Wow!! Comments about D. McNabb - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

simonrex22 · 12-16-2005, 09:23 AM

I just heard this on the news as i sit here looking through the forums. The CEO of NAACP made comments about Donovan McNabbs aversion to scrambling. "His aversion to scrambling is a racial inclination." Holy Shit!!, Is this guy serious. He has a groin strain, broken ribs, torn abdomen, and a bruised sternum. You see him cringe in pain every time he throws the ball, how is he supposed to run and take hits from 250lbs linebackers.

Redlemon · 12-16-2005, 10:52 AM

That sounds weird. Let's crank up the ol' search engine...

Donovan McNabb: Mediocre at best

Quote:

By J. Whyatt Mondesire

Hey McNabb!

Yo--Donny! I'm calling you man.

Hey, soup guy, over here!

Donovan E. McNabb, you hear me callin' you. Will you please pay attention?

For a whole lot of years now, we've heard you crying aloud about being taken seriously as a black quarterback who can camp out in the pocket and deliver rifle shots across midfield right into the fingertips of the fleetest of wideouts and tight ends. Say, like a Doug Williams, the brilliant Grambling star quarterback of a generation ago who went on to break a Super Bowl record for touchdown passes in 1988.

Well....well...I've seen you Donovan E. McNabb--in your formative years as well as your mid-career development--and one thing is certain. Donovan E. McNabb you're no Doug Williams.

The Grambling all-star completed 18 of 29 passes for 340 yards and four touchdowns, capping it off with 35 points in the fourth quarter alone. He followed that performance with three conference championships in 2000, ‘01 and ‘02.

Your record is another matter entirely. In fact this whole dismal season so far has really been a testament of fallen dreams and lost opportunities most of which belongs at your feet (or should I say hands) and that of your coach, Andy Reid who has allowed you to perpetuate a fraud on the field while hiding behind excuses dripping in make-believe racial stereotypes.

Normally this column talks very little about sports because the games that grown men play pale in comparison to the great issues of racism, politics, social calamities, health crisis's, war and peace, etc. which gives us plenty of fertile territory to explore and pontificate about.

However, this week I felt compelled to offer some personal thoughts about your horrific on-field performances this season because at their core there is a lie you have tried to use to hide the fact that in reality you actually are not that good. In essence Donny, you are mediocre at best. And trying to disguise that fact behind some concocted reasoning that African American quarterbacks who can scramble and who can run the ball are somehow lesser field generals than one who can summon up dead-on passes at a whim is more insulting off the field than on.

Your athleticism and unpredictability to sometimes run with the ball earlier in your career not only confused defenses, it also thrilled Eagles fans. At last, said many of us, now we have a multifaceted offensive threat whose talents threaten to not just dominate the NFC East Division, but maybe the whole NFL for several years. We were elated. We were in awe.

We celebrated the boss's giving you that huge lifetime salary deal which meant we'd have you around until it was time for you to join the other retired stars in television's broadcast booth.

But then you played the race card and practically all of us fell for your hustle. You scammed us man and there's no way any longer to refrain from "keepin' it real."

We could have remained silent too, if you had found another way to remain effective and a winner. But when your mediocre talent becomes so apparent it's time to call it out.

Through the first four games, you completed 110 of 174 passes (63.2 percent) for a league-leading 1,333 yards and 11 touchdowns.

However, in your last five games, you connected on just 101 of 183 passes (55.2 percent) for 1,174 yards and five touchdowns, while throwing six interceptions, two of which clearly were game losers.

The sports hernia you suffered after the team's Week 3 win over Oakland clearly is a mega factor in the latter numbers.

But who can forget your mind numbing fourth-quarter collapse in last year's Super Bowl against New England.

Andy Reid may not have seen it. Owner Jeff Lurie may have missed it on the videotaped replay. But Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder "saw" it. You choked brother.

The brash and bombastic Terrell Owens may have committed the unpardonable sin of going public with his put down, but was he fundamentally wrong? The pressure, the hype, the clock--they all just converged and your nerve collapsed under their combined weight. Mediocre isn't horrible in and of itself. Most of us don't live up to our dreams. It's when we fake it that most of the rest of us get irritated.

So, for you to continue to deny we fans (as well as yourself) one of the strongest elements of your game by claiming that "everybody expects black quarterbacks to scramble" not only amounts to a breach of faith but also belittles the real struggles of black athletes who've had to overcome real racial stereotypcasting in addition to downright segregation.

