Donovan McNabb: TO situation is about race

[Orton's Arm]

I came across this:

 

http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/PHI/9202654

 

McNabb had this to say about the TO situation!!

"It was black-on-black crime. . . . "

"It's different to say, 'If we had Michael Vick or Daunte Culpepper or Steve McNair or Byron Leftwich,' " McNabb said of four black starting quarterbacks. "But to go straight to Brett Favre, that kind of just slapped me in the face like, 'Wow ... ' "

So it would have been okay (sort of) for TO to have said another black QB might have been better than McNabb. But because it was a white QB getting the praise, TO needs to be kicked off the team. Real mature, McNabb. Real mature.

[Corp000085]

mcnabb is the best black QB in the league, so comparing him to aaron brooks wouldn't really make a point

[Orton's Arm]

mcnabb is the best black QB in the league, so comparing him to aaron brooks wouldn't really make a point

592968[/snapback]

It would be more of an insult to be compared to Aaron Brooks than to be compared to Favre.

[2003Contenders]

The more this unfolds, the more I'm starting to come around to being on TO's side. Owens still shouldn't have gone public with the lockerroom friction, but Donovan's "Poor me!" act is getting old. In a way I've always understood TO's dissatisfaction. Here he is playing in the Super Bowl -- laying it all on the line with a broken ankle. Meanwhile, McNabb is behaving like a pansy and moving like a sloth with no sense of urgency during clutch time.

 

Personally, I think a coach and QB that don't allow their feelings to get hurt so easily will find a way to live in harmony with TO. There is no question that Owens is going to run his mouth -- the question is why anyone cares about what he says in the first place? Just ignore him -- and throw him the ball on Sundays.

[Dawgg]

Through his actions and words, McNabb showed this year that winning is secondary to him... one can only imagine the message that sends to the rest of the football team, that their star QB cares more about his ego than winning games.

 

So it would have been okay (sort of) for TO to have said another black QB might have been better than McNabb. But because it was a white QB getting the praise, TO needs to be kicked off the team. Real mature, McNabb. Real mature.

592966[/snapback]

[Corp000085]

Through his actions and words, McNabb showed this year that winning is secondary to him... one can only imagine the message that sends to the rest of the football team, that their star QB cares more about his ego than winning games.

592980[/snapback]

 

Didn't the guy play till his testicles were about to explode for like a month? sounds like a warrior to me.

[Webster Guy]

I came across this:

 

So it would have been okay (sort of) for TO to have said another black QB might have been better than McNabb. But because it was a white QB getting the praise, TO needs to be kicked off the team. Real mature, McNabb. Real mature.

592966[/snapback]

 

 

I think you have a good point in there somewhere. I agree. What was McNabb doing bringing race into this? "Black on black crime?" I thought that was McNabb's first bad play in this whole thing.

 

However, to jump to the conclusion that McNabb thought TO needed to be kicked off the team because a white QB was getting praise doesn't make sense to me. That was a "straw"- agreed- (one I completely do not understand) but to sum it up in one sentence like that paints an inaccurate picture of the entire situation that goes back months.

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

I came across this:

 

http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/PHI/9202654

 

McNabb had this to say about the TO situation!!

"It was black-on-black crime. . . . "

"It's different to say, 'If we had Michael Vick or Daunte Culpepper or Steve McNair or Byron Leftwich,' " McNabb said of four black starting quarterbacks. "But to go straight to Brett Favre, that kind of just slapped me in the face like, 'Wow ... ' "

So it would have been okay (sort of) for TO to have said another black QB might have been better than McNabb. But because it was a white QB getting the praise, TO needs to be kicked off the team. Real mature, McNabb. Real mature.

592966[/snapback]

 

 

I think your interpretation of what McNabb meant doesn't make sense, but what seems to make more sense is the interpretation and context offered up by Micheal Wilbon in conversation with Tony Kornheiser on ESPN's PTI show.

 

Wilbon offers up that McNabb's comments came after several TO comments which did things like accuse McNabb of "selling out" by trying to be a pocket passer rather than running a lot. I don't remember if TO specifically accused McNabb of selling out Blacks by passing rather than running, but my recollection was that if not there in other comments by TO he did essentially accuse McNabb of not being a true Black man because he was playing QB (and winning BTW) by playing like a white guy.

