With no Rush Limbaugh lurking in the literary shadows, Dumbavan McChoke has taken the racist burden upon himself and decried that some people don't want blacks to be NFL QB's. So they have to do "a little extra".
Aside from the fact that I'm eagerly awaiting the NAAWP to come out demanding that the Eagles cut McNabb for his racist remarks, these remarks are disturbing for many reasons.
I suppose that Fathead 5 is under the impression that the viewing public is as stupid as he says they think black QB's are. Otherwise he'd know that the savvy fan sees McChoke's rhetoric as the typical blame laying and excuse making we would expect any bitter, overpaid, underproducing veteran QB whose head is on the block.
Anyone who saw McNabb burn down the franchise in 3 NFCC losses, and then physically gag his team out of SB XXXIX, knows that the McNabb problem is not a skin color issue. It's a cardio-intestinal issue. McNabb simply doesn't have the heart or the guts to finish when it matters most.
So he senses that Eagles fans are gonna start screaming for whitey QB. He's perfectly entitled to lie to himself and say that it's not because he can't win the big one, nor can he even stay healthy anymore. But having lived in Philadelphia for many years of the McNabb era, I know that had McChoke delivered even one Lombardi they'd rename cheese steaks "McNabb's" and nominate him for Sainthood.
And while we're on the topic, what exactly is the "Little Extra" black QB's have to do to achieve recognition? Is it choking in 3 NFCC games, or puking away a SB? Is it being a barely above average QB who is really an above average RB, like the ex-Falcon turned felon? Because there's no absence of media celebration for those two. Is it being a playoff and SB failure like Steve McNair? Because you can't hear McNair's name mentioned without the obligitory "warrior" reference in the same breath.
The sad truth is, McNabb's salvo is ugly in two hideous ways. One, because it showcases the bitterness of a fading star on the downside. Two, because it's the kind of rhetoric that not only incites racism, but propogates the very venom of which McNabb claims that QB's are victims.
The scorching irony is that McNabb has taken the very tack for which he and the NAACP unjustly accused Limbaugh. A few years back, it was Limbaugh who dared to say that the media "over-celebrates" black QB's, and used McNabb as an example of a black QB who gets a lot of press and simply isn't as good as he's made out to be. It cost Rush the job. So McNabb, as he fades into the NFL dust, decides to champion the poor, beleagured, multi-millionaire, overpaid, under-producing black QB's, who aren't getting the press they deserve. Well, the comments won't cost McNabb his job. His performance will.
Irony can be very irony-y, huh folks? Maybe McNabb thinks we don't know better, but we do. He's a loser, and just like a loser would do, he's chosen racism (or whatever other excuse is handy) over truth.
Donovan McNabb was shocked when the Eagles drafted a QB this year. "Shocked" His own words. Somehow McNabb managed to forget the last 9 years in Philadelphia. Nine years au####iously marked by a franchise letting many stars go one year early, rather than one year late.
Perhaps McNabb forgot about his major knee blowout last year, or the fact that he's started just 19 of 32 games in the last two seasons. At the very least, he must have thought he was somehow indispensible, even after watching the Vincents and the Trotters (for example) of the group get the gate.
What mystifies me is that McNabb espoused understanding of NFLenomics when the Eagles drafted to replace other aging starters. But the reality is McNabb is either a little heavy on the ego or a little light in the brain. Having experienced more than a little bit of the McNabb lovefest with the media, I'm stunned, because ego is not a word I quickly relate to McNabb. The guy is a stellar citizen, gives 100% on every play, plays hurt (when he can walk) and is an all around class act. So I have to ask myself; "what is he, stupid?".
Steve McNair, on the other hand, does not surprise me. The fact that he got arrested for drunk driving, even though his brother was in the left seat, is no shocker. Jumping in the driver seat is exactly what I'd do for my brother if he was a super-rich NFL star supporting me. Would I take the rap for that kind of meal ticket? I'd stand in line for the chance.
What also doesn't surprise me is that McNair was stupid enough to get into a vehicle while drunk, either driving (which I'm sure he was) or as a passenger with a drunk driver. I've long said that McNair is about as smart as a box of rocks. Just look at the guy. He's got backwoods written all over his otherwise vacant face. You only need to hear him struggle to deliver 4th grade level communication to know he's a few cells short of a cerebrum.
