Frank Deford on McNabb
(SI.com) Most recently, of course, Donovan McNabb, quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, declared that African-American quarterbacks suffer much more scrutiny than their white brethren. It was a particularly interesting observation coming from McNabb, because, if you recall, Rush Limbaugh resigned from ESPN four years ago for saying that the very same McNabb was overrated, inasmuch as the oh-so-sweet white media desperately wanted a black quarterback to succeed.
All this, though, comes on the heels of the following:
About three times as many black fans as white fans rooted for Barry Bonds to pass Henry Aaron’s record. Of course, Aaron is African-American too, but so many blacks believed that whites were singling out Bonds to demonize him alone as a steroid-user that it became a race issue.
Likewise, black supporters of Michael Vick claimed that white critics were piling on Vick for running dog fights and killing and torturing dogs simply because he was a black star.
Gary Sheffield of the Detroit Tigers alleged that the reason there were so many more Hispanics in baseball than African-Americans was because baseball executives thought Latinos were more malleable.
If you will excuse me, of all the overblown racial issues in this country, the sturm and drang wasted on the declining numbers of African-Americans playing baseball is surely No. 1. We are supposed to get exercised because black kids now choose basketball and football over baseball? This is baseball’s fault? As long as children are playing sports, instead of playing video games — fine. Whether they prefer soccer, skateboarding or sprinting — who cares?
As for McNabb, he has not found a lot of support for his contentions — including a couple of other African-American quarterbacks, who have said, essentially, hey, Donovan, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the huddle. Listen, quarterback is the most scrutinized position in American sport. There’s even a truism that the best job in football is back-up quarterback, because everybody thinks you must be great … until you become the starting quarterback and then you’re a bum. (more…)
Again, I believe that this whole issue is being carried largely by mainstream media and not by your average sports fan. However I do how his comments are a bit insulting to a fan base that only cares if you win or loose games. Trust me, it will be the press, not fans that will remind him of his quote sometime later in the season.
I remember back in the day when back up quarterback Doug Williams for the Washington Redskins had to take over for the injured Jay Schroeder, folks were unsure about him and the team’s chances of going to the Super Bowl. After he led the team to win over the Broncos in the ‘88 Superbowl, he became the hero.
Anybody remember someone in the press asking him “How long have you been a black quarterback?”
