Quite Possibily the dumbest thing ever printed..

[Porky]

From the N.O. Time-Picayune newpaper

CASTAWAY QBs
Is it more than coincidence that African-Americans Aaron Brooks, Daunte Culpepper, Byron Leftwich and Quinn Gray no longer have NFL jobs? Wednesday, July 23, 2008By Nakia Hogan
Aaron Brooks keeps a low profile these days.

He spends his mornings working out, fine-tuning his physique, perfecting his three- and five-step drops, sharpening his rifle-like right arm.

He's aware it might be all for naught.

Since being released by the Oakland Raiders after the 2006 season, the former Saints quarterback who led the team to its first playoff win has seemingly fallen off the NFL's radar screen.

As NFL teams open training camps this week, Brooks remains near his hometown of Newport News, Va., awaiting a call that might not come.

"I've been working out and waiting in anticipation," said Brooks, who spent last year out of football. "I'm kind of shocked and surprised I'm not on a team. But I've been patient all my life, so I'll just continue to do so."

That Brooks and other prominent black quarterbacks with NFL starting experience -- Daunte Culpepper, Byron Leftwich and Quinn Gray -- remain free agents with the start of the season about a month and a half away is perplexing to some observers.

In a league that puts a premium on quarterback play, several NFL teams appear resigned to head into the season with major question marks at the starting quarterback position or with little stability at the backup spot.

Meanwhile, Culpepper, Leftwich, Gray and Brooks wait as journeyman quarterbacks bounce from team to team, leaving some to wonder if it has become a race issue or if some quarterbacks may have been blackballed.

"Blackballed might be too strong a word," said ESPN analyst Shaun King, a former Tulane and NFL quarterback. "But if you really are objective, the facts point to it must be something. It's outside of normal when you look at the way that some of the quarterbacks are recycled. If you look at the rosters right now -- and I don't want to call specific guys' names, but if you look at the rosters in the National Football League and then you ask yourself based on accomplishment alone -- how is an Aaron Brooks or a Daunte Culpepper or a Byron Leftwich or a Shaun King, for that matter, not somewhere?"

This tripe goes on and on

If anyone has ever written anything dumber than that in a major newspaper, I would like to see it.

[Texan_Bill]

Originally Posted by Porky

If anyone has ever written anything dumber than that in a major newspaper, I would like to see it.

Well there was that 1924 NY Times article claiming that Hitler was tamed by prison....

*************************

I thought Aaron Brooks was a Rocket

Seriously though, could it be this:

Aaron Brooks - was never really that good. Had one or two decent seasons but the sun shines on a dogs a$$ some days. He sucked as a Raider
Daunte Culpepper - was very good, but was never right after his injury
Byron Leftwich - the guy was a decent passer but Drew Bledsoe thought that Sandwich was a statue
Quinn Gray - Jury is out, but I would be willing to bet he signs with someone before the season starts.

[Hardcore Texan]

It's all about production on the field and to a degree your character and behaivor off of the field. Plain and simple. If you can get the job done, you would have a job.

I am not impressed with any of those QB's performance in the least. I did think Gray looked pretty darn good last year and was excited we picked him up. But from what I heard and read after his subsequent release, he missed practice and did not have a good work ethic. Don't see how that is anybody else's fault other than him. Hard work beats talent, right?

I would really love to hear what guys like Lovie Smith, Tony Dungy, Mike Tomlin have to say about this. Is Lovie a racist? I mean he's got a QB contreversy from hell in Chicago and yet none of these guys are going into TC with the Bears. Of course not, Lovie wants to win and it's his call who gives him the best chance. The last time I saw any of these guys play, they looked crappy with the exception of Gray which I already covered above.

[Hardcore Texan]

Oh, and you got to love that Shaun King referred to himself in the article.

Some of my following favorite sayings come to mind, Hey Shaun:

My give-a-damn is busted.
Punch a hole in my give-a-sh*! card.
It's like a bridge, you'll get over it.
Life's tough, wear a cup.

