Black Men Can't Throw

Robert Griffin III: The Next Black Quarterback Hope

In my mind, Steve Spurrier - the former head ball coach at Duke, Florida, and current coach of South Carolina - is the finest evaluator and developer of quarterbacks in college football (well, maybe not so much at South Carolina, where he seems more interested in getting borderline retards enrolled to play football then developing a sound quarterback).

Names like Shane Matthews, 1996 Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel, Doug Johnson, and Rex Grossman stand-out as quarterbacks that Spurrier has tutored to greatness. One thing is noticeable about this group of people: they are all white.

Quarterback has long been the position in football that has eluded the Black athlete. For one reason: the deep-seated stereotype that Black people aren't smart enough to learn the complex offense, defensive schemes and that they lack the ability to discern variations in blitzes so they can audible the play to one that best suits the personnel on the field.

It is a well-known fact that college football and the NFL has been cognizant of this discrepancy (consider that, though the NFL is comprised of 69 percent Black athletes, since 1998, the quarterback position has been higher than 75 percent each year). 

It is telling then that only in 2005 did Steve Spurrier finally start a Black quarterback. Joseph Pearce wrote an article for The State to celebrate this event:

USC quarterback Antonio Heffner’s first career start also will be a first for Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier.


When Heffner takes the field Saturday at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, he will become the first black quarterback to start for Spurrier, whose 21-year, head-coaching career includes stops at Duke, Florida, Tampa Bay of the USFL and the NFL’s Washington Redskins.


Spurrier started two black quarterbacks as Duke’s offensive coordinator, recruited several black passers while at Florida, and had backup quarterbacks with the Tampa Bay Bandits who were black.


But Heffner, a redshirt freshman from Memphis, will be the first to start while Spurrier has been a head coach.


“I’m looking forward to seeing what Antonio does Saturday night. He’s done some good things in practice this week, so it’ll be interesting,” Spurrier said Thursday. “This is his opportunity. We all get that first opportunity. This is his. I think he’ll be as best prepared as he can.”


Former Florida quarterback John Reaves, who played under Spurrier in the USFL and later coached with him in Gainesville, said Spurrier is more concerned with winning percentage than skin color.


“Steve doesn’t care. He just wants to win,” Reaves said. “He’ll take a Chinese quarterback.”


When Spurrier was Duke’s offensive coordinator in 1981-82, Brent Clinkscale and Ron Sally, both of whom are black, started a couple of games in place of Ben Bennett. Sally later followed Spurrier to the USFL in Tampa Bay, where he and Billy Koonce, another black quarterback, were backups to Reaves.


When Sally and Ben Bennett were competing for the starting job, Spurrier was equally demanding of both.


“There was no racial distinction,’ said Sally, a former executive with the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets.


Spurrier inherited a black quarterback when he arrived at Florida in 1990. According to Reaves, Donald Douglas went through winter workouts and spring practice with the Gators before transferring to Houston.


Spurrier also inherited a black quarterback at USC. Syvelle Newton played all 11 games at quarterback in 2004, including five starts. On the day Spurrier was hired at USC in late November, Dean Boyd, Newton’s coach at Marlboro County, predicted that Newton would not fit in Spurrier’s offensive system.


“We all know what Spurrier likes to see in a quarterback: tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed,” Boyd said at the time. “I fear it’s not going to be good for Syvelle. Syvelle’s a good college quarterback, but he isn’t the kind of quarterback (Spurrier) would go for.”


Boyd said he did not mean to imply that race would factor into Spurrier’s evaluation of Newton. He said he was pointing out that Spurrier generally preferred pocket passers to more mobile quarterbacks.


“It wasn’t a black-white thing with me. It was more of a dropback (versus) a sprint-out thing,” Boyd said Thursday. “I know what Syvelle’s strengths were as a quarterback, and it was more a run-oriented quarterback.”


Newton moved to receiver shortly after Spurrier’s arrival, clearing the path for Blake Mitchell, more of a dropback passer than Newton.


Mitchell started the first four games this season before spraining his left ankle last week in USC’s 45-20 win against Troy. Spurrier named Heffner the starter early in the week and said Newton will be the emergency quarterback at Auburn.


“The ideal quarterback is a guy that can throw like Joe Namath and run like Michael Vick,” Spurrier said. “I’ve always wished I had a quarterback that when you call a play that, ‘Gee, that’s not good against that defense,’ he bounces out and makes 18 yards running.


“We tried to recruit top quarterbacks, regardless of black or white,” Spurrier said. “And sometimes when we don’t have one for so long there’s a few high school coaches that say, ‘He wouldn’t play a black quarterback.’


“I don’t know what I can do about it. If I wouldn’t play a black quarterback, why would I play a black center, a black guard, wide receiver?”


In 1991, Spurrier signed Antwan Chiles, a black quarterback who transferred to Division I-AA Liberty. Before leaving Florida after the 2001 season, Spurrier laid the groundwork in the recruitment of Gavin Dickey, a black quarterback who has played several positions for the Gators.


Reaves, whose son, David, is a USC assistant, said he never has known Spurrier to base a personnel decision on race.


“He ain’t like that at all,” Reaves said. “Never a word or breath out of his mouth in any direction like that.”


“We all just play the best players,” Spurrier said. “I don’t know any coach in America that has lasted any time that has been prejudiced. I don’t know any out there.”

For historical purposes only, Auburn won 48-7 that day. College football coaches don't "just play the best players" but instead primarily focus on recruiting Black males as early as their freshmen years in high schools. Remember though, that Black people mature faster than white people, and remember that most college coaches don't recruit white running backs, receivers, or defensive backs, because they are constantly compared to Black athletes who have - for the most part - reached their physical maturity by the time they are 16 - 17.

Quarterback has been a position that Black athletes have had a difficult time of dominating. Noticing that Black athletes do have a numerical superiority of roster spots at certain positions, is it only fair to speculate that intelligence (and quick decision making) could play a factor in the lack of Black quarterbacks?

Though the 2010 college football was one that The Wall Street Journal dubbed "The year of the Black Quarterback":

When Cameron Newton and Darron Thomas square off in college football's upcoming national-title game, everyone will be talking about the two quarterbacks' fleet feet, their accurate arms and their leadership abilities.

The one thing no one is discussing: They're both black.

As the Jan. 10 national-title showdown between Mr. Newton's Auburn Tigers and Mr. Thomas's Oregon Ducks approaches, it's gone virtually unmentioned how black quarterbacks have been the story of the 2010 season. Major-college teams have long had black quarterbacks, of course—Cornelius Greene of Ohio State, Dennis Franklin of Michigan and numerous others operated conservative, run-based offenses back in the 1970s. But never has the achievement level of black quarterbacks been so high. 

It's hardly just them. In the six major conferences—the Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10 and Southeastern—six black quarterbacks were named first- or second-team all-conference. That's half of the spots. (A seventh, Michigan's Denard Robinson, was named Big Ten offensive player of the year.) This occurred even though black quarterbacks held less than a third of the 65 starting quarterback positions.


The success of black quarterbacks in college football dovetails with how blacks began to stand out in other sports decades ago, says Ben Carrington, an associate professor of sociology at Texas. "There was a phenomenon that, for black players to gain acceptance, they had to be exceptional," he said. "You couldn't be average. People are less cognizant of race today, but quarterback is historically thought of as a white position."