 

Rather than accuse McNabb of stupidly playing the race card, it seems pretty clear that it was that fool (do you or anyone else defend TO and his actions?(TO who played the race card first and deserves even further disdain from the assembled masses.

 

Wilbon also provided some good context by referencing a really stupid column which I did see where some NAACP Philly exec specifically lambasted McNabb for playing like a white guy.

 

I thin the entire effort to some how put racial issues in a football performance context is really dumb and inappropriate. How low the NAA folks have fallen if they have given up defending American values calling for equal opportunity and fair play back in the days of Broen v. Board of Education and now seems to judge that it needs to spend time on one's style of football play.

 

Kornheiser also added some info and perspective on the issue by pointing out that TO in fact did not choose to add Favre's name to the mix as his non-team inappropriate statements were actually answering a question by Micheal Irvin which asked whether playing with Favre would be better for him than playing with his teammate.

 

Wilbon like McNabb is from Chicago and I think he is going out of his way to defend McNabb. Kornheiser had I think the best cut on this as he referenced some comments by Hugh Douglas (Philly DT) which asserted that though McNabb was a leader with his play he is not a vocal team leader getting in guys face demanding they do more.

 

I think both McNabb and TO (and any other fool) who tries to make this an ideological issue are in fact wrong.

 

Just as Favre does not represent the white race (whatever that is) neither McNabb nor TO represent African-Americans.

 

McNabb is a guy who plays great QB that led Philly to numerous successful seasons, but he shows no sign of being capable of winning the big game or being the type of vocal team leaders all winning teams need. It is not a requirement that a player be vocal to be good (in fact Jim Kelly did the most for the Bills when he shut up), but someone on the team who proves himself on the field like Darryl Talley can play the necessary vocal role for a team.

 

TO, you can't really overemphasize what a good WR he is, but even of greater impact than his good/great play are the impacts of his big mouth. This idiot is a cancer and no matter how good he performs as a player he seems to hurt a team worse with his dumb sellf promotion.

 

Brett Farve is one of the great players of all time who is well into the backside of his career. I simply hope he retires before he gets hurt too bad.

 

However, I think what this amounts to is that I think folks who might judge a comment like McNabb's as making no sense to them, should consider the possibility that the reason they do not make sense to them is because they really do not understand the context and and experience they come from if they are speaking about themselves.

 

It appears from what you posr that neither you nor TO understand this. I disagree with McNabb's comments as well, but thanks to listening to Wilbon and Kornheiser I think I do understand why he said what he said though I still disagree with him.

[Webster Guy]

It appears from what you post that neither you nor TO understand this.  I disagree with McNabb's comments as well, but thanks to listening to Wilbon and Kornheiser I think I do understand why he said what he said though I still disagree with him.

593004[/snapback]

 

FFS:

 

I too watched PTI with Wilbon defending McNabb's racial comments (and yes, they were racial comments). As I said, this is McNabb's first misstep in my opinion in this whole situation.

 

As a big fan of your posts, I enjoy reading your analyses, but in your above post you say while you do not agree with McNabb's comments, you understand them.

 

For the life of me, I do not understand them. The examples you provided weren't directly from TO, but from other sources (other sources that said McNabb is "selling out the run"). McNabb directly referred to TO's comments, and said this:

"It's different to say, `If we had Michael Vick or Daunte Culpepper or Steve McNair or Byron Leftwich," McNabb said of four black starting quarterbacks. "But to go straight to Brett Favre, that kind of just slapped me in the face like,`Wow ..."'

 

I just don't get this at all. TO was just responding to a Michael Irvin question where Irvin brought up Favre. Irvin asked (paraphrased) "Would you be undefeated if Favre was the Eagles' QB?" Owens said "yeah I think we would." This isn't about these QB's being "runners" (Leftwich is not a scrambler) it is about them being black.

 

TO was responding to Irvin's question with the parameters already set. IMO TO was not thinking race. Then McNabb brings all these racial overtones into it (read the italicized quote again).

 

TO deserves ALL the blame for the situation this season. But for McNabb to bring this whole racial aspect into it really puzzles me.

 

So FFS...you say you understand why he (McNabb) said this. I honestly do not get it. Listening to Wilbon and reading your last post do not help me to understand it.

 

PS- Fake Fat Sunny....on to more important things- close to a new name yet?

