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Rob Parker: RG3 a “Cornball Brother”

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by Jim Bearor

This past Thursday on First Take, Rob Parker put his foot so far in his mouth that he’s going to be taking some time off of work. Parker never really wowed me with his insight or analysis to begin with, but then again, those aren’t two elements that I look for when I watch the show. Usually when I tune in, I anticipate a few talking heads calling each other names and carrying out farfetched arguments over a number of moot points for a couple hours. The show gets incredibly heated, and that’s probably the only reason it is still on television. But during an intense discussion of Robert Griffin III and how he carries himself, Parker went a bit too far when voicing his opinion and earned himself an indefinite suspension from ESPN.
Parker opened his little rant by asking if Griffin is a “real brother” or a “cornball brother”, which is not a good way to start an argument that is supposed to be professional. He then went on to say: “He’s black, he kind of does his thing, but he’s not really down with the cause, he’s not ‘one of us.’ He’s kind of black… but he’s not like the guy you really want to hang out with.”
You may want to read through that a couple times, I know it made me laugh even harder the second go-around. After you get your laughs, try to think of why Parker would even consider saying something of that nature while working for ESPN. I pondered that for a while, and came up with nothing. Who knows, maybe he just got so fired up about the topic that he said something that he didn’t really mean, but more than likely this was just another example of Parker revealing his inner knucklehead on national television – but this time he brought it to another level.
You probably have heard opinions like this before, and they probably make you shake your head. They should make you shake your head. The idea that RGIII isn’t really black in some people’s eyes because he doesn’t act or talk a certain way is ridiculous and irrelevant. People like Parker are just reinforcing stereotypes that African Americans have been fighting against for so long.
Is RGIII a “cornball brother” because he is articulate and dresses nicely? If so, then what’s the alternative, acting like Terrell Owens or Allen Iverson? Sorry for bursting your bubble Rob Parker, but that’s not who RGIII is.
I was listening to Dan Lebatard the other day, and he brought up a good point. There are plenty of other successful black athletes that pride themselves on being professional, something that Parker is not familiar with. A few names that came to mind right away were Tiki Barber, Tiger Woods, and Marcellus Wiley. All of them have experienced their fair share of success in sports, and managed to do so while also being role models.
Another interesting part about Parker’s little ramble was right near the end where he said that “[RGIII] is not like the guy you really want to hang out with.” This is a bit confusing to me, was RGIII not endorsed by several large corporations even before he stepped on an NFL field? John Gruden seemed like he had a good time talking with him during his quarterback camp (but I guess Gruden is always excited, so never mind), and all you hear from his teammates is how great of a guy he is and what kind of leadership he brings to the team.
But regardless of what everyone else says, Rob Parker is probably going to continue to think the way he does. If he is going to speak for a small, uneducated group of people and disown RGIII because he sounds a little like Wayne Brady when he talks, then let him be. I’m just glad that we don’t have to deal with that sort of nonsense when we turn on ESPN, at least for a while.

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NFL

Thoughts on Kevin Gilbride

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I’m trying to move past the phase of calling for Kevin Gilbride’s head every time I think he’s being too conservative.  He’s been a part of two Super Bowl winning teams and that says a lot, but far too often I find myself with my head in my hands watching Gilbride’s offense fail to put in the dagger at the end of games.  Monday night is a microcosm of what I have come to expect with Gilbride: the offense is clicking early, Eli is hitting his receivers, and points start to pile up, the Giants seemingly control the pace of the game through the end of the third quarter.

 

Then, sometimes things go bad.

 

The offensive game plan becomes this weak attempt to control the ball and the momentum shifts.  Even though Bradshaw may be struggling through three quarters, he will continue to get the ball on a consistent basis.  Gilbride’s play calling completely takes Eli Manning out of the game and relies heavily on obvious runs up the middle with Bradshaw (and formerly Jacobs).  This is frustrating to no end, and a few fellow Giants fans would probably agree with me when I say that his schemes and coaching are holding back the passing game.

 

Not since 2007 has the running game been effective. It may be because the offensive line has gotten older, or simply that too much is expected from these running backs.  Either way, the ground game is the weaker aspect of this New York Giants attack, yet in key plays late in games, we continue to see Gilbride go back to the run like he trusts it more than his passing game.  I understand that in today’s NFL there must be some sort of balance between run and pass to keep defenders honest, but when your team is built around a quarterback of Manning’s caliber, wouldn’t you think that almost every do-or-die situation should be placed squarely on his shoulders?

