Any player that has those numbers would be respected and not criticized, right? Well, anyone but Donovan McNabb.
Not many players have produced more scrutiny, yet still produced more than McNabb.
It all started in 1999, when the Philadelphia Eagles selected McNabb with the second pick of the NFL Draft. Eagle fans wanted Ricky Williams, so they booed the choice immediately.
Frankly, it really could have worse. The Eagles could have wrecked their franchise by selecting Akili Smith or Cade McNown. Also, Williams is not a bad player, but he only made one Pro Bowl (yes, one). McNabb made six and took his team to four straight NFC Championship Games.
True, McNabb is not the best active quarterback or the best in the 2000's. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are definitely higher than him, but McNabb should be top five in the last decade. Though, where's the respect?
In 2003, Rush Limbaugh said, "The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well," and called him overrated. After Super Bowl XXXIX, Terrell Owens questioned McNabb's ability to run a two-minute offense and rather wanted Brett Favre. Even McNabb's loyal coach Andy Reid betrayed him by benching him against the Baltimore Ravens in 2008, while the Eagles organization traded him to Washington on Apr. 4, 2010.
Now his new coach, Mike Shanahan, said that McNabb did not have the "cardiovascular fitness" to run a two-minute offense (with Owens stating the same on the "T.Ocho Show). The result? Rex Grossman replaces McNabb in the game against the Detroit Lions, and fumbles on the next play to seal a Lion victory. Then two days later, JaMarcus Russell is invited to practice.
While Russell was not signed, Shanahan still wanted McNabb to be the starter. However, if you expected McNabb to be mad and ticked off, you were wrong.
As always, he took the high road as usual, being diplomatic in times where most would be militant. In matter of fact, I would rather him be militant maybe once or twice, just to show that he is not a person to mess with. Still he was never respected as the “good ‘ol boy image” never garnered it.
On Nov. 15, the good and the bad happened to McNabb as he and the Redskins agreed to a five-year, $78 million extension, with $40 million of that being guaranteed.
However later that night, Michael Vick singlehandedly embarrassed Washington on Monday Night Football, 59-28. McNabb threw for 295 yards, but he had to watch as the player that he wanted on his team last year threw for four touchdowns and ran for two more in a career game.
In a day that McNabb was awarded a contract that compared to Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, he was once again outshadowed and upstaged by someone else.
The great comedian Rodney Dangerfield said it best throughout his life, “I don’t get no respect, I tell you! No respect at all!” That same quote can be said about Mr. Donovan F. McNabb.
Sometimes, it doesn't matter what people have done good in life. All people seem to do is dwell on the defeats.
No comments:
Post a Comment