McNabb Has More Drama Than ‘Glee’
In 32 NFL cities, there is a spotlight that shines very directly and very brightly on the quarterback. Some spotlights (and, come to think of it, some quarterbacks) are brighter than others, but it’s fair to say that the QB is not your ordinary citizen. Some marry supermodels and some send naughty text messages and some become The Bachelor.
But none of them – absolutely none – can land in the middle of a soap opera like our buddy Donovan McNabb.
From the “Dirty 30” to Rush Limbaugh to Terrell Owens to Vomitgate and now to last week’s Cardiovascular Endurance saga, drama follows Five. Sometimes it’s his fault, sometimes it’s not, but the dude has more drama than the cast of ‘Glee.’
And in a world in which nobody really talks anymore about “black quarterbacks” – and this is progress, a sign that most people have accepted the very obvious fact that African Americans can thrive at the position – Donovan seems to still be fighting that fight. And this discussion is clearly not his fault – he didn’t bring it up.
Washington coach Mike Shanahan ignited the latest mess when he pulled McNabb against the Lions 10 days ago, inserting Rex Grossman to run the team’s two-minute drill. Shockingly, Grossman failed. Afterwards, Shanahan initially said McNabb didn’t know the two-minute offense, and then the next day said McNabb didn’t have the “cardiovascular endurance” to perform down the stretch. So, ostensibly – first he’s dumb, then he’s fat and lazy. Nice.
The thought police alarms blared. The PC crowd said Shanahan was playing to racial stereotypes.
And Monday, D.C.-based sports columnist John Feinstein accused Shanahan of “racial coding” and said that it is behavior worth “firing a coach for.”
It’s rather absurd to think that anyone who’s racist could last more than five minutes as an NFL coach, let alone be a successful one. So put that aside, next to your heap of unread (or is it unreadable?) Feinstein books. But Shanahan is clearly guilty of ham-handed media relations.
And, according to former Redskins and Eagle Brian Mitchell, who was sitting next to Feinstein when he made those comments on D.C. television, Shanahan just might be guilty of something a little more problematic – blaming Donovan to cover the incompetence of his offensive coordinator, who just so happens to be his son, Kyle.
“You gotta wonder whenever you have a father and son working together,” said Mitchell, who was in town last night for the “Chase Freedom Exclusive Star Athlete Party” in Cherry Hill. “Kyle [insists] on a five-step or seven-step drop; with a bad offensive line it doesn’t work. It makes Donovan look bad and it makes the offensive line look worse.”
Nothing like a good old fashioned Washington cover-up.
What is it about Donovan that makes him a Drama Magnet? Casual fans around here still love Donovan; it’s easy to find a “5” jersey walking around town. As Andy Reid has said numerous times, this is the best quarterback in franchise history. By virtually all accounts, he’s an upstanding citizen from a solid family who helped lift the Eagles out of the dregs of the NFL.
He had an undeniably positive impact here, but left behind negative feelings.
“You’re talking about a guy who lived in the playoffs,” said Mitchell. “You may not like him, but he was a big part of the Eagles success for [11] years.”
But for the critics, it’s not about what McNabb did with the Eagles, it’s about what he didn’t do. It’s not about throwing four touchdowns on a broken ankle – it’s about the faces he made during the game. It’s not about making the playoffs year after year – it’s about the pre-game air guitar.
Just a couple weeks ago, people were saying that Redskins, with McNabb at the helm, were poised to become contenders. Now, they seem to be a dysfunctional soap opera, and Five is right in the middle of it.
The point is, perception is reality. The perception may change sometime in the future, but right now, here in Philadelphia, it’s quite clear what the reality is.
Donovan McNabb is someone else’s problem.
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