McNair is also a good guy though, and one I reluctantly have to cheer (reluctantly because he owns my Steelers) because he's heart and soul on the field. But you have to admit, making that kind of mistake so soon after a team mate got suspended for an entire season without even being convicted of a crime, is bonehead judgement with extra bone. It's almost as stupid as telling a girl your name is Ron Mexico so she won't know the real name of the guy who gave her ####.
But evidently, impersonating a bato and transmitting STD's, flipping off home crowds, getting caught with marijuana residue in his water bottle and throwing his entire coaching staff under the bus wasn't enough for the NFL"s resident ####. Ron Mexico had to raise stupid to heights to which the Cut Me Some Slack Man, Kid Bro Sweeps, McClunk, McChoke, the Tank and the Pittsburgh Steelers OL Coach can only aspire.
Mike Sick now wants us to believe that a dog fighting operation was running smoothly in a home he owned without his knowledge. Okay Mike, we believe you, but only because you've been such a model citizen up to now.
What's that you say fans? Mike Chick hasn't been a model citizen. Okay, you got me. I was being sarcastic. The fact is, The Chick is the least responsible out of 32, at the most responsible position in the NFL.
It was bad enough when Vick sat on the "new offense" excuse for a few seasons forcing 150 balls to Alge Crumpler, out of the 200 total passes he chose to throw. It was even worse when the whole (admittedly hilarious) Ron Mexico alias story broke. I mean come on, how funny is being so stupid that he chooses a country for a surname alias? It was just plain pathetic when he threw a coach and staff, who put him beyond reproach by the way, to the wolves. But Mexico has set the benchmark for irresponsibility. Good lord, even Jones showed some accountability.
Vick reminds me of Bill Murray/Big Ern McCracken after he beats Woody Harrelson in Kingpin. He screams out, I won, finally, Big Ern is above the law. That's how Vick must feel these days. He's the Oliver North of Football. I wouldn't be surprised if he had all the starving pit bulls shredded as soon as the story broke. Because somehow, Vick thinks a $120mm contract means the truth can't catch him.
But he's wrong. Like every perp, he'll keep making mistakes, keep getting bolder, older and slower until the truth nabs him. But it's a damned shame in the meantime, because no matter what McNabb or McNair do, Vick is seen as the future of black QB's. Right now, the future is not very bright.
Were you as shocked as I was? On 3rd and goal with a minute remaining, Peyton Manning just fell on the turf so Adam Vinatieri could kick his fifth FG to go up by nine. Sure, it was the safe call, but this was after all, the NFL poster boy, king of media hype, regular season legend, Peyton Manning. You mean you don't let him take a shot at the end zone? No.
No you don't. And what I saw yesterday led me to believe that Tony Dungy was actually coaching the Colts, instead of deferring to Manning. It was a nice change. I'm thinking that Dungy has learned from the example of Mike Shanahan (managing John Elway) who knew: 1. You very rarely win playoff games without running the ball 2. When your QB has a history of choking, you don't put the ball in his hands if you don't have put the ball in his hands. Deep down, I kind of root for long suffering chokers, except Marty Schottenheimer, and I secretly hope that Manning finds a way to break the "yeah but" curse. I also know that if it meant winning a SB, he'd be just fine if the Colts kicked nothing but FG's the rest of the way.
It also merits mention that you can't win solely on defense. I told a friend earlier this week that I didn't think the Ravens would get past the Colts because I have no faith in Steve McNair come January. McNair's record in his last six playoff games before last night, 2-4. Now he's 2-5. McNair is not a smart QB. As a matter of fact, he rivals Mike Vick for the slowest brain ever at the position, and dumb guys don't win playoff games. McNair stupidly jammed the game killing pick into the hands of the Colts. Where was all of his veteran leadership then? I don't which was more ridiculous, McNair's pick or Ray Lewis' Halloween costume in the post game press conference.
NO/PHI
The Saints are a well coached team. The Eagles came out on fire last night, almost knocking out Reggie Bush early, taking a few leads and playing ferocious D. But Bush and the Saints were resilient and poised all night long. These teams were very evenly matched and when that is the case, the difference is coaching. What does that say about the veteran, Andy Reid. He's a one speed coach, a la Bill Cowher, who can't elevate his team come January. I felt terrible for Jeff Garcia who played his heart out and at 36 or 37 will likely have few if any chances to take a team to the SB again.
