TheAgitator.com
A Few Thoughts on Rush
Thursday, October 2nd, 2003Disjointed though they may be.
1) He was right. Sort of. McNabb had two great seasons, and one so-far regrettable one. You’re free to quarrel with Rush about the individual merits of McNabb. We’ll see. It’s still very early in his career.
But Rush’s larger point was correct. There is intense media fawning over black quarterbacks, to the point that it’s embarassing. How many times did we hear how Kordell Stewart was bound for the Hall of Fame? About how he would revoluitionize the quarterback position? How many times have we heard what a wonderful athlete Aaron Brooks is? Shaun King had two decent games (not great, decent) a couple of years ago, and he was heralded as the future of the Buccaneers. He’s since flamed out.
The media has almost single-handedly set most of these guys up to disappoint.
It’s true that there’s a dirty history behind blacks and the quarterback position. It was long assumed that blacks weren’t smart enough to take snaps. A black high school quarterback with athletic gifts was almost always converted to wide receiver or defensive back — if not in college, certainly by the time he made it to the pros.
But listen closely to the way the media praises today’s black quarterbacks. They’re almost always showered with plaudits about their athleticism or their mobility, they’re desribed in terms of how they’ll change the way the position is played, about how they’ll force offensive coordinators to rewrite the playbook. Rarely does the media acknowledget that a black quarterback has the skills to dominate the position as-is.
Rarely does the media describe a black quarterback as “smart,” as a good reader of defenses, or as a student of the game — they way they describe guys like Peyton Manning, Chad Pennington or Jeff Garcia.
The truth is, the black quarterbacks who have been most succesful aren’t the athletic, mobile, “revolutionary” guys, they’re the guys who have strong, accurate arms, who pass out of the pocket, but who can, when needed, scramble for a first down. They’re guys like Warren Moon and Randal Cunningham. McNabb was at his best when he was throwing, not running. Daunte Culpepper struggled last year not because he couldn’t run the ball, but because his passing accuracy dipped, because he was throwing interceptions every other possession. Now that his arm is back, he’s running less, his rating is up, and his team is undefeated. Steve McNair is certainly mobile, but Tennessee wins when he stays in the pocket, like a traditional quarterback. Every team that has attempted to incorporate a quarterback-as-run-threat type of offense has at best found only mediocrity.
What’s odd is that in an effort to correct for the racism of football coaches past, the media subscribes to every one of the old prejudices. The media has decided that the successful “black quarterback” will be a runner, a dodger — an athlete first, a survey-the-field, learn-the-offense quarteback second. They’ve predetermined that a real black quarterback must display all the attributes of “blackness.” That’s why we heard so much about the dreadful Kordell Stewart several years ago, while guys like Cunningham and Moon were racking up yards and TD passes.
Michael Vick is certainly exciting to watch. But there’s no possible way he can live up to the hype that’s been built for him. He’s a running back with a strong, but wildly inaccurate arm. He completed 177 passes in his entire college career — about the number a good quarterback heading up a pass-oriented offense completes in half a season. My prediction? Unless he improves his accuracy, he’ll make a Pro Bowl or two, then he’ll flame out in five years. Meanwhile, I’ll predict that Michael Bishop — a smart, drop-back passer with great field vision — will soon be a superstar. And yes, he’s black.
Just a hunch.
2) The free speech issue. For this, Limbaugh’s a coward. If his comments weren’t motivated by racism (I don’t think they were — he’d praised the league’s black coaches the week before — which I’d submit is every bit the racial generalization his Mcnabb comments were), why resign?
ESPN knew it was courting controversy when it hired Limbaugh (BTW, I thought it was a lame move from the get-go. Rush’s knowledge of the game is no more insightful than your average Sunday Ticket subscriber. His contributions to Sunday Countdown were usually weak attempts to score political points, and he somehow managed to add even less to the discussion than Michael Irvin — quite an accomplishment. Note to ESPN: Keep it simple. Boomer and Tom Jackson are all you need).
Rush should have stuck around and forced ESPN’s hand — make the network either stand by the initial decision to hire him, or bend over for the race-baiters. Rush ducked when it got just a little warm, and his listeners ought to give him hell for it.