College football in the South didn't drop its White Only wall until 1966 four years after James Meredith while trying to enroll at Ole Miss, which went 10-0 that year, even as its practice field was covered federal troops who had bivouacked there.

Earlier this month Sports Illustrated reporting pioneering black players in the vaunted SEC had to endure serious hardships, such as "Fritz Pollard, the black all-America at Brown during World War I, (who) had learned to spin on his back and thrust his cleats in the air when tackled, to protect himself from late hits; how Iowa State's Jack Trice was trampled to death during a 1923 game against Minnesota; and how in 1951, on the first play from scrimmage, an Oklahoma A&M player broke the jaw of Drake running back Johnny Bright, forcing him to abandon football and causing the school to withdraw in protest from the Missouri Valley Conference."

Hey Donny, see any difference yet in your trumped up racial views and those pioneers?

Taken together, your pretty decent arm, strong desire to win, and your instinctive ability to scramble in the backfield gave you an awesome package. Take away any one of the legs from this tripod, and whole thing falls flat as your are right now as you recuperate from the surgery that was long overdue the day you entered the hospital.

Finally, your failure as a team leader off the field to my mind did as much as anything to exacerbate the debacle that has become synonymous with T.O.'s full name.

Professional football is really more about money that sport. The fans know it. The players signs contracts for it. And, of course the owners know it, since they are first and last ones to count it when the season ends.

Just think how the whole media circus could have been avoided had you had the courage to offer only a tiny fraction of your bonus this year to Owens and running back, Brian Westbrook.

The gesture alone would have prompted these guys to run through walls for you. The rest of the team would have praised you. And what the heck were Lurie and team president Joe Banner going to do publicly if they objected or thought you had reach out-of-bounds. Fire you?

Yeah right. Let's really do "keep it real."

Leaders who make sacrifices are the stuff of legends. Who remembers a hoarder except for maybe Midas?

Hey Donny...soup guy! Pull your head out of your million-dollar Campbell's soup bowl for a moment ask which current quarterback in fact made a gesture like that for members of his squad.

Does the name Tom Brady ring a bell? Isn't he the guy who took home last year's Super Bowl ring while you were standing in the soup line?

Redlemon · 12-16-2005, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simonrex22

The CEO of NAACP made comments about Donovan McNabbs aversion to scrambling.

Actually, no. Someone lower on the org. chart: KRT Wire | 12/15/2005 | Philadelphia NAACP head rebuked for McNabb remarks

Quote:

National NAACP president Bruce S. Gordon Thursday rebuked the leader of the civil-rights group's Philadelphia branch for a newspaper column that accused Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb of playing "the race card" by changing his approach to the game.

J. Whyatt Mondesire's column, published in the Philadelphia Sunday Sun on Dec. 4, was outrageous and detracted from the NAACP's core mission, Gordon said in a statement.

"Whatever possessed Mondesire to take such a negative position on a positive person like McNabb is beyond me," Gordon said. "The NAACP has many civil rights issues that require our attention. Criticizing Donovan McNabb is not one of them."

The statement said NAACP officials were investigating whether Mondesire's remarks were in accordance with the organization's policies.

Mondesire never identified himself as the NAACP branch president in the opinion article, written for the black-oriented newspaper he publishes. The piece sparked a controversy on talk radio and led to interviews with media outlets around the nation.

"We made it clear to all the media that we were not speaking for the NAACP, only for the Sun," Mondesire said Thursday.

NAACP spokeswoman Mary Wright declined to say what policies are involved, noting that the organization does not comment on internal matters under investigation.

The column in question argued that McNabb - who led the Eagles to the Super Bowl last year but had a rough 2005 before succumbing to injury after nine games - was a "mediocre talent" who was "hiding behind excuses dripping in make-believe racial stereotypes" for refusing to run the ball more often, as he did during the beginning of his NFL career.

Mondesire said that McNabb's effectiveness declined because he had shifted tactics, becoming a pocket-style passer to avoid being stereotyped as a "black" quarterback.

"You played the race card and practically all of us fell for your hustle," Mondesire wrote. "You scammed us, man, and there's no way any longer to refrain from `keepin' it real.' "

While McNabb's annual rushing yardage has declined each season since 2000, his first year as an Eagles starter, he has never cited race as a reason for running less. He has, however, expressed resentment that some blacks playing his position are labeled "running quarterbacks."

