Remember when Rush Limbaugh was on ESPN? It’s cool if you don’t. You could have missed it if you blinked or yawned or were addicted to and arrested for painkillers (too soon?).
If you’re worried that by missing Rush on ESPN you missed some seminal moment in pop culture or intellectual though, don’t worry, the only thing he did of note was say this about Donovan McNabb: “overrated … The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback can do well…There’s a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he didn’t deserve.â€
Fast forward to the last couple years. McNabb gets hurt and some competent QB who got plastic surgery to look like Jeff Garcia (if you’re a Lions or Browns fans, you know there’s no way that was actually him) leads the Eagles to the playoffs. The Eagles draft Kevin Kolb in the second round. McNabb comes back, supposedly doesn’t play well, and Eagles fans and media types spend hours every week skewering him and saying he’s done with the Eagles. But what if I bet you $1000 of Angry T’s (the person not the site) hard-earned money that the media has decided they want to invest in seeing him viewed negatively the same way Rush said they invested in building him up? You’d probably take that bet because you’d use the arguments I mentioned above to show that he really isn’t that good. Before you take my money, take a look at this…a comparison between McNabb and John Elway.
Here are Elway’s career stats:
Now take a look at McNabb’s career stats:
McNabb’s first nine years are significantly better than Elway’s in completion percentage, touchdowns thrown, interceptions thrown and QB rating. Up until the 2005 season, McNabb was Philadelphia’s golden boy, so we’ll compare his numbers since that time to the same portion of Elway’s career, seasons 7-9 of his career (1989-1991).
Completion %: Elway 55.4%, McNabb 59.5%
Pass Yards/year: Elway 3277, McNabb 2826
TD Pass/year: Elway 15.3, McNabb 17.7
Int/year: Elway 14.7, McNabb 7.3
Avg. QB Rating: Elway 75.9, McNabb 90.1
Games missed: Elway 1, McNabb 15
Super Bowl Wins to this point in their careers: 0
Go back to those stats above, if a 32 year old McNabb throws 10 TDs and 17 interceptions, how quick do you think we will be shown the door? I don’t think I am breaking new ground in saying that media scrutiny of athletes has grown exponentially in the last 20 years. Every mistake that McNabb makes is put front and center on any number of clips shows and periodicals. As a Detroit Lions fan, nothing would make my happier than to see an All-Pro like McNabb in a Honolulu blue and silver jersey, but in Philadelphia, it seems that better than Elway simply isn’t enough.
So why does everyone talk about Elway like he was great every second of his career and McNabb like he’s headed for Arena Football? Is it because of “The Drive?†Well McNabb had “4th and 26†which you could argue is more impressive because it involved Freddie Mitchell catching a meaningful pass. Is it because Elway had been to 3 Super Bowls already? Herm Edwards has an answer for that. Elway didn’t win one for another 6 years. I’ll leave those stats open for you to interpret, but I don’t see why McNabb is a has-been at this point. In fact, if you look at a side-by-side comparison of each season of their careers up to that point, McNabb is better every year. We all know what Elway did from then on, so I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss ol’ Donovan if I were you.
I bet you wish you wouldn’t have taken that bet. You can send the $1000 directly to me, Rush…if you still have that much lying around.
Tenacious E
Popularity: 1% [?]
Hell Yeah! I’ve been saying this for years!
This goes out to the #@*%-er’s who booed this him at the ‘99 draft, (turns out he was the best QB in that class too, huh? Tim Couch? Cade McNown!? Hello? Mind you, Culpepper is pretty good too, and was well on his way to a fine career, but that leg injury was a career crusher, not many players could come back from that. And Akili Smith never had a chance after getting dropped in wide-eyed behind a garbage offensive line during Cincy’s shitty pre-Marvin Lewis eras. Poor kid.)
If for some god-awful reason McNabb gets driven out of town & does not finish his career as an Eagle, these so called fans should drive off the damn Schuylkill Expwy to their fiery deaths.
Any team would be happy to have him. Hes a professional. And not every one can (or should) win championships. Trent Dilfer and Eli Manning have more rings than Warren Moon and Jim Kelly, what does it mean?