3) The drugs. This is the real issue. If the Oxycontin/painkiller story is true, Rush will prove to be the raving hypocrite I’ve always thought him to be.
I wonder if he’ll change his position on mandatory minimums?
UPDATE: Over at NRO, Rich Lowry finds this very interesting CBS Sportsline column, dated September 18. He also checks the ESPN transcript and finds that after Rush’s comments, Michael Irvin — who’s black — said, “Rush has a point.”
Hmm…
Excellent thoughts. Bannana Kudos for you.
I’d like to see Rush and Al Franken in a death match, the winner gets stoned to death.
Getting stoned to death doesnt sound to bad. Oh wait, not that kind of stoned.
Sorry.
Radley, come on. If you’re going to write a column about the Limbaugh/McNabb controversy, please don’t misspell the name of the player involved. Two B’s.
And Jeff Blake never played for Tampa Bay: http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1017
And this makes no sense whatsoever: “The truth is, the black quarterbacks who have been most succesful aren’t the athletic, mobile, “revolutionary” guys, they’re the guys who have strong, accurate arms, who pass out of the pocket, but who can, when needed, scramble for a first down. They’re guys like Warren Moon and Randal Cunningham.”
Randall Cunningham was the archetypal athletic, mobile, dare I say ‘revolutionary’ QB. You’re probably thinking of him at the end of his career in Minnesota when he’d just lob the ball to Moss. But when he came up he led the team in rushing a few years. He was more dangerous running than he was dropping back. He nearly had a 1000 yard RUSHING season in 1990 (8 yards/carry!). He is THE prototype for Michael Vick.
One more thing: did you catch the press release by Howard Dean in which the candidate says, “Rush Limbaugh’s comment this week about Philadelphia Jets quarterback Donovan McNabb is unacceptable.” link:
http://www.salon.com/news/sports/col/kaufman/2003/10/02/thursday2/index_np.html
Adding to marc w.’s comments, Michael Bishop not only has a weak arm, but he’s not on an NFL roster. He was never higher than 3rd string on any NFL team. Michael Vick is 10 times the QB that Bishop ever was. Also, did you get Shaun King confused with Jeff Blake?
Overall, you make some good points though.
I have great sympathy for anyone in pain, and think this government’s approach to pain management is out of the Dark Ages. My mother-in-law is 86, rarely leaves her apartment, is in constant pain and has trouble getting oxycontin. Why? Because the DEA is worried that she’ll become an addict and start stealing cars?
That said, Rush Limbaugh has supported John Ashcroft’s cuffing AIDS and chemo patients for smoking pot. If this story is true, it reveals Rush for the sleazy hypocrite his detractors have always said he is.
I suggest the prosecutor treat him like any other drug offender and seize all of his property under the forfeiture laws. Don’t wait for a conviction. Seize his assets and make him file in civil court to get his mansion, cars and golf clubs back.
A while back (I’m not sure where he is now), Jeff Blake played for the Bengals, had a good game or two, and the local press all but made him King of Cincinnati. I even heard people talk of the Hall of Fame. Really.
While Rush’s comments were not necessarily wrong, the decision to say them, particularly in this racially-sensitive time, was.
It’s pretty sad, really, that we have to avoid using race in any debate or risk being labelled a “racist”. It sure holds back any meaningful progress.
Not going to even attempt to argue about the football side of this arguement, but I would like to say I agree with Roger’s comment. The fact that we have to worry about being politically correct limits free thought in this country. There is something to be said for being kind to all humanity; it’s quite different when you have to fear that your comment will be misinterpreted, get you fired, and/or land you in civil court.
If you want to graduate from the ranks of the Angry White Blogger to that of a journalist (your FOX News relationship considered), then back up your tripe on Rush’s racist comment with facts. Cite your sources, Balko. And take the extraordinarily responsible extra step of seeking comments praising white talent as well.
(“Hmm … come to think of it, maybe Kurt Warner and Rich Gannon — the last two WHITE winners of the MVP — were overrated and overhyped. Look how they’re playing today.”)