"If you talk about my play, that's one thing. When you talk about my race, now we've got problems," McNabb said an interview with The Inquirer on Saturday. "If you're trying to make a name off my name, again, I hope your closet is clean because something is going to come out about you. . . . I always thought the NAACP supported African Americans and didn't talk bad about them. Now you learn a little bit more."

Gordon said he planned to contact McNabb with a personal apology on behalf of the NAACP.

Gordon, 59, a retired high-ranking Verizon executive, was elected president of the nation's oldest civil rights organization in July. His father was a founder of the Camden branch of the NAACP.

"I have followed the Eagles organization and its players for a long time," Gordon said. "Donovan McNabb is one of the best that they have had. He is a great quarterback, an excellent role model and a class act."

maximusveritas · 12-16-2005, 10:59 AM

Mondesire ignores the fact that McNabb has been injured and is not the same athlete he was when he came into the league. It's ridiculous to think that McNabb would change the way he played just because he didn't want to be stereotyped or that Andy Reid would let him do that if it was hurting the team.

Redlemon · 12-16-2005, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simonrex22

I just heard this on the news as i sit here looking through the forums. The CEO of NAACP made comments about Donovan McNabbs aversion to scrambling. "His aversion to scrambling is a racial inclination." Holy Shit!!, Is this guy serious. He has a groin strain, broken ribs, torn abdomen, and a bruised sternum. You see him cringe in pain every time he throws the ball, how is he supposed to run and take hits from 250lbs linebackers.

OK, I've now taken the time to RTFA. (I just posted and ran last time.)

To break it down: DMcN used to scramble. According to Mondesire, DMcN then said "everybody expects black quarterbacks to scramble", and therefore he choses not to scramble, because he wants to "keep it real" and prove himself. This statement apparently predates his injuries. Mondesire says that DMcN is claiming a racial card, but is just covering for his mediocracy.

I hate it when things get taken out of context.

spectre · 12-16-2005, 12:55 PM

In my opinion, this guy's a fucking idiot. He sounds like a fan who's just pisssed that the Eagles are losing, and he's blaming Donovan for it. First of all, TO was the dumbass who signed his deal for far less than what he was worth despite the NFLPA telling him not to take the deal. McNabb doesn't owe him a fucking penny of his money, especially with how much of a dick he was towards McNabb. Second, is this guy fucking serious? He's led his team to this many NFC Championship games despite having very few really decent offensive players (FredEx as your star receiver for most of that time?!?!) and he hurts this team? McNabb has led this offense a lot farther then it should have gone. To put this all on him just proves what a narrow-minded idiot this guy really is.

And btw, sure Michael Vick has made a lot of incredible runs, but I'd take McNabb over him any day because he's proven he can do more then just scramble. That's because he's a more complete qb, and can throw when he wants to, not just when he needs to. Just like Steve Young did, he uses his scrambling to compliment his passing ability, making him a much scarier weapon. Teams worry about a mobile guy like Vick, they lose sleep over a guy like McNabb who may run for the first down or throw for the TD.

I'm glad the NAACP distanced themselves from him. He was doing them and himself a great disservice with that article.

Borla · 12-16-2005, 01:56 PM

There was a great episode of "Behind the Lines" on ESPN last night about this. They played quotes by Barkley, and had two black commentators (Warren Moon, and a prominent Philly sports journalist whose name escapes me) discuss it. Both Moon and the sports writer both basically agreed that the comments by Gordon were absurd and ignorant. Exactly as has been said here, McNabb's adjustment in play style is a maturity, and an advantage to his team. You can't begin to say it has anything to do with race.

Gordon is a moron.

simonrex22 · 12-16-2005, 04:46 PM

Ive read everyones post and im now totally confused with the exception of maximus and spectre. This NAACP dude is a friggin moron. McNabb hasnt stopped scrambling, he wasnt able to cause of injuries. And the first reply about McNabb being mediocre. I dont know where that comes from. How does a mediocre QB take a team to the championship three years in a row and a superbowl with NO TALENT wide receivers. He may not be the best, but he's damn good. And if you watched the superbowl and know the Eagles, you would know that the whole team played like shit from the first play.

maximusveritas · 12-16-2005, 05:30 PM

here's how I understand it:
It was J. Whyatt Mondesire, the local Philly NAACP Chapter president, who made these stupid comments in the article that Redlemon posted in his first reply ("Donovan McNabb: Mediocre at best")
After Mondesire's article was published, the NAACP CEO, Bruce S. Gordon, came out to criticize Mondesire and apologize to McNabb. Mondesire was then forced to say that he was speaking only for himself and not the NAACP.