Let's get a few things straight: for decades, those same people who believe Black people hold a monopoly on "speed" have been engaging in a bit of social engineering to try and get more Black athletes at the quarterback position. The spread offense is one such attempt, an offense that 48 offenses in college (as of 2009) run currently.

Andrew Luck: The future of the NFL

This has given Black athletes like Denard Robinson of Michigan, Dennis Dixon and Darren Thomas of Oregon, and Robert Griffin III of Baylor the opportunity to utilize that Black "speed" to be a dual-threat quarterback (one who can both beat a defense by throwing and running). Strangely, a number of college football teams have established a tradition of only playing Black quarterbacks: Virginia Tech, Oregon, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, and West Virginia have firmly entrenched a Black-only policy at quarterback as of late.

Perhaps this is because of the divisive nature that not playing a Black quarterback can have on a team. Racial quarterback controversies have continually plagued and divided Penn State teams over the years. In 2000, Mike Dubose last Alabama was ripped apart by a controversy over starting a Black Andrew Zow or a white Tyler Watts. It even plagued Grambling (a HBCU) when they started a white quarterback named Michael Kornblau back in the 1990s. It happened to white quarterback Marcus Jacoby at Southern University too.


Back in 1988, Doug Williams was the first Black quarterback to win the Super Bowl. It seemed the crusade to find a capable Black quarterback was complete. Twenty-three years later, that crusade is still on-going:

When it comes to breaking barriers, Williams has both figuratively and literally written the book on the subject -- his book "Quarterblack: Shattering the NFL Myth," was published in 1990. And since the day he hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the progress African-Americans have made in both the coaching and quarterbacking ranks in the NFL has been undeniable.

In celebration of Black History Month, we sat down with Williams to get his take on the progress the NFL has made with regard to opportunities for African-Americans:

It's OK to be a backup: "I'm a firm believer in guys who are not starters. I applaud the Pittsburgh Steelers for believing in the Rooney Rule [which requires NFL teams to interview African-American candidates for head-coaching and senior-level opportunities], but also the quarterback side of it. They have two African-American quarterbacks [Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwich] who are backups. If you look around the league, that's hard to find. For the most part, if you're not a starter, you don't get a second chance."

Black QBs need to be developed: "You have to be willing to let the black quarterback be your third guy. If you go down the rosters of NFL teams, there aren't many third black quarterbacks. Joe Webb was up in Minnesota, and Tarvaris Jackson is the backup. We have to get more backups in the hopper, which will lead to more opportunities."

Black quarterbacks need to be trusted: "Coaches have to sit down and talk realistically to black quarterbacks and tell them what to expect. There's a lot of work to be done, and expectations are bigger than you imagine. There's a trust there and the guy has to believe in you. We've made progress with Michael Vick getting a second chance. Then again, some of the scrutiny that Donovan McNabb went through, as much as he's done over his career, I think that's a little unfair."

 Why is there no crusade to get more white running backs (like Southern Methodist's Zach Line) and develop them? Why aren't white receivers being nurtured to be trusted to make the big catch? Why is there a social movement - really, a crusade -- to get Black quarterbacks in a more prominent role at the NCAA and NFL level? What about the paucity of white corner backs or safety's? Two white starting corner backs at the college level, Greg Heban of Indiana and Texas Tech's Sawyer Vest were both walk-ons. As is starting white safety Jordan Kovacs at Michigan.

Where's there social movement? Why isn't Jason Sehron mentoring them and others with articles at ESPN?

Ebony Magazine had this article published back in 1989 about Black quarterbacks:

The quarterback is perhaps the most glamorous and revered position in sports. The very word epitomizes the endearing qualities of a triumphant field general: ability, brilliance, control, maturity and, above all, leadership. For years, the quarterback was seen as one of football's ultimate authority figures and a position very few Blacks were allowed to hold.

Is this why there is a movement to find more Black quarterbacks to start at colleges all across the country, and then - God willingly - hopefully complete the Black-out of the NFL?


The New York Times wrote this about Russell Wilson, a transfer to Wisconsin from North Carolina State, before the season started:

With his arrival as a one-year transfer from North Carolina State, Wilson is ringing in a new era of Wisconsin football, which has always been heavy on steak and light on sizzle. The addition of the dynamic Wilson marks an evolution for the Badgers from their between-the-tackles roots.

So you see, each year, a Black quarterback is picked to be heavily profiled and promoted as the next big thing. Vince Young, Jamarcus Russell, and Michael Vick all had their shot as well in the NFL. Before the NFL season was one week old, Cam Newton was pegged as the Black savoir for the Black quarterback, until the reality of Tim Tebow set-in.

A man who might win the 2011 Heisman Trophy, Robert Griffin III of Baylor, has been pegged as the next potential savior for the Black quarterback. Here's Sports Illustrated on him:

Spend enough time in the orbit of Robert Griffin III—known around Waco, Texas, as RG3, Superman, Black Jesus, the Ambassador and the Most Exciting Player in College Football—and it's impossible to shake the thought that the cheery quarterback was constructed in a secret military lab in southern Japan. Yes, official records contend that Griffin, 21, was born at Camp Lester on Okinawa to two loving Army sergeants, Robert Jr. and Jacqueline. (The family settled in Copperas Cove, Texas, in time for Robert III to go to kindergarten.) But these days, as a legend mushrooms around the Griffins' only son, suspicions about his merely human origins have followed. "You can put limitations on even the great ones," says decorated Baylor track and field director Clyde Hart, who has coached Olympic gold medalists Michael Johnson and Jeremy Wariner. "With Robert, you can't do that. He's ... different."

Griffin plays in the Big 12, a league not exactly known for their defense. He is the beneficiary of the spread offense (like Denard Robinson) system, and it will be interesting to see if he has the ability to be the drop-back passer that Steve Spurrier is so found of recruiting and developing.

So let's just get to the point: for decades, there has been a concerted effort to develop, recruit, promote, and celebrate the Black quarterback.

The same can't be said for white running backs, white corner backs, or white defensive backs. 

Despite all of this, it's pretty obvious that Black Men Can't Throw.

Perhaps it does have something to do with intelligence after all.

If only Tim Tebow were Black, then you'd see a media push like you wouldn't believe.

Rush Limbaugh and Donovan McNabb 2.0: Media Anoints Cam Newton as new Black NFL Quarterback Star After One Game

Yahoo.com goes into full-blown "Donovan McNabb 2.0" mode with Cam Newton

Remember what Rush Limbaugh said about Donovan McNabb back in 2003? We do here at SBPDL, as it ultimately cost Mr. Limbaugh a shot at owning a National Football League franchise. Here's what Limbaugh said on ESPN:

Donovan McNabb has been to three straight Pro Bowls and two consecutive NFC championship games, and was runner-up for NFL MVP in his first full season as a starter.

Still, commentator Rush Limbaugh saw fit to question the quarterback's credentials.

Before McNabb led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 23-13 victory over the Buffalo Bills, Limbaugh said on ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown" that McNabb is overrated. However, Limbaugh injected his comment with racial overtones that have set off a controversy.

