Posted on 10/19/2009 4:06:29 PM PDT by HorowitzianConservative
Friday night, wrapping up the Rush Limbaugh/NFL brouhaha on Fox News’s Special Report with Bret Baier, the panel unanimously decided that Rush had been unfairly smeared as a racist, but that he was way off base in calling Donovan McNabb overrated.
That's the consensus, but the consensus is wrong. Donovan McNabb is consistently a merely above average quarterback with flashes of brilliance who has never justified the hype surrounding him.
Here is the infamous quote (note that usually the first and last sentences are left off of this quote, which makes is sound slightly harsher out of context):
(Excerpt) Read more at newsrealblog.com ...
I think Rush’s remarks were interpreted as meaning that black quarterbacks in general were poor performers, which is not what he said. Anyway, it’s perfectly all right to criticize Donovan McNabb, or any other player.
Rush was stupid to tell the truth. There are many theoretical ways of ranking quarterbacks, but in American sports only one that counts, winiing the big game.
I am pretty sure that the Eagles have never won a superbowl under McNabb because I can't remember them EVER winning a superbowl. His completion rate is under 60% and his lifetime QB rating is under 90. He was a respectable second string running back, however.
Rush's point was that McNabb was America's "great black hope". Just like the boxing obsession with the "great white hope". Both desires were racist. The great boxers, for whatever reason, have been black in modern times--the great quarterbacks have been white. Rush was paraphrasing MLK. He was suggesting we should judge qbs by their accomplishments, not by the color of their skins.
I know what Rush’s point was however you don’t know what you are talking about when you say Mcnabb was a good “second string running back”. He’s a pro bowl, super bowl quarterback with a strong arm as well as strong legs. To say he is a running quarterback is simple ignorance. He can run too, that is not his claim to fame.
Boy, when Culpepper can be said to be better than McNabb, that that tells me all I need to know about McNabb. -—Michigan FReeper
Donovan McNabb was probably being hyped when the team was winning big, just as numerous quarterbacks have been. Consider Tony Romo. Limbaugh’s point was that the Eagle defense - made up mostly of black men - had been the reason for the Eagle’s success.
By the way, I don’t buy the idea that you have to win the championship to be considered great. Dan Marino was great. Fran Tarkenton was great.
Look what the media does with Garcia...nothing. He was a winner in San Fran and a winner in Philly. Maybe the media is desirous that a hispanic QB not be a star.
And it kills me as a Cowboys fan to give props to a 9er and an Eagle, but he scared me when we played them.
He didn't say that. He simply said the press was over rating him, period.
Read the article, which you obviously didn't do. It refutes everything you say. One of his "lousy receivers" was Terrill Owens.
McNabb blew it in the Super Bowl with lousy clock management as well. I think Terrell questioned whether he was ok late in the game a few weeks later.
McNabb’s biggest problem was the Eagles. They expected him to win the game when he was playing, his replacements like Jeff Garcia received better support, the Eagles offense gave them more help than McNabb.
Terrel Owens was out injured at the end of the season and through the playoffs. He came back only for the superbowl, which they lost. Mcnabb got there without him.
I dont need to reread the article. I watched Rush’s comment live and I’ve watched him and others replay it a dozen times. they were discussing that Mcnabb and the Eagles were struggling and Rush’s entire point was that Mcnabb was never that good to begin with that teh NFL pumped him up in the desire to have a successful black quarterback.
To say that Rush wasnt commenting on Mcnabb’s abilities versus the hype is absurd.
Rush had a valid opinion, he just happened to be wrong because in fact Mcnabb is an excellent quarterback and that is reflected in his achievements. And I am well aware of Mcnabb’s flaws, they all have them. Elway barely won a superbowl at teh end of his carreer and that was his big vindication.
Whatever, every time the Eagles get close to the superbowl Rush is silent or takes credit for inspiring Mcnabb to excel. Everytime Mcnabb does something wrong it then proves Rush was right.
Whatever it’s sports we can never settle it.
Who said that? Not me! That is exactly what Rush was saying! And your objection to that is ... ??
Here is the exact quote from ESPN. Rush: “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.”
Do you agree or disagree?
I suggested you read the article because it is full of statistics supporting the point of view that McNabb is a very good quarterback, better than average, which seems to be what you are saying also. They also add that McNabb was not the Great Black Hope the media were looking for. It also mentions the political/social atmosphere at the time. There was lots of criticism of the NFL owners for not selecting enough black quarterbacks, just as there had been of MLB for not having enough black managers. Therefore, Donavon was overly hyped.
Why the aversion to facts?
No problem with what Rush said he had the right to say it.
To those who posted here that Mcnabb’s flub on a time out and a lousy game on Sunday, years after Rush’s comment - proved that Rush was “right” that Mcnabb is a poor quarterback - I disagreed. Mcnabb is one of the best qusrterbacks of the last decade. And for that reason, IMHO, Rush was mistaken in his analysis of Mcnabb.
BTW Mcnabb also happens to be a solid citizen, zero brushes with the law, family, close to his parents. For all this he was criticized by TO for being a “company man”. In Philadelphia, they make fun of Mcnabb for all of this.
So Mcnabb has to be one of the worst picks to go after for being hyped due to his race.
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