So Gordon, the CEO, is the good guy here. Mondesire, the Philly guy, is the stupid one.

As far as Mondesire's motivations, I think spectre may be right in that he's a fan who's pissed off about their season. He also sounds like a TO fan, which is why he's choosing to go after McNabb instead of the usual suspect, TO.

12-16-2005, 09:23 AM	#1 (permalink)
simonrex22 Insane	Wow!! Comments about D. McNabb I just heard this on the news as i sit here looking through the forums. The CEO of NAACP made comments about Donovan McNabbs aversion to scrambling. "His aversion to scrambling is a racial inclination." Holy Shit!!, Is this guy serious. He has a groin strain, broken ribs, torn abdomen, and a bruised sternum. You see him cringe in pain every time he throws the ball, how is he supposed to run and take hits from 250lbs linebackers.

12-16-2005, 12:55 PM	#6 (permalink)
spectre Junkie	In my opinion, this guy's a fucking idiot. He sounds like a fan who's just pisssed that the Eagles are losing, and he's blaming Donovan for it. First of all, TO was the dumbass who signed his deal for far less than what he was worth despite the NFLPA telling him not to take the deal. McNabb doesn't owe him a fucking penny of his money, especially with how much of a dick he was towards McNabb. Second, is this guy fucking serious? He's led his team to this many NFC Championship games despite having very few really decent offensive players (FredEx as your star receiver for most of that time?!?!) and he hurts this team? McNabb has led this offense a lot farther then it should have gone. To put this all on him just proves what a narrow-minded idiot this guy really is. And btw, sure Michael Vick has made a lot of incredible runs, but I'd take McNabb over him any day because he's proven he can do more then just scramble. That's because he's a more complete qb, and can throw when he wants to, not just when he needs to. Just like Steve Young did, he uses his scrambling to compliment his passing ability, making him a much scarier weapon. Teams worry about a mobile guy like Vick, they lose sleep over a guy like McNabb who may run for the first down or throw for the TD. I'm glad the NAACP distanced themselves from him. He was doing them and himself a great disservice with that article. __________________ "Fuck these chains No goddamn slave I will be different" ~ Machine Head Last edited by spectre; 12-16-2005 at 01:10 PM..

12-16-2005, 01:56 PM	#7 (permalink)
Borla Junkie	There was a great episode of "Behind the Lines" on ESPN last night about this. They played quotes by Barkley, and had two black commentators (Warren Moon, and a prominent Philly sports journalist whose name escapes me) discuss it. Both Moon and the sports writer both basically agreed that the comments by Gordon were absurd and ignorant. Exactly as has been said here, McNabb's adjustment in play style is a maturity, and an advantage to his team. You can't begin to say it has anything to do with race. Gordon is a moron. __________________ Coimhéad fearg fhear na foighde!!!!

12-16-2005, 10:59 AM	#4 (permalink)
maximusveritas Winner	Mondesire ignores the fact that McNabb has been injured and is not the same athlete he was when he came into the league. It's ridiculous to think that McNabb would change the way he played just because he didn't want to be stereotyped or that Andy Reid would let him do that if it was hurting the team.

12-16-2005, 04:46 PM	#8 (permalink)
simonrex22 Insane	Ive read everyones post and im now totally confused with the exception of maximus and spectre. This NAACP dude is a friggin moron. McNabb hasnt stopped scrambling, he wasnt able to cause of injuries. And the first reply about McNabb being mediocre. I dont know where that comes from. How does a mediocre QB take a team to the championship three years in a row and a superbowl with NO TALENT wide receivers. He may not be the best, but he's damn good. And if you watched the superbowl and know the Eagles, you would know that the whole team played like shit from the first play.

12-16-2005, 05:30 PM	#9 (permalink)
maximusveritas Winner	here's how I understand it: It was J. Whyatt Mondesire, the local Philly NAACP Chapter president, who made these stupid comments in the article that Redlemon posted in his first reply ("Donovan McNabb: Mediocre at best") After Mondesire's article was published, the NAACP CEO, Bruce S. Gordon, came out to criticize Mondesire and apologize to McNabb. Mondesire was then forced to say that he was speaking only for himself and not the NAACP. So Gordon, the CEO, is the good guy here. Mondesire, the Philly guy, is the stupid one. As far as Mondesire's motivations, I think spectre may be right in that he's a fan who's pissed off about their season. He also sounds like a TO fan, which is why he's choosing to go after McNabb instead of the usual suspect, TO.