Rhoden - NFL News Media Shows Bias

Blah blah, yah yah. "Proven winner," "heady leader," "gutty competitor," yadda yadda bullshit. All time-tested sports-cliche codespeak for "the guy really can't play for shit, but he sure talks like a hall of famer."

Remember, Mariucci was the guy who thought Jeff Garcia was going to save his franchise, until he started throwing passes backwards over his head while being sacked 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

 

Rhoden seems obsessed with the whole black qb issue of past few months. If you look at his body of work since early December I bet he has had at least 5 or 6 columns that deal with some kind of perceived slight to black QB's.

It seems to me that if anyone has a media bias it's Rhoden himself. He is both the judge and sherriff on the issue. He keeps insisting on creating an issue that just is not there in 2007. Even some of the QB's have told him that.

I really expected to open the Times today and see on Rhoden column on NBA All Star weekend and how everyone has overreacted.

 

How in god's name is Brady Quinn a proven winner vis a vis Russell?

 

It's a classic announcer cliche because they have nothing else to say. Rhoden is trying to create a issue that just does not exist. If the scouts think Quinn will be better he will get picked. If not then it will be Russel.Color will not be part of the consideration.

 

All Rhoden has is a hammer. He's very skilled with it, but not every issue is a nail.

I thought this approach hit its (high? Low?) water mark with the Super bowl coaching column, the NYT Sunday centerpiece on the big day, in which both coaches insisted the story of the day wasn't about race -- and Rhoden basically says "who cares what they say, what I say is more significant," and then plows on.

 

I thought Rhoden hit the wall in his column on Troy Smith and Chris Leak. Rhoden should have listened closer to what Smith said:

Earlier in the season, Smith told reporters that he felt the African-American quarterback angle was a dead issue. ''We're way beyond it,'' he said. ''It's not significant at all with quarterbacks. That's a moot point. We should stay away from that.''

He added: ''I don't see color, I see people in any situation. I disliked it so much when they said Warren Moon was the first African-American quarterback inducted into the Hall of Fame. He's a quarterback. I didn't appreciate that.''

 

so his premise is apparently that the media is racist because the kid is being asked questions about his ability?

and ... white kids aren't asked the same questions?

this is complete garbage

Rhoden is a joke

his constant pathetic attempts to create racism where there is none are shameful

 

Your "Jeopardy!" item of the day:

Answer: 20 years and an ivy league degree.

Question: "'What is the difference between Scoop
Jax and Bill Rhoden?', Alex?"

Alex - That is correct!

 

He went to Notre Dame. They're on national TV every week. They gets special wins every year from the media because they were good in past decades.

 

If anyone familiar with JaMarcus Russell seriously considered or suggested a position switch, that person has no business in pro football. Wide receiver? He doesn't have the speed. Tight end? For what purpose?

He can throw the ball 90 yards.

Rhoden has the job he has, and I have the job I have, but that column feels like the same thing I've been reading from him for months, as Boom alluded to, and maybe years. He got quotes from Russell and Quinn about a topic -- the threat of a position switch -- that is neither timely nor relevant within this context. He used the term "old stereotypes." Yes, exactly.

Old.

I see little evidence anyone worth mentioning or critiquing is framing the conversation about the top quarterbacks in a way that would justify this continual drum beat.

After covering Russell for four years and knowing he in many ways defies the old stereotypes, I'd much rather read someone telling me about who he is than who he isn't, about the world he plays in now rather than the world he'd have played in 30 years ago. But that would require some honest research, not finding new meat to give you fresh quotes about a stale premise that insults our intelligence and does quarterbacks, black or white or Asian, no good.

 

Well, Boom, he wrote a book about black QBs, "Third And A Mile", that ESPN (its publisher) is shilling endlessly. Thus, the endless dwelling on the topic.

 

What New York Times columnist has made the most from an affirmative action hiring?
Who is Bill Rhoden?