Dear Ryan Fitzpatrick: Go tell Donovan McNabb or Vince Young about your problems

[JetBlue]

I thought this was an excellent article; others may disagree. 

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/dear-fitz-mcnabb-vince-young-problems-article-1.2847489

 

Donovan McNabb.

Vince Young.

JaMarcus Russell.

As Ryan Fitzpatrick expressed his discontent with Jets leadership on Sunday, those were some of the first names of prematurely-ended careers that popped in my mind.

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Privileged.

Entitled.

Audacity.

As Fitz clarified his “very difficult situation” Wednesday, those were some of the other words that came up.

Time running short for Jets' Fitzpatrick, but backlash is silly

Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick whines about nobody believing in him despite six teams signing him.

 (MICHAEL REAVES/GETTY IMAGES)

Others can debate just how selfish Fitz was to make these remarks amidst a quarterback controversy at a time before we knew about Geno Smith’s season-ending injury. And how do you think Geno would have been treated by the fans and media had he said the same?

Fitz’s words were so damn troubling because they were so dead wrong.

Few NFL quarterbacks have ever received MORE belief from NFL coaches, MORE support, MORE privilege and MORE benefit of the doubt than Ryan Fitzpatrick. And we’re not even talking about all that dough ($59M for six years, $24M guaranteed) the Bills handed him in the middle of the 2011 season. Fitz went on to lose eight of his next ten games that season, throwing 17 picks to just 12 TDs and a 60% completion percentage. That’s a pace of 32 INTs over a 16-game season. Fitz was out of Buffalo after the 2012 season.

And yet, Fitz is completely blind to it.

Todd Bowles is OK with Ryan Fitzpatrick’s ire, on one condition

Does Fitz even know his terrible start to this season was far worse than the one that ended the career of future Hall of Famer Donovan McNabb?

“That’s difficult even for a guy that has been on six different teams and done it in every which way,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’m human. I have emotion ... That was a very difficult situation for me, because I’m a human being ... I’m not a robot ... There is a human element to it.”

Did you catch the privileged part?

Six. Different. Teams.

Ryan Fitzpatrick ‘disappointed’ in Jets’ decision to start Geno

Before the Jets, Fitz played 10 years and never had a single winning season while going 33–55 as a starting quarterback. And yet, the Jets were the SIXTH team to give him another starting chance.

Fitz finally made good by leading the Jets, but was denied a playoff spot due to silly division rules that rewards inferior teams.

But every time Fitz failed, another team was there willing to give him another chance.

And you know what they always say: “sixth time’s a charm”.

Ryan Fitzpatrick acts selfish as Jets try to revive season

NO!

No Black quarterback will ever say this. Hell, most white ones, too.

The real problem is “three times a charm” is a foreign language to a Black quarterback.

Go ahead, comb through the stats of starting Black quarterbacks and see how many survived three straight losing seasons or even two?

Ryan Fitzpatrick comes off bench to help Jets beat Ravens, 24-16

Now the former 7th-round draft pick out of Harvard will get a 7th chance to be a starter after being benched last week.

Let’s be statistically clear: if Fitz were a black quarterback his career would’ve ended MANY years ago.

The only debate is which year.

Yet, Fitz has the audacity to confuse the words privilege with adversity.

Ryan Fitzpatrick ‘disappointed’ in Jets’ decision to start Geno

Fitz, tell your “difficult situation” to McNabb, Vince Young and Jamarcus Russell.

Donovan McNabb

 (JIM MONE/AP)

GO TELL DONOVAN MCNABB

Fitz was upset he had been benched despite a 1-5 start in 2016 and a 66.4 Passer Rating that is currently dead last in an NFL filled with Blaines, Blakes and Brocks.

After Donovan McNabb’s 1-5 start in 2011 with the Minnesota Vikings and a far more respectable 82.9 passer rating, his career came to an abrupt end.

McNabb’s Vikings were only a couple plays away from a 3-3 or 4-2 record as two games were lost at game’s end (one in OT) due to collapses by the Vikings’ 31st-ranked defense.