Sports journalists are typically brimming over with enthusiasm for ANY new talent. (Warner being a prime example.) Hype is a big part of their job. The fact that more and more black quarterbacks have been entering the NFL is a sign that the old-school bigotry which was prevalent in preparatory athletics (jr. high and high school) is starting to fall by the wayside. I know this. I played highs chool football in Texas in the early 80s. Black kids didn’t bother to take on a leadership role because there was usually some dumb redneck coach in their way.
But don’t take my word for it. Ask any Eagles fan. Yes — they have a fantastic defense, but McNabb has carried a largely uninspired offense of mediocre talent on his shoulders for the past three seasons. When McNabb was passed over for the MVP in 2001 and it was awarded to Kurt Warner, I heard a lot of people claiming McNabb was robbed for this very reason. My sister could’ve carried that Rams team into the playoffs. Consider how well Trent Green and Marc Bulger did with the Rams after Warner’s subsequent injuries. I challenge you to find a reputable sportswriter who charged that McNabb was robbed of the MVP award because he was black.
Rush Limbaugh is a narrow-minded bigot who is making fabulous money by pandering to an audience of mental toads who take what he says as gospel. ESPN had an idea that bringing Rush onto their Sunday NFL Countdown would somehow boost their ratings and it did. Dittoheads are worth more as a demographic than hippies, feminists and African-American males 18-39. I know this because I worked in advertising — they don’t advertise Mother Jones and Tampax during football games.
No one takes the time to substantiate such vague, bigoted nonsense. It’s so much easier just to say “YEAH! Liberal media conspiracy! Go Rush!” Just like you’re doing in your column.
Perhaps the best illustration of my point, however, comes from ESPN itself. After Limbaugh made that wholly and completely unsubstantiated opinion (as he has been perpetually rewarded for doing), Chris Berman, Tom Jackson, Michael Irvin and Steve Young all just sat there and said nothing.
When ESPN hired that fat, pompous jackass, I wrote them and asked why they were bringing an extremist political pundit with a sour reputation beyond his narrow demographic of dittoheads into a blissfully apolitical form of entertainment, an editor at ESPN actually responded and told me that this had nothing to do with politics. Rush Limbaugh was, in fact, an expert on football and a great enthusiast for the game. They were wrong. Good riddance to racist rubbish.
remember Charlie Batch… with his mom in the stnads, the future of the lions is now the back up with the Steelers, an good back up, but not what he was made out to be.
Micheal Vick is overrated too. :)
Sure, I remember Charlie Batch. Do you remember what else was available? Look what he was being compared to. Everytime a young QB wins a few games for a bad team, they get tons of props, regardless of race, and regardless of whether they deserve it.
I love how this has become a forum to bash black QBs.
Although I can’t remember the source, I distinctly recall that about ten or fifteen years ago I watched a television show (or perhaps read) where they specifically discussed how the use of words such as “athletic” and “intelligent” were doled out to black and white quarterbacks, respectively. Since that time, I’ve obsessively noted instances when this occurs. More often than not, it has absolutely nothing to do with race.
You’re rehashing an argument that was made a decade or more ago, but has long since been resolved.
Go back to ranting about things you actually KNOW something about, Balko.
Mark from New York -
Care to explain to us exactly WHY his comments were so racist? Because the NAACP and Al Sharpton said so? I’m sure the “narrow demographic” of people listening to them, which obviously includes you, are anything BUT “mental toads”, as you put it.
Just mentioning race does not mean the comments were racist. I’m sensing that your hatred for Rush, his beliefs, AND his listeners has made you fall into the increasingly-popular race trap.
His statement may have been wrong, and that is something that could and should have been debated, but I struggle to see the racism in his opinion. Frankly, I saw it as just another dig at the media, which has been one of his primary topics over the last few years.
Your feelings about Rush were quite clear, but your opinions about exactly why his comments were “racist” and “bigoted” are missing.
roger,
Jeff Blake now starts for the Arizona Cardinals. He’s not doing terribly bad (considering the team he has around him), but he is certainly not living up to his hype from the early Cincinnati days.
