Rush Limbaugh quits ESPN

[Ripper 0]

Stolen from the Sports Guy on ESPN.com ...

 

"While arguing that Donovan McNabb was overrated -- a point also made in this column just last week -- Rush Limbaugh claimed that the media was pushing for a black QB to succeed, so they pumped up McNabb and made him seem better than he really was. This wasn't much different than Isiah Thomas claiming that Larry Bird would be "just another good player" if he were black, was it? Didn't think so. But everyone let Isiah off the hook, while Limbaugh has been barbecued for a solid week. Go figure. I'm not saying he didn't deserve it ... it's just interesting, that's all."

Except that its bullshit that people let Isaiah off the hook. He was ran into the ground for that statement, and then he MAGICALLY didn't make the Dream Team...anyone wonder why that didn't happen?

 

Isaiah made the EXACT same comment and it was lambasted just as much as Rush's. Only you couldn't really ask for Isaiah to resign as a point guard for it.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Ah I knew it was something like that.

 

I still think it's stupid what happened to the Lions over not interviewing a minority first. I mean why interview token candidates when you know who you want.

 

 

ESPN used to have specials with players complaining about the QB thing in the mid-90s as I recall as well though.

[Ripper 0]

Ah I knew it was something like that.

 

I still think it's stupid what happened to the Lions over not interviewing a minority first. I mean why interview token candidates when you know who you want.

 

 

ESPN used to have specials with players complaining about the QB thing in the mid-90s as I recall as well though.

Well, the black QB stereotype was still running rampant back then. I think it is safe to say that we are at the point where QB's are guaged on perfomance and wins and losses before they call you good or a bust and not on race...unless you are Jake Plummer...you can absolutley suck ass and still get called a good QB. Jake Plummer trancends race.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Yeah I never got the Jake Plummer love.

[ant_7000 0]

Isiah didn't make dream probably because of the Bird comment, and Jordan made sure that he wasn't on the team. Well, Larry got his revenge anyway by firing Thomas so you can say they're even. Please don't even Barkley into this neither.

Edited October 3, 2003 by ant_7000

[ant_7000 0]

Ah I knew it was something like that.

 

I still think it's stupid what happened to the Lions over not interviewing a minority first.  I mean why interview token candidates when you know who you want.

 

 

ESPN used to have specials with players complaining about the QB thing in the mid-90s as I recall as well though.

Well, the black QB stereotype was still running rampant back then. I think it is safe to say that we are at the point where QB's are guaged on perfomance and wins and losses before they call you good or a bust and not on race...unless you are Jake Plummer...you can absolutley suck ass and still get called a good QB. Jake Plummer trancends race.

Yeah, I remember this too. When Black QB's were getting criticized for scrambling and they considered as being selfish. Randall Cunningham ended up getting blackballed for 2 years because of his playmaking ability. Then Steve Young started Scrambling then it was viewed as acceptable and now every coach wants a Playmaking QB instead of a Pocket Passer, its funny how that works.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Isiah didn't make the team b/c of Jordan, NOT b/c of any comments he made about Bird. IIR, Jordan basically said that he'd not be interested in going if Thomas went.

 

And I don't recall Thomas being "run into the ground". Hell, even Reggie White's racist ramblings got less coverage than Rush Limbaugh's comments.

[Ripper 0]

Isiah didn't make the team b/c of Jordan, NOT b/c of any comments he made about Bird. IIR, Jordan basically said that he'd not be interested in going if Thomas went.

 

And I don't recall Thomas being "run into the ground". Hell, even Reggie White's racist ramblings got less coverage than Rush Limbaugh's comments.

Okay, now we are just using revisionist history. Isaiah THomas was BLASTED by everyone in basketball for making that comment about Bird. Then he had to come out and do the apology, and continued to get blasted. Whats funny, all he did was agree with Dennis Rodmans comment, but he was the bigger star, so he got blasted. It was talked about for the rest of the playoffs that year. If anyone else was watching basketball around the time, they have to remember that.