Jets fans should panic as Fitzpatrick will miss Decker dearly

Once the Vikings record dropped to 1-5, Minnesota turned to rookie Christian Ponder.

The switch to Ponder was made for similar reasons as the Jets switched from Fitz for Geno. For a non-playoff bound team, it makes long-term sense to assess and develop younger players than play a veteran quarterback.

Although Ponder was pretty awful (1-7 in eight full games; 70.1 rating;), the switch was defensible.

What happened next was unforgivable.

After the Bears’ Jay Cutler went down with a season-ending injury, McNabb, a Chicago native, requested his release from the Vikings with hopes to sign on with Chicago or another team in the playoff mix.

There would be no homecoming.

Instead of signing McNabb, the 7-3 Bears went with undrafted Caleb Hanie because Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz favored QBs who knew his “system.” A disappointed McNabb later reflected:

“I thought the Bears would call. So many people continuously talked about the Mike Martz offense… If you want to win and win now, you go out and get a better quarterback and you cater your offense to his strengths, and obviously the strengths of your team.”

Instead, Caleb led the Bears to four straight losses with a 41.8% passer rating (note to editor: not a misprint). At season’s end, Martz would “resign” due to “philosophical differences” with head coach Lovie Smith.

Despite five NFC Championship Games, 6 Pro Bowl selections and a Hall-of-Fame pedigree, no other team would sign McNabb in 2011.

McNabb then worked out near his offseason home in Phoenix with other NFL players like Larry Fitzgerald, hoping to latch on with the Arizona Cardinals. Instead of the dynamic pairing with Larry, the Cardinals opted to ride the four-headed disaster of John Skelton, Kevin Kolb, Ryan Lindley and Brian Hoyer to a 5-11 record.

No other team would call McNabb in 2012.

McNabb’s 2011 passer rating was superior than the majority of NFL starting QB’s including Joe Flacco, Carson Palmer, and yes, Fitzpatrick. By 2012, both men completed 3-season stretches where Palmer went 12-27 and Fitz went 16-29. Palmer and Fitz were awarded new teams and new lives in 2013.

In truth, the career of Donovan McNabb effectively ended on October 31, 2010.

That day, the team in Washington was 4-3 and head coach Mike Shanahan famously benched McNabb with two minutes left in a winnable game in favor of Rex Grossman who fumbled the game away on the first play.

Dear Fitz, this is the kind of support Donovan McNabb received.

Afterward, the always calm ex-coach Tony Dungy reacted: “If I’m Donovan McNabb, I’m hot. I’m your starting quarterback. As a coach, I can’t take you out of a game we have a chance to win if I believe in you.”

In the media, Shanahan would publicly humiliate McNabb three times over by saying Rex “gave us the best chance to win” (ouch!) before questioning McNabb’s mental and physical capacity to run the two-minute drill. Many journalists called out Shanahan’s racially-charged missives, and McNabb reflected back in 2011:

“When you start to challenge my intelligence, you’re gonna challenge my manhood, everything that I’ve been able to accomplish throughout the years, that’s disrespectful,” he said.

After McNabb, Shanahan would go 19-32, get fired in 2013 and can now be found on the campaign trail this month stumping for Donald Trump.

In “Why Rex Grossman and Caleb Hanie Are More Employable than McNabb”, I provided a deeper dive into the football-tragic ending of Donovan’s career and conclude that “Shanahan did far more than challenge (McNabb’s) intelligence — he challenged his long-term future employment prospects. Shanahan’s ‘reference’ wasn’t just an individual attack – it was institutional.”

Vince Young

 (DAVID J. PHILLIP/AP)

GO TELL VINCE YOUNG

Fitzpatrick’s comments are strikingly similar to Young’s comments about his then-Titans coach Jeff Fisher. After his release from the Titans, Young reflected:

"I didn't feel like (Fisher) trusted me. In the five years I was there, I was always looking over my shoulder. ... I didn't feel like I was his guy all the way.”

Shanahan never wanted McNabb, and Fisher never wanted to draft Young. He wanted Matt Leinart instead (yeah, I know). Both McNabb and Young were acquired at the urging of their team owners.

