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SIDELINE ARCHIVE Unnecessary Hits To The Pocket / Upset: BYU October 17, 2008 Romo's Pause / Seattle Seahawks October 15, 2008 Weekend Prep: Red River and More October 10, 2008 College Football's 'Crossroads' Weekend October 9, 2008 Gramatical Error October 7, 2008 Turning The Page September 30, 2008 So Cal 'Quizzed — But Who Will Answer? September 26, 2008 3rd Tuesday Panic Button / Forté Yard Dash September 23, 2008 Two and Oh; Oh and Two September 22, 2008 No More NCAAffeine September 11, 2008 Week 1 College Football September 6, 2008 How To Spell Heisman / Chad Ocho Cinco September 1, 2008 Why the Favre story STILL won't go away August 18, 2008 Olympic Notes / Ricky's Still Relevant August 14, 2008 Committee Meetings August 9, 2008 Let the QB Battles Begin August 8, 2008 Slinging The Slinger — More Favre August 6, 2008 Welcome to the 2008 season July 28, 2008 Plus One May 27, 2008 Draft: The Morning After April 28, 2008 Draft: Thinking the Unthinkable April 25, 2008 Draft: Ready For The Long Haul April 23, 2008 Sofa–bound Sport April 16, 2008 Post–Winter Wonderland April 11, 2008 Six Impossible Things February 4, 2008 Brady's Misdirection Play February 3, 2008 Colorful Language January 23, 2008 Let the Romo–bashing begin: Dallas lost January 14, 2008 Bowl Bites: The Wrap January 10, 2008 All About The Coaches January 1, 2008 Bowl Bites 3 and A Communication Breakdown December 29, 2007 Bowl Bites 2 December 27, 2007 Bowl Bites 1 December 23, 2007 The Empty Chair - Coach Situations Vacant December 22, 2007 For Some, The Playoffs Are Now December 15, 2007 A Certain Lack Of Welcome December 13, 2007 Unrelated Notes November 29, 2007 Two Thanksgiving thoughts November 22, 2007 Halftime: NFC November 9, 2007 Halftime: AFC November 8, 2007 London, Part 2 / A Tale of Two Chads / A Game of Intimidation November 4, 2007 Damp Squib / Other London Notes October 29, 2007 Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em / Dolphins – The Aftermath October 23, 2007 The Dolphins Did What? October 18, 2007 Notes on the Defenses October 13, 2007 Habits to be Broken October 12, 2007 Overtime October 13, 2007 This Week's Starters October 6, 2007: USF: Covering The Spread / Fantastic Football September 27, 2007: Grossman: The Final Act? / McNabb, the Epilogue September 24, 2007: Eagles QB in Slight Controversy September 21, 2007: Leftwich's Parting Gift to Jacksonville? / Boos cruise September 18, 2007: Notre Dame M.I.A. September 16, 2007: Looking Beyond NFL Wk. 1 September 12, 2007: Best Hope For Heisman September 10, 2007: Coaching Hot Seats / AP Poll Feeling ’Appy September 7, 2007: The NFL’s Prime Cuts September 5, 2007: Michigan Falls to Killer Apps September 3, 2007: Look Out Couch / The Taint's On You, Bud September 1, 2007: |
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SPORTS SIDELINE 
Observations, Opinion & Occasional Silliness by Richard L Gale EAGLES QB IN SLIGHT CONTROVERSY The reaction to Donovan McNabb’s comments on HBO’s Real Sports – that black quarterbacks are criticized more than white quarterbacks – surprised me a little, but in the end, cheered me a little. To start with, I was surprised that he’d raise the issue at all. At 0–2, the Eagles QB needed to be concentrating on football, not generating distractions, I thought to myself. I was also surprised he’d touch on the issue considering the Eagles were also struggling at 0–2 in 2003 when Rush Limbaugh commented on McNabb: "The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well ... he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn’t deserve." I remember that edition of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown vividly. Limbaugh was the new regular on the show, a squeeze–box of opinions employed presumably for just the sort of comments that would generate discussion. I perceived too a kind of awkward pause in the studio when he had finished. It was momentary – but it was deafening. Limbaugh was quickly gone. Since McNabb's recent(ish) comments, I have discovered that things were not entirely as they appeared. For one thing, McNabb’s comments had been selected from a wide-ranging interview, and recorded weeks earlier. The timing, as well as the presentation of McNabb’s comments, were HBO’s choice. Once again, it seems as if words have been delivered to provoke debate. In 2003, the Eagles went go on to win their division and progress to the NFC championship game. This week, the Eagles will play the Detroit Lions. It will be interesting to see whether the Eagles – and McNabb in particular – take the opportunity to bounce back in a similar fashion. As Donovan McNabb told the Philadelphia Daily News after Limbaugh’s 2003 claims, "It’s sad that you’ve got to go to skin color. I thought we were through with that whole deal." I thought we were too. But now that McNabb HAS gone there – bidden or unbidden – the fact that the debate hasn’t really taken off this time just may be a sign of progress. It’s been called a ‘controversy’, but it hasn’t soared, it hasn’t sold – it’s just been reported. Nearly every media observer has reacted with a response not far from "Well, if that’s the way he feels..." and left it at that. (At least as long as he beats the Lions). Attention–seeking: Approaching a million visitors have already seen this and similar clips of Mike Gundy, Football Coach of Oklahoma State, ripping a local columnist for her criticism of one of his players last week: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoMmbUmKN0E&mode=related&search= While Gundy does seem a little off the deep end, I think I’m probably with him on this. But why on earth did he give columnist Jenni Carlson and The Oklahoman so much attention? Now a little–known columnist and her sports editor are about a thousand times more famous than they were two weeks ago (er... by the way, if there’s any mothers out there that have a fat kid that needs berating in public, please get in touch now). |
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