Steve McNair a Victim of Racism?

by Playoff Pride on Nov 10, 2006 7:56 PM CST

In an interview with Ed Warder, Ray Lewis said he thinks the issue involving Steve McNair being kicked out of the training facility had to do with racism. He went on to say that the Titans organization wouldn't have done the same thing to a white quarterback like Brett Farve. I highly doubt this because the Titans were the first organization to take a chance on Warren Moon who was African American. I think they handled the situation badly after all Steve did for the Titans, but this was not an issue of race. Vince Young is also African American, so I don't see how Ray came to this conclusion. Either way, Steve isn't the only former Titan to have joined Baltimore. Derrick Mason and Samari Rolle also left for Baltimore because Tenessee had to free up some salary cap.

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That might

be one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. Do the Titans only have white players on their team? No pretty sure they had a choice of 2 white QB's in the draft and they didn't take either. Ray Lewis needs to shut up and just play. He also needs to realize that he isn't really that good anymore.

by Jimmy on Nov 11, 2006 12:22 PM CST reply actions

2 cents

I have both thought about this and listened to several arguments about this topic and have decided to share my two cents. First of all, I will present an argument that I heard that at least makes a little more sense. The argument was that Steve McNair was not cut/traded/treated bad because he was black. Rather that if he had been white the organization/owner would have worked harder to treat McNair with loyalty. While that is more realistic than "McNair cut b/c black", I still disagree and here is why.

This situation was about color and that color was green. McNair was due 25 mil this year. He did not expect to get it but he still would have been 8-10 mil against the cap. The Titans would be bad this year even with him. Why take the hit and be worse next year when they could just cut him?
McNair does not = Peyton or Favre. McNair is not going to the Hall of Fame. He was a good QB who did a lot for this organization, but it is not as if we were cutting the greatest QB in history of the league or this organization. Which leads to...
Joe Montana, regarded by many to be the greatest QB of all time, was both white and let go by his longtime organization. So it does happen to Peyton/Favre sometimes.
As for Favre, the Packers may not let him go, but they are just delaying the inevitable and making their franchise worse for the future.
Loyalty, as long as there are salary caps, there is no such thing as loyalty in the NFL.

I do feel the situation could have been handled much better, but it would not have been handled better if McNair were white. I could go on even more but I shall refrain.

War deer in stores.

Im out

by DonFrancisco on Nov 13, 2006 10:35 AM CST reply actions

Another thing

McNair is different from Manning and Favre because Manning and Favre never miss games or practices. That was one of the biggest reasons the Titans couldn't keep McNair.

by Jimmy on Nov 13, 2006 3:55 PM CST reply actions

I don't agree

with Ray Lewis about the issue. I know the decision was made because the Titans couldn't afford McNair.

I just thought it was funny how Ray has to go and start a controversy even though it is none of his business.

by Playoff Pride on Nov 13, 2006 5:01 PM CST reply actions

Ray Lewis

He's a very emotional player. He thrives on any kind of, outside the game, controversy anyone can feed him.

I saw McNair's interview, and he seemed very hesitant to agree with Lewis's theory. As a matter of fact, he never did.

Seems like Lewis was trying to fire him up, and it did not work.

by beester on Dec 1, 2006 12:01 AM CST reply actions

The thing

about McNair is he doesn't get fired up. That guy has more poise than anyone I have ever seen. McNair knows the history of this franchise and he knows that it wasn't racism it was capitalism.

by Jimmy on Dec 1, 2006 8:43 AM CST up reply actions