Jeff Fisher sabotaged Young’s career by constantly yanking him out of games in favor of Kerry Collins at the slightest mistake. Just how bad was Fisher?

In 2009, a 37-year old Collins began the season “0-6” which culminated in a 59-0 loss to the Patriots with Collins throwing for -7 yards (note to editor: not a misprint). At this point Titans Owner Bud Adams stepped in and forced Fisher to start Young. Fisher’s stubborn public response?

“I'm still in (Kerry’s) corner, but we've decided to go ahead and make this change,” said Fisher.

Dear Fitz, this is the kind of support Vince Young received.

Collins would receive nine lives despite going 10–21 from 1997-1999 and 11-33 from 2003-2006. Collins also survived public bouts with alcoholism, racial altercations and fist-fights with teammates.

Young, a college champion, would continue that special leadership quality of winning close games, go to the Pro Bowl twice, and post a stellar 30-17 won-loss record.

Vince was a winner.

And then there is this: Vince Young’s stats in his four seasons Fisher permitted him to get more than a few snaps:

Vince Young Passer Rating

2006: 66.7

2007: 71.1

2009: 82.8

2010: 98.6

Notice any trends?

Do you think an NFL coach might want to nurture such a quarterback’s growth process a little longer?

Never happened.

Fisher’s final career blow was removing Young mid-game in 2010 for some rookie named Rusty Smith.

In absolute disgust, Young confronted Fisher, walked out of the locker room and that incident sealed his fate.

Effectively, Vince Young’s career really ended that day.

Dear Fitz, Black quarterbacks don’t get to have “human” reactions – even justifiable ones - and not face serious repercussions.

Why?

Because Black quarterbacks can’t never win a public battle against a veteran white coach.

Sports media, a white-dominated institution absolutely obsessed with condemning Black misbehavior, would naturally focus on Young as a “head case” and never inquire about the source of his headaches.

Fisher committed one of the worst cases of internal star sabotage in NFL history.

To recap 2011, Vince Young at 28, and Donovan McNabb at 34 would play their final games, and 39-year-old Kerry Collins capped off a 17-year career (73.8 rating) with three more starts (0-3).

Fisher, the NFL poster child for coach affirmative-action, is now embarking on his sixth consecutive losing season in an NFL world where Black coaches rarely ever survive two (even Lovie Smith). But that’s another article.

McNabb and Young are simply the most of egregious unforgiveable examples in a system of white quarterback privilege.

JaMarcus Russell

 (JED JACOBSOHN/GETTY IMAGES)

GO TELL JAMARCUS RUSSELL

At the start of his career. Fitz, a 7th-round pick, was granted more patience than a No. 1 overall pick. The first three seasons for Fitz and Russell reveal great similarity:

Ryan Fitzpatrick: 8-14-1 record with 67.7 rating

Jamarcus Russell: 7-18-1 record with 65.2 rating

Jamarcus was gone from the NFL after his third season despite the potential and promise of a No. 1 overall pick in a league that gave Ryan Leaf two extra shots to make good.

Russell was a QB pup at 24 when it was all over. He is three years younger than Fitz and wanted another NFL shot so bad, he said he would play for free.

Critics will say Russell is “fat,” Young is “a head case” or McNabb is “washed up.”

For Black QB's, there is always a reason, always a label, always a stereotype.

Every black quarterback is one or two bad seasons away from the unemployment line.

To solely blame Fisher and Shanahan alone for sabotaging the careers of McNabb and Young is not accurate.

It is the blind faith by others in the opinions of Mike Shanahan and Jeff Fisher that sabotaged their career.

Faith by an good ol’ boy NFL coaches network. And faith by a largely complicit sports media that values “respected” white coaches over player performance.

White quarterback privilege is the rule.

Dear Fitz:

GO TELL GENO SMITH AND LESSER SKILLED BLACK QB'S

A nine-year study shows that African-American quarterbacks are at least twice as likely to be benched after a sub-par performance, as white quarterbacks. The study also shows teams improve more when they bench white QBs than Black QBs.

Translation: White privilege costs wins.

In 2010 and 2011, McNabb’s Washington and Viking replacements went 8-21. While in Tennessee, Vince Young went 30-17 to Kerry Collins’ 15-17 with the same exact team. The Titans have been perennial losers since Vince.