[Showtime100]

Originally Posted by Porky

If anyone has ever written anything dumber than that in a major newspaper, I would like to see it.

After reading the article and what you said I couldn't help but get a tickle out of seeing this...........



I guess there's not a whole lot to this writer...lol.

[hobie]

There might be a small part of that that is true, I mean DC is in NY....

[rmartin65]

That is dumb. Racism is not prevelant in Pro Sports. How many white runningbacks are there?

[Tailgate]

Remember when the Astros were a racist organization with a white manager and all white players? You know, the team that went to the World Series...

[Double Barrel]

Originally Posted by hobie

There might be a small part of that that is true, I mean DC is in NY....

My first thought, as well. I mean, if DC can land a job, surely Quinn Gray should land somewhere.

Aaron Brooks never impressed me. He seemed way to inconsistent, and when he was on top of his game, he still seemed like a mediocre QB, IMO.

Daunte Culpepper's injuries speak for themselves. He's never really been the same.

Byron Leftwich is someone we know well, and it was a sad day when the Jaguars benched him...mainly because I always looked forward to playing him because we had a good chance of winning! That says volumes right there.

So Gray is the only one that seems to show potential, and I think he will land somewhere before the season starts. This writer should think more before playing the race card.

[Porky]

Ya, the author is right. Every white QB has a job going into the season, even Todd Marinavich and Ryan Leaf.

[Hervoyel]

Originally Posted by hobie

There might be a small part of that that is true, I mean DC is in NY....

That's a hell of a point right there. Ocho Stinko is getting paid but Gary Coleman can't get a job?

Seriously though I think Chris Palmer is why Stinko has a job. Connections are everything in this world at times.

My thoughts come down to this one question. How many guys were in some capacity on NFL rosters last year as QB's?

Every season some guys go sit down because they couldn't make it or didn't take advantage of their chance, or hell maybe they just weren't put in a position to succeed. For whatever reason guys flush out of the league every year. Looking at all those guys who don't have jobs because they didn't make it in the NFL I fail to see anything significant about these 3-4 guys being out of work. I don't see how anyone not pushing some sort of agenda could assert that these four guys are unemployed due to racism.

Byron is, despite his name and fame not a particularly good QB. I'm sorry, he just isn't and it's not a secret. Are there not very good QB's with jobs? Sure but most of them haven't played a ton. People have SEEN Byron stink it up. He's what they call a known quantity and his "upside" is well defined. The "not very good" QB's with jobs don't have them because they are white. They have them because they are still to some extent a mystery. Byron isn't going to turn into Randall Cunningham out of the blue for no reason.

The same thing could be said about Aaron Brooks. The guy just isn't very good. He had a couple of really good years and then dropped off considerably. This happens all the time to white and black players. They catch a few breaks, they excel in a certain system or set of circumstances, and then reality sets in. people see film on them, figure out that they're not all that good, and they become very mortal, very fast.

Culpepper is broken and everyone knows that. Adding him to this mix was just to pad the numbers and make it look like a real conspiracy. Gray will be employed shortly and everyone knows that. He's also in here just to pad the numbers and try to make this look like a big injustice has been done to black QB's.

I have no respect for the author. He's part of the problem in this country IMO.

[HoustonFrog]

Originally Posted by Porky

From the N.O. Time-Picayune newpaper



"Blackballed might be too strong a word," said ESPN analyst Shaun King, a former Tulane and NFL quarterback. "But if you really are objective, the facts point to it must be something. It's outside of normal when you look at the way that some of the quarterbacks are recycled. If you look at the rosters right now -- and I don't want to call specific guys' names, but if you look at the rosters in the National Football League and then you ask yourself based on accomplishment alone -- how is an Aaron Brooks or a Daunte Culpepper or a Byron Leftwich or a Shaun King, for that matter, not somewhere?"

This tripe goes on and on

If anyone has ever written anything dumber than that in a major newspaper, I would like to see it.

