McNabb: Back in Black (QB vindicates Limbaugh in ESPN interview)
By J. James Estrada (02/03/06)
My New York Jets have the fourth pick in the NFL draft this year. How I wish they can somehow get QB Matt Leinhart at that slot. The Houston Texans are expected to take running back Reggie Bush, Leinhart’s teammate at USC, with the number 1 pick. Then come the New Orleans Saints.
The Saints are sure to take Leinhart. Their quarterback of the last few years, Aaron Brooks, has been run out of town (so to speak; in the wake of Katrina, they did not play a home game in New Orleans last year).
In the college football championship game played last month, Leinhart and Bush were upset by the Texas Longhorns. That loss prevented USC from winning a third consecutive title. The Longhorns were lead by superman QB, Vince Young.
Young should go number 3 in the draft to the Tennessee Titans. Titans QB, Steve McNair, has had a stellar career, but is getting old and is oft-injured.
That leaves the Jets “on the clock” with the two best quarterback prospects taken off the board. There is talk of them making a defensive pick while hoping their own injured QB, Chad Pennington, will recover from his second shoulder surgery.
So, if given the choice, why do I favor Leinhart over Young? Let me cite the ESPN interview done by Donovan McNabb earlier this week. McNabb is the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. Two years ago, he and wide receiver Terrell Owens lead the team to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Patriots. With that loss came this excuse from Owens: McNabb got tired at the end of the game.
McNabb is a “black quarterback.” Those are his words from the ESPN interview. He said that black quarterbacks “run.” It makes sense then; black/running quarterbacks will get tired at the end of games. The alternative to a running quarterback is a pocket-passer. These quarterbacks wait in “the pocket” for a receiver to find an opening in the defense. Rarely do they scramble around the backfield. Think of Peyton Manning and Bret Favre. In days gone past, there is a whole host of QB’s in this tradition: Joe Namath, Brian Greise, Billy Kilmer, Johnny Unitas, et al.
Again from the ESPN interview, McNabb said that he was insulted (“a slap in the face”) that Owens would agree that a QB like Farve would be undefeated if he were calling signals for the Eagles. He was insulted because Owens cited a white player. It wouldn’t have been so bad if he had said “Dante Culpepper” or “Michael Vick.” Finally, McNabb called the Owens call for Favre “black on black crime.”
What makes this all the more intriguing is that Rush Limbaugh was fired from ESPN because he said the media was “desirous of a black quarterback doing well.” He said this about McNabb. The comment created a firestorm from media, some members of Congress, and, of course, the usual suspects in the race racket marketplace.
Now that McNabb has vindicated Limbaugh, let me take it a step further. I want Leinhart on the Jets precisely because he is a white quarterback. Vince Young is black. He’s going to get killed in the NFL if he tries to run for a 100 yards plus like he did against USC. He’s going to have his legs taken out from under him; either that, or his knee will “blow out.” Leinhart, on the other hand (leg?), will sit back in the pocket and find the open receiver or he will dump the ball out of bounds.
Donovan mentioned last year, by the way, when the Eagles were in the big game, that Doug Williams was the only black quarterback to win the big game. He wanted to be the second. Well, as mentioned, the Patriots with Tom Brady behind center, beat the Eagles. Brady is white.
In conclusion, I want the “white guy,” if only to increase the odds of my team winning a future Super Bowl. Seattle and Pittsburgh are playing in Super Bowl XL this weekend. Neither team has a “black quarterback.”
Copyright 2006 J. James Estrada
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