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

FFS:

 

I too watched PTI with Wilbon defending McNabb's racial comments (and yes, they were racial comments).  As I said, this is McNabb's first misstep in my opinion in this whole situation.

 

As a big fan of your posts, I enjoy reading your analyses, but in your above post you say while you do not agree with McNabb's comments, you understand them.

 

For the life of me, I do not understand them.  The examples you provided weren't directly from TO, but from other sources (other sources that said McNabb is "selling out the run").  McNabb directly referred to TO's comments, and said this:

"It's different to say, `If we had Michael Vick or Daunte Culpepper or Steve McNair or Byron Leftwich," McNabb said of four black starting quarterbacks. "But to go straight to Brett Favre, that kind of just slapped me in the face like,`Wow ..."'

 

I just don't get this at all. TO was just responding to a Michael Irvin question where Irvin brought up Favre.  Irvin asked (paraphrased) "Would you be undefeated if Favre was the Eagles' QB?"  Owens said "yeah I think we would." This isn't about these QB's being "runners" (Leftwich is not a scrambler) it is about them being black.

 

TO was responding to Irvin's question with the parameters already set.  IMO TO was not thinking race.  Then McNabb brings all these racial overtones into it (read the italicized quote again).

 

TO deserves ALL the blame for the situation this season.  But for McNabb to bring this whole racial aspect into it really puzzles me.

 

So FFS...you say you understand why he (McNabb) said this.  I honestly do not get it. Listening to Wilbon and reading your last post do not help me to understand it. 

 

PS- Fake Fat Sunny....on to more important things- close to a new name yet?

593016[/snapback]

 

I have a leading candidate but I think I will wait until after the SB to truly welcome in the new era )please not another error) of Bills football. As in the past I'm open to welcome all suggestions and reject most of them (sorry SDS if this offer prompts any profanity or the usual sophmoric humor attempts which say more about the poster than the reader!)

[Tcali]

The more this unfolds, the more I'm starting to come around to being on TO's side. Owens still shouldn't have gone public with the lockerroom friction, but Donovan's "Poor me!" act is getting old. In a way I've always understood TO's dissatisfaction. Here he is playing in the Super Bowl -- laying it all on the line with a broken ankle. Meanwhile, McNabb is behaving like a pansy and moving like a sloth with no sense of urgency during clutch time.

 

Personally, I think a coach and QB that don't allow their feelings to get hurt so easily will find a way to live in harmony with TO. There is no question that Owens is going to run his mouth -- the question is why anyone cares about what he says in the first place? Just ignore him -- and throw him the ball on Sundays.

592977[/snapback]

hmmmm...maybe im changing my mind about the situation

[RLflutie7]

I came across this:

 

http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/PHI/9202654

 

McNabb had this to say about the TO situation!!

"It was black-on-black crime. . . . "

"It's different to say, 'If we had Michael Vick or Daunte Culpepper or Steve McNair or Byron Leftwich,' " McNabb said of four black starting quarterbacks. "But to go straight to Brett Favre, that kind of just slapped me in the face like, 'Wow ... ' "

So it would have been okay (sort of) for TO to have said another black QB might have been better than McNabb. But because it was a white QB getting the praise, TO needs to be kicked off the team. Real mature, McNabb. Real mature.

592966[/snapback]

 

For those who don't know, I was probably the first one on this board to rip on McNabb and Peyton Manning on a consistent basis. And boy was I ripped up and down for it. But look now. McNabb is a jerk.

 

Back then I didn't think a team(s) would be able to win a Superbowl with either of these two.

 

The first time I saw McNabb play, I knew he wouldn't be that good because he was too inaccurate. Plus, he seemed to buy into the hype by the media that was written about him.

 

For the record, Troy Aikman was the first one to publically rip McNabb. At least from the stand point of an NFL insider.

 

And Aikman did it during a preseason game. That was funny. For those who don't know, Aikman said McNabb was one of the most inaccurate passers he had ever seen.

 

Another funny thing was how Aikman thought the comment was so innocent (which it was). But the media got ahold of it and it created controversy in Philly. I don't think Aikman ever apologized, which was great and he didn't get fired.

 

Russ Limbaugh was the second person to rip McNabb and he told the truth and got fired for doing so. He said that the media was very desireous that a black QB do well and they (the media) hyped McNabb and he was never that good from the get-go.

 

Forcing Limbaugh to resign was a joke. He just said what many others thought. I know I did.

