Posted on 02/02/2004 9:03:59 AM PST by truthandlife
Warren Moon agrees with Rush Limbaugh on this much, at least. The progress of African American quarterbacks in the NFL has been a media-driven issue.
"It's a story we didn't necessarily ask for," Moon said Thursday afternoon. "In a thousand interviews, we were asked about being black quarterbacks."
The screaming match that followed Limbaugh's ill-conceived September remarks about the Eagles' Donovan McNabb drowned out any more thoughtful discussion about this. Maybe that's possible now that things have calmed down.
To Limbaugh, the focus on such an issue is proof of the "liberal media" agenda. Like the question about Black History Month - Why isn't there a White History Month? - it's a way of dismissing or belittling the reality that race relations are part of America's complex, ongoing story.
Just as it was important to note that Jackie Robinson was the first black man to play major-league baseball, it has been important to mark the milestones of African Americans in the signature position of quarterback. That's why Moon and a handful of others, including former Eagle Randall Cunningham, formed an organization called the Field Generals.
"A lot of guys in the league don't know about the history," Moon said at a news conference to announce the new group. "We think it's important to tell that story. We're not saying that we're anything great or special, but we want to be sure to preserve this history."
Moon was joined by living links in the chain: Marlin Briscoe, the first black QB to start in the league; James Harris, the first to start a playoff game; Doug Williams, the first to start (and win) a Super Bowl; and Daunte Culpepper, one of the league's current stars.
Briscoe, now 59, is the perfect of example of why this story is worth telling and repeating. He is best remembered as a wide receiver, a position he played in Buffalo and for two Super Bowl championship teams in Miami, including the 1972 team that went 17-0.
But Briscoe was a quarterback at the University of Omaha. As a 14th-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos (then in the AFL), Briscoe signed his contract after getting one promise from coach Lou Saban.
"I got him to guarantee that I would play quarterback for three days in training camp," Briscoe said. "I knew that would be open to the media and to the fans, so everyone could see how I performed."
When the season started, he was moved to defensive back. But after Steve Tensi got hurt and the No. 2 QB struggled, there was pressure on Saban to play Briscoe. He did, and Briscoe was well aware that he was making history.
"It was 1968, a volatile time in our nation," Briscoe said. "There was Vietnam, the assassinations of [Martin Luther] King and [Robert] Kennedy. There was a belief that blacks were not bright enough, that we didn't have the ability to lead. Most of the players in the league were white, and most were from Southern schools where they never had a black teammate, let alone a quarterback.
"I knew that if I didn't have success, it would be a long time before someone else got the chance. People would say, 'I told you so.' "
Briscoe started 11 games. He threw 14 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. The touchdowns remain the Broncos' rookie record. John Elway, who will be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame today, threw seven TD passes and 14 interceptions as a rookie in 1983.
"I played well enough that nobody could say, 'I told you so,' " Briscoe said.
It wasn't enough to keep Briscoe at the position. Tipped off that Saban was holding quarterback meetings during the off-season, he flew to Denver.
"I stood outside the building and waited for them to come out," Briscoe said. "They couldn't look me in the eye. Steve Tensi, who was a good man, apologized to me later. There was nothing he could do. Saban didn't want me to play quarterback."
He never did again. But in 1969, four black quarterbacks were drafted, including Harris. Through the '70s, Harris, Pittsburgh's Joe Gilliam and a small handful of others soldiered on. In the '80s, Moon, Williams and Cunningham became stars.
By 1999, the Eagles had made McNabb the No. 2 pick in the draft - the highest an African American QB was ever taken. Atlanta took Michael Vick with the first pick two years later.
And so progress was made and properly recorded by the media. For Briscoe, there is satisfaction in taking one of the most important steps.
"We come to 2004 and a black quarterback is judged as a quarterback," he said. "Not as a black quarterback, but as a quarterback. If he makes a good play, he gets cheered. If he makes a bad play, he gets booed. That's all you can ask."
To paraphrase King, it's about judging on content, not skin color. That's what makes this story important to tell. It's not an agenda. It's our history.
The press should have stopped this differentiation by now.
And ping for King.
I don't give a damn about color.
Sure, it's easy for Moon to say that, he's not black.
Warren just happens to be a hard working, determined man, with fantastic athletic and mental abilities.
I didn't use 'the', either. I simply used 'cheer'.
Warren Moon has always been on the money...even as far back as his Edmonton Eskimo days.
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Could have fooled me.
He dated a lot of blondes in Houston. Also got into some trouble over wife abuse. But that isn't a black/white issue.
That would have been a black and blue issue.
(blink)
That comes as news to me … and probably to Warren, as well ….
I see excellence.
Much like Justice Thomas, Condoleezza Rice , Colin Powell, Jackie Robinson ect.etc.
Not like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Muhammad Ali , Louis Farrakhan etc. etc.
I admit, as I was posting that, I felt I was going to be misunderstood, but thought the second paragraph would indicate my meaning.
As usual I was wrong to "assume".
I am glad to know that you knew that I knew.
What the heck did I just say?
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