Roger,
Limbaugh makes big money by race baiting. The poster-boy for the Angry White Male intentionally introduced a completely unfounded racial argument into an entirely inappropriate environment. He could have just said “McNabb is overrated. The media have adopted him as a darling and given him credit where credit isn’t due …” or something like that. Instead, he brought “social concern” (a poorly disguised reference to “liberal”) and “black quarterback” into his tirade on a completely apolitical show. He sought to take credit away from McNabb’s outstanding achievement by implying that the media were bumping him to the head of the class with a wink and a nod because of his race.
Never mind the fact that he was robbed of the MVP in 2001 when he dragged the rest of his underperforming offense kicking and screaming into the playoffs. Never mind that Kurt Warner (who’s a good white Christian) was given the MVP in lieu of the black media darling’s stellar performance. Never mind that Rich Gannon — another white guy who’s more decorated in the NFL than McNabb — is struggling this year too. He was last year’s MVP — what could be more of an endorsement by the media than that?
If you can’t see the racism in that, you’re blind.
By the way and for the record, I haven’t heard anything from the NAACP or Al Sharpton on this. Frankly, I’m more interested in what the so-called mainstream media have to say and it appears that the condemnation appears is universal and well-deserved. I turned the channel immediately before Rush’s tirade and I’m glad I did, because it would’ve pissed me off too early on a nice Sunday.
And finally, I don’t hate dittoheads — my mother is one and I love her very much although she’s a bit misguided. Rush Limbaugh is a liar and a bigot and many uninformed, uninquisitive people take refuge in his views rather than step a little further out into the world and learn for themselves. Rush is making far too much money as an entertainer (NOT a journalist) for me to believe that his message is on the mark, informed and unbiased. The sad truth is that there’s a market for bigots like Rush and many media choose to capitalize off him.
As for my own views, I’m a proud liberal who follows media from all points of view. I’ve heard enough of Rush to not take him seriously and to know that when I see his fat, pompous face it’s time to turn the channel. Had I not opened my mind to the need to follow the right-wing media, I’d never have discovered Radley Balko on FOX.
“If you can’t see the racism in that, you’re blind.”
Mark,
Take a deep breath. While I agree that Rush’s comments were pretty dumb, and that sportwriters will hype anyone who shows flashes of talent (Scott Mitchell, Steve Bono, Majkowski) regardless of race, you’re way off in suggesting that the NFL is somehow terrified of letting a black QB win MVP.
While Kurt Warner is indeed a white christian (hey! why’d you bring religion into this? Are you god-baiting or something?), his 2001 season was, statistically speaking, one of the best ever. He took his team to the super bowl. He threw for almost 5,000 yards. You want to say that the talent surrounding him was better, or that the system they ran was conducive to passing yards, fine, but since when have those things counted against a guy in the MVP voting? You can make a case for McNabb that year, though I’d still say it’s a tough one. His QB rating was around 15 points lower. Let’s just say it’s far from settled that McNabb was robbed.
Same with Gannon last year – he clearly had a great season and probably deserved the award.
More importantly Gannon and especially Warner haven’t been immune from criticism. Warner was savaged by ESPN before the year and esp. after the first game. There is no conspiracy to shield whites from criticism, okay?
Marc W.
I hope you didn’t infer that I felt there was a conspiracy to shield whites from criticism, because I have absolutely no reason to believe that, nor could I cite one iota of evidence to support it. (Being a New Yorker, I assure you that there are no sensitivities whatsoever to the cruel condemnation players suffer at the hands of the local media and fans. There is also no bias whatsoever in praising them. Fans, coaches and sportswriters all love great players, great teams, great seasons, etc.)
It never crossed my mind — nor do I recall any sportswriter or friend or enemy of mine mentioning that McNabb was robbed of the 2001 MVP because he was black. I think Warner got the MVP for the very reason you suggested: he had godlike (oops!) stats. McNabb was my choice for MVP in 2001 because I felt he was indeed MOST VALUABLE. He did more with less than Warner, even though Warner’s stats were better.
I can’t for the life of me see how anybody could say Rush’s comments were racial. He said the media is “looking” for a black QB to praise. It’s true. They sell more merchandise! Anybody remember John Barry, the white guy who won the NBA slam dunk contest? Did HE get shoe contract? Deny it if you want, but they guy was right. Mcknabb is overrated, and so it Vick. They’ve done a LOT less than Brad Johnson. Still who gets all the publicity? Guys like McKnabb, Culpepper and Vick. Anybody who can’t see THAT is blind.