 

And Reggie White was ran in the ground for the racist remarks, and blackballed for the homophobic remarks. Have you HEARD from him lately. To say he didn't take any flack is just plain ridiculous.

[Ripper 0]

Ah I knew it was something like that.

 

I still think it's stupid what happened to the Lions over not interviewing a minority first.  I mean why interview token candidates when you know who you want.

 

 

ESPN used to have specials with players complaining about the QB thing in the mid-90s as I recall as well though.

Well, the black QB stereotype was still running rampant back then. I think it is safe to say that we are at the point where QB's are guaged on perfomance and wins and losses before they call you good or a bust and not on race...unless you are Jake Plummer...you can absolutley suck ass and still get called a good QB. Jake Plummer trancends race.

Yeah, I remember this too. When Black QB's were getting criticized for scrambling and they considered as being selfish. Randall Cunningham ended up getting blackballed for 2 years because of his playmaking ability. Then Steve Young started Scrambling then it was viewed as acceptable and now every coach wants a Playmaking QB instead of a Pocket Passer, its funny how that works.

What was even funnier was that there were only 2 black QB's and one of them NEVER scrambled(Moon wasn't going to move) but the stereotype was in place. Didn't really make sense.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

There was the whole failed Andre Ware experiment around that time too.

[Guest MikeSC]

-=Mike

Brad Johnson has a historically great defense that will be a thing that history will talk about. Mcnabb doesn't.

 

 

And once again, no body took RUsh to task about the minority coach hiring thing at all. No one would take him to task about calling Donavan overrated. That isn't even a issue.

 

 

The media cannot attempt to claim that somebody like Akili Smith is great --- so they don't try. There is only so far that they can go.

 

But the moment they find an above-average QB --- like Donovan --- and he has a defense that makes his teams win --- as it did in Philly --- they will all but root him on. They gave him considerably more praise than they did Johnson, and both QB's were easily replacable. The press wanted a white QB to win because a) they are laden with white guilt and b) Jesse Jackson et al have been raising hell about the "lack of black QB's" for years now (as it stands now, they are OVERREPRESENTED as a percentage of the population).

 

I will say, again, Brad Johnson does not get ANY NEAR as much praise, and his numbers are VERY comparable. Philly's "D" was as good as Tampa Bay's has been the past 2 years.

-=Mike

Brad Johnson gets press coverage as much McNabb, But, Johnson's past teams haven't won neither, and he still got attention for his big numbers when he played for Minnesota and Washington. How can the media ignore Johnson when he threw 4000 yards in a season? When was Jesse Jackson complaining about the lack of black QB's?

Johnson gets as much coverage as McNabb?!?!? In what alternate universe does THIS happen, because I almost never hear his name mentioned amongst any discussions of good QB's?

 

Johnson didn't get much attention in Minnesota --- certainly not as anything resembling an elite QB (something McNabb has been called). Nor did he get much pub in Washington.

 

As for the Jackson and the black QB's, do you not pay attention? Did you miss all of that hoopla for years?

-=Mike

[Guest MikeSC]

That is horseshit. Johnson gets less press because he A: Spent years wallowing in mediocrity B: Has a defense that gets more press than the rest of the league.

 

McNabb has better numbers than Elway and alot of those other "great" QB's their first 4 years, he has the all time highest per rush average, carries a offense with no big time performers besides him, and is on a successful team. And Peyton Manning was STILL getting more press than him before last year. And he has been getting cruxcified in the press this season for the rough start, just like any QB would have.

 

Are you honestly saying that if Donavan was white, he wouldn't get the press with the same numbers he has now?

Johnson's numbers were no worse than McNabb's. And McNabb's "D" got lots of pub also --- but the press always seemed to find a way to make him look like a top-tier QB, which he clearly is not.

 

Peyton's press consists of "He's a great REGULAR SEASON QB (which he undoubtedly is), but doesn't do anything in the post-season (which he doesn't)". In many circles, he's viewed as a choker.

 

Donovan would probably get some press if he were white --- but far less than he has received.

 

God knows McNair deserves more.

-=Mike

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

^ I don't remember him making a statement about it. Sounds like someone's reaching, Like *insert insecure conservative Groups* do.

