If you watch ESPN, you probably roll your eyes non-stop due to its overwhelmingly liberal analysts.
To be fair, the network did demote some far left-leaning hosts like Jemele Hill and Michael Smith in an effort to win back the conservatives who fled the network.
However, one ESPN host’s latest racist tirade will leave every conservative speechless.
The Baltimore Ravens drafted Heisman trophy recipient Louisville quarterback, Lamar Jackson, with the 32nd pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.
Jackson might end up being heir to current quarterback Joe Flacco next year, but there are numerous reports that the Ravens are experimenting with having them both on the field for the upcoming season. Presumably this would look like a wildcat formation, or Jackson may play “other positions.”
And somehow, ESPN ‘First Take’s’ co-host Max Kellerman turned this into how African American quarterbacks have been victimized by systemic racism for years.
Kellerman said,
“I like it. And I know when I say that, there is the ever-present issue of the fact that in this country, as Warren Moon can tell you, in the NFL, they have forever been trying to turn African-American quarterbacks into other players, not quarterbacks and to shift them to other positions because of, you know, racist ideas about, certainly at least racial, but I would say racist ideas about leadership and all kinds of other made-up nonsense — and also maybe just the idea that a black man in that position is in a high-profile position, and we know the history of this country and of the league, culturally, has been very bad about this issue oftentimes. So, I realize when I say I like Lamar Jackson lining up at other positions that that is fraught because it touches on those issues.”
This is straight up race-baiting garbage.
Kellerman is one of the most openly progressive leftists on the entire network, so this isn’t exactly shocking.
But there are several statements here that need to be addressed.
Firstly, here is a current list of African American starting quarterbacks in the NFL: Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Deshawn Watson, Patrick Mahomes, Jameis Winston, Dak Prescott, Marcus Mariotta.
There is also a high probability that Tyrod Taylor and Teddy Bridgewater will start over their first round rookie successors.
And Cam Newton won an MVP a couple years ago!
This means there will almost certainly be nine starting African American quarterbacks in the NFL next year, which is only one QB shy of representing one-third of all the positions.
Additionally, Jacoby Brissette and Brett Hundley have a legitimate shot at being shipped to a team if a starter goes down with a season-ending injury.
So what kind of boneheaded point is Kellerman making here?
At one point he also alludes that the quarterback is such a “high-profile” position that many owners want African Americans QB’s to switch to another position because of some all-white stigma the title has carried since football was invented.
There are literally no examples of this in the history of the NFL and even if there was, it certainly isn’t happening right now in the league.
Kellerman also insinuates that Warren Moon told him there is a history of African American quarterbacks being persuaded away from their position.
Again, history begs to differ.Retired quarterbacks like Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham, Doug Williams, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, Steve McNair, Daunte Culpepper, and Kordell Stewart all had good-to-great careers.
Kellerman is either trying to serve his liberal racial oppression narrative as usual, or he clearly doesn’t know anything about the history of African American quarterbacks.