The Race Card

Eagle's Quarterback Donovan McNabb was quoted a few times last week, all from HBO Inside the NFL (which is the one show that makes me miss having HBO) saying basically that black QBs face tougher criticisms than white QBs. Um...duh?

I would think it is painfully obviously that black QBs face tougher criticism than white QBs. An NFL Quarterback is the face of the of multi-billion dollar corporation that is owned by a white man. That corporation relies on millions upon millions of dollars in sponsorship money from other corporations that are run by white men. Those 32 corporations and its parent corporation really need the mega-billion TV deal by TV networks run by white men. The money to pay that mega deal comes from advertising dollars paid by, you guessed it, corporations owned and run by white men. This just in, most of the wealth in the US is controlled by white men which means all of those people list want to appeal to those dollars and those white men. People tend to gravitate towards things that are familiar and the same and that makes it easier to appeal to other white men by promoting your star white players. That means teams would prefer not to have a black QB if they can avoid it. They'd obviously want to win more than anything else but all things being equal would take a white QB over a black QB.

The media is no different. The sportswriters are white men, their news directors are white men, the station manager/editor are white men, and their owned by the same above corporations. It is easier to attack something that is different than something that is familiar. Tom Brady gets a pass because he knocked up a super model. Everyone above wouldn't mind knocking up a super model so they sympathize with Tom Brady. Shawn Kemp doesn't get a pass because none of the above people understand having seven children with six different women, nor would they probably want to.

Brett Favre is passing all-time QB records. When Dononvan McNabb or Vince Young does something it is the first time a black QB has done something. We make sure to get that point out to us. Warren Moon is the all-time best black QB, Steve Young, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Johnny Unitas are just all time great QB. Doug Williams was the first everything for a black QB in the Super Bowl, nevermind he played an incredible game by any standard. The week New England upset Pittsburgh (Kordell Stewart) and St. Louis beat Philadelphia (McNabb) there was significant talk about the first match up of black QBs in the Super Bowl. Steve McNair was the second black QB in the Super Bowl, not the first QB for a storied franchise.

Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Stephen A. Smith, all jump to Jevon Walker's defense when he is playing for a less than ideal contract. Chris Mortensen, Peter King, Brett Favre, and Steve Young all tear into Jevon Walker. Asante Samual, Michael Strahan, and Lance Briggs should shut up and get to camp or their teams should pay them the long term money they are owed, just depending your side of the fence. Tony Romo is playing in a less the ideal contract and his owner/GM said they will just franchise him if they don't work out a deal. Len Pasquarelli and Peter King wrote how bad that is, John Madden commented on it last night. Tony Romo should be paid his money!

It is dumb that I can't write a certain word in my blog because I'd be a racist. It can be played on the radio just as long as it is someone like 50-Cent shouting out the lyrics and not someone like Sting, that would be racist. Having Sting sing some gansta rap would be funny. There are many things that both sides of the race card complain about that are absolutely silly. But to pretend there isn't a race divide is absolutely dumb.