I said that it was a long time ago and I don't quite remember the context of it. Trust me, I don't need to "reach" in my hatred of this poverty pimp...

[Guest El Satanico]

Isiah didn't make the team b/c of Jordan, NOT b/c of any comments he made about Bird.  IIR, Jordan basically said that he'd not be interested in going if Thomas went. 

 

oi...nevermind

 

Yeah I just realized that I misread what he said

[Ripper 0]

Isiah didn't make the team b/c of Jordan, NOT b/c of any comments he made about Bird.  IIR, Jordan basically said that he'd not be interested in going if Thomas went. 

So you claim Isiah wasn't kept off the team because of Jordan. Then you say Jordan said he wasn't interested in going if Isiah went.

 

I don't know where you've been, but when Jordan spoke during his glory years everyone with power in basketball listened and obeyed him like trained monkeys. If Jordan said he wouldn't be interested in going if Isiah went, that means Isiah didn't go.

 

To believe that Jordan couldn't have influenced the decision is foolish.

I think you misread what he said. He is saying that it was because of Jordan zeke didn't go.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Ripper's right, El S. misread what I said. Let me try to re-word it:

 

Jordan had beef with Thomas, and said that if Thomas was going to be a Dream Team-er, then Jordan wouldn't be. So, in an effort to appease Jordan, the league didn't offer Thomas a roster spot. It had nothing to do with what Thomas said about Bird, which got minimal public outcry.

[Ripper 0]

Ripper's right, El S. misread what I said. Let me try to re-word it:

 

Jordan had beef with Thomas, and said that if Thomas was going to be a Dream Team-er, then Jordan wouldn't be. So, in an effort to appease Jordan, the league didn't offer Thomas a roster spot. It had nothing to do with what Thomas said about Bird, which got minimal public outcry.

The minimal public outcry part is still wrong. What are you, from Boston. They still tell stories of how the Pistons got away with everything with out consequence. The Sports Guy on ESPN is definately a boston native and kills me with his revisionist history.

 

"I swah to GAHD, one time Lambieer punch Rahbert Parish right in the face...right there on the floor. I almost drop my pop when I saw it. THey kicked Rahbert out the game and Lambieer went and slapped his wife...and they still didn't kick da bastid out. True story."

 

Minimal public outcry would be Shaqs little Yao Ming statement that he apologized for a day later. Thats MINIMAL. Isaiah refusing to apologize, all the questions fielded to Bird about it, the announcers talking about it outside the game, people calling for Isaiah to be fined or suspended, and if I recall correctly, a SI cover certainly isn't MINIMAL. The fact that nearly 20 years later that automatically jumped to mind when Isaiah was hired to replace Bird and when bird was rehired says volumes.

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

Peyton's press consists of "He's a great REGULAR SEASON QB (which he undoubtedly is), but doesn't do anything in the post-season (which he doesn't)". In many circles, he's viewed as a choker.

Of course, Peyton did get the same kind of press as Donovan when he first started out, until the press suddenly decided he was a choker and collectively gave him that label. Just wait until Eli Manning hits the NFL if you are looking for a while quarterback who is going to be given the blowjob push by the media.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I swear there must be some curse in the Manning family that prevents them all from winning anything meaningful.

 

I really don't have favorite teams, but if I did I'd probably be with the Colts -- I'm a Manning/Dungy fan (although I think his time at Tampa Bay was at an end and getting Gruden was the right move...)

[Ripper 0]

Peyton's press consists of "He's a great REGULAR SEASON QB (which he undoubtedly is), but doesn't do anything in the post-season (which he doesn't)". In many circles, he's viewed as a choker.

Of course, Peyton did get the same kind of press as Donovan when he first started out, until the press suddenly decided he was a choker and collectively gave him that label. Just wait until Eli Manning hits the NFL if you are looking for a while quarterback who is going to be given the blowjob push by the media.

No one paid Donavan any attention at first because they were still on the "We Love Peyton" run. It wasn't until Donovan's team was doing better then it was something.

