If you are unfamiliar with the work of Jason Whitlock please do yourself a favor and read up on his archives. It's a great way to spend a day if you're down in the dumps and in need of a good laugh. If there is anything that is even tangentially associated to any racial issue, you can be sure that Whitlock has a very definite opinion about it. Which brings us to Donovan McNabb,
In his analysis of the McNabb situation, Whitlock had this to say about Mike Shanahan.
Before the week is over, I fully expect Shanahan to suggest that fried-chicken grease prevented McNabb from properly gripping the football.
Stop. Quit whining. I’m not accusing Shanahan of bigotry. I’m not playing the race card.
Um, you're kidding, right? How is that not the race card? Massaging Shanahan's comments to make them sound more damaging then he intends them is one thing; putting racial stereotypes in his mouth is a completely different issue. And it's playing the race card like a pro.
Whitlock goes on to explain that he feels Shanahan made this decision out of spite and that he was acting like an "enraged father." And that might be so. But why didn't you just say that, Jason? If you were to just make that point it might come across as insightful, but when you have to throw the fried chicken thing in there it makes the whole thing unbearable.
The tragedy here is that I agree with the non-crazy part of Whitlock's article. I don't think Shanahan handled that situation correctly and I don't think that the Redskins' chances of winning that game were the only reason he decided to pull Donovan McNabb. That part of Whitlock's article I agree with. But when you say that you fully expect Shanahan to use a racial stereotype to describe his black quarterback, that's when you lose me.