"Sorry to say this, I don't think he's been that good from the get-go," Limbaugh said. "I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team."

The National Football League is 67 percent Black and 30 percent white. The overwhelmingly majority of the fans who follow the 32 NFL teams, purchase tickets and concessions at the stadium, watch the games on television, and play fantasy football are white. Outside of kicker/punter, the whitest position is quarterback, long considered a position that Black athletes were kept from playing because of the "racist" perception among coaches that Black people didn't have the mental aptitude to learn the demanding (War and Peace in size) playbooks, formations, assignments, and ability to read a complex defense as white players do.

According to our friend Richard Lapchick, who broke down the racial demographics of each NFL position over the past 10 or so years, 2009 saw the quarterback position dominated by whites with 82 percent of the available roster spots, compared to only 16 percent for Black athletes.

The high water year for Black participation at the quarterback position was 2002, when Blacks were 24 percent of quarterback roster spots (out of 32 teams, most franchises carry 3 QBs).

It should be noted, that despite being 67 percent of the NFL roster spots - each team has 53 players active - the top players in terms of popularity with the predominately white fan base are the white quarterbacks and white skill position players. In 2010, this was the breakdown of the top selling jerseys for men (by the way, there is nothing more embarrassing than a grown man wearing a football jersey):

1. Troy Polamalu, Steelers
2. Drew Brees, Saints
3. Tim Tebow, Broncos
4. Peyton Manning, Colts
5. Tom Brady, Patriots
6. Michael Vick, Eagles
7. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
8. Eli Manning, Giants
9. DeSean Jackson, Eagles
10. Mark Sanchez, Jets
11. Tony Romo, Cowboys
12. Brett Favre, Vikings
13. Miles Austin, Cowboys
14. Adrian Peterson, Vikings
15. Clay Matthews, Packers
16. Philip Rivers, Chargers
17. Chris Johnson, Titans
18. Ray Lewis, Ravens
19. Wes Walker, Patriots
20. Donovan McNabb, Redskins
21. Jason Witten, Cowboys
22. Peyton Hillis, Browns
23. LaDainian Tomlinson, Jets
24. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals
25. Hines Ward, Steelers

Tim Tebow's jersey is still a big seller and he has the same skill-set as Newton

Fifteen of the top 25 selling NFL jerseys are white players, the bulk being white quarterbacks like Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, who put a white face on a game dominated by thugs like Ray Lewis (yes, the evidence points to him being either an accessory to murder in Atlanta or the individual who killed someone back in 2000). Pittsburgh Steelers are fiercely loyal to their team, so the outliers like Polamalu and Ward. Notice that white receiver Wes Welker and beloved white running back Peyton Hillis are in the top 25, illustrating the obvious fact that the predominately white fan base cheers for the players that excel at positions they have been conditioned to believe only Black players can excel at. 

Let's take a look at the jerseys that are most popular with women (these are cut in a sexy manner that accentuate the female body):

1. Troy Polamalu, Steelers
2. Peyton Manning, Colts
3. Drew Brees, Saints
4. Aaron Rodgers, Packers
5. Tom Brady, Patriots
6. Tim Tebow, Broncos
7. Miles Austin, Cowboys
8. Eli Manning, Giants
9. Tony Romo, Cowboys
10. Jason Witten, Cowboys

That list is strikingly white, with only one Black player (a light-skinned one at that). Dominated by white quarterbacks, it's obvious that the NFL's ability to attract white women is through the quarterback position.

Thus the interesting dilemma the NFL is faced with in 2011, with Indianapolis Colts star Peyton Manning potentially sidelined all season due to his third neck surgery. White quarterbacks are vital to the continued success of the NFL - well, establishing white stars in the receiver, linebacker, safety, and running back position, as evidenced by Peyton Hillis's selection to be on the cover of Madden NFL 2011 resonate with the white fan base too - as no one wants to see the league become just another thugged-out, explicitly Black National Black Association (NBA).  

The NBA went all-in on Blackness, hedging their bets that white fans would continue paying to see overpriced criminals play basketball; it hasn't turned out to be a great investment.

Oddly, the NFL and the fawning media that covers the sport (the monopoly that should be broken up, ESPN; the embarrassingly bad NFL Network; FOX, CBS, and the entire Associated Press) seem intent on turning the game into just another version of the NBA. Dez Bryant is the face of Black NFL, a walking caricature of every negative Black stereotype you can conjure; the Black quarterback that was supposed to revolutionize the game, Michael Vick, spent two years in jail for participating in the inhumane sport of dog fighting, showcasing the massive divide in the cultures between white and Black people.

With Manning down, the NFL is going into Donovan McNabb Version 2.0, hoping to push another Black quarterback to the stratosphere of popularity and name recognition among the white fan base. Tampa Bay has the overrated Josh Freeman, a mulatto quarterback who played good football in 2010; Oakland has Jason Campbell, a quarterback whose erratic play is eternally excused and blamed upon having to learn a new offense every year (perhaps the guy just can't make good decisions and isn't that intelligent?); Seattle has Tarvaris Jackson,  who is somehow a starting quarterback in the league despite not possessing the talent to start for an Arena League team; Minnesota trots out McNabb, who should have retired two years ago to protect his legacy; and Philly has Michael Vick, whose two years in jail allowed his body to heal from the blows he took from scrambling before his dog fighting avocation became public.

Which brings us to the Carolina Panther's Cam Newton, the Black quarterback that is being hyped as the next Peyton Manning:

On Sept. 6, 1998, the Indianapolis Colts welcomed the Miami Dolphins to what was then the RCA Dome to see their new quarterback, first overall pick Peyton Manning (notes) . At the end of the game, Manning had thrown 21 completions in 37 attempts for 302 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions.

It wasn't the most auspicious debut, but Manning threw for more than 300 yards in his first pro game, something no other rookie quarterback had done before. The Colts lost the game — they would win just three that season — but it was certainly a sign of things to come. And as we now know, Manning played in every game from then to now as Sunday marked the end of his 208-consecutive games started streak.

There was a first-game passing yardage record that exceeded Manning's, but it comes with a pretty heavy asterisk. Otto Graham of the 1950 Cleveland Browns threw for 346 yards in his NFL debut against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 16 of that year, but he spent the four previous seasons in the All-America Football Conference, which merged three teams (Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers , and an earlier version of the Baltimore Colts) with the NFL before the 1950 season.

Surprisingly, Sunday also marked the end of whichever yardage record you care to recognize. Another first overall pick, Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers , broke that mark going away by passing for 422 yards. Not only did Newton obliterate Manning's record for the first game of any rookie career, he did it on the road (versus the Arizona Cardinals ) and with a truncated preseason due to the lockout. Unfortunately for Newton, the Panthers fell short, 28-21, but that's not what will be remembered about this game.

NFL.com dedicated its front page to Newton, with a story Lights, Cam-Era, Action. Despite losing the game (and being outplayed by white quarterback Kevin Kolb, who was forced out of Philly), the media is going into overdrive to anoint Newton as the heir-apparent to Peyton Manning, perhaps the most popular player in the NFL, especially one who routinely is signed to lucrative endorsements.