 

 

And if the Eagles take the record to 2-2 this week with a non-existant D, somebody better give Mcnabb some love.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

I never heard the story about Donovan when he was a rookie. In reality though, Donovan probably had nothing to do with it, but it was rather a ploy by the agent. He probably didn't care. Of course, most of you probably would think differently, but whatever, that's not the issue so why bring it up? No reason to. I was just stating how stupid Philly fans were, that wasn't a race issue.

 

I've yet to see anyone tell me how an "above average" quarterback can take a 3-13 to two NFC Championships. Anyone? When in the HISTORY of the NFL has someone done that? He has three bad games and all of a sudden we're supposed to forget about that? He's in his what, fourth season? Two NFC Championships and another Playoff Appearance where they outplayed the team that won the Super Bowl that year yet lost because of bad Special Teams. All from 3-13. IN FOUR SEASONS!

 

Brad Johnson has Mike Alstott, Keyshawn Johnson, Keenan McCardell, AND the most underrated wide receiver in the league, Big Joey Jurevicious. McNabb has...nobody.

 

The small market thing could also be a factor, and also that they had arguably the most dominating defense in history. He's another Trent Dilfer. He doesn't make defenses. His main advantage over Mcnabb if any is that he can read defenses better, but alot of that comes with age.

 

PLEASE don't bring in an argument where you don't even CONSIDER any of the outside factors. It's like you're reading a list of stats and just pulling a QB who looks similar. Think before you post.

[Spicy McHaggis 0]

Two good articles:

 

Rush was right about Donovan McNabb.

 

And this one, written Sept 18:

 

Overrated list: McNabb led way even before Pats flop Sept. 18, 2003

By Pete Prisco

SportsLine.com Senior Writer

 

Ripping on Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb now is like being that last kid to take a shot during a fight after one of your friends has already put the other guy on the ground.

 

"There, take that."

 

That's piling on, too easy and not entirely fair. So as an explanation to this column on the most overrated players in the league, here's a preface: McNabb was the choice as the most overrated player before his Stink at the Linc on Sunday. McNabb was awful in the Eagles' 31-10 loss to the Patriots, which dropped the Eagles to a surprising 0-2 heading into their bye week.

 

McNabb is still a good player, despite his pedestrian numbers from the first two games. He's just not a great one.

 

And that's why he earns the Most Overrated Player Award.

 

On most player ranking lists heading into the season, McNabb was ranked in the top 15-20 players. One had him as the third-best overall, and he is often considered one of the top three or four quarterbacks.

 

That's wrong and wrong.

 

McNabb has never been an accurate passer, doesn't seem comfortable in the pocket and has a tendency to make bad decisions. That is not how you earn high grades as a quarterback.

 

He does have the ability to run, but he now seems to be trying to stay in the pocket -- actually not a bad thing, since it's safer there -- and that seems to have taken away some of his confidence. He looks too heavy, too sluggish.

 

In fairness to McNabb, he is hamstrung by bad play-calling, has receivers who can't run or beat man coverage and a running-back-by-committee approach that led to just 11 running plays against the Patriots.

 

But McNabb isn't doing his part, either.

 

When he had receivers open Sunday, he missed them high and wide. He looks unsettled as a passer, often short-arming balls and not using proper mechanics. It's hard to believe anyone would put him in their top 100 players, let alone top 10. His passer rating is an awful 41.1 for an 0-2 team that some had pegged for the Super Bowl.

 

Is this current phase a slump? McNabb says it is, and his coaches are sticking by him.

 

"It's a team effort," said Eagles coach Andy Reid. "It's not about Donovan. It's about the team. We all need to do better. It's not just Donovan. Please don't point the finger at him. It goes around to everybody."

 

Try and as he might to defuse the situation, Reid knows better. He knows McNabb is the guy who has to click for the Eagles to win. He still has the ability to be a quality starter, but he isn't -- or will he be -- the superstar that many have him pegged to become.

 

McNabb -- classy as he always is, which makes him one of the more likeable players in the league -- stood and took his poison after Sunday's game. He never flinched when asked the questions, never fired back at the questioner.