Beyond that, anything that mentions race is so frightening in this country. I’m surprised Al Sharpton isn’t on the news right now screaming racism. Or is he? I doubt he’d miss an opportunity. The mere mention of race gets twisted and turns into hatred by those with…. what exactly? Nothing better to do? I mean, really, it’s somewhat insulting that you can’t say anything about race without being attacked. At what point are we no longer protecting minorities but instead, patronizing them to death?
I don’t see cowardice Radley, Rush has his own soapbox which I’m sure he’ll defend. There is no free speech issue at ESPN, he was there to serve them.
Peyton Manning also gets tons of unwarrented press because he’s black too, I suppose.
Any statement that focuses on race is racial in nature. Seems pretty clear to me.
I can’t imagine how anybody could not see the racism in Limbaugh’s comments. He seeks to discount an athlete’s abilities based on his race! There are something like 9 black QB’s in the league now. Doug Williams said it best in one of the morning TV shows, something like “the owners invest millions of dollars in these teams, they’r not going to hire an inferior quarterback just to make a political statement.”
Mark from NY,
I’m glad you’re not suggesting that white players (or Gannon and Warner in particular) are given a pass when they play poorly. Gannon especially seems not to have recovered from the savaging he got in the super bowl and the media. And someone on ESPN stated flat out that the Rams could only make the playoffs with Bulger at QB – and this before the year began.
Still, let’s just agree that other factors beyond race hatred and pure, unadulturated malice went into the decision to give Warner the MVP in 2001 over McNabb.
The race issue was a red herring from the beginning. Forget McNabb – personally, I think he’s a bit overrated myself – think about Steve McNair. There’s a guy with zero help who’s gotten his bunch of old, slow and generally untalented teammates to the playoffs time and again. They haven’t even had a particularly dominant defense save in 1999 (which was luck). If there really was a vast conspiracy to shove black QB success down the throat of the football watching public, Steve McNair’s face would be ubiquitous. He’d be in BASEBALL ads.
Shane,
sorry to be picky, but the white winner of the slam dunk contest was Brent Barry. Jon Barry’s his 3 point shooting brother who’s probably never dunked outside of a playstation game. And sorry, but Brad Johnson doesn’t deserve the press that Culpepper or Vick get. Those guys change the entire tenor of a game. Brad Johnson’s success is based on not making mistakes. It’s totally different. Unless you’re arguing that winning a super bowl is the sole criteria upon which QBs should be judged, in which case you’d have to say that Trent Dilfer is better than Michael Vick, Daunte Culpepper, Rich Gannon and Dan Marino. I’m about the biggest Seahawks fan you’re likely to find, but I’m unwilling to make that claim.
Brad Johnson’s role on the Bucs is far greater than just not making mistakes. I will guarantee you that his career QB rating is better than that of Vick, McNabb, or Culpepper. He has excelled everywhere he has played and has one of the highest completion percentages of any quarterback in history. I will get back with you on the numbers, but while Johnson is not as flashy as many other quarterbacks he is among the finest in the game. I also believe he is the only one among the names mentioned to have a 4000 yard season.
Culpepper- 66.7 career passer rating
McNabb- 79.3 career passer rating
Vick- 86 passer rating last year in
first full year
McNair- 81.7 career passer rating
Johnson- 84.6 career passer rating
11th highest of all time
92.9 last year to lead NFC
63% completion percentage 2002
2nd to Brett Favre in
winning percentage for
active QB’s
Granted all of the other guys could outrun Johnson on their knees but I think Brad Johnson has proven to be a winner throughout his career. He’s not flashy but he’s consistent and he wins.
“McNabb had two great seasons, and one so-far regrettable one. You’re free to quarrel with Rush about the individual merits of McNabb. We’ll see.”
This was a terrible thing to drop on McNabb. How exactly is he supposed to argue the case that his performace hasn’t been inflated by a condescending media?