ESPN, sports call-in shows across the nation, and dead-wood media will spend countless hours and waste words praising Cam Newton's debut performance to no end. Despite the NFL tweaking rules that benefit that offense - the networks want high scoring games - and creating a quarterback-friendly game, the media will stop at nothing to paint Newton as Donovan McNabb 2.0.

Sadly, there's no Limbaugh in the media to point this out and cause a hilarious controversy.

Newton might be an outstanding talent, but NFL defenses have been so handicapped when it comes to hitting - to protect players - and how opposing defensive backs can play receivers that an NFL quarterback that doesn't throw for more than 300 yards is having a bad day statistically.

Once again, white fans keep the NFL afloat. They buy jersey's of white players (especially women), primarily quarterbacks. Rumors persist that Danny Woodhead's jersey, a white running back from New England, has one of the NFL's best selling jersey's as well. White fans tolerate a primarily Black league because they have been conditioned to believe that only Black athletes can legitimately play the running back, receiver, and corner/safety position.

As we at SBPDL have shown, discrimination towards white athletes begins at the high school level where college recruiters refuse to recruit white running backs, receivers or safeties. Tom Lemming, perhaps the best recruiting guru in the nation, told Michael Lewis in The Blind Side that white high school players are discriminated against, hell, he'll tell anyone this fact.

The same principles that dictate who gets recruited in college hold true in talent evaluations for the NFL. See this article on the 2011 NFL Draft, courtesy of SBPDL.

So the media crowning Cam Newton as the "new Peyton Manning" need to be called to task: this is nothing more than Donovan McNabb 2.0. The league's financial future rests upon white women being attracted to the game (because single Black women have a net worth of $5), and white guys living vicariously through white quarterbacks, receivers, bad ass linebackers like Clay Matthews, and white running backs like Hillis.

Cam Newton? He grew up in College Park, Georgia, an area white people assiduously avoid and only mention because of high Black crime rates, a scary MARTA station, and the fact that Newton is from there.

Remember: without sports to manufacture positive images of Black people, Black-Run America (BRA) would collapse overnight. Much like the media's desire to see a Black quarterback succeed, eventually Project Donovan McNabb 2.0 will fail.

Newton might have some success, but he could end up like JaMarcus Russell and Vince Young. But with offensive and defensive rule changes that continue to benefit the quarterback and a passing offense mentality, the NFL was bound to be find the right mixture to finally of rule tweaks to see a Black quarterback succeed.

But after one game - when he was outplayed by Kevin Kolb - to anoint Newton as the "new Manning" shows you the "BRA agenda" all too perfectly.

Vick, Young, Russell, and Leaf: Which NFL Quarterback is Financially Solvent?

When you remember that Dez Bryant is the face of the modern National Football League (NFL), then what we are about to say will make perfect sense.

He was a bust, but Leaf still has his NFL earnings

With the NFL players currently locked out - and the threat of violence in major cities if they don't strike a deal for the upcoming season - many players have resorted to drastic measures to survive, including taking out high interest payday loans.


Adrian Peterson called himself a slave - though he is set to make $10 million in 2011 - but even he would be hard-pressed to acknowledge why so many of his fellow athletes are in such dire financial situations during the lockout and upon retirement.

Perhaps the stories of Vince Young, LaMarcus Russell and Michael Vick - that quintessentially Black quarterback for the new era - can shed some light on the consequences of financial mismanagement and the repercussions of failure to understand compound interest.

Vince Young is a failed NFL quarterback. Though he enjoyed massive collegiate success, Young was a bust for the Tennessee Titans. Young is now having not only his ability to read and react to complex defenses questioned, but his ability to balance a checkbook as well:

Vince Young has been the forgotten man of the quarterback carousel speculation this offseaon.

It’s not because of his play. Young has a lot to work on as a quarterback, but he’s flashed plenty of playmaking ability and production during his career. Young scares decision makers because of, well, everything else.

Len Pasquarelli of the Sports XChange writes that a few teams are “investigating rumors [Young] may have mishandled his money” and are worried about his perceived lack of maturity.

Mishandling money would hardly be a unique issue for a top-ten pick, so a deeper investigation could indicate a larger problem.

We went back and watched Young’s snaps from 2010. It wasn’t all perfect, but his play on third downs and his ability to fit the ball into tight windows was impressive. Take away the baggage, and he’d easily be the top name available this offseason.

If only getting rid of the baggage was so easy.

Former No. 1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell love of purple drank caused a dint in his pocket book and well as inhibiting him from success in the NFL:

Nearly four years after JaMarcus Russell(notes) became the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, his playing career may have completely bottomed out after “life coach” John Lucas asked Russell to leave Houston recently, two sources close to the quarterback told Yahoo! Sports.

Russell, 25, and Lucas had been working together since September in hopes of getting Russell into shape for a return to the NFL. The aforementioned sources say Russell, released by the Oakland Raiders last May, initially worked hard, but quickly lost motivation. Recently Lucas tired of trying to get Russell, the top pick in 2007, to respond to instruction and assistance.

After being the top pick, Russell missed all of training camp as a rookie in a contract dispute before signing a six-year, $62 million contract including $31 million guaranteed money.

“It’s such a waste of talent,” the source said. “It’s hard to believe a guy with that much ability could let it just waste. It’s sad. … It’s like they say, you can’t coach desire.”

Reports indicated that Russell is nearly broke. $31 million on what? Purple drank? Jewelry? All-you-can-ribs everyday?

Minnesota Vikings defense end Jared Allen blasted the poor financial decisions of his fellow athletes, saying:

“I think the bigger disappointment was to see the jewelry on these kids’ arms and ears,” Allen said, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. “Are you kidding me? You haven’t played a down in the league yet and thousands and thousands of dollars on these kids’ arms and I’m like, ‘You guys understand you’re getting drafted into a lockout where you don’t know what rules you’re playing under or how much money you possibly might get?’”

What else needs to be said about Michael Vick? A player loved by Black fans and spurned by white fans, Vick lost out on the prime of his career because of his avocation of dog fighting. Not only that, Vick lost millions and went bankrupt:

With apologies to Harper's Index …

Amount jailed star quarterback Michael Vick spent from July '06 to July '08, according to recent bankruptcy papers: $17.7 million.

Amount of that time he was in prison: 8 months.

Total amount of checks he wrote his mother, Brenda Boddie—not counting all her bills he paid—even while in prison: $21,400.

Amount he donated to her church: $327,900.

Amount he gave her for an Easter egg hunt: $700.

Number of Reese's Chocolate Easter Eggs that would buy: 5,259.

Amount of the check he wrote to Boddie labeled "chump change": $1,000.

Amount Vick was sentenced to pay to house and care for the 47 pit bulls he and his buddies didn't drown, strangle, hang, shoot, or electrocute for not winning fights: $928,073.

Average pay, per hour, of Vick's pit bulls' caregivers at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah: $14.

Pay, per hour, Vick gets for washing pots and pans at Leavenworth: 12 cents.

Cost of a bottle of Shelter Blend Flower Essence aromatherapy used for "anxious, worried or easily stressed" dogs at the sanctuary: $27.50.

Number of hours Vick would have to work to afford a bottle of Flower Essence: 230.

Cost of a bottle of "Vicktory" wine with a painting of one of the rescued dogs on the label: $40.