If a future Hall of Famer like McNabb, a proven winner like Young, or No. 1 pick like Russell can’t get a second good look, how on earth is an unfairly maligned 2nd-round pick like Geno Smith going to develop?

And just in case you weren’t “Keeping up with The Smiths”;

Career Starts:

Geno Smith: 11–18 record with 71.5 rating (2 seasons)

Alex Smith: 11-19 record with 63.5 rating (3 seasons)

Yes, Geno outperformed the early careers of Alex Smith AND Fitzpatrick, while rushing for 604 yards and seven TDs. Yet even prior to his injury, Geno obituaries replaced this sensible question:

“How might Geno grow in that third pivotal season for QB’s while having a No. 1 receiver like Brandon Marshall for the very first time?"

Shouldn’t we want to answer this question before dismissing Geno quicker than the Texans threw $72 million at Brock Osweiler?

Like Geno, Brock’s career is also based on a powerful narrative: white potential.

Ryan Fitzpatrick never wins more games than he loses during his previous five NFL gigs.

 (FREDERICK BREEDON/GETTY IMAGES)

DEAR FITZ

Which brings us back to the incredible whiteness of Fitz’s pre-Jets career and “six teams”:

0-3: Rams 2005

4-7-1: Bengals 2008

4-4: Bills 2009

4-9: Bills 2010

6-10: Bills 2011

6-10: Bills 2012

3-6: Titans 2013

6-6; Texans 2014

10-6: Jets 2015

No Black QB can ever pull this string of failure off. Or even half of it.

Or even just that Buffalo stretch. Tyrod Taylor just ain’t getting that line of credit.

Dear Fitz, despite your Harvard education, here is what you have been missing:

Every time a front office or coach stopped believing in you, another organization stepped up and did.

That’s your greatest NFL privilege - a distinctly white quarterback privilege.

Ryan Fitzpatrick should take the time to think about his comments and how wrong he is.

 (CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)

Your privilege not to be stigmatized league-wide; not to be humiliated mid-game or post-game; or have your career end in 2011; or even 2009.

Your privilege is receiving great patience from coaches Geno’s career would never see - even before Sunday’s injury.

Your privilege, despite a league worst passer rating, is to have a divisive public outburst as you did Sunday, and not be labeled a selfish malcontent – a staple for Black athletes.

Your privilege is having a “human” reaction, and not being punished for it.

Your privilege is making $12 million more dollars in 2016 than a younger Vince Young will ever see. Perhaps you should write him a check.

Your privilege is being treated with more dignity and respect than an all-time great like McNabb.

Your privilege is merely existing in the NFL unlike many never-developed black quarterbacks plying their trade in Canada or Arena football.

Your season last year was remarkable.

But don’t call it a comeback - it was a privilege.

It’s time that you check it.

[David Harris]

I'm Not defending Fitz- whose comments were ludicrous and changed my perception of him.

Mcnabb I can see- absolutely was solid and better than a lot of guys out there.

Vince Young was a dummy, not a black dummy, just a dummy.

Jamarcus Russell was the laziest purple dranking bumm of all time. 

-----

in summation, Fitz became a tool and Mcnabb on his worst day was better than Fitz 99% of the time.

[Beerfish]

So lets take another situation that is totally not about race and make it about race, this has only been done.... a thousand time before.

[Bleedin Green]

[nyjunc]

is there a worse "news" organization than the race baiting NY daily News?  they have no shame.

[nyjunc]

Quote

In 2010 and 2011, McNabb’s Washington and Viking replacements went 8-21. While in Tennessee, Vince Young went 30-17 to Kerry Collins’ 15-17 with the same exact team. The Titans have been perennial losers since Vince.

If a future Hall of Famer like McNabb, a proven winner like Young, or No. 1 pick like Russell can’t get a second good look, how on earth is an unfairly maligned 2nd-round pick like Geno Smith going to develop?

a proven winner like Vince Young

 

The "proven winner" led his teams to ONE playoff app, in that playoff game against legendary choker Philip Rivers and the Chargers Vince lwed his O to SIX points in a 1706 loss.  Kerry was 15-17 overall but one season he was 12-3 w/ ten which was head and shoulders better than any season Vince led Ten to and Kerry did lead a team to a SUPER BOWL(even though he stunk in that game against maybe the greatest D of all time).

