Michael Vicks postgame press conference basically amounted to a concession speech yesterday. An era has ended, and those of us who still have visions of his once awesome athleticism will be put in the same position we were when Allen Iverson donned the Denver Blue. Ten years in NFL years on a diminutive frame that never could stop running recklessly is a lifetime, Vick may have taken more clean shots than Barry Sanders and his current inability to accelerate away from defenders betrays this fact. For the first time in a generation the conversation surrounding the Black Quarterback doesn’t start nor end with Michael Vick, like Gayle Sayers he was a brief comet. The conversation is now about Cam Newton and Robert Griffith, what they’ve enjoyed and what they still have to struggle with in a not so post racial environment. We aren’t living in post racial times, with a contentious election showing us every day how naïve we were it would be silly to believe the NFL is about winning games exclusively. Black and White fans are polarizing in their views and we watch and interpret the games with our own cultural sensibilities and bias- and this is the invisible grease that keeps the wheels of sports talk radio spinning. African American fans listen for the dog whistles, the inconsistencies and the situations when black athletes are treated more harshly for similar conduct to white counterparts. White fans watch black athletes with a degree of respect and awe but often zero in on intangible qualities that allow them deep seeded confirmation bias. Cam Newton who mind you was described by a scout (who deserves no name recognition) as “fake” and arrogant (see uppity) isn’t responding well to losing nor is he skilled enough to explain his frustration. He talked like a “star” coming out of Auburn, he talked of wanting to be an “institution” and not being like the Black QB’s who failed, a mistake. Too comfortable in his own largess, the sweaters, the Superman celebrations, calling female reporters “sweetheart” as if they were co-eds all door openers that allow the majority to frame Newton as typically “uppity”. Robert Griffith seems to have a better support system on and off the field plus the ability to harness Olympic caliber athleticism within the traditional role. Confident, in fact just as confident as Newton or any other Quarterback but understated- one of the “good ones”. This way of comparing us to one another and using some African Americans as an indictment against more outwardly prideful counterparts is not a new method of groupthink. Personality profiles were designed with scientific proficiently during Slavery to better control “property” and play slaves against one another at the Landowners benefit. While White QB’s enjoy individuality, autonomy of personality and contributing factors of success or failures Black QB’s are invariably linked like Martin and Malcolm. Warren Moon shouldn’t have to point out that Cam Newton’s issues are more like white QB’s like Stafford and Cutler, that he shouldn’t be compared to Black QB’s who no longer have jobs. Colin Cowherd (with the Mitt Romney “establishment” grey accents) jumped at the chance to quote the bullshit scout; jumped at the chance to point out that Newton may be a self-absorbed jerk as if that were a revelation. Quarterback is the one position where a jerk (See Troy Aikman) is often required, as is the CEO or the leader of the Free World-and you see how that experiment in dealing with a cocky black guy is working. When I saw that these two quarterbacks (Panthers vs. Redskins) would be facing one another I considered it a milestone game, two Heisman Trophy winning African American Quarterbacks battling it out in a “Post Racial Bowl”. Both were drafted #1 and #2 and both are charged with being the face of two franchises in Washington DC and North Carolina-two places with vast negative racial histories. Unfortunately the hyper scrutiny of the 24 hour media blew that “feel good” assumption out of the “progressive” water. While Donald Trump, Mogul/ All around douchebag inches closer to calling the President a “boy” we will be treated to the oldest of passion plays pitting the “good one” against “the rest of them”. Racial code is inevitably more interesting than calling Cam Newton a young kid in a “Sophomore Slump” in need of more seasoning. That would take all of a couple of lines, a couple of seconds, and there would be no need for Warren Moon to offer great insight (see content) to the shit ton of ESPN Affiliates. I propose the Network broadcasting the game take the gloves off and give white fans who want to draw long-term perceptions from these two extremely young men what they’re really looking for…. A one-time guest analyst appearance from Rush Limbaugh.
Hey, Rush peddles coded racial trash for a living, so he’s uniquely qualified to cover this NFL game. But then again you cant have a "Post Racial Bowl" when one of the teams is called the Redskins.
Hey, Rush peddles coded racial trash for a living, so he’s uniquely qualified to cover this NFL game. But then again you cant have a "Post Racial Bowl" when one of the teams is called the Redskins.