Can the Saints win out? I don't think so. For some unthinkable reason, I still believe in Rex Grossman and the Bears.
The Coaching
The truth is beginning to come out in Pittsburgh. Ever since Art Rooney Jr. made the remark that "it's about time we won our fifth SB" bfore the 2005 training camp I knew Bill Cowher's time was short. If the obvious distance between Cowher and Art Jr. at Cowher's resignation (not retirement) PC wasn't enough, now the word from a Cowher confidant is that "it didn't have to end like this". This only makes me more sure than ever, that Art Jr. only needed one disaster follow up to a SB miracle to push the slobbering goon out the door. At some point or another, word will get out that Art Jr. grew tired of the cheerleading act and the postseason disasters and paved the way for Cowher's exit.
The Pittsburgh press is throwing Cowher a bone by saying the Steelers are interviewing Chandler Gailey at Cowher's recommendation. Gailey was the guy who would have replaced Cowher in 1998 had Danny boy done the right thing and fired him back when he should have.
Just when you think Arthur Blank has learned his lesson, he hires a project to coach a failure. When you look at Mike Vick's career, it so closely mirrors that of Kordell Stewart it's amazing. And we all know how it ended up for Korkie. If the Falcons wanted a last crack at developing Vick, the best choice was undoubtedly Ken Whisenhunt. Whiz is adept at getting favorable matchups, without sophisticated in-play adjustments, which plays to Vick's very limited mentality. And Whiz has NFL experience. Who was the last college coach to make a successful transition to the NFL? Jimmy Johnson, 17 years ago. My guess is that Blank just wanted a puppet coach so he can try to run the team from the press box. It doesn't matter though, more freedom for Vick is just extra rope with which to hang himself.
I'm not sure that Raider and Cradinal fans even care who coaches their teams as long as the departing coaches are gone. Denny Green and Art Shell are the poster children for the lobby to discontinue affirmative action. Have you ever seen two more clueless idiots on an NFL sideline. Both teams would have been better off if the ballboy's had taken over.
So Nick Saban took the guaranteed money and ran. So what. Players do this all the time and no one questions it. Yes, Saban handled it poorly with the press, what else is new? When did Saban ever handle the press well? The guy took a cushy job for a lot of money, and will be in control of almost all aspects of his coaching destiny instead of pandering to crybaby prima donnas. Tough choice, huh?
The Rumors
There was some talk that, if Garcia took the Eagles deep, Philly might trade McNabb to Minnesota. I doubt this. But not because McNabb is the better QB, especially for the WC system. As a matter of fact, watching Garcia run the Eagles offense has been a thing of beauty, and watching McNabb jammed into a dink and dunk offense with his cannon arm and incredible physical gifts has been excruciating at times. But if the Eagles unload the injury prone McNabb, and I think they should, their first job is to draft a QB, because the diminutive Garcia is always one good hit away from retirement and not to far away from Social Security either. My guess is they keep McNabb and Garcia for one more season and try to get a better, younger fit for the WC, like Matt Schaub.
Herm Edwards is growing less and less confident in Trent Green. His threat to scrap the playbook and firing a close friend of Green, assistant John Shea, is evdience of that. But this why Edwards will never take a team deep in January. Don't get me wrong, Chief fans, I love Edwards as a person. But he's kidding himself if he thinks it's anyone's fault but his that the Chefs didn't have a better regular and post season. Edwards brought back Green too early and stuck with him too long. The Chefs were your typical sixth seed, a team that got lucky late and didn't deserve to be in the postseason. Edwards kidded himself about that too.
Will Bill Parcells stay in Dallas? Who cares. Parcells is obviously well past his prime but has assembled some excellent talent. Jerry Jones would be smart to keeep Parcells on where he belongs, as GM. Except that's the job Jerry thinks he's doing.
Will Marty retire if he wins the SB? The answer is the same as what I'll do if I win the lotto. Why not discuss what society will do to handle the cleanup when Pigs start flying? Who are we kidding here. Cowher managed to dump a 15-1 season in the ####, what on earth makes anyone think that Chokenheimer can't burn a 14-2 season to the ground in January.
