This dates back to a couple of weeks ago. I don't think it was posted here (my apologies if it was). I hesitate to make comments (personally as a Cuban, I wish we wouldn't be stereotyped into becoming baseball players). http://www.blackathlete.net/Blackbox/article_02306.shtml BLACK ATHLETE SPORTS NETWORK published on Sep 3, 2006 PLANET EARTH TO JETS COACH ERIC MANGINI CHAD PENNINGTON IS NOT THE FUTURE OF THE JERSEY JETS IT'S BRAD SMITH FACE OF THE FUTURE Jets Head Coach Eric Mangini put his Foot in his Mouth when he named Pennington to be Starting Quarterback THE QUESTION NOW IS Mangini smart enough to remove his Foot from his Mouth ( probably not ) For those who complain NFL pre-season games are a Waste. Pure nonsense. They are as important to the season as is the regular season in their own way. Without those exhibition games on the most basic level finalizing a squad would be like running a lottery. More to the point coaching staffs find out who in pre-season not among the Chosen Few just might have the Right Stuff. Enter Brad Smith Who was humiliated ( he'll never say that unless he wants to get dumped ) by Mangini and the Jets who harked back to a Stereotype that still plaques African American Quarterbacks. Despite his stellar college career at QB .... ... the New Jersey Jets drafted Smith as a Wide Receiver and that is exactly as he has been used and treated since through training camp and the first 3 pre-seson exhibition games. WELL THANK GOD FOR PRE-SEASON GAMES because in the Jets final pre-season game against Philadelphia Friday night in their FINAL quarter of the pre-season EVERYTHING CHANGED when Mangini finally allowed Smith to do what he has done best since the age of 5 .... Play Quarterback History may little note nor long remember the Jets final pre-season game EXCEPT it may have SAVED the Jets for the next decade What we witnessed was the True Jets Quarterback of the Future not Limited White Boys Chad Pennington, Kellen Clemens or Patrick Ramsey. Brad Smith in one brief Quarter and two possessions but the others to SHAME leading the Jets down the field twice, displaying immense leadership and talent, and scoring, make that RUNNING the Winning Touchdown for this come back Victory which ended the Jets pre-season on a Very High Note. To summarize the Difference between Smith and the Others He is that Dual Threat to throw and run the ball well ( when necessary ) which is the bane of Defenses and the Salvation for teams Blessed with a Quarterback with 1) leadership skills, 2) throwing ability, and 3) who can run well. None of the other Three especially QB Bullshit Artist Chad Pennington can. Let's put it in Full Perspective the Jersey Jets beat Philadelphia BECAUSE Brad Smith QBed the 4th Quarter pure and simple We can easily extrapolate from that here in the Box where we don't suffer from the White Boy Syndrome which infests all sports, that had Smith Quarterbacked the entire game Philadelphia would have ended their exhibition season in complete humiliation rather than 'only' losing to Smith and the Jets 20-17. At the start of the 4th Quarter the Jets were trailing 17-10 and the guys in the broadcast booth ( two white guys of course ) were already talking the Jets obituary for the game until to their and everyone's surprise ..... .......Freshman Coach Mangini arose from his Sideline Stupor to put "wide receiver" (sic) Brad Smith in as Quarterback. Smith promptly and flawlessly engineered 2 drives, In the first taking the team 41 yards in 13 plays resulting in a 30 yard field goal. He was just warming up. On the Jets final possession Smith began on the Eagles 28 and and in 5 plays gave the Jets the lead and the Victory with his fantabulous 9 yard TD run. In creating these two are inspiring scoring drives Smith did something very very important which the others could not in critical 3rd down situations he RAN for the First Down. In fact Smith RAN the ball FOUR times for 31 yards. Averaging 8 yards per carry. Too Bad we don't live in a Fair or Logical World 'cause IF we did Brad Smith would be the Jets Starting Quarterback in the Season Opener Chad Pennington ? he'd be doing Something he is more capable at like selling Life Insurance POSTSCRIPT Brad Smith remains listed as a Wide Receiver on the Jets roster Surprise ( to no one ) Brad IF only you were White Whenever you want to reach us with comments or better yet an idea for a topic for the Box ....... blackbox@blackathlete.net LET BRAD SMITH CALL SIGNALS
Lets talk about reverse Racisim, this is an absolute Joke. Why does there have to be an issue of color in relation to our starting QB. unbelieveable
I'll comment now that I've seen some of your comments. I agree with John127...that site reads like a "black supremacist" website. And I wonder what Brad himself, he being a high-character, high-morals guy (card carrying member of the FCA), would say about this piece. I loved what I saw from him vs. Philly, and he doesn't need this type of PR to succeed.
