N.F.L. Protects the Pocket as Black Quarterbacks Transcend It
By WILLIAM C. RHODEN, NYT
A reporter called recently and said he wanted to talk about a golden era of the black quarterback. A record nine African-Americans started at quarterback in Week 1 of the N.F.L. season, signaling to some that this was the beginning of a dynamic new day in the N.F.L.
But calling attention to “golden eras” for blacks in sports has had mixed results. There once was a golden era of black jockeys, which ended at the turn of the 20th century when they were squeezed out of racing. The golden era of blacks in organized baseball ended in the late 19th century, with blacks banished until 1947. And a similar gentlemen’s agreement froze blacks out of professional football from the early 1930s until 1946.
Indeed, shortly after Jason McIntyre’s article appeared on the Web site thebiglead.com, the ranks of black starting quarterbacks in the N.F.L. shrank by one. On Wednesday, Tampa Bay Coach Greg Schiano announced that Josh Freeman, the Buccaneers’ first-round pick in 2009 and their starter since that season, would be replaced on Sunday by the rookie Mike Glennon, a 6-foot-7, 225-pound pocket passer.
The former N.F.L. coach Tony Dungy said the move would have created an outcry a decade ago.
(More here.)
A reporter called recently and said he wanted to talk about a golden era of the black quarterback. A record nine African-Americans started at quarterback in Week 1 of the N.F.L. season, signaling to some that this was the beginning of a dynamic new day in the N.F.L.
But calling attention to “golden eras” for blacks in sports has had mixed results. There once was a golden era of black jockeys, which ended at the turn of the 20th century when they were squeezed out of racing. The golden era of blacks in organized baseball ended in the late 19th century, with blacks banished until 1947. And a similar gentlemen’s agreement froze blacks out of professional football from the early 1930s until 1946.
Indeed, shortly after Jason McIntyre’s article appeared on the Web site thebiglead.com, the ranks of black starting quarterbacks in the N.F.L. shrank by one. On Wednesday, Tampa Bay Coach Greg Schiano announced that Josh Freeman, the Buccaneers’ first-round pick in 2009 and their starter since that season, would be replaced on Sunday by the rookie Mike Glennon, a 6-foot-7, 225-pound pocket passer.
The former N.F.L. coach Tony Dungy said the move would have created an outcry a decade ago.
(More here.)
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