Cost of a tin of tuna at some federal prison commissaries: 23 cents.

Number of cars Vick owned at one time: 9, including the '07 Land Rover for his fiancée; the '07 Cadillac Escalade for his fiancée's mother; the '07 Land Rover for his brother Marcus; the '08 Mercedes Benz for his financial advisor, David Talbot; the '06 Cadillac DTS for his pal Rodney White; and the '07 Ford F-150 he drove himself.

Ironic name of the Lincoln Mercury dealership Vick continues to make car payments to, despite sitting in jail: Freedom.

Sticker price of the '07 Infiniti Vick bought for his fiancée to keep in Leavenworth so she has something to drive while visiting him in prison: $65,000.

Amount mysteriously categorized as "miscellaneous" over two years: $3.5 million.

Number of fake Dasani water bottle "safes" with hidden compartments that would buy: 116,861.

Amount Vick took as "cash out": $1,112,664.

Number of $400 ATM withdraws, including $2.50 service charge, that would require: 2,764.

Number of ATMs in Leavenworth penitentiary: 0.

Amount of deal Vick signed with the Falcons in 2004, making him the highest paid player in the league at the time: $130 million.

Monthly average salary in the Arena Football League, where Vick will probably end up playing when he's released on July 20: $7,000.

Vick's ongoing cost to support his fiancée, their two daughters, his brother, his mother, a former girlfriend and his son with her, per month: $20,000.

Amount Vick still owes banks in Toronto, South Bend, and Charlotte, for loans he took to invest in a car rental franchise, a wine store/restaurant, and other businesses: $6 million.

Total amount listed as "loan payment" over two years: $33,523.

Amount of judgment against Vick that he still owes former agent Andrew Joel: $4.5 million.

Amount Vick still owes the Atlanta Falcons from his signing bonus: $3.75 million.

Amount the NFL attempted to recoup from Vick's bonus money: $16.25 million.

Useful name Vick might need when he's released: Ron Mexico.

Number of homes Vick owned at one time: 4.

Number he lives in now: 0.

Unfortunate name of the investment firm Vick sunk $245,000 into: Leake.

Essential question about Vick now after ruining his life—with bountiful help from leaching family, friends, advisors, agents and his own Hindenburg instincts: Can the chump change?

With a stellar 2010 season, Vick is set to sign a lucrative contract extension and garner multiple endorsements, which is good news for his creditors:

Odds that Vince Young wishes he were still being paid under the table at Texas?

Vick, once a star for the Falcons, signed a franchise tender with the Eagles on Wednesday that could pay him $16 million to $20 million for the 2011 season, barring a lockout. The exclusive franchise-rights tender requires that he receive the average salary of the top five highest-paid quarterbacks in the league.


His pay will increase to the $20 million figure if Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning signs his franchise tender (worth $23 million) or works out a long-term contract.

The "exclusive" tag bars Vick from talking to other teams once free agency begins. However, the players' union has argued that franchise tags are invalid because of the current labor strife.

On July 7, 2008, Vick filed for bankruptcy, citing debts ranging from $10 million to $50 million. He reportedly still owes his creditors about $20 million.

The quarterback position is the most cerebral of all the positions in the NFL, with the duties of knowing all of his fellow offenses players assignments for a given play and his ability to analyze a defense and quickly make audibles to get his team in a better opportunity to win if the play called is schemed against before the ball is snapped.

Some have questioned if the inability of Black players to dominate this position (as they constitute 67 percent of current NFL rosters) is because of the cognitive demands put on the quarterback.

Perhaps. But remember that Ryan Leaf was, like Vick, Young, and Russell, an All-American quarterback in college. Considered one of the biggest busts in the history of the NFL Draft, Leaf moved on with his life:

Ryan Leaf is up early each day and often out the door before his parents get up. He wants to stay busy, see people if he can. It's a routine he needs.

It was Manning who went first in the 1998 draft, and Leaf went to the San Diego Chargers at No. 2.

The 6-foot-5 Leaf got a four-year contract worth more than $31 million. His dream of playing NFL football was coming true.

"I was hungry," he said. "I wanted to be good."

Life hasn't turned out the way Leaf expected.

He struggled with fame. That led to infamy. He struggled with drugs. That led to shame.

About a decade ago, the ex-quarterback was among the biggest stories in the NFL. When he was drafted in 1998, the debate was over whether he or Peyton Manning should be the No. 1 pick.

Then he turned into one of the biggest busts in league history. He was booed and benched in San Diego, where he lost 14 of his first 18 starts. He lashed out at fans, journalists and teammates who criticized him. And in the years after he washed out of football, his life got worse – ending in a criminal conviction.

But here's the thing: Leaf gets it that he fell short, how he disappointed, and how he rubbed people the wrong way with his arrogance. And now in the relative calm of his Montana hometown, under the eyes of his parents, he's trying to mount a comeback at the age of 34, nine years after his last NFL pass.

Leaf checks his e-mail each day and draws inspiration from prayers he gets from his sponsor for a 12-step program.

Leaf says he is comfortable financially, helped by relatives who know how to invest and worked with him on his $11.25 million signing bonus.

Divorced, he spent time in rehab in British Columbia late last year, and now lives with his parents – although he's often away selling resort packages as the business development manager for a Canadian company.

Ryan Leaf has been arrested and put on probation, and yet he is financially secure because of sound investments. Remember that within two years of retiring, 78 percent of NFL players will have gone bankrupt or will be under severe financial stress.

There's a reason why Dez Bryant is the modern face of the NFL. There's a reason why Ryan Leaf doesn't belong in the same category of Vick, Russell, and Young.

Though he will never throw a football again for money, Leaf can rest easy knowing that his NFL earnings are earning interest while Russell can't afford anymore purple drank; Young can't get a job, like so many other Black people, because of poor credit; and that every penny Vick earns goes to pay back a creditor.

Good luck to Cameron Newton!

Dez Bryant - the Face of the Modern NFL

March Madness. The Super Bowl. Bowl Season. Opening Day.

It should be obvious that Americans live their lives vicariously through collegiate and professional sports. We have documented this on several occasions, pointing out that it was sports and sports alone that broke down the final barriers of the old United States and replaced them with the idea of Black Run America (BRA).

Dez Bryant, far right, represents the 2011 NFL with poetic irony

In 1956 a famous moment took place when an all-white Georgia Tech squad was to play an integrated Pittsburgh football team, which created quite the stir in Atlanta. Playing the contest meant the repudiation of the fragile world that existed:

A dozen effigies of Governor Marvin Griffin were hanged and burned during the students' march, which culminated in a 2 a.m. riot in front of the governor's mansion. 

Earlier in the day, the governor had incurred their wrath by a pinhead act: he asked the State Board of Regents to forbid the athletic teams of the university system of Georgia (e.g., Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia) from participating in games against any team with Negro players, or even playing in any stadium where unsegregated audiences breathed the same air. 

"The South stands at Armageddon," brayed Griffin to the regents. "The battle is joined. We cannot make the slightest concession to the enemy in this dark and lamentable hour of struggle. There is no more difference in compromising the integrity of race on the playing field than in doing so in the classrooms. One break in the dike and the relentless seas will rush in and destroy us."*

The dike did burst. Everything changed virtually overnight once Black athletes started playing for teams in the once segregated South. And the impact was not only upon Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools but also on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

Generations of white alumni and fans who never interacted with Black people in real life -- who, in fact, participated in white flight when Blacks moved too close -- suddenly manufactured relationships with Black athletic stars when said Blacks wore the home team colors.

