Pondering the Great Questions
More random thoughts, strewn about like the toys of a young child on the bedroom floor of the NFL.
- Obviously one of the big stories over the last week has been Donovan McNabb’s comments regarding race playing a factor in the level of criticism directed at quarterback’s around the league. There are a couple reasons I haven’t felt an overwhelming need to comment on this particular issue:
- I set it as a mission of this forum to not discuss the topics du jour when I have nothing really to add to the general public conversation. In this case, I actually agree with much of the public responses I have seen…I know I am a little surprised too. I look around the league and see Sexy Rexy Grossman get roasted on a pig spit about 3 times a day, Chad Pennington cheered when carried off the field injured and columnists in Denver still referring to Jake Plummer as the ‘hippy-dippy quarterback’ almost a year after he last started for the Broncos simply because he wasn’t John Elway and had the audacity to speak his mind on issues beyond the merits of zone blocking (like one of his best friends being killed in Afghanistan and then held up by the government as a piece of propaganda like The Ol’ Shoe). All of these guys have two things in common with McNabb, they play quarterback in pro football crazy towns. They have one thing not in-common with McNabb – their skin color.
- Let’s face it; I am an anonymous 32-year old, upper-middle class , white, heterosexual male – why exactly do I have any right to tell Donovan McNabb that his perception and experience of discrimination is wrong? Have I experienced discrimination? Actually yes, (because of my skin color, no less) but can I compare this to what Donovan may have experienced? No, so why should I tell him that his perception is wrong? Donovan is in a fairly unique position in between the pioneering African-American quarterbacks (Doug Williams, Warren Moon) who most definitely experienced discrimination and the new generation (Jason Campbell, Vince Young) who benefited from these pioneers and have for the most part (probably) not felt the sting of discrimination. If he feels his skin color has played a role in the criticism directed at him, then do I really have any basis (beyond opinion) to disagree?
- As for me and my brush with discrimination, it was long ago and fairly isolated so there is no need to go into it here. I’m not paying you $100/hour to listen to me whine.
- Damnit, I just commented on the issue and added nothing to the argument…so much for principles, I feel like a cheap whore.
- Are Bill Belichick and the Patriots turning the sports commentary world as divided as the political world? To look at the red state/blue state stand-off of Cameragate you can check out the different views just housed on ESPN Page 2. Gregg Easterbrook (now that is a man, who is confident in his opinions) sees Watergate level conspiracy here and may already be debating whether Robert Redford or Dustin Hoffman would play him in the film to come (All the Commissioner’s Men?). Bill Simmons at the other end of the spectrum takes much more of a Shakespearean view (Much Ado About Nothing, for those in the audience who slept through English Lit in high school), though his blind allegiance to the Patriots couldn’t have anything to do with it…no, definitely not, fair and balanced indeed.
- Why didn’t we see the Tom Brady fantasy explosion coming? He was one of the only 4 quarterbacks that should be drafted in the first four rounds based on stats throwing to 17th rate wide receivers and this year is given Randy Moss (I still cant believe people doubted his resurrection coming into the season, how his attitude got lumped in with the likes of TO, I still don’t know), Wes Welker and, at some point, a healthy Donte Stallworth. Yes, I am one of the lucky ones currently getting 25 – 30 fantasy points from Mr. Baby-Daddy each week, not to rub it in.
- Speaking of fantasy (2 and 1 on the season and in 5th place for the record), I have been struggling with an internal debate over the last few days so I will open up to my readers (both of you) to help decide (now that the whole chicken and egg thing has been resolved):
- Which is a bigger annoyance to fantasy owners: 1 – Putting a player on the bench who has doesn’t much but ends up having a big day (i.e. – my own Vincent Jackson this week, bastard) or 2 – Having a player on your team make a nice long play but get knocked out at the 2 yard line so that some undeserving running back (on another fantasy team, of course) gets the touchdown and the 6 points (to all Marques Colston and Drew Brees owners, thanks for those two walk-in touchdowns for Reggie Bush on Monday night)? I will open the floor to debate. Please feel free to add a comment here and we can re-visit the consensus in a week.
- For the record, I polled two people and got one vote for each side. I will remain Swiss on this one as I can make a solid argument each way and get really annoyed by both.
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