Its amazing that McNabb has put of such great career stats with only Brian Westbrook as his only constant weapon. Todd Pinkston? Freddie Mitchell? James Thrash?
Can you even conceptualize a parallel universe where T.O. isn’t an asshole and the Eagles go on to win a decade’s worth of Super Bowls? Philly fans would be either passed out in the streets, or sick of all the attention.
I wonder if those fools ( Rendell especially!!) still want Ricky Williams?
Schumcks. I’m with “5″ all the way.
As a Philly fan, these are the names I’ll remember from the McNabb era:
Aeneas Williams
Ronde Barber
Ricky Manning Jr.
Rodney Harrison (not to mention the vomiting)
Jeff Garcia (a true leader, something even Westbrook acknowledged while taking a potshot at McNabb)
Spare me the “he won with nothing” argument. He had an incredible defense that got him great field position, a good offensive line, and a good running game for the most part (Duce Staley was pretty good in his day). Still, when it came time to make a play in a big game, you could always count on #5 for a gag job. Let the Kevin Kolb era begin, since the window for a title for this team has closed (short of a Giants-esque miracle run as a low seed).
As you said with your “parallel universe” argument regarding TO, can you even conceptualize a parallel universe where McNabb wins two Super Bowls? He hasn’t won anything yet, and comparing him to Elway in terms of winning is a pipe dream. Elway didn’t have McNabb’s old body at age 32 either, as McNabb can’t make it through a full season anymore without missing at least some games. McNabb’s no hall of famer at this point, so comparing him to a first ballot HOFer is ridiculous.
McNabb is being compared to Elway? I don’t even have to respond to this nonsense. Elway is a Hall of Fame QB.
McNabb scored a 16 on the Wonderlic test.
http://www.macmirabile.com/Wonderlic/Wonderlic.htm
I think any person with an 8th grade education can score at least a 20 on the Wonderlic test. It’s not a difficult test.
Great stuff! I praise McNabb and just get told to win a Super Bowl(Elway got similar treatment). Unfortunately if McNabb and the Eagles don’t win a Super Bowl the media and fans will not get off his back.
John Elway can burn in Hell.
But ELWAY has TWO rings and 5 Super Bowl appearances whereas McNabb has 1 Super Bowl appearance and 3 consecutive NFC Title game losses when 2 of the 3 where in Philly its a lame arguement.
If you look at McNabbs Career you will also notice that he has only had TWO wide receivers gain 1000 yards in one season. Also the runningback should not on any team catch more passes than your number 1 widereceiver. That shows that your other receivers aren’t getting off the line of scrimmage in time to complete their assigned routes.
REMEMBER McNabb hasn’t had a true number 1 receiver since TO.
Kevin Curtis – As stated by many Sports analysts is a true slot/number three receiver he can be a number 2 receiver.
John Elway had way better receivers than Donovan McNabb.
Remember when McNabb had one true number one receiver his regulag season stats were just as good as any season that John Elway had.
(He would have passed the 4000 yard mark had he played all 16 games remember they rested him after TO got hurt and they were sure to have the best record in the league)
Football is a TEAM sport.
You have to have a TEAM to win a Superbowl.
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breaking legal news philadelphiaGet Off Donovan McNabb’s Back
Elway had better receivers than McNabb? Elway played for roughly 13 years. Name his Pro-Bowl receivers. Maybe Rod Smith, who Elway had in his last 3-5 years. Elway had one great WR/TE – Shannon Sharpe.
McNabb will not be in the Hall Of Fame.
mcnabb is just another bitch made nagger that will never win a superbowl. hes only played a full season 3 times out of his 10 years. can you say pussy? maybe if you give him another four chances to get to the superbowl he’ll go more than once. all i know for fact is that he eats fat dicks
go 2 hell yu fuckin BITCH..yu eat fat dicks!!! Mcnabb is a great quarterback n all he needs is a true #1 WR..Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are great…BUT remember they have great receivers and are system quarterbacks…John Elway won 2 superbowls but had better weapons surrounding him..so shut the hell up or see meet wit tha hands pussy