Yes, the facts point to the fact that all of these guys suck really badly.

[Blazing Arrow]

Anyone remember when Brookes threw the ball backwards 25 yards because he got turned around when he was on the Aints?

Yeah he deserves to play again.

[TexanSam]

I am surprised neither Daunte Culpepper or Byron Leftwich are in camp somewhere to win a backup spot. Maybe they're waiting somewhere to be a starter, or maybe all 32 teams just don't think either of them will amount to anything. Who knows

[Honoring Earl 34]

Originally Posted by TexanSam

I am surprised neither Daunte Culpepper or Byron Leftwich are in camp somewhere to win a backup spot. Maybe they're waiting somewhere to be a starter, or maybe all 32 teams just don't think either of them will amount to anything. Who knows

I think you might have something with the starter thing . They may have offers but at a much lower price with more incentives . They want to be paid at a proven starters rate .

[Ole Miss Texan]

It's gotta be racist too then that the Raiders picked Russell #1 and let Quinn fall all the way to the 20's.

I get very annoyed when the race card is played, as it is played way too often and in ridiculous circumstances. IF race is being a factor when it comes to fielding professional sports teams... let them only choose those players based on race. Why? because it's only a matter of time until that team sucks, and the other players (sometimes better) can be snatched up by the competitive teams that actually care about winning and bringing home a championship to their fans and city.

[hollywood_texan]

Originally Posted by hobie

There might be a small part of that that is true, I mean DC is in NY....

Interesting point, but DC seems to be content as a backup making a low amount of money.

Now, if Brooks, Culpepper, Gray, and Leftwich are looking for similar backup jobs like DC, then maybe there is a point.

However, I believe all of these guys want a legit shot at being a starter, which also means they are probably demanding more money.

I think we need to know more of their discussions with interested teams before we jump to any conclusions.

[b0ng]

I'm actually surprised that this article was not written by Jason Whitlock.

[TexanSam]

Originally Posted by b0ng

I'm actually surprised that this article was not written by Jason Whitlock.

That was my first reaction...it is good to bring race out into the open, IMO, especially when it involves something as popular as sports, but Whitlock just seems to go overboard with it.

[Hooston Texan]

I've seen the race card played so many times that now, when I hear the word "racism", I can't help but think "wolf".

That said, I admit to some conflicting feelings about my fellow UVA-alum Brooks. Easily the most exacerbating player I ever rooted for: gobs of talent but maddeningly inconsistent. The guy always had all the physical tools, but he had a strange way of developing mind-block. A few instances stand out--against FSU his junior year, he forgot he was taking snap from his own one and lazily traipsed out of the endzone for a safety on a designed roll-out; against Auburn his senior year, he had taken UVA deep into Auburn territory at the end of the first half but forgot to call a timeout to get the FG team out there. But on the days he put things together, he was frightening to watch.

He had some excellent years for the Saints, but he was highly critical of the team and the league for turning them into vagabonds after Katrina. Many feel that his inability to get a job now stems from his refusal to play happy while the NFL was patting itself on the back for forcing the Saints to play a season of road games rather than settling in San Antonio for the year.

Of course, there was also the Oakland disaster of 2006. Just a terrible situation, playing for Art Shell and a OC who had been running a bed and breakfast. Brooks was the wrong QB at the wrong time, and his fecklessness that season really damaged his prospects.

Still, as UVA's fortunes have declined while that work-release program in Bleaksburg has ascended, Brooks remains an important figure for us Hoos. The guy is the perfect illustration of the difference between the two programs. He and Michael Vick lived essentially the same lives growing up: they were cousins, grew up in the same neighborhood around the same kids/guys, played for the same high school coach and played the same position with similar styles. The only difference in their lives before the NFL was their choice of college, but Brooks went on to be an NFL Man of the Year finalist (his off-field character was never an issue) while Vick . . . well, you know. Not that stuff like that matters here, but I feel I need to explain my conflicting feelings on Brooks.