 

"I point the finger at myself," he said in the no-kidding quote of the year. "You know being the quarterback of this team, if the offense is out there, I'm the one who has to get everything going. I'm the one who has to be accurate with the ball; I have to be the one making the right checks, and make the right reads. I'll never lose confidence in myself. It's just the reality of the whole deal that I'm not playing well. I've been in this thing five years now, and these last two weeks obviously is nowhere near the way I've been playing the last couple years. I have to do is refocus myself, watch some film, maybe watch some team from last year."

 

McNabb will regroup from his tough start. He's resilient, having bounced back from a broken leg last season to play in the playoffs. He's also a hard worker who probably won't let this get him down.

 

But something is wrong. When you see fans in Eagles jersey No. 5 -- McNabb's number -- yelling for backup A.J. Feely during a game, there are issues.

 

To some scouts, McNabb has always been overrated. One recalled giving him a third-round grade coming out of Syracuse. When McNabb was getting all the plaudits, that scout was the one his peers were laughing at.

 

Now who's doing the laughing?

 

Donovan McNabb: Good quarterback, but don't even think about using the word great.

 

And that's why he's the most-overrated player, something he was getting even if he hadn't smelled up the place Sunday.

[the pinjockey 0]

I don't care about the fact that Rush thought McNabb was overrated. A part of me thinks so and I have seen numerous articles in the last month that state that.

[Guest MikeSC]

I never heard the story about Donovan when he was a rookie. In reality though, Donovan probably had nothing to do with it, but it was rather a ploy by the agent. He probably didn't care. Of course, most of you probably would think differently, but whatever, that's not the issue so why bring it up? No reason to. I was just stating how stupid Philly fans were, that wasn't a race issue.

 

I've yet to see anyone tell me how an "above average" quarterback can take a 3-13 to two NFC Championships. Anyone? When in the HISTORY of the NFL has someone done that? He has three bad games and all of a sudden we're supposed to forget about that? He's in his what, fourth season? Two NFC Championships and another Playoff Appearance where they outplayed the team that won the Super Bowl that year yet lost because of bad Special Teams. All from 3-13. IN FOUR SEASONS!

 

Brad Johnson has Mike Alstott, Keyshawn Johnson, Keenan McCardell, AND the most underrated wide receiver in the league, Big Joey Jurevicious. McNabb has...nobody.

 

The small market thing could also be a factor, and also that they had arguably the most dominating defense in history. He's another Trent Dilfer. He doesn't make defenses. His main advantage over Mcnabb if any is that he can read defenses better, but alot of that comes with age.

 

The small market thing could also be a factor, and also that they had arguably the most dominating defense in history. He's another Trent Dilfer. He doesn't make defenses. His main advantage over Mcnabb if any is that he can read defenses better, but alot of that comes with age.

I never heard the story about Donovan when he was a rookie. In reality though, Donovan probably had nothing to do with it, but it was rather a ploy by the agent. He probably didn't care. Of course, most of you probably would think differently, but whatever, that's not the issue so why bring it up? No reason to. I was just stating how stupid Philly fans were, that wasn't a race issue.

 

It was done in Donovan's name and McNabb participated. He's hardly innocent there.

 

've yet to see anyone tell me how an "above average" quarterback can take a 3-13 to two NFC Championships. Anyone? When in the HISTORY of the NFL has someone done that? He has three bad games and all of a sudden we're supposed to forget about that? He's in his what, fourth season? Two NFC Championships and another Playoff Appearance where they outplayed the team that won the Super Bowl that year yet lost because of bad Special Teams. All from 3-13. IN FOUR SEASONS!

 

Where were the Giants before Collins came around? Where were the Ravens before Dilfer? Heck, the Pats weren't too much before Brady took over (Bledsoe, much as I love the Bills, is just not that terrific a QB).

 

Brad Johnson has Mike Alstott, Keyshawn Johnson, Keenan McCardell, AND the most underrated wide receiver in the league, Big Joey Jurevicious. McNabb has...nobody.