 

TO just agreed with a statement made by Michael Irvin that was relayed by a 21-year old intern at ESPN and the team went nuts.

 

But,TO is a total azz because he was warned not to go to Philly because of McNabb. TO was the one who said he wanted to play with McNabb. He should have stayed in Baltimore. And he shouldn't have signed the contract with Philly if he didn't like it.

 

The NAACP leader came out and made some cruel statements about McNabb. He said that McNabb should have remained a run-first QB. At least that's how I read his comments.

 

To make such a statement is a totally stupid.

 

Running QBs including, Steve Young, Roger Staubach, John Elway, Doug Flutie (who are all white) were all ripped for running too much early in their career. If anything, Donovan is doing the right thing by learning to be a throw-first QB.

[Webster Guy]

But,TO is a total azz because he was warned not to go to Philly because of McNabb.

593065[/snapback]

 

Really... I had never heard this before. Who warned TO not to go to Philly because of McNabb? is there a link? I'd be interested to see this statement backed up.

[Orton's Arm]

TO deserves ALL the blame for the situation this season. 

593016[/snapback]

Thanks for your excellent post; though I disagree with the part that I've quoted. During the whole T.O. controversy, I really came to question whether McNabb was putting his ego ahead of the team. For all his faults, T.O. gave the team everything he had, and put up over 100 receiving yards against the Patriots in a game most people felt he would be too injured to play in at all. Compare that to McNabb, a guy whose poor conditioning led him to get exhausted in the 4th quarter. It's possible this cost the Eagles the game. If I had given everything I had--as T.O. had done--and if my QB didn't do his best to prepare for the game, I'd be a little ticked. In fact, I'd be furious.

 

So along comes this year. T.O.'s decision to be disruptive in training camp sounds like something done on the advice of his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. If so, it was really dumb advice. T.O. created a few other disruptions after that situation settled down, the biggest of which was the Favre comment. But that Favre comment, if you read the words, sounds like it was just made in admiration for what Favre brings to the table. You could say Favre's best days are behind him, but T.O. made it clear he felt differently--that Favre is an elite QB even at this stage in his career.

 

McNabb's comments made it clear he interpreted the Favre remark as a racial attack. It was fairly obvious at the time that McNabb wanted T.O. off the team after the Favre comment was made. But for a racial attack? For "black-on-black crime"? I have a hard time understanding why McNabb would want to cost himself, and his team, a chance at a Super Bowl ring just to avoid hearing himself compared to Brett Favre. The Eagles came so close to winning that game, and T.O.'s 100+ receiving yards were a big reason why. I suspect McNabb has gotten so caught up with whatever emotions he has that he's blinded himself to what T.O. did and could continue to do for the team. Either that, or he just didn't care.

[JAMIEBUF12]

who cares neither of these guys play in buffalo

[Orton's Arm]

I think you have a good point in there somewhere.  I agree. What was McNabb doing bringing race into this? "Black on black crime?" I thought that was McNabb's first bad play in this whole thing.

 

However, to jump to the conclusion that McNabb thought TO needed to be kicked off the team because a white QB was getting praise doesn't make sense to me.  That was a "straw"- agreed- (one I completely do not understand) but to sum it up in one sentence like that paints an inaccurate picture of the entire situation that goes back months.

592983[/snapback]

You're right that the situation goes back months, and I didn't mean to imply otherwise. All I was saying is that McNabb would have been willing to overlook that other stuff had it not been for the Favre comment. Also, that McNabb interpreted the Favre comment to be about race.

[bbb]

I am no longer a McNabb fan after those stupid and racist comments.

[Orton's Arm]

But look now. McNabb is a jerk.

Your post is right on the money. I've been saying this for some time.

[gobillsinytown]

I'm not sure what's worse: Having to endure listening to T.O., or having

to endure the obsessive coverage of it to attempt to sell magazines or boost ratings. I think of this as a co-parasitic relationship. T.O. needs the coverage to satisfy his ego and try to sell himself as the bad boy, and the professional sports reporting business needs T.O. for what they perceive as economic opportunity. Personally, I hit the "off" button on this subject a long time ago. I'm now just hoping ESPN and all the other outlets find something else to obsess about.

[zow2]

Bring Donovan to Buffalo, he needs a change of scenery. I'd love to have him here backed up by JP.