McNabb is an awesome quarterback there’s no doubt about that. I have heard very few people that agree with what Rush said. I have, however, heard alot of people defend his right to say it. Besides McNabb is a big boy and he has to take the good with the bad. The criticism will stop once he turns it around and I truly believe that he will.
Scared stiff–Brian Cox said at the beginning of the season that Peyton Manning was the “poster boy” of the year because that’s what WHITE america wants. No racism there of course.
Allen Barra makes many of the points expressed here, including my defense of Brad Johnson, over at Slate:
slate.msn.com/id/2089193/
He goes as far as to agree with Rush that McNabb is overrated, which I am not willing to do. He does make a pretty compelling argument using Eagles offensive statistics vs. defensive statistics over the last three years to prove the case that the “defense carried this team”.
Wallster,
They may not hire inferior QB’s to fill some PC motives,
but, they may have to hire inferior coaches because the NAACP says so, and may face fines if they dont at least interview. Case : The Detroit Lions, Millen tried to meet the NAACP’s requirements, but no black coaches would be interviewd because they Knew the lions wanted the Mooch. Thus, the Lions, and Matt Millen were fined 200k.
How long before Hiring QB’s to fill a quota becomes the norm?
How come nobody is complaining about the lack of black punters?
The point is that as a team owner, you should hire, and are expected to hire the BEST tallent regardless of race. It may not have been true 20 years ago, but it is true today. We have progressed, we have moved on.
But what is stopping the NAACP from complaining about the disproportionate amount of black team owners?
Oh, and when can we start complaining about the disproportionate amount white basketball players?
And while we are at it, When will the NAACP start complaining about how Hockey is nothing but a good ole boy network only fit for White players.
When will MLK finally get his Freeking way? When jessey and al and louis check out.
Michael Vick is certainly exciting to watch. But there’s no possible way he can live up to the hype that’s been built for him. He’s a running back with a strong, but wildly inaccurate arm. He completed 177 passes in his entire college career — about the number a good quarterback heading up a pass-oriented offense completes in half a season. My prediction? Unless he improves his accuracy, he’ll make a Pro Bowl or two, then he’ll flame out in five years. Meanwhile, I’ll predict that Michael Bishop — a smart, drop-back passer with great field vision — will soon be a superstar. And yes, he’s black.
I must humbly disagree with the agitator. Vick is one of the most accurate long passers in the game. Remember the pass he made moving to his left 50 yards downfield on a rope hitting the receiver in the numbers against the dolphins in his rookie year? Or the pass he made to Andre Davis that went 65 yards in the air off his back foot that hit davis in stride against BC in 1999? Granted these are just anecdotes, but they are representative of his accuracy. He is one of the most accurate passers in the league right now.
The fact that he threw few passes in college says nothing about accuracy; you did not site a completion percentage. It says more about the system he was in.
Simply put, Michael Vick is Jordan with a helmet. Michael Bishop couldn’t hold Vick’s jockstrap.
Check out Allen Barra’s point of view. He is well respected, and supports Rush’s oppinion.
http://slate.msn.com/id/2089193/
Boswell in the Post:
“The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well? You mean, like Warren Moon, who starred for 16 years and retired long ago? Or one who wins the Super Bowl as Doug Williams did in 1988? Earth to Rush, hire a clipping service. African American quarterbacks now come and go, succeed or fail, and nobody notices. It’s called progress. Two years ago, Tony Banks was the Redskins’ starting quarerback. Did Redskin fans discuss or care that he was an African American? Did it seem that “the media” was invested in his success or failure, based on his race?’
Bryan Cox is a bigger idiot than Rush who has even less business being there.
I remember Vick’s pass against the Dolphin’s in his rookie year. He almost brought them back to win with his exciting runs and incredible throws. Of course I think he threw four interceptions that day, overshadowing his great plays. He was just a rookie though.
Radley, great point on mention Warren Moon. On top of being a great QB for the NFL, it wasn’t till about 3yrs before his retierment that a new rookie in the CFL broke some of his records. Moon still has plenty.
And props to all those that mentioned how under-rated McMair is. He is never mentioned in the sports community though out of the last four years he’s taken his team to 1 Super Bowl, 2 AFC Championship games, and 1 playoff year. If that’s not consistant, I don’t know what is.
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