Double Standard at Quarterback

Jason Cole writes of the alleged double standard at the quarterback position. He quotes veteran offensive tackle Wayne Gandy:

"When fans and coaches see a black quarterback, it's automatic that they expect to see a guy who is more athletic," Gandy said. "So what happens when you get around the goal line or you get in those situations where most quarterbacks are taught to throw it away or get rid of the ball for a short gain if the play breaks down? The black quarterback is told, 'Do something, make a big play.'

...

"It's all about the tutelage they get from the time they're in college on. I saw that with Dameyune Craig. He was told, 'If your first read isn't there, take off and run.' Do you think that anyone ever told Peyton Manning or Tom Brady to do that? Again, it's about the tutelage they get."

So Brady and Manning are not told to take off and run because they're white? Um, have you actually seen those two run? Maybe they were never taught to take off because they run like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Michael Vick, on the other hand, runs like Michael Vick so having him take off is not such a bad play. Cole very carefully excludes black quarterbacks like Byron Leftwich when he does his race comparison. After all, Leftwich runs like the proverbial white guy. Similarly, he ignores mobile white quarterbacks like Steve Young and John Elway, guys who may not run like Vick, but then who does?

The best part of the piece, though, is when Cole starts comparing statistics to try to illustrate the point. For example, "Furthermore, mobile quarterbacks such as Vick, Brooks and Culpepper have consistently had worse interception rates than Manning and Brady." Yes, let's compare the interception rates of two future first ballot Hall of Famers, the two best players at the position today and among the best ever, with three guys who are, at best, above average players, and then interpret the results through the lens of race. Could it be that Brady and Manning are just a tad bit better players than Vick, Brooks, and Culpepper? I mean, when would you ever compare Aaron Brooks and Peyton Manning?

Cole also points out that the triumvirate of Vick, Brooks, and Culpepper "have consistently been sacked more than the likes of Manning and Brady." Yes, let's compare the sack rate for the quarterback of the Saints when they were atrocious and the Vikings when they struggled to go 8-8 with a 3-time Super Bowl winner and a quarterback of a team consistently in the hunt for a Super Bowl. Doesn't the fact that the two chosen white guys have played on vastly superior teams then the three chosen black guys have some bearing on how often they get sacked?

Why do we continue to insist on viewing everything through the lens of race? The black quarterbacks Cole lists are guys who can move around and make plays with their feet. There are white quarterbacks who can too, and many have had tremendous success doing it. The white quarterbacks Cole looks at are essentially statues. There are black quarterbacks who are just as lead-footed. Now, are athletic, mobile quarterbacks taught differently than the statuesque ones, like Gandy said? I'm sure they are. In fact, I would hope they are. The two types play the position quite differently and bring different dimensions to the game. But that has to do with their physical abilities, not the color of their skin.