Thanks to their ability to run with the football and dunk a basketball, positive examples of Black people could be found in abundance.White coaches, afraid to discipline Black players for fear of being perceived as discriminating against them, gave in to outlandish behavior that would never be tolerated at an HBCU or a formerly segregated Predominately White Institution (PWI).

To placate prized Black recruits, a lowering of standards -- morally and academically -- occurred overnight.

Thus the world we live in now, where Black athletes' criminal actions are covered up by administrations, coaches (here's looking at you, Jim Tressel), and ignored by nearly all-white fan bases because of the belief that only Black players can bring championships and accolades to the university or professional sports franchise.

College administrators no longer look upon the miserable Black graduation rates with a sense of shame, because these hired talents -- most of the time -- have no legitimate goal of graduating in anything outside of a general studies degree. They are simply enrolled to win championships regardless of the ramifications in the future when their recruitment becomes suspect.

White people, after decades of watching Black atheletes gradually come to predominate the play at one position after another, have been programmed to believe that Black people are better at athletics.  And these white spectators have yet to reach an understanding of what this capitulation ultimately represents.

The relentless seas rushed in and nothing will ever be the same again. Black criminality -- that primarily preys upon Black people -- was once kept in check because Black people wouldn't tolerate it. Now Black people excuse it, rationalize it, justify it, defend it, explain it away as just another lingering vestige of Jim Crow and a tyrannical judicial system. Every Black person's view is drenched in a sense of entitlement, and the repercussions are damaging and horrific.

Black athelets, present and former, meet any criticism of Black athletes attack, ridicule, and assertions of blatant racism.  Black athletes form a tight-knit fraternity and protect one another from outside attacks.

Most Black males believe they can grow up to become professional athletes. Those, that is, who don't have a promising career in criminality, government service, as a diversity hire at a major corporation, or even a career as a celebrated racial academician.

The National Football League (NFL) has locked out its players, because they ostensibly work under slave wages and demand a bigger piece of the pie. The NFL brand, built over the past 75 to 80 seasons, has eclipsed baseball as America's favorite sport.  The athletes who play now - 70 percent Black - enjoy the harvest sown by many players -- predominately white - from the rich history of the NFL whose tireless labors built a sport that once paid as much a year as some current players make in but one single quarter of a football game.

Black athletes have little appreciation for the sport and believe it is their right to be earn millions (and spend millions more) and be beloved at both the collegiate and professional level. Having no loyalty save to the Almighty Dollar, Black athletes will go to the highest bidder and spend every last penny with reckless abandon.


We already know that Michael Vick is a figure adored in the Black community, but Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant represents the true face of the NFL in 2011. Having been ruled ineligible at Oklahoma State for lying to the NCAA, character issues were quickly disregarded because his athletic ability necessitated his high selection in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Though the NFL Players created a lockout pool of money for players who paid into that systemBryant's fathers is a pimp. His mother had three children by the time she was 18. Were it not for his ability to catch the football, one is hard-pressed to come up with a viable employment option for Bryant that would present him the opportunity to earn $850,000 in a lifetime, let alone in exchange for one year of his labor.

That is precisely what the NFL gave the opportunity to do, which he quickly spent away:

Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant is facing two lawsuits seeking more than $850,000 for unpaid jewelry bills, NFL and NBA tickets and loans.


A Tarrant County man is suing Bryant for $588,500 worth of watches, earrings, bracelets, rings and other jewelry, plus $15,850 worth of tickets and $11,000 in unpaid loans. All the transactions were between June 2009 and June 2010.

Receipts signed by Bryant show that they were supposed to be paid by July 30, 2010, “or when he signs his first Marketing or Sports Contract, which ever happens first,” the lawsuit said. The suit was filed in September and amended last week, before Bryant allegedly unleashed a tirade at a mall security officer concerned about his drooping pants.

Another lawsuit filed last week says Bryant owes a New York company $246,000 for jewelry purchases made between January and May 2010.

Bryant accepted loans while at Oklahoma State and made extravagant purchases, which he incorrectly thought he would never have to pay back.  One should remember that 78 percent of NFL players go bankrupt two years after retirement, and seeing the financial decisions of first-year NFL player Dez Bryant is a stark reminder why such events transpire.

 He was also recently kicked out of a Dallas mall for wearing baggy pants, a trend among Black males and a common accoutrement of Black criminals nationwide. Bryant wasn't happy:

Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant was ejected from an upscale Dallas shopping mall after a dispute over the sagging pants worn by him and some companions.


A police statement on Tuesday says officers working off-duty on Saturday as security at NorthPark Center encountered Bryant and three companions wearing the drooping pants.

According to the statement, when the officers asked the four to pull up their trousers, Bryant launched into a profanity-laced tirade that prompted the officers to escort the four from the mall.

Police say Bryant refused to leave, however, until his “representative” could arrive and he parked in a fire lane until a friend arrived and persuaded him to leave.

Bryant represents the modern NFL and what the grotesque parody the league has become; the majority of the players have absolutely no concern for the fans and no respect for the history and tradition of the game.

And they'll have no problem calling themselves "slaves" in the process.

When that dike burst in 1956, the waters that poured in eroded what was once the United States. The flotsam and jetsam left behind is Black Run America.

Out of a possible score of 50, Bryant pulled down a 16 on his Wonderlic test.  He was heavily recruited by many of the major college football powers that would never have considered him as a student were it not for his athletic prowess.

He is worshipped by millions for his ability to catch a football during the course of a frivolous game. This is but a one example of why we find ourselves living under Black Run America (BRA).

Mein Obama vouches for Mein Vick

Heroes for a different country.

Black people are fiercely loyal. The whole world is collapsing on Mein Obama and yet Black people still approve of his performance (as do Disingenuous White Liberals) though he has yet to do anything to improve the lot of the majority of his most ardent supporters.

Michael Vick is a name that needs no introduction here. In a sane society an individual that mistreats animals with the cruelty of Mr. Vick would have been politely shunned or sent with a one-way ticket to a psychiatric ward. Abusing defenseless animals is a sign of an individual harboring psychological issues that require the attention of trained professional, and keeping these type of people out of the limelight would be axiomatic in a healthy nation.

We do not live in such nation (quick thought experiment: when you look at many white criminals that appear in the news, it is quite obvious that they possess an IQ well below the average of white America - 100 - and perhaps have some sort of mental retardation, but when you see a Black criminal it is impossible to utilize a similar thought experiment. Black people in America have an average IQ of 85, but almost all Black people - including criminals - look alike).


Michael Vick is loved by Black people the nation over. He is another individual who deserves the "Mein" title, just as Barack Obama is still beloved by Black people and any criticism of him will always be considered "racist" by his devoted followers. 

Vick might be on another level though. Criticism of Vick is not allowed and if it transpires will always have the odoriferous stench of "racism":

 Get ready to count your losses, Eagles fans, because your team has no shot this year without your black Negro, dog-killin’, prison-serving quarterback.