Sometimes the NFL is just plain funny, sometimes it's not. But this weekend's action pegged the accidental comedy meter, the "I told you so" meter and the "WTF" meter all at the same time .
Some noteworthy accidental comedy:
Denny Green gets props for the most ridiculous outburst since Hal MacRae's underwearing, phone propelling tirade years back. Watching Green go from unwind to unravel in 4.9 seconds was one of the most hilarious scenes I have ever witnessed. Green now makes Jim Mora (Sr.'s) bouts with apoplexy look like Robert Frost's gentle musings. The guy who should be apoplectic is the guy who hired Green in the first place and didn't fire him last year. Green reminds me of Marty Schottenheimer in his ability to coach potentially awesome teams into mediocrity and eventual collapse.
Scott Linehan's request that we apply the ten second runoff to illegal formation penalties is the kind of revisionist history I expect from his worthy opponent Mike Holmgren. You expect this kind of whining from Holmgren, but Linehan? Maybe it's just indigenous to the NFC West.
Has anyone else gotten half the mileage that I get out of Tony Kornheiser abusing Joe Theismann every Monday night? Up until this season, I found Kornheiser only slightly amusing. Now he's my second biggest hero next to Bill Simmons.
TO scored 3 TD's against the Texans and had the celebrations all ready. Hey TO, it was the Texans. You should be ashamed for not scoring at least 6 TD's.
And speaking of comedy, how about Fox's boys saying that ATL fans were booing the offense instead of naming the real target, Mike Vick. But it doesn't end there.
And "I told you so":
Thank you again Ron Mexico, for proving yet again that the one sure way to beat the Falcons is to make their QB play QB, unless it's Matt Schaub, that is. What genius in Atlanta thought that running the option would disguise the fact that their QB still isn't a QB? At this pace, Atlanta is going to modify the offense for Vick's special abilities until they have to bench him.
I have long been sure that Donovan McNabb will never win a big game, ever. But he's taken it to a new level, being unable even to win a big game against the Saints.I used to insist that McNabb and his cannon arm were a bad fit for the 3-5-7 yard routes in the WC offense, now I know that McNabb is a bad fit in any offense, when it counts that is. McNasbb under pressure is tighter than Jerry Jones facelift.
9 NFL teams passed on Matt Leinhart. That's hilarious. Nine teams thought there were better choices than Leinhart. No, really they did. That's about as dumb as the time ten teams thought they should take someone other than Ben Roethlisberger. But I feel kind of sorry for Leinhart though, playing for a USFL franchise and all.
Speaking of Big Ben, he played a little bigger this week. It became abundantly clear last year, and I said last year, that Roethlisberger had taken the team from Cowher. Watching the Steelers buzzsaw the Chiefs last Sunday was proof of what even an 80% Roethlisberger does for the team. And I say 80% because he's still quacking the long balls.
And I tell you I told you so later this year when everyone sees how good the Bengals aren't. They can't run and they can't stop the run. They're five major gifts away from being 2-3.
RIP, Steve McNair's career. How far have you fallen when Kyle Boller makes an offense look better by comparison?
But WTF?
Larry Johnson, wtf? You hair tackled a guy, but did you have to pull it up and whip it around like a horse tail? Not good form.
Joe Gibbs, wtf? Your QB is 93 years old and can't complete a pass over 15 yards, your backup QB hasn't been able to learn the playbook for how many years now? Then you get beaten by a QB who's as dumb as Michael Vick and Jason Campbell combined. What's next Joe, signing Vinny Testaverde?
And best of all, Al Davis, wtf? I'm still torn as to whether this belongs in accidental comedy,I told you so or WTF. But the truth is, it qualifies for all three. Al, if you're even remotely tethered to reality these days, take my advice. Art Shell is not an NFL head coach, Art Shell should be the name for the lethal injection used in euthanasia. I mean really, Al. I'm a Steeler fan, which means I have the genetic predisposition that causes one to despise the Raiders. But even I feel bad for them. Like I said, sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's not funny. Art Shell is not funny
Random Thoughts
0-2 without Steve Smith, 4-0 with Steve Smith. Is there any other receiver in Football who has that kind of impact?
Eli Manning is starting to look like Dr. Manning and Mr. Hyde. It seems like he changes into one or the other every week at halftime.
