John McGraw, Andy Reid, And Black Quarterbacks

by with One Comment FeaturedSports

The 2019 National Football League season will go down as a very special football season for many years to come. It was the 100th season of the National Football League in which they announced their 100 greatest players in league history. Secondly, it was the first season in which several Black quarterbacks were amongst the league’s best. With Baltimore Ravens Quarterback, Lamar Jackson winning the NFL MVP and Mahomes being the second Black quarterback to win the Super Bowl MVP, the league showcased what sensible people knew all along: Black quarterbacks are just as capable of leading their teams to victory as White quarterbacks – a mindset that still lingers in some fans, and even worse, some front-office decision-makers. 

We’ve come a long way in American sports regarding race. We still have a lot more progress to make on race and gender issues in sports; however, this article will highlight how far we’ve come. 

I want to tell the story of a great Baseball manager, John McGraw, and how his story serves as an example of racial progression in sports. 

Most people have never heard of the legendary baseball manager John McGraw. McGraw, a man who died in 1934, is still considered “the best player to become a great manager” in baseball history. John played and managed his entire Major League Baseball career without ever having the opportunity to do so with any Black or nonwhite player. Unlike many of his contemporaries, McGraw did follow players and teams of the Negro Leagues. He did so up until his death, in which his wife found in his pocket a list of all the Black players he wanted to sign over the years. McGraw would never come close to being able to sign any Negro League players, for the league would not become integrated until the arrival of Jackie Robinson in 1947.

Unlike John McGraw, Andy Reid’s coaching career is most unique regarding race relations in sports. As mentioned before, the racism surrounding Black quarterbacks has kept hundreds of would-be good Black quarterbacks from being just that, quarterbacks. Which has led, up until very recently, in any given NFL season a handful of black starting quarterbacks. 

Since Andy Reid’s coaching debut in 1999 to winning Super Bowl LIV, for the bulk of those years Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, and Patrick Mahomes were his starting quarterbacks. In other words, in an NFL where only a handful of Black Quarterbacks exist, Reid has coached three of them over his entire career. Reid and McGraw are clearly alike, it should be about the players, not the politics. 

Hopefully, articles like this won’t be necessary in the upcoming years for the hysteria around Black quarterbacks simply won’t matter, only if he’s got it or if he doesn’t. More importantly, never again will a manager or coach have to go to their grave not being able to sign a player simply because of the color of their skin.

Similar Read: Will Black Quarterbacks Dominate the NFL in 10 Years?

Without Kliff Kingsbury

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Back in 2002, Detroit rapper Eminem released his fourth studio album “The Eminem Show,” an album that featured one of his biggest hits, “Without Me.” In typical fashion, he mocks everyone from boy band members to then-Vice-President Dick Cheney in this song. He also compares himself to Elvis Presley as a White man getting rich and famous off a primarily Black art form (rap) and that his influence on hip hop was so big, it could not prosper without him (thus the “Without Me” title.) 

2002 would also be the last year Kliff Kingsbury played quarterback at Texas Tech. Following that season, Kingsbury was drafted by the New England Patriots and received a Super Bowl ring that year despite being on the injured reserve. He spent the next several years being an NFL and Canadian Football League journeyman. He would begin his coaching career with the University of Houston leading up to his present-day coaching position with the Arizona Cardinals.

Eminem in “Without Me” surmises, given his stature in rap, he’ll always be important and relevant, and remember he mentioned being a White star in a “black” arena. 

Well… 

NFL head coaches bank their success on players whose racial makeup is 70 percent Black; yet all but 4 of the 32 head coaches in the NFL are White and, with the exception of Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan, have a mirroring White owner. 

The past two years have truly been awful for the hiring of Black and Brown coaches. Of all the Black coaches fired last year, all but Brian Flores in Miami, were replaced by a White coach. Most like Kingsbury, who had NO NFL head coaching experience prior to being offered the position. Same this season, six open head coaching positions, all but one, Ron Rivera to Washington, were White. I believe Marvin Lewis with the Cowboys was the only Black coach to be offered an interview. 

Kliff Kingsbury’s hiring is the epitome of coaching in the NFL. White coaches are given praise and promotion without merit or substance, while Black and Brown coaches can’t even get an interview. Kliff Kingsbury’s career is typical of most younger newly hired White coaches. Coaches who’ve been around, possibly coached, had coffee with, shared an Uber whatever connection to be made to justify recent hirings, they’ve been made. 