Yeah, you’re reading it right.

The Vick description occurs because despite time served for whatever crime he committed in a dogfighting scandal, despite community service, and despite a thousand repentances, he never will receive forgiveness by PETA-peddlers (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) nor the millions of Americans who place poodles before humans, especially black homo sapiens.

America, land of the free and home to Native American genocide, slavery, gender persecution, segregation, and a litany of other indiscretions that affected millions, appears hell-bent on repeatedly lynching Vick, retelling his dogfighting connection until he screams Uncle Tom.

All this talk about America turning some invisible corner because 53 percent of Americans elected our first black president is just that — talk.

Race still matters, will always serve as the No. 1 issue in America, because we can’t live without that single controversy that erupts torrents of anger and hate.

These flashbacks to Vick are not at all about developing a quality quarterback because Philadelphia suffered through a similar controversy when Randall met Ronny and Coach Buddy Ryan inserted his lanky future star on third down and never.

 You can't criticize Black people in Black Run America (BRA) and Michael Vick is one of the most highly regarded Blacks in this nation right now:

As a white man with a column and radio show, I have been vilified for taking strong stances against a disgusting human being -- Michael Vick.

Why?

Because he happens to be an African-American -- a fact that is inconsequential to me. If the ex-Falcons quarterback was a fellow Irish-American, none of my beliefs would change one iota.

I don't hate Michael Vick because he's black and I certainly don't think I am better than him because I'm white. I pity him because he hanged and drowned dogs, and I think I am better human being than him because I have the moral compass to understand that's wrong.

And while logic often flies in the face of ignorance, too often the ignorant rule.

Take Stephon Marbury and Roy Jones, who felt the need to defend the indefensible.

"I think it's tough that we build Michael Vick up and then we break him down," Marbury said after the Vick story broke. "I think he's one of the superb athletes, and he's a good human being. I just think that he fell into a bad situation."

Jones went even further...

"People tend to talk so hard against people. They make it such a bad thing, like dog fighting is worse than killing someone," Jones said in Newsday.

"I'm not a dog fighter. I've never been to a dog fight. But just because they have the animals doesn't mean they are fighting the animals. Michael Vick doesn't have that kind of time to train and raise dogs... I like bulldogs and I like their mentality."

"They are making this so bad, but really two dogs fighting can happen in anyone's backyard or on the street. It happened in my backyard, two of my dogs fought and one died.

Mein Obama, hoping to show Black people that he still cares about them, recently praised the Philadelphia Eagles owner for giving Vick a second chance after his prison stint:

NBC's Peter King reports that Barack Obama called Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie earlier this week to congratulate him for giving Vick a second chance after his release from prison. According to King, the president said that released prisoners rarely receive a level playing field and that Vick's story could begin to change that.

Forget your political allegiances or feelings about Michael Vick and take a step back to think about this. The sitting president of the United States went out of his way to publicly praise a man who, 3 1/2 years ago, many thought would never play again in the NFL. Even the most ardent believers in Vick couldn't have fathomed a turn-around like this. 

Black people take notice here: with more than 2 million Americans behind bars, Black people comprise nearly 1/2  of those currently serving time. Since 1 in 10 Black people serve behind bars, this means a substantial number of Black people will serve jail time in their lives (the number is roughly 30 percent). It should be noted these numbers closely correlate wherever Black people can be found in a predominately white nation.

We are reaching a point where nearly a third or more Black males will be convicted felons and make it quite difficult for employers to find suitable vocations or positions for them (considering only 50 percent of Black males finish high school) to hold down as barber shops can only employ so many and the military can't keep lowering standards.

With a 72 percent out-of-wedlock birthrate, the rate of criminality will only rise.

Not all Black people can be athletes, so the question must be asked: What will the majority of Black males be doing in the coming decades?

Michael Vick is the perfect role model for what America has become. He is the face of modern football for a reason, but he better encapsulates the face of modern America.

It is Stuff Black People Don't Like opinion that 2011 will serve as The Tipping Point for the idea of Black Run America.

For the meantime, Black people will doggedly defend Michael Vick and Barack Obama from all critics and denounce anyone who dares opine that their heroes are with fault. 

Black History Month Heroes: Willie Beamen of "Any Given Sunday"

In all of sports - basketball, baseball, track, soccer, sumo wrestling - one position stands above the rest as the king, the role that garners all the glamor and glitz. Quarterback. No other position in the world of sports has the fame and notoriety that the quarterback entails.

The leader of 10 other men on offense, the quarterback is the field general capable of securing victory with the flick of his arm, simultaneously cognizant that that same motion could spell defeat. 11 other men on defense exist on islands, understanding their assignments and keys but aware that the quarterback across the line of scrimmage is prepared to inflict maximum damage at any moment.

Black players in football have a monopoly on the corner back position, a near monopoly on the running back position and only recently began to mortgage their hold on the receiver slot. The quarterback position, however, is solidly in the hands of white people. Unless one of the Manning brothers decides to marry a Black woman, the quarterback position will be played by a monochromatic color for many years to come (for the sake of this article, we are only talking about the National Football League - NFL - which has a test sample of only 32 teams, compared to major college football that has 120 teams, all running vastly different offenses).

White players dominate the quarterback position with images of Montana, Bradshaw, Unitas, Marino, Farve and Manning acting as prototypes for the perfect representation of the field general.

But why is this? Quarterback's must know every minute detail in the vast encyclopedia that doubles as the offensive playbook, and they need to know all of the correct routes of their skilled position players, blocking assignments of their linemen and the precise timing of where the running back will be for each hand off.

In other words, performing poorly on the Wonderlic Test isn't a positive sign that the prospective quarterback can handle the difficult playbook he'll be forced to learn, plus the many nuances that go into the game at real-time (audibles, crowd noise, reading the defense...).

Black people have long thought that the quarterback position is the last refuge of the white athlete, a reservation for white people that acts as a veritable casino for those lucky few able to guide an NFL offense:

We should never pass up the opportunity to point out that Rush Limbaugh is not only a racist pig but, unlike the swine, one of our stupider mammals as well.

This past weekend, as All-Pro quarterback Donovan F. McNabb led the Philadelphia Eagles to their first Super Bowl in 25 years, Limbaugh was undoubtedly chasing oxycontin with Kahlua in a state of utter misery.

Last year, Limbaugh ignited an inferno by wheezing on ESPN's NFL pre-game show that McNabb was "overrated" because of the "media's social concern" to see a successful Black quarterback. It was textbook Limbaugh, linking race and performance with a jab at "liberal affirmative action" advancing the "unqualified". The fact that Limbaugh was a paid football announcer for ESPN still boggles the mind. Was G. Gordon Liddy unavailable? David Duke too expensive? Limbaugh was run out of ESPN on a rail after thousands of complaints, but he smirked back to talk radio, more a hero to his minions than ever before...

Limbaugh's words bear mention because there is an argument currently afoot that the durable color line-- which has in the past kept the NFL quarterback position as "white-only" as a 1950s Greensboro lunch counter--is finally over.

