admire him more as a person. If more players were like him we wouldn't be looking at nearly as many mug shots of NFL thugs on the nightly news.

by giant fan since 57 on Sep 19, 2007 5:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

weren't those limbaugh

comments like five years ago?

don't get me wrong, limbaugh's comments were racist and reprehensible. but mcnabb needs to stop using them as a crutch for his poor play. philly is arguably the most passionate fan base in the country and they don't put up with losing.

im in indianapolis now and peyton was widely criticized here for not being a winner, especially after that collapse against the steelers in '05.

right now, my kicker has more fantasy points than mcnabb. if he was throwing 3-4 TDs a game, i would understand his gripe, but if he even brought his D-game on Monday night, philly would've beaten Washington easily. he looked pathetic and deserved to be critcized.

by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Sep 20, 2007 8:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

A few things

"the Eagles are 0-2 this season and haven't scored"

Actually McNabb did throw a TD pass in the first game against Green Bay.

And to be fair, this interview was done before the season. So the "stop whining, play better" idea doesn't really apply.

All that said, I think he was off base with what he said as well. I would totally agree that he gets unusual amounts of criticism not because he's black, but because he plays in Philly. Eli Manning gets bashed on a daily basis by fans and media... and it's not because he's white. It's because like McNabb he plays in a big media market that's tough on it's athletes. I think that's a fact McNabb has to accept. Eric Lindros got crucified here, so did Mike Schmidt at times. It's not about race, at least not for the most part.

Bleeding Green Nation Philadelphia Eagles Blog

by JasonB on Sep 19, 2007 6:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

A few things

OK, I messed up on the TD pass. I also get that he made these comments in the pre-season. Fact remains that whatever criticism he is getting is because of where he plays and how he plays, not the color of his skin. I think we agree on that part.

by Ed Valentine on Sep 19, 2007 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree about Donovan

but be careful you don't fall into the same trap yourself there, ET. You might want to reconsider your own comments, such as "every time someone criticizes an African-American athlete, or accuses one of some form of wrong-doing, the race card gets played" - I don't think this happens "every time".

You do yourself a disservice with blanket representations like this: "For African-Americans to cry racism every time a controversy arises is doing themselves a disservice."

Feel free to delete this comment after reading it. I'm not here to make you look bad. I love this site, as you know. My point is simply that it's all too easy to cry racism, for all concerned.

by Mr Met on Sep 20, 2007 9:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Appreciate it, Mr. Met

Perhaps 'every time' is a bit strong. My feeling is, though, that it is all too easy to play the race card instead of looking in the mirror. I think we agree that, in this instance, Donovan is wrong.

by Ed Valentine on Sep 20, 2007 9:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

McNabb

Agree with him or not, McNabb has a case. Jason Whitlock's column on Fox Sports website makes it for him.

by george cronin on Sep 20, 2007 10:16 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Whitlock

It is an interesting article by Whitlock, but I have a hard time considering Whitlock credible here. Whitlock -- in my opinion -- is one of those columnists with an agenda, and I try to stay away from reading his stuff.

by Ed Valentine on Sep 20, 2007 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

ETVal

By and large most players are judged by their performance on the field regardless of their color. But I promise you there are still a lot of people who believe that a black quarterback can only be successful by scrambling. Come on down to South Carolina where I live and take your own poll.

If Donovan says that's how he feels I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. He has never been a whiner and is not classless as suggested in an earlier comment.

Eli may take more heat for what people consider to be his shortcomings but I haven't heard anyone say he can't play his position because of his race. Unfortunately that is not the case with Donovan.

by giant fan since 57 on Sep 20, 2007 7:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Donovan

I guess where you live will skew your opinion on anything. I do believe race plays a role in things more often than we would like to admit. I also think Donovan has generally been a class act. Maybe I'm off base, but I thought McNabb was wrong in this particular instance.

The truly sad part is that we have to spend time arguing about it. Maybe that shows that it is a factor, after all. I'm not sure.

by Ed Valentine on Sep 20, 2007 9:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Life is different

here in the "heart of Dixie." I've been here 30 years and things have gotten better but there are still a lot of militants on both sides of the color issue.

Only a couple of years ago I had to order food for a couple of my black workers in a diner because the help deliberately ignored them while taking everyone's order but theirs.

On the other hand, my town, Greenville, is the home of Jesse Jackson, who was in a position to really help solve some of these racial problems but has chosen instead to act like a lunatic.

Donovan does seem to be wildly inconsistant though and until he levels out his play and overcomes the injury curse, questions about his heritage are bound to come to the surface.

ETV, I would like to compliment you for your efforts to make this a great forum for discussion by rational adults. I like your five questions series and the "Greek" predictions, even though he always picks the Bills.....Keep truckin...

by giant fan since 57 on Sep 21, 2007 5:48 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs