Donovan McNabb: It Don’t Matter If Your Black or White

Recently Donovan McNabb appeared on HBO’s Real Sports where he discussed how he believes black QB’s are treated unfairly in the NFL. He said that fans just don’t accept black quarterbacks.

I personally think Donovan is just a little off base with his comments. His situation is a rather odd one, I will admit that. He was booed before he ever took a snap. Then he led the Eagles to 4 straight NFC championship games along with a Super Bowl appearance. But the last 2 or 3 seasons McNabb has sustained season ending injury after season ending injury, and the Philly fans are getting a little impatient. During last Monday’s loss to the Redskins, Donovan was booed after only the first quarter. But it was not because he was a black quarterback, it is because he plays in Philly…just ask Charles Barkley.

Philadelphia fans are notorious for loving you when you are winning, and absolutely hating you when you are losing. That is what McNabb is facing now. Donovan is one of the top QB’s in the NFL, but when one plays in Philadelphia and is not winning, he is going to hear it from the fans, whether he is black or white.

If you look around the NFL, there are only 6 starting black quarterbacks: Tarvaris Jackson, David Garrard, Jason Campbell, Vince Young, Steve McNair and Donovan McNabb. But of these quarterbacks, Jackson, Garrard, Campbell and Young are all entering this season as their first full season as a starter. So at this point it is a little too early to tell how these quarterbacks will turn out in the future. McNair and McNabb are two tough veteran players, and both brought their teams to the super bowl. But McNair’s last few seasons with the Titans were all losing seasons and he has yet to generate any kind of offense in Baltimore. To say fans don’t respect the black quarterback is completely unfair, considering neither of these players have really done anything to gain the full respect of their fans as of late. Look at Michael Vick for example. Football fans all over the country loved him, but was he really a top tier quarterback? No. Sure he ran the ball well, and threw it as hard as anyone, but his accuracy was under 54% and running the ball all game will not win games in the NFL. Could he have turned into a top QB in the NFL? Sure, but by league standards he just wasn’t there.

I am so tired of hearing all of these black and white race issues when it comes to sports. Believe me, if you are a good quarterback who wins games, you will get love. At least Vince Young and Jason Campbell agree with me.

–Paul Schackman

I will add a little bit to Paul’s excellent analysis. Paul brings up Vince Young and Jason Campbell, who have been 2 black quarterbacks with recent success. Neither seem to be backing their brother, McNabb. This from ProFootballTalk.com’s Rumor Mill:

“Early in my career in college, I felt like people looked at me differently and expected a lot more,” said Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell, according to the Washington Times. “I felt I had to do a little extra. At that point, I did feel that way. I don’t feel that way now in the NFL.”

“I really feel like myself, black or white quarterbacks, we all go through something because that is the life of a quarterback,” [Vince] Young said Wednesday, according to the Nashville Tennessean. “You have to be able to handle all the pressure and you have to be able to handle the losses and you have to be able to handle the media saying this about you. If you can’t handle it, then you have to get off that position and go play something else.”

Donovan, if you can’t take the heat, then get out of the kitchen. Man up, and do not use the race card when it is unnecessary.

-Darren Heitner