Thursday, September 20, 2007

Donovan, meet Chad

So McNabb thinks that he has it rough, well Jets fans cheered when Chad Pennington, who is as white as they come, was cheered for getting injured just a few weeks ago. (note: I really don't think his injury was cheered, but the media says otherwise and you know they are always right. Pennington, let's remember, has lead the Jets to the playoffs four times yet fans are clamoring for his replacement. Starting quarterback is one of the most scrutinized positions in all of sports. Regardless of race, a struggling qb will get booed and like clockwork, fans will be calling in to sports talk radio ranting about how the backup should be in there. The backup will usually fall flat on his face and the fans will appreciate what they have in their starter. It's the circle of life. Unfortunately for McNabb 1) he plays in Philly and 2) Eagles backups have generally done a good job when given a chance (albeit in short spurts). I think McNabb has gotten a raw deal. Despite having had only one legitimate play making receiver in T.O. in all of his seasons in Philly, McNabb has had some fantastic years and has been at the helm of some very successful Eagles teams. However, when you play at a high level, fans expectations will rise with that level of play, and the fans will ultimately be disappointed when the team/player does not meet those exceptions. Who is the scapegoat for that? Usually the QB and that is regardless of race. Joey Harrington sure was treated well in Detroit, as was Ryan Leaf in San Diego. I can totally understand why McNabb is sensitive to the race issue. He came into a league at a time when there were not a lot of black starting quarterbacks (which was a result of college coaches more so than NFL personnel men) and then there was the whole Rush Limbaugh nonsense. It is irresponsible of him however, to paint the league and its fans with the brush of racism. It does a disservice to him and the game.

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