 

the Daily News is a total joke w/ all this nonsense.

[Matt39]

A 7th round QB from the Ivy League carving out this long of a career is basically the opposite of privilege. 

[RutgersJetFan]

Yes. Definitely an excellent article. When a writer uses the caps lock and excessive gobs of periods, that's always the hallmark of excellent writing.

[chirorob]

20 minutes ago, David Harris said:

I'm Not defending Fitz- whose comments were ludicrous and changed my perception of him.

Mcnabb I can see- absolutely was solid and better than a lot of guys out there.

Vince Young was a dummy, not a black dummy, just a dummy.

Jamarcus Russell was the laziest purple dranking bumm of all time. 

-----

in summation, Fitz became a tool and Mcnabb on his worst day was better than Fitz 99% of the time.

Mcnabb was odd how he was out of football.

I totally agree, the other 2 were dogsh**.

[rex-n-effect]

I agree generally that black QBs have been treated less favorably in the league than white QBs and Fitz's comments were over the line and demonstrated how clueless he is about his shortcomings as a QB. 

However, this article is the most trolly way to say those things. Fitz was a seventh round pick from an Ivy League school. There were no expectations of him, unlike the first and second round picks named in the article. Fitz's career has mostly been being decent at the right place at the right time that he keeps buying opportunities, like Sanchez coasting on his 2009 and 2010 years from one team to the next. Much in the same way teams hope to capture that 2010 Sanchez or 2015 Fitz instead of a 2011 Sanchez or 2016 Fitz. These same things cannot be said of the QBs named in the article.

Russell was terribly uneven, had/has a drinking/drug problem and was known to have a poor work ethic.

McNabb was once a great player who, IMO, was treated unfavorably due to race in PHI but by the time he got to MIN was unmotivated and underperformed. 

Young was also uneven and did not seem like a fit for the NFL more than Tebow.

In each case it is hardly surprising that teams moved on from each of these players just like it is unsurprising that teams moved on from Tebow, who was the great white hype. 

[dbatesman]

when I think about how good this thread is going to be

[jmat321]

That has to be the most race baiting POS article i've ever read

[Beerfish]

18 minutes ago, RutgersJetFan said:

Yes. Definitely an excellent article. When a writer uses the caps lock and excessive gobs of periods, that's always the hallmark of excellent writing.

MUST BE a poster from ...... this site.

[T0mShane]

This article reminds me that the only reason Tiger Woods was good at golf was because his mother was Asian. 

[JoJoTownsell1]

7 minutes ago, rex-n-effect said:

I agree generally that black QBs have been treated less favorably in the league than white QBs and Fitz's comments were over the line and demonstrated how clueless he is about his shortcomings as a QB. 

The author is turning this into a race issue when it has nothing to do with race. Some guys get more chances than others because they have certain skills that make them appealing to most coordinators. Specifically, the ability to stay in the pocket and read defenses. 

For every Ryan Fitzpatrick, there are guys like jake Locker that are out of the league after only a few years because they simply suck. Vince Young was given 6 years (where he started at least 1 game in each of those 6 years) and he simply sucked. 

Did Vince win some games? Yeah. So did Tim Tebow and only the Jets wanted him.....to run fake Punts. 

[Gas2No99]

$hit article and making an issue where a CERTAIN FACTOR does NOT come into play like the scrub "author" wants it to be.

 

 

Probably could use a pair of these as well . . . . 

[Larz]

your 2016 new your jets season

the season of feels, lol

who gives a sh*t seriously

[Beerfish]

I always new that Lebron, Magic and Isaiah kept Adam Morrison down.

[BroadwayJoe12]

22 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

This article reminds me that the only reason Tiger Woods was good at golf was because his mother was Asian. 