You be the judge:

Kingsbury ‘s quarterback during his coaching tenure…

University of Houston – Case Keenum (finished Houston career with multiple NCAA Division I passing records) 

Texas A&M – Johnny Manziel (won the 2012 Heisman Trophy)

Texas Tech – Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes (do I need to explain these guys)

Arizona Cardinals – Kyler Murray (number overall pick 2019 NFL Draft) 

It’s important to note that Kingsbury so far as a head coach has a losing record. As Texas Tech’s head coach he went 35-40, and in his first season with Arizona, 5-10-1. Despite having at Texas Tech the greatness of Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes, Kingsbury had four losing seasons out of the six he coached for Texas Tech. 

How does a guy with a losing college record get an NFL head coaching job? Just because he smiled at Baker Mayfield a few times? While guys like Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, you know the one Patrick Mahomes is the quarterback for, can’t even get an interview. 

We can all talk about this. We can see it on sports debate shows. We can read about it in the papers. The only force capable of truly making a change is the NFLPA (NFL players association). Said association has an upcoming collective bargaining agreement and we hope, this issue is a top priority.  

Similar Read: Segregated Rosters 

Will Black Quarterbacks Dominate the NFL in 10 Years?

by with 2 Comments CultureFeaturedSports

For the first time in NFL history, 4 of the 8 teams headed to the divisional playoffs will be led by Black quarterbacks, including the likely MVP candidate, Lamar Jackson.

Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens are 14-2 and the #1 seed in the AFC. He led the league in touchdown passes (36) this year and broke the record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a season (1,206). Told by many that he wouldn’t be able to play QB at the next level, most notably former GM Bill Polian, he defied the odds. Polian finally apologized admitting he was wrong, but still found an excuse to not to vote Jackson to the All-Pro team… a snub to say the least.

(the other three…)

Russell Wilson, who will likely finish second to Jackson in MVP voting this year, is already a 7-time Pro Bowler with a Super Bowl Championship under his belt. At 5’11, he’s not your typical White tall pocket quarterback… but who cares, because all he does is win, and win when it matters… he’s 16-3 in prime-time games and 31-7 after a loss.

Patrick Mahomes, who already has an MVP title in his young career, was one play away from making it to the Super Bowl last year. He threw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns last season, which had only been done once before in NFL history (Peyton Manning). He will likely be the first quarterback in history to sign a $200 million dollar deal.

Last but not least, DeShaun Watson, who might be the most talented of them all, led the Houston Texans back from a 16-0 deficit to defeat the Buffalo Bills in overtime this past weekend in their wildcard playoff game. I’m sure he’ll win an MVP title before his career is over. If you’ve seen Watson play, whether at Clemson or with the Texans, you know he’s special… so special Oakland Raiders HC John Gruden called him Michael Jordan. He’s also not just running around playing backyard football as many commentators like to suggest, he’s a true student of the game.

History should never let us forget that the Chicago Bears traded up to draft Mitch Trubisky ahead of Mahomes and Watson (and Jackson). A decision that has yet to work out and could negatively impact their franchise for a decade. 

White GM’s and coaches used to think only White quarterbacks were smart enough to play in the NFL, which led to most (excuse me, all) quarterbacks being White, tall, and traditional pocket passers. Black athletic quarterbacks in college, who could pass from the pocket and also run when the pocket broke down, would be forced to play other positions (such as receiver).

But times change, and equality improves faster than usual when said equality increases revenue for stakeholders. You can argue that improvement has been most evident in sports, specifically at the quarterback position in the NFL. 

Not much has changed in the front office in regard to the decision-makers being mostly White men; but, enough or most of them now realize that dual-threat quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson or DeShaun Watson can lead a team at the next level, and win with often complex playbooks that would’ve never been handed over to them 20, 30, or 40 years ago. They also sell more jerseys, boost ratings, and keep fans engaged, despite PR blunders like the Kaepernick situation or really bad officiating that leaves you scratching your head week in and week out.

Considering their success, especially Jackson and Watson, will we see more quarterbacks like them starting in the NFL? YES. The NFL is what you call a copycat league. I’m not sure teams can duplicate the success of the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans with quarterbacks like Jackson and Watson, but they will die trying… and spend a ton of money in the process.

Similar Read: Just Play, We Know What’s Best