Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb told HBO yesterday that black QBs are subjected to harsher criticisms than whites. The causes of the uneven treatment, according to McNabb, are the low ratio of blacks to whites taking the snap, and that "people didn't want us to play" in the position. Five of the NFL's 32 starting quarterbacks are African American.
When asked by interviewer James Brown whether all quarterbacks are expected to face scrutiny and take the blame for their teams' performances, McNabb replied, "Not everybody." McNabb's personal response to criticism, he says, is to stay classy and dignified, even though he feels he's getting more of it than white quarterbacks Peyton Manning or Carson Palmer. (More Donovan McNabb stories.)