 

Mike ALSTOTT?!? HE is a difference maker? McNabb has the better starting RB(Duce, while not great, is better than anybody TB has had in years). And KEYSHAWN? You can't begin discussions of overrated players without mentioning him prominently? He's never done ANYTHING of note.

 

The small market thing could also be a factor, and also that they had arguably the most dominating defense in history. He's another Trent Dilfer. He doesn't make defenses. His main advantage over Mcnabb if any is that he can read defenses better, but alot of that comes with age.

 

See what I mean? Johnson is "Another Dilfer" (Trent, though, has had a pretty good run as a starter and it's insane that he has such a hard time getting a job). Johnson is a QB talented enough to get DRAFTED in spite of NOT STARTING at FSU. He is, flat out, a better QB than McNabb. He doesn't run -- but he makes far fewer asinine errors.

 

Okay, let's take the small market into account.

 

Why does he get more press than Collins, who since he joined the Giants, has put up some impressive numbers?

-=Mike

[the pinjockey 0]

Kerry Collins

2001 and 2002

38 TDs/30 INTs

He blows just as many chances as he helps. And it is widely known that if you give him all the time in the world he can throw, but pop him in the mouth once and he quits.

 

Keyshawn may be overrated, but to say he isn't immediately the no.1 if he goes to the Eagles is just absurd. And you could argue the Keenan and Joe are at worst no.2 on the Eagles.

 

In Baltimore's Super Bowl season, Trent Dilfer was a mid 70s QB rating guy with an almost even TD/INT ratio.

[Guest MikeSC]

Kerry Collins

2001 and 2002

38 TDs/30 INTs

He blows just as many chances as he helps. And it is widely known that if you give him all the time in the world he can throw, but pop him in the mouth once and he quits.

 

Keyshawn may be overrated, but to say he isn't immediately the no.1 if he goes to the Eagles is just absurd. And you could argue the Keenan and Joe are at worst no.2 on the Eagles.

 

In Baltimore's Super Bowl season, Trent Dilfer was a mid 70s QB rating guy with an almost even TD/INT ratio.

Kerry gets TONS of yards and his receiving corps was not viewed as anything special until he arrived (you NEVER heard Amani Toomer listed as a good WR).

 

As for Keyshawn, yeah, he's probably a little better than the Eagles corps. But he is not a good WR by any stretch. On most teams, he would not be the #1 guy. But, Duce's superiority over any of TB's assorted stiffs at RB makes up for that. I like Joe, but he's hardly a great WR. He's good, but he's not that good.

 

Dilfer was also, what, 10-0 as the starter?

-=Mike

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Collins threw for 7837 yds. in those 2 seasons as well.

[the pinjockey 0]

Yes Collins threw for a lot of yards. But his TD/INT shows that he made a lot of mistakes. A lot more than McNabb ever has.

 

And you seem to have heftily overrated Duce Staley. Before his injury he looked like he could become something special, but since then he has not done much.

 

And it is easy for Dilfer to be 10-0 as a starter when all you have to do is score 7 points a game.

[Dr. Tom 0]

Rant of the Week

 

"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."

 

Those were Rush Limbaugh’s comments on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” show that ignited such a firestorm of controversy. Democratic presidential candidates Wesley Clark and Howard Dean were up in arms, as were the usual suspects like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Limbaugh resigned from the ESPN show after the controversy began in earnest.

 

Here’s my take: he has a point, and he’s half-right.

 

Like Rush Limbaugh, I am not a racist. I think the media has long wanted to see black quarterbacks succeed. Remember when the Washington Redskins were heading into Super Bowl XXII? Their quarterback, Doug Williams, got a lot of press around that time, even considering how hyped the Super Bowl normally is. Was he getting the press for being a journeyman QB now plying his trade on the biggest stage in the world? No. Was he getting the press for coming from a small school and becoming a Super Bowl QB in the NFL? No. Was he getting the press because he played on some dreadful Tampa Bay teams, and had turned his career around? No.