Is anyone else sick of the Broncos being the "just enough" team?
Note to Bear's opponents:If Rex Grossman is self destructing, make sure you score 46 instead of 23.
I used to love Nick Saban's press conferences, funny how losing isn't so funny.
It has been some time since Rush Limbaugh spoke the language he dared not speak and stuck a McFork in his ESPN Career. I still haven't gotten over it. Don't get me wrong. I studied Politics many years ago in my first college go-round. I learned enough to know that Limbaugh the Politico sounds a lot more like Adolf #### than he conjures memories of Ronald Reagan. I don't personally care for the guy at all. He's just another tubby windbag selling the politics of hatred and fear.
But I still remember that Sunday, as well as I remember Limbaugh's missive on opening Thursday, passionately and beautifully describing the human microcosm that is the NFL. I've long believed that all the little dramas of human existence play out in that green rectangle every Sunday. What astounded me was how absolutely and perfectly Limbaugh got it. He got it and he told us how much he got it. I immediately started looking forward to NFL Gameday, more than I ever looked forward to a pregame show. And that says something, because Jimmy, Howie and Terry are incredible. But Limbuagh really got it, he was a football poet and his every word threatened to libreate the long suffering from more mindless blithering from wobbleheads like Theismann, Berman and Young. Can you hear Louie Armstrong singing "What a wonderful world" in the background? I can. I sat and waited that Sunday to hear Limbaugh deliver the kind of articulate and intelligent insight we always hoped we'd get from Dennis Miller. Maybe the Sword of Damocles and the NFL could live together in the same sentence.
But nooooooooooooooo. Rush pulled the R Card (reversism), ESPN sat quietly for a day or two waiting to be told how enraged they were, and then pulled the plug on Rush. Forget the fact that Uncle Tom Jackson sat silently before deciding how angry he was a few days later, forget that Berman was his typically vacant "gee, I wonder if I should call him Rush "to judgement" Limbaugh, self, Forget the fact that in the moment, they just engaged Limbaugh as though he made a point about a football player. What bothers me still is that Limbaugh was not being a racist (at least at that moment) and he had a good point. The media has long been desirous of seeing black QB's make good and they have over rated them as a result. Wasn't Randle Cunningham the "Ultimate Weapon" a decade or so ago? Was I the only one who watched 700 continuous reruns of Mike Vick running rampant on a substandard Vikings D on Sportscenter a few years back? Good golly, I just can't wait to see ESPN rename "Sportscenter" "VinceYoungCenter".
But the media has also long been desirous of Peyton Manning winning something and they overrate him too. The only thing I hate more than hearing about Michael Vick, is hearing about Paidton Manning. The media loved Alien Kurt Warner, and well, they got that one right. The media just wants stories. So as much as I believe Rush was right, I know he was also crazy. Just watch the game tape of McNabb literally choking in the SB to see if Rush had a point. Oh by the way, Randall Cunningham? Gone. Mike Vick? Mediocre QB on his best days. Kurt Warner? He sucks again. Peyton Manning? Never gonna win anything.
I stil don't know what bothers me more, that the PC police dashed in to prove that they were still on watch, or that Rush was blind enough to think discussing race wouldn't cost him his job. I guess it's just another case of the Liberal Fascists championing the struggle for "freedom (of speech) their way".
But just for the record, a lot of players are over rated, by the media, by coaches and by players alike. Heck, now that Pittsburgh got over the hump, people are talking about Hines Ward like he's in a class with John Stallworth. Don't ever bet the ponies with a Steeler fan, folks. They can't tell a plowhorse from a thoroughbred these days.
The fact is, objectivity is alienating and it doesn't sell the game. What are the odds you'll ever hear Berman say, "that mike Vick can run like the wind, but he couldn't pass an English class if he took it as a second language". Wait, is that James Brown I just heard saying "Peyton Manning is a real student of the game, it's a shame he heasn't learned to win a big game yet." Few announcers take a chance even remotely as sensational as Limbaugh did on that Sunday, and naturally the folks on high didn't want him doing that again. Rush even added to the circus by issuing the statement; "duh, I was on drugs".
So Theismann and the rest of the mush-heads are safe for now. We can rest easy knowing there will be blithe-spirited, empty-headed NFL commentary for years to come. Thanks for nothin' Rush.
