Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb got caught in a firestorm of criticism recently as a result of controversial comments made during an interview on HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel”. In an honest and upfront manner, McNabb stated that:“There are not that many African–American quarterbacks, so we have to do a little bit extra. The percentage of us playing this position, which people didn’t want us to play, is low. So we have to do a little extra”. He went on to provide examples of how often he gets questioned even when his team is performing well; and further added that white quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer do not get criticized nearly as much as their black counterparts. It may be the case that black quarterbacks face more scrutiny than white quarterbacks, but that is something that can’t be proved beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Various factors come into play that may account for the perceived difference that may have nothing to do with race.
With that being said, the analysis of the McNabb situation should be focused on whether this is simply a situation of a frustrated quarterback who just happens to be black. After all, Philadelphia has a passionate and outspoken fan base that demands a lot out of their franchise players, especially when the city is in dire need of a championship. When you add the fact that the Eagles have provided him with an inadequate group of wide receivers, is it any wonder that McNabb feels like he’s alone out there?
Eagles’ management has essentially turned their back on McNabb, through their inability to sign highend free agents to complement their talented quarterback.
The last time McNabb had a worthy supporting cast, was the combustible Terrell Owens. With Owens’ help, McNabb led the Eagles all the way to the Super Bowl, where they eventually lost to the New England Patriots. Comments like the ones McNabb made on HBO are highly out of character for him. In fact pundits often accuse him of being a “company boy” – too reluctant to rock the boat. Clearly something happened to instill this “me against the world” attitude in the otherwise mild-mannered quarterback.
McNabb’s point seems to be that black quarterbacks have to earn every inch of ground on the field, while their white counterparts get all the leeway off of it. Perhaps these arguments are not completely without basis. Players like Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers often get a free pass despite poor performances, but they have also earned much of this consideration through past success.
Instead of making inflammatory comments off the field, the Eagles quarterback might be better served to let his play do the talking. No doubt Favre and Peyton Manning fit the stereotypical image of the “All- American quarterback” that has been the standard in football since ‘Johnny’ Unitas, but they also face their share of criticism. Until his Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl last season, Manning held the stigma of being another talented quarterback who couldn’t come through in the clutch. The same could be said of other white quarterbacks, like Manning’s younger brother Eli of the New York Giants or Rex Grossman from the Chicago Bears.
Donovan McNabb is a talented quarterback and an excellent role model for all aspiring young athletes, but it may simply be time for him to move on to a different team. His comments while controversial can be attributed to frustration, and the pressure of trying to bring a championship to Philadelphia finally taking their toll.
