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Rush Limbaugh is a piece of trash. He is the generalizing, media parasite that affiliates and associates with the hypocritic, right-wing Republican that is Hell bent on destroying my world. He is part of our oligarchial problem and one of the purveyors of our reckless bend towards falling our own democracy. (By the by, I am a conservative fellow myself and I wrote in a Republican Senator from Indiana as my Presidential selection during the last presidential race. Now you all know that) Yet, somehow, in a soulless world I still can't explain myself in, Donovan McNabb's behavior on HBO legitimized Rush's statements when he was a member of the Countdown crew on ESPN.
"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."
 McNabb believes that the media puts unfair pressure on him to succeed. That is uncomfortably close to what Rush said. Dammit, Rush is the kind of person that I want to watch starve when the oil runs out and people start having to fend for themselves. When he is broken and dying, I will then feed him, teach him how to feed himself, and watch him die of hunger as he tries to get someone else to bring him food. Seeing him legitimized in this way perturbs me in a horrible fashion. If McNabb wanted and easier life he could have taken less money and bailed out on the nations most fickle fans. (yeah, Philly, I mean you. New yorkers are next.) he could have taken a contract with somebody like Miami and gone to hang out in the nice weather where they don't have a lot going on and had media buddies to go clubbin with on South Beach. But he stayed in Philly, and if he feels like he is being pressured IT IS BECAUSE HE IS IN PHILLY! If he performs in Philly he has to understand that it will always be a one-time cheer, and the next day might rain turds.
In Donovan's defense, the media (ESPN and HBO and in some hideous way, myself) are blowing his comments out of proportion. He really didn't say anything that crazy, but the fact remains that he said it in Philly, which adds to the attention, and he said something racial, which makes weirdos like Rush foam at the mouth for a chance to comment on it.
Now here I am, lowered to the level of Rush Limbaugh (minus the drug use) just because it was a slow day at work and I wanted to take a long lunch. I hate to see people make something out of nothing for the sake of bringing up race. If you do not act in a way that degrades a particular race, then that is a factor in not being racist. More importantly I like to think that if you find a female of a particular race attractive or sexually desirous then you are not biased against that race. If you feel that way about women of every race you have encountered, then you are, by definition, not racist. So I don't think I am racist. I see women from all sorts of races living in Bloomington (thank you Indiana University) and I wonder what all of them look like without their clothes on. Thanks to the internet, I have a rough idea, and I like it.
What McNabb proved is that the media will respond to a black quarterback when he discusses race, and that they will respond to a white one when he discusses race. In reality, all you have to do is talk about race and you are in. Sad. This past season, much of the media's focus was on the two black head coaches in the Super Bowl even though they both considered the topic peripheral. How many times were Lovie and Tony asked questions about it only to pass it off as something passe (I can't figure out how to put an accent on that)? Dungy was gracious enough to acknowledge the black coaches that had come before him after he won it but it was never a primary issue for him. The NFL should be past worrying about race. Shouldn't it?
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2008 Cubs Preview
Nice article, good comparisons.
Philly is a tough place to play. 3 years ago I was at opening day between the Phillies (in Philly) and the Nationals. The dude that threw out the first pitch had played for the Nationals for 3 years and then over 10, including retiring as a Philly. His pitched bounced short and the home crowd booed him hard. A bunch of savages in that town.
I find that picture very funny. I'm not sure if it's the thumbs up or the what
He may have been following the lead of another black athlete in Philly - Jimmy Rollins. Rollins delve into the topic of how, if you want to make the majors as a black athlete, you have to be a star. It's harder to make the majors as a role player who is black than one who is white, was essentially his point/opinion.
I won't opine yet on what Rollins or McNabb said. I want to read their quotes for myself, and in what context they came up first. After all, it's not likely that they just decided to broach the topic of race - most likely it was in response to some sort of questioning, right?
I will say that believing stuff like "the NFL/MLB/USA should be beyond worrying about race" isn't a statement you hear from minorities very often... that almost always comes from white people, who perhaps are a bit idealistic, and want to believe that racism or institutional bias doesn't exist anymore. Like after 400+ years, it disappeared automatically... when? After the Civil Rights Act? After Jim Crow got ended? In the 70's, when Hank Aaron was getting death threats and hate mail calling him the n-word? In the summer when Barry Bonds was getting even more death threats and hate mail calling him the n-word?
Sorry for the diatribe, but my point is that whenever an minority athlete speaks up (see Sheffield earlier this year) about something, the impulse is to say that "it's not an issue anymore", or "he's playing the race card" or something along those lines, rather than to legitimately to discuss whether or not there is something to what they are saying.
Oh, and even if we go by your definition of "racist", I don't think that was McNabb's point. I think he's talking more about institutional bias than racism...
Anyway, you do bring up some good points, interesting ones. If I have time I will try to write a post in response...
One of the classes I took for my major was "sports in society" and basically we were taught that everything that goes on in society, happens the exact same in sports.
If there is racism/nepotism/sexism in society, then it all exists in sports as well.
I think that when a player makes a statement about their race, the exact opposite can be said from another person's perspective. J-Ro said you have to be a star to make it in baseball, well look at white guys in the NBA...same scenario.
I just think it is a shame that race has to be an issue these days. (rant over)
Also, this disturbed me:
"I see women from all sorts of races living in Bloomington (thank you Indiana University) and I wonder what all of them look like without their clothes on. Thanks to the internet, I have a rough idea, and I like it."
perhaps i am idealistic, I am willing to take that risk for the sake of my own sanity, but i am not idealistic blindly. Any time I see a race issue i am willing to question what caused it. I think, "perhaps emphasis on race is just a way to produce debate that doesn't question governmental totalitarianism or the expansion of wealth in the upper class?" or "perhaps the friction between poor white people and poor black people in rural communities has more to do with a deliberate attempt by ownership to keep attention focused away from its growing influence or power than it does with race?" Or, "I wonder if a race debate is just filler produced by media to prevent them from having to face a dilemma of spending more money tracking down better stories and is that an intentional effort to anesthetize a progressively dumber and herd like nation of idiots?" (yes, Hoosiernation, I said that all in one breath.)
SML's comments were exactly the kind of support I hope for, thoughtful and deliberate. that is the kind of thinking that will save us all when the honchos screw it up for the rest of us. Revolution is coming, get your guns ready.
The McNabb comments bother me because I think he is no longer the player he once was, and is doing this as a way to put pressure on the Eagles to continue starting him. I don't know why, but for some reason I perceive McNabb to be a very manipulative person. Perhaps I'm being unfair.
MC Bias: I'm inclined to agree with you. Again, I have yet to fully investigate the comments, but... yeah, I think McNabb is likely being very opportunistic. Mainly because, unlike other black athletes - see Sheffield, for example - McNabb has kept quiet about these issues over the years. For him to only speak out about it now could just be an effort to save his job. That's a good point....