I'm going to make two points here: 1. Why Brad Smith isn't QBing the Jets 2. The same situation is currently happening to a white player. Let me start off my saying that I would agree that there is a mindset out there that Black Quarterbacks aren't as effective (be it intelligence, proclivity to run etc.) as White Quarterbacks. I DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS MENTALITY, although I will say that I'm sure there are people out there that might think this is true, or maybe think it on a subconscious level. I think it's a valid gripe that black athletes have that they are viewed by some people as unintelligent until proven otherwise. And I'd agree that most of the minority of people out there who have this thought process are white. So I can see where the conversion of a college QB to WR might seem as if the (white) powers that be for teams in the NFL don't think enough of the Black QBs intelligence to think he could QB an NFL team. It might seem suspicious under the right circumstances... But not in this one. Before Brad Smith was a Jet, the Jets had 3 QBs on their roster that could have been able to start on Week 1: More Likely: Chad Pennington, Patrick Ramsey Less Likely: Brooks Bollinger Regardless of Brad Smith's skills as a quarterback, there's a very very slim chance that even if he was on the depth chart at QB that he would make a start this season at QB. Pennington and Ramsey have easily wrestled the #1 and #2 starting positions awar from Bollinger (who's since been traded) and Clemens. If Smith didn't enhance his draft value by converting to WR, there's a ligitimate argument that can be made that he would have been cut prior to the start of this season. Many in the leauge think he'll make a better WR than a QB, and from the looks of things, he's not that bad of a WR after all. The bottom line is, based on experience (AND EXPERIENCE ALONE) Brad Smith would have never seen the playing field if he didn't convert to another position. ----- Now that being said, there's another player in the NFL RIGHT NOW who is experiencing the same type of situation that Brad Smith is. He's another former Big XII QB who's made the transition to WR and is currently having a good ammount of success doing it. He's blazing fast, big, smart and proving he's the go to WR for his team. And he's WHITE. Matt Jones plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars as I'm sure you all know. The scouts said that based on his superior physical ability he would do better converting to a different position. Since he's converted (and since the retirement of Jimmy Smith) he's made a realistic push to be the #1 WR on the team. Not bad for a guy who's never played the position before. The moral of the story? It's not a demotion, or a vote of unintelligence. Based on these players physical ability, they've enhanced their value to NFL teams (and simultaniously increased their general employment opportunity as a result) by switching positions. ----- I agree with those out there that there IS a population out there who think that black quarterbacks "can't get it done" for whatever reason. However, I have faith that the population that thinks this way in the NFL is in the minority at best. Let's not make a mountain out of a molehill and save the race card for times when it's needed the most: when there's a real injustice at hand.
I've always hated that term, reverse racism. Why is racism against blacks any more special or bad than racism against whites, or others? The term is discrimatory within itself. Racism is Racism.
I wish I could start a chant like in Jerry Springer "Racist Garbage da da dadada, Racist Garbage da da dadada" You are a joke and this thread is annoying. I can't wait for Sunday?
OMG --- I could care less if MY QB was blue as long as he can win us a game. I -- I --- I cant beleive im reading this and even responding.