 

I have no problems with running the ball 25 times a game even though it rarely works (I may have a problem with the running back that is getting those carries, but that’s a different story).  But when the team needs a scoring drive to cement the victory, the offense takes its foot off the pedal. These are the worst games to watch because you know exactly how it’s going to end.  I’ve seen it too many times to count, but the two instances that are freshest in my mind are the game from Monday, and the game a few years back when Mathias Kiwanuka failed to bring down Vince Young on a late third down that ended up winning the game.  I feel like he is so committed to his flawed schemes that he sometimes doesn’t adapt to the game.  The faster two-minute offense that we see before halftime and at the end of close games just looks like it fits better than the current system.

 

I’m sure he has his reasons for calling the games the way he does, but whatever way you cut it, Gilbride isn’t taking full advantage of his personnel.  Am I wrong on this?  Sure, the receiving core could be healthier, but isn’t throwing often to Victor Cruz and a banged-up Hakeem Nicks more effective than Ahmad Bradshaw’s fragile feet rushing it on predictable first and second downs all day?  It’s frustrating to know that nothing is going to change anytime in the foreseeable future, and I needed to vent.

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NFL

What I Took Away From This Weekend’s Games

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I had a little bit of time to burn tonight, so I figured I’d reflect upon the games from Week 4 in the NFL.  I was only able to get through a handful of the games, but I’ll get back at it in the morning with the ones I left out. Feel free to let me know what you guys think.

Baltimore 23, Cleveland 16

To me, Baltimore’s biggest problem in this game was that they were a bit hesitant to hand the ball off to their best player.  That being said, I never felt like the Ravens were in danger of losing, so I guess it doesn’t matter all that much. The Browns performed at about the level that everyone expected, but I thought Baltimore’s defense would be a little more impressive than they were.  Not sure if this game is an accurate indicator of what to expect from the Ravens this year though, because we see a lot of games like these between divisional “rivals”

Atlanta 30, Carolina 28

Impressive rebound by Cam Newton, but Matt Ryan and Roddy White stole his thunder  in the final minute.  The play of the game I heard the most about was not the long throw to set up the Falcons kicker at the end of the game, but Cam Newtons fumble – which Carolina recovered – that gave Atlanta new life.  Yes it was a poor play by Newton, but the team wouldn’t even have been in the game without him.  Cam giveth and Cam taketh away.

New England 52, Buffalo 28

Turnovers lost this game for the Bills.  Ryan’s Fitzmagic has run out and suddenly everyone surrounding the franchise must be sick to their stomach with the obnoxious knee-jerk contract that he was given last year.  I’m sure it must feel more like a prison sentence to everyone who has love for the team, and I send my deepest condolences.  If there is a silver lining for this team, it has to be the backfield tandem of Spiller and Jackson, even though they didn’t quite measure up this week.  The Patriots hung around even though they didn’t play their best game, and took complete advantage of the opportunities given to them by the Bills.

Minnesota 20, Detroit 13

From what I saw of this game, it seems that these teams have taken steps in opposite directions.  Christian Ponder has certainly improved with a year of experience under his belt, and I don’t think the Lions are going to be able to get by without a running game this year.  Calvin Johnson has been a victim of double coverage this entire season – which everyone should have seen coming considering the freakish numbers he put up last year – and the Lions have struggled because they’ve become somewhat reliant on him.  It is a passing league, but that is not justification for Matt Stafford throwing 50 times a game every week.  If Detroit is going to come close to reaching the success of last year, they are going to need to tweak their offensive strategy a bit.  The best way to go may involve finding out who the starting running back is, but what do I know.

 

San Diego 37, Kansas City 20

Didn’t see much of this game except for the highlights and I looked at the stat sheet, but from what I can tell, San Diego is the better team and controlled the game throughout.  Phillip Rivers completely outclasses Matt Cassel (even though he is a whiny crybaby) and when one team features a much better quarterback than their opponent, the outcome is usually pretty predictable.  Jamaal Charles is still an absolute monster, and Dwayne Bowe is an elite receiver, but that is really all that stands out to me about the Chiefs. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think too many pieces are in place for Kansas City.

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