Race Matters…. Because Cam Newton says it Doesn’t

Since it doesn’t matter…

A racist takes the worst qualities — real or imagined — of a given member of a racial/gender/cultural group and projects those characteristics onto members of that group he’s never met, and maybe never will…because he’s predisposed to believe the worst about them. That’s how prejudice works, and Cam Newton’s saying it’s okay. And if you think like Newton thinks then you should be fine with me slandering Andrew Luck. I’ve never met the man but I think he’s pampered a poor natural athlete and an even poorer leader. Don’t talk to me about stats and mechanics; he has a shoddy work ethic because he grew up with money, and therefore has little upside as a pro. In fact, he only stayed at Stanford because, like the marshmallow-soft rich kid he is, he was scared to tackle the challenge the NFL presented. And if you sense any racist, classist overtones in my rant don’t blame me; blame Ryan Leaf and, to some degree, Matt Leinart for destroying my ability to judge white quarterbacks as individuals. Those two fell short of their promise, so every white quarterback to graduate from college to the NFL bears their stain.   

See how ridiculous the idea sounds when you make the characters white?

About as ridiculous as letting real racism slide because you don’t want to be “that guy” and as ridiculous as dragging Robert Griffin III into the debate when he’s done nothing to deserve a spot in this discussion — besides being black, of course. If you think it’s fair to wonder whether Griffin will blossom into the next Cam Newton instead of crashing and burning into the next JaMarcus Russell, ask yourself if you’ve ever wondered something similar about Andrew Luck. Does he labor under the burden of trying to become the next Peyton Manning? Does he worry about not becoming the next Ryan Leaf? Or is he free to become the first Andrew Luck?  Exactly>

But Griffin doesn’t enjoy that same freedom, and neither did Newton last year. Can’t-miss pro prospects like them will have to endure tiresome comparisons to flameouts like Russell because when evaluating NFL quarterback prospects race still matters.

No matter what Cam Newton says

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This Article Appeared in The Black Truth News Volume 3 Issue 2 February 2012

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