 

Williams was getting the press because he was a black quarterback in the Super Bowl. The first black man to start at QB in the Super Bowl, in fact. It was a feel-good story for the media, which had recently absorbed a collective drubbing for Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder’s racist remarks that saw him fired from CBS Sports. American sports, as a collective, was still getting over LA Dodgers GM Al Campanis’ remarks on Nightline, regarding the mental capacities of blacks in leadership roles. Here was a black man playing the most cerebral position on the football field, on the biggest stage in sports, after a pair of high-profile racist comments from prominent sports figures.

 

To his credit, Williams took it all in stride. And he played a hell of a game, leading the Redskins to a 42-10 rout of the Denver Broncos

 

Fast-forward to the present. Steve McNair has followed Williams in leading a team to the Super Bowl, but he ended up on the losing side. Baseball and football have policies in place to ensure that minorities are considered for front-office and coaching positions. Still, another Doug Williams would make a whale of a story. Donovan McNabb seemed very qualified to fill the shoes Williams left behind. He has a strong arm, is very mobile, and has shown the ability to make good decisions on the field. In short, he plays a cerebral position very well, and there are still small-minded people who think the color of his skin means he doesn’t do it as well as a good old white boy would.

 

It is because another Doug Williams would make such a good story that Rush Limbaugh said what he said. Limbaugh has made a good portion of his reputation sticking it to the traditional media and calling them on their mistakes, attitudes, and perceived biases. I don’t think his remarks were meant to offend Donovan McNabb or any black person, though that is how they’re being taken.

 

Limbaugh’s claim that McNabb doesn’t deserve credit for the Eagles’ success is harder to examine. On the one hand, he’s the unquestioned leader of the offense and an elite quarterback, certainly within the top five in the league. On the other hand, how did the Eagles fare when McNabb went down with an injury last year. Pretty well, if I recall correctly. How did the Eagles fare when McNabb’s backup went down with an injury last year? Again, pretty well. They definitely won games with their defense last year, and will continue to do so. However, McNabb deserves his share of the credit, also. If he were just an average player, the Eagles wouldn’t have opened their checkbooks for him like they did.

 

Resigning was probably Limbaugh’s best option. It’s a shame that no one can tolerate a little controversy anymore, but with news outlets like ESPN being owned by large corporations, there are bottom lines and lawsuits to be considered. ESPN's actions in all of this were despicable: they completed edited out Michael Irvin's comments from replays of the incident. Heaven forbid a black man be shown agreeing with the evil Limbaugh, after all. With tactics like that, it's no reason Limbaugh goes after the media with such zeal. The ratings for Sunday NFL Countdown were up 10% so far this year; you can attribute that to Limbaugh (or not) depending on your opinion of him. He was wrong about McNabb’s ability, but spot-on in his assessment of the media looking for the next Doug Williams.

[Dr. Tom 0]

Dilfer was also, what, 10-0 as the starter?

He was 11-1, actually. He lost his first game under center, then won out the rest of the way.

 

Dilfer was actually a better QB than people gave him credit for. Sure, he had the stifling Ravens 2000 defense on the same sideline, but a lot of people, and reporters, acted like the Ravens won *in spite of* Dilfer, not because of him, and that's just not true. The Ravens had the same defense when Tony Banks was the starter, but their record wasn't nearly so good, and Banks led the team to 4/5 of its record-setting TD drought. Dilfer was better simply because he made fewer mistakes. He'd throw the ball away when he had to, instead of trying to force it into coverage. He'd take a sack instead of making a stupid throw and trying to be a hero.

 

Interestingly, it was either that offseason or the next one that Dilfer went to the QB Skills challenge and wiped the floor with everyone. He had a strong and accurate arm, and never really got any press for it. Dilfer knew his role in the offense, though: turn around and hand off to JAMAL~! 25 times a game, make a few throws, and don't give the game away. He played that role to perfection. Dilfer could have made a lot more throws than he did, it's just that the Ravens never asked him to.

 

I still think it's the low mark in the team's history when they sent their Super Bowl-winning QB packing and brought in Grbac The Giant Shithead, all because Brian Billick wanted to try and live up to his reputation as an offensive genius.