He's not a doctor and he doesn't even play piano. According to my calculations, she's had no bearing on his upbringing 

[TJ]

TWDR

[Gas2No99]

1 hour ago, RutgersJetFan said:

Yes. Definitely an excellent article. When a writer uses the caps lock and excessive gobs of periods, that's always the hallmark of excellent writing.

You . . . .  got an ISSUE with CAPS LOCKS? 

[Jetdawgg]

The divisivness that Fitz has caused here is immeasurable. The Jets should have cut him before last Sunday's game. He has really allowed a can of worms to open up. The DN took advantage of an opportunity to expose the under current with AA QB's. 

The sooner the Jets get rid of Fitz the better.

[JetsFanatic]

3 hours ago, nyjunc said:

is there a worse "news" organization than the race baiting NY daily News?  they have no shame.

The Daily News had turned into a pathetic rag sheet. Sad.

[Jet_Engine1]

[BigRy56]

Oh boy

[Joe Jets fan]

Wow, how does a racist topic not get locked?    

Does the op really believe this racist crap?

[Gas2No99]

6 minutes ago, Joe Jets fan said:

Wow, how does a racist topic not get locked?    

Does the op really believe this racist crap?

Did Queen sing Fat Bottom Girls?

 

[Tinstar]

If I was a Moderator, I would lock this thread. I as a black man found reading this Article troubling, but what was worse was some of the responses . 

[Mogglez]

14 minutes ago, Tinstar said:

If I was a Moderator, I would lock this thread. I as a black man found reading this Article troubling, but what was worse was some of the responses . 

Agreed.  The article itself is disgusting (seriously this is just a sh*t stirrer and nothing more), but the reaction to it is worse.  This is exactly why this type of stuff isn't allowed here.  The comments aren't abhorrent (yet), but this discussion is on a fast rack to nowhere.

[Tinstar]

1 minute ago, Mogglez said:

Agreed.  The article itself is disgusting, the reaction too it is worse.  This is exactly why this type of stuff isn't allowed here.

I sent Max a Message, and I hope he's quit to act.

[Flushing Roots]

43 minutes ago, Jetdawgg said:

The divisivness that Fitz has caused here is immeasurable. The Jets should have cut him before last Sunday's game. He has really allowed a can of worms to open up. The DN took advantage of an opportunity to expose the under current with AA QB's. 

The sooner the Jets get rid of Fitz the better.

I lost a lot of respect for Fitz with his comments.

Thought he was smart...

Did he not know he threw 10 INTs and royally sucked?

Can't blame Bowles, Mac and Woody for sitting his *ss.

NFL stands for "Not For Long".  Means you need to produce or else.

I am astonished Fitz didn't understand that.
 

[Flushing Roots]

38 minutes ago, JetsFanatic said:

The Daily News had turned into a pathetic rag sheet. Sad.

Switch to The Post.  Great for sports... and for reality.

[August]

I love that this makes some people uncomfortable and no amount of deniability can change that. Fitzpatrick's situation isn't racial per se but the point of the article is to point out that QB's of a certain persuasion gets more chances than others. Fitzpatrick has stunk but he's gotten more chances than certain black QB's that weren't necessarily good. If that fact makes you uncomfortable then that's a you problem.

[Matt39]

2 minutes ago, August said:

I love that this makes some people uncomfortable and no amount of deniability can change that. Fitzpatrick's situation isn't racial per se but the point of the article is to point out that QB's of a certain persuasion gets more chances than others. Fitzpatrick has stunk but he's gotten more chances than certain black QB's that weren't necessarily good. If that fact makes you uncomfortable then that's a you problem.

Which QB's?

[jetfan39]

3 hours ago, JoJoTownsell1 said:

The author is turning this into a race issue when it has nothing to do with race. Some guys get more chances than others because they have certain skills that make them appealing to most coordinators. Specifically, the ability to stay in the pocket and read defenses. 

For every Ryan Fitzpatrick, there are guys like jake Locker that are out of the league after only a few years because they simply suck. Vince Young was given 6 years (where he started at least 1 game in each of those 6 years) and he simply sucked. 

Did Vince win some games? Yeah. So did Tim Tebow and only the Jets wanted him.....to run fake Punts. 

you cannot possibility talking about fritz