There is merit to this claim. As recently as 1984, there was only one Black QB in the entire league. But this year, Black quarterbacks held more than twenty NFL QB roster spots. Today, Black quarterbacks not only grace almost every roster, but also play every imaginable style. There are speed demons like Michael Vick, and lead-foots like Byron Leftwich. There are aged career back-ups like Jeff Blake and Rodney Peete, and young benchwarmers like David Garrard and Shaun King. There are also frightening talents like McNabb and Daunte Culpepper - players who have the ability and brains to pass their way to football immortality. The sill-sets of the Black QB run the gamut from brilliant to lousy. Yes, Black quarterbacks have earned the right to not only be stars, but also suck as much as white quarterbacks - which is a form of progress.

This ascension of Black quarterbacks carries a social impact that reverberates off the playing field. No athletic position in our society is as esteemed as that of the "field general." Quarterbacks are the heroes, the icons, the cover of the Wheaties Box. Denying Black athletes a chance to compete for this role held a much deeper symbolism about what Blacks could aspire to in our society. The message clearly being sent was that African Americans just didn't have the brains or "intestinal fortitude" to truly lead.

Every Sunday was a demonstration for the country that while a Black player could run, catch, and jump, the signal-calling - control - was something that required white skin. When Randall Cunningham was drafted in 1984, the first question he was asked by a reporter was, "What makes you think you're smart enough to read NFL defenses?" This is an ugly history, and much of it seems over.

As James Harris, who was the first Black quarterback to start a playoff game 30 years ago and who is the current Head of Player Personnel for the Jacksonville Jaguars, said recently, "They're not using the word black quarterback any more. They're now referred to as quarterbacks and that's the way it should be. You're judged on your ability. It wasn't always that way."

Black players dominate the NFL (70 percent of the employees participating in the game), yet the quarterback position isn't shaping up to be a position that they can crack:

Six years later, 2009 is turning out to be a bust for black quarterbacks in the NFL. Not a single one is having a good season.

Seven of the 36 most active quarterbacks are black. David Garrard is probably doing best so far: on Sunday, he got Jacksonville back to .500, but he's only #20 in passer rating.

On Sunday, Jason Campbell got benched at halftime by the Redskins. Former #1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell did win a game for Oakland, by beating Donovan McNabb 13-9. Seneca Wallace is back on the bench in Seattle. In Tampa Bay, Byron Leftwich has been replaced by young Josh Johnson, who is 32nd in passer rating.

With 140 yards rushing in six games, Garrard is the only black quarterback with at least 100 yards on the ground 30% of the way into the season.

Meanwhile, white quarterbacks are having a great year, with seven with passer ratings over 100, versus only one at the end of last year, although presumably top end ratings will come down as sample sizes increase and the weather worsens.

Black quarterbacks haven't excelled in the NFL - sorry McNabb - and yet, every other position is dominated by Black people (name one corner back that is white). Black players obviously are faster, based on the empirical evidence of no white corners and the paucity of white running backs. White receivers are making a comeback, but this is due primarily to the speed of the game changing and the importance of precise routes being run and timing such an important feature of the game, as the quarterback must get rid of the ball in a flash.

Black quarterback's, in the mold of Michael Vick, are going the way of dodo (once again, Steve Sailer and his impeccable analysis):

The peak year for black quarterbacks was 2003, the year of the Rush Limbaugh brouhaha, when black quarterbacks ranked 1st, 3rd, 7th, 16th, 21st, 24th, 26th, and 32nd. But that now appears to have been a bit of a fluke. Black quarterback talent seems to be proportional to black representation in the overall population, not to the black representation in the NFL as was widely assumed by pundits denouncing Limbaugh.

What about that 2009 New York Times Idea of the Year that "Black Quarterbacks Are Underpaid" because nobody recognizes their enormous rushing contributions? Well, David Garrard did lead quarterbacks in rushing in 2009, but only with 323 yards.

And black quarterbacks tended to get sacked a lot, with Campbell, McNabb, and Garrard in the top 10 in Sacked Yards Lost. Only Vince Young seemed to combine rushing offense with ability to avoid being sacked. And Garrard, Campbell, McNabb, and Freeman were in the top 10 in most fumbles.

The Era of the Black Rushing Quarterback (a.k.a., the Quarterback of the Future) seems to be more or less over. That doesn't bode well for the NFL career of U. of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, a white running quarterback who might have had the greatest college career ever.

Sports offer some of the only positive images of Black people, and for the franchise position of the NFL to be occupied primarily by white people is a source of major contention for Black people. Thankfully, fictional Black History Month has found the perfect combination of franchise moxie and Blackness in Willie Beamen, the quarterback of the Miami Sharks in Any Given Sunday:

The film begins as the team’s legendary, championship-winning quarterback Jack “Cap” Rooney is injured during a game. Rooney, played by Dennis Quaid, looks as if he escaped from the big-screen version of “The Dan Marino Story.” Quiad even adopts a slight Western Pennsylvanian accent for the part, and any Dolphin fan can pretty well grasp who this guy is supposed to be. Unlike Marino, he has won championships, but also unlike Marino he seems to want to retire at the right time.

When Rooney gets injured, beleaguered legendary coach Tony D’Amato (Al Pacino playing Don Shula if he were short and felt the need to yell everything he said) puts in journeyman black quarterback Willie Beamen, played y Jamie Foxx. Despite initial struggles, Beamen eventually leads the team to three straight victories showcasing his phenomenal athletic ability and on-field improvisational skills. It is interesting to note that the film was made in 1999, before the “mobile quarterback revolution” with guys like Mike Vick and Donovan McNabb in the National Football League. So when the fictitious sportswriter in the film states that Beamen is the “quarterback of the future,” it seems that Stone was almost prophetic in his writing.

Any Given Sunday offers a positive image of a Black quarterback, excelling at a white position that has yet to occur in the real world of sports. Beamen is loved by sports fans everywhere, fawned over by sports writers and desired by women (the film is a must see for any fan of the game, as it paints a politically incorrect, but accurate picture of pro football).

Beamen has a few choice lines about the biased history of the quarterback position and his people in the film (Read page 143 to 148 of the PDF script from the film at this link, and then also read page 158 to 161 for a solid understanding of race and the quarterback position):

Yeah it is! And you know it is! Cause it's really all about the money. Rakin in the TV contracts, fat cat boosters sitting in the skybox and coaches uppin' their salaries, all looking for the next Black stud to get'em in the top 10, the next bowl game...

Willie Beamen becomes such star that he even has his own rap song:

My name is Willie... Willie Beamen,
I keep the ladies... cream-in',
And all my fans... are screa-min'
You gon' defeat me? You drea-min'.

Uh, wild style, profile, Willie Beamen got the ladies in the stand smilin'.

Why? Getting down to the nitty gritty, makin' them all feel so they get me.

Jaime Foxx does a fabulous job playing Willie Beamen, a fictional Black hero that stands head and shoulders above the real Black quarterbacks whom participate in the NFL every Sunday.

Stuff Black People Don't Like welcomes Willie Beamen to the growing huddle of fictional Black History Month Heroes, because Black people need positive sports figures to continue to create positive images of Black people to sell to the American public.

With a lack of superstar Black quarterbacks in the NFL, Beamen is vital to the well-being of Black people everywhere.

What better person to captain fictional Black History Month than Steamin' Willie Beamen!