I don’t agree with Rashard Mendenhall, fully. In my humble opinion, individuals of all races and ethnicities discuss fully too spicy about skilled athletes. No skilled is above criticism simply because the critic isn’t one. Nonetheless, no matter whether or not somebody can dunk at an open fitness center or begins to pant whereas strolling three blocks from a parking spot, that individual ought to talk about professional athletes with out venomous language.
As for the remainder of Mendenhall’s put up on Xwitter, there are many excellent white athletes on the planet. The NFL is loaded with white move rushers and the 2 finest offensive gamers within the NBA had been born and raised in japanese Europe. White individuals can ball too.
An all-white crew of NFL gamers would wrestle in opposition to an all-Black squad solely as a result of there are far fewer white gamers within the league. Some individuals would use that reality to make the argument that Black persons are higher athletes than white individuals. My counter to that’s society expects Black individuals to be the perfect on gridiron and hardwood, so gifted white athletes is perhaps dissuaded from pursuing soccer and basketball at an early age.
Even those that do make it to varsity and presumably the professionals, coaches and participant personnel have an already fashioned thought on what white athletes do finest. A Black vs. white NFL matchup would possibly reveal that some gamers have been pigeonholed into sure roles. I discover it arduous to consider that just one white individual on earth is a succesful NFL cornerback.
There have been actually no white cornerbacks on NFL rosters from 2003-2021. Troy Apeke performed 5 seasons for the Washington franchise. His fourth was 2021, after they lastly listed him as a cornerback. He’s not within the NFL.
Within the third spherical of the 2023 draft the Denver Broncos chosen cornerback Riley Moss out of Iowa. He’s 6-foot-1, with a 39-inch vertical bounce and ran a 4.45 40-yard-dash. Moss missed most of coaching camp after present process core muscle surgical procedure in early August. He didn’t take the sector till Week 3 and is generally enjoying particular groups.
Harrison Smith is essentially the most achieved white defensive again within the NFL. He was named first-team All Professional at free security in 2017. Whereas in highschool, he was the 2006 Gatorade Participant of the Yr in Tennessee as defensive again and operating again. Nonetheless, when he obtained to Notre Dame, he first noticed the sector as a linebacker.
In Mendenhall’s proposed sport, the all-white crew goes to have provide you with three cornerbacks. Perhaps individuals would discover out that the Eagles’ defensive backfield issues may very well be solved if Reed Blakenship was given the chance to play nook. Throughout his highschool years in Alabama, he was a two-time all-state soccer participant who amassed 1,000-plus profession yards speeding, receiving and passing.
I don’t know with any certainty if the white safeties of the NFL, alongside Moss, might grasp with the extensive receivers on the all-Black crew. The principle motive for that’s coaches by no means gave these gamers an opportunity.
Hopefully I’ll get to see Moss sq. up in opposition to Justin Jefferson sooner or later of their careers. However till that day comes, all I can do is ponder the sport that Mendenhall proposed. A sport that can by no means occur as a result of no Professional Bowl-level NFL participant is taking a sort out soccer sport severely that’s not a playoff or regular-season contest. Additionally, placing individuals within the stands for a Black vs. white soccer sport is a recipe for catastrophe. Rigidity between the races in America is a bit thick today. One wisecrack about Tyler Perry, no matter which facet mentioned it, and the Malice on the Palace would arrive at that stadium.
For many who need to see a crew of Black NFL gamers tackle a white one, that they had higher purchase Madden and make up the rosters themselves. We’ll by no means see that sport, together with that all-white defensive backfield. For all we all know, that group of safeties, and Moss, would possibly give a lock-down effort. If that occurred, white individuals would then study a typical Black saying: Or not it’s your individual individuals generally.
