Through everything ranging from the day Donovan McNabb was drafted, to the Rush Limbaugh incident, to the TO fiasco, Donovan McNabb has settled the matters gracefully; at times, with a light heart; and, for the most part, silently.  He "[spoke] softy and [carried] a big stick," so to speak.  But now, whatever set him off drove him to speak his mind.

I'm sure that everyone heard what McNabb said, so we'll skip the interview.  The only comment of substance is this (thanks to CBS Sportsline): "There's not that many African-American quarterbacks, so we have to do a little bit extra. ... Because the percentage of us playing this position, which people didn't want us to play this position, is low, so we do a little extra."

Okay, so now we know the info. (for the uniformed).  I highlighted some key elements of his comments because they are important.  For one, if your Quarterback, the one playing in your town, is not putting "a little bit extra" into their play, whether it be by studying the playbook, giving more you have on the field, making extra steps to get a first down, or diving head first to do whatever it takes to help win a game, than I don't think I would want him as my QB.  Is it a black/ white issue for someone, or anyone for that matter, to want to put forth "a little extra" into their work to be successful?

Quick answer about owners, coaches, media, fans, or the general public not wanting African Americans to play the QB position: See Jamarcus Russell, Vince Young, Michael Vick.  They all were paid heavily.  Vick's jersey, at one point, was the top selling jersey in the U.S.  Vince Young is welcomed greatly in Tennessee, even nationally.

Back in the day, does McNabb remember when Ron "Jaws" Jaworski was getting booed by fans?  And those fans screaming for him to be replaced by the back-up, Randal Cunningham?

I'm not quite sure where these comments spurred from, but it's basically the old clique, "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."  We know Philadelphia fans and media alike are ruthless, but not because of skin color.  We know that you're the QB, you're going to get the blame for a lot of losses.  We know, McNabb, that you deserve all the criticism coming your way because after you lead your team to three NFC championship games, where you couldn't make the grade, you finally hit the Super Bowl on your fourth attempt.  And in that game, only more controversy surrounded you because of your clock management and your health; where you missed lost that one, too.

I'm not sure about McNabb, but I didn't hear Manning complain when he got bombarded with doubt and criticism, more than anyone for a long time, until he finally won one.  And I don't hear Eli Manning complain about the pressure put on him to be his brother by the NY media, or how, forever, he'll always be compared to his brother.

Don't get me wrong, there was a time when a black QB was scrutinized, but we've come a long way; it's different.  We celebrated when Dungy became the first African American coach to win a Super Bowl, and we're going to celebrate when the first African American QB wins the big one.  Today, in a "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately?" league, the QB will always get critiqued the worst: black, white, green, red, or orange.