Posted on 01/10/2004 8:28:14 AM PST by Pokey78
Philadelphia -- He prefers not to mention the other guy, which is good. After all, why speak ill of the dead? We're referring to the other guy's brain cells when it comes to football knowledge.
Anyway, ever since Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles used a striking amount of class in early October to punt, pass and kick away some of the silliest comments of our time, he rarely has hinted that the other guy (OK, Rush Limbaugh) once entered his life in a clumsy way.
So this is interesting: To hear many around the Green Bay Packers tell it, they are riding the heavenly wings of Irvin Favre, the recently deceased father of their quarterback. The Packers will meet the Eagles Sunday in a playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field. There, Brett Favre will face another quarterback who knows something about turning adversity into prosperity.
"My grandfather and my grandmother passed away when I was in college," McNabb said. "My brother was sick last year. Things like that motivate you a little bit more than comments made by some guy on TV or some guy on the outside."
Hear, hear.
Said Harold Carmichael, the legendary Eagles receiver and McNabb confident: "I told Donovan that you're always going to have a knucklehead somewhere out there." Then Carmichael nodded in silence. He recalled Limbaugh's brief role as an ESPN talking head.
Essentially, Limbaugh told a national television audience in late September that McNabb is an overrated black quarterback, that sportswriters wave pompoms for overrated black quarterbacks, and that all of this ranked along the lines of a left-wing conspiracy involving the Clintons.
Then came McNabb's brilliant news conference three days later. "I don't need a personal apology [from Limbaugh]," McNabb said. "What is that going to do? You've already said it. You've thought about it, so you had time to think about it before you said it. What's, 'I'm sorry' going to do?"
Nothing. That's why Eagles cornerback Troy Vincent shook his head. "Donovan didn't say anything to any of us about the situation, because he didn't have to," Vincent said. "Since I'm an African-American male, it doesn't matter who something like that is directed to. It bothers all of us, but these are the times that we live in."
Since then, McNabb has gone from struggling BL (Before Limbaugh) to soaring AL (After Limbaugh). His passer rating of 98.5 during the last 10 games of the regular season was higher than those of Peyton Manning (97.7) and Steve McNair (93.6), the NFL's co-most valuable players.
Meanwhile, Limbaugh was forced to resign, then left the airways for a stretch to deal with a drug addiction after spending much of his career bashing such a thing. He also is under investigation by a Florida prosecutor for "doctor-shopping" involving prescription drugs. "You can't throw stones when you live in a glass house," Carmichael said, smiling.
McNabb's teammates love him. He keeps things loose around the locker room. Among other things, he does impressions of head coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson.
Added Reese, "Why should Donovan and the media be condemned, just because somebody like this is being placed on a pedestal?"
They shouldn't. Through it all, McNabb sprinted with ease to a fourth consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl, and it wasn't just because of the other guy's flapping tongue. He's healthy now.
Remember? McNabb became Michael Vick before Michael Vick last season, breaking his right ankle. As a result, McNabb missed the last six games of the regular season. He returned to lead the Eagles to a playoff victory against the Falcons, but he struggled during a loss to Tampa Bay in the NFC championship game.
Deep into the offseason, McNabb admitted that his ankle wasn't fully whole in the playoffs. He said he wasn't fine until March, but he was off by eight months.
McNabb didn't help his healing process by bruising the ankle against the New England Patriots during the second game of the season. It also was the Eagles' second game at their new stadium. It eventually became their second game without a victory. The city's famous boo bids were loud and raw during what evolved into a Patriots' rout. They even chanted for A.J. Feeley, the Eagles' third-string quarterback.
McNabb ignored them, just like he did that other guy. Later, he also ignored the throbbing from the thumb he damaged in the Eagles' third game of the season. He eventually helped the Eagles beat the Buffalo Bills that afternoon, and it occurred on the same day that the other guy embarrassed himself before ESPN cameras.
Still, McNabb was about five more games and an efficient thrashing of the Falcons away from starting his surge. Most impressive, he pushed the Eagles to a dramatic victory during the final seconds on the Soggy Tundra of Lambeau Field on a chilly Monday night in Green Bay. "Whenever you compete against a guy like Brett Favre, who has done that so many times and has been on classic sports and all of that, [it's special]," McNabb said. "You've watched the attitude, him getting involved, firing the ball and threading the needle."
Now everybody has watched McNabb become special again, including the other guy.
Eagles tight end Chad Lewis clenched his teeth, trying to get the other guy out of his head. He couldn't. "When you're challenged like Donovan was in front of the whole world, it's either sink or swim, and he wasn't going to let that crush him," Lewis said. "He could have done a number of things after that, and the way he responded, well, not many people could do that."
Just wondering: Did the other guy's flapping tongue also inspire McNabb's teammates? "It motivated me," Lewis said with wide eyes. "Our guy was getting attacked, and the whole locker room rallied around him from that point on."
Exhibit A: The Eagles are a victory away from a third consecutive trip to the NFC championship game. "Thanks, Rush," Reese said, laughing, before laughing some more.
Divisive remark
On Sept. 28, the Eagles were 0-2, and Donovan McNabb< was the NFL's lowest-rated starting quarterback.
On ESPN's NFL pregame show that morning, Rush Limbaugh said McNabb had always been an overrated player because the media wanted an African-American quarterback to succeed. Since then, the two men's careers have gone in differentdirections.
LIMBAUGH
Oct. 1: Mounting criticism of his remarks forces Limbaugh to resign from ESPN.
Oct. 2: Reports surface that Limbaugh is being investigated for allegations of illegally obtaining and abusing prescription painkillers.
Oct. 10: Limbaugh tells his radio audience that back problems have led to an addiction to painkillers. He says he'll voluntarily check into a treatment center to "once and for all break the hold this highly addictive medication has on me."
Nov. 25: Investigators raid the offices of Limbaugh's doctors. The search warrants say Limbaugh has engaged in illegal drug use and "doctor-shopping" for prescription painkillers.
Dec. 22: Limbaugh's attorney, seeking to have medical records sealed, tells a judge his client paid "substantial" blackmail to a former maid before she told police and media about his addiction. The probe continues.
McNABB
Sept. 28: Hours after Limbaugh's comments, McNabb leads Eagles to first win of season, throwing for 172 yards and running for 47.
Nov. 2: McNabb completes 21 of 33 passes for 312 yards in a 23-16 victory over the Falcons.
Nov. 17: McNabb is named NFC offensive player of the week after completing 24 of 30 passes for 314 yards in 28-10 win vs. Giants.
Dec. 7: November's NFC offensive player of the month, McNabb throws three touchdown passes against the Cowboys' top-rated defense for 36-10 blowout that clinches NFC East title.
Dec. 18: Named to his fourth straight Pro Bowl.
Then Rush was right? That he wasn't that good, at the time?
If I recall correctly, Rush said that the sports media wants black athletes, in this case quarterbacks, to do well. Is this guy denying that? If so, he's a boob.
It's not like Rush refered to McNabb as some crack dealer selling his wares in St.Louis or anything...........Oh yeah, those stereotypes are only OK for Hillary to blab on about.
I'm no Rush devote and I'm glad to see him get his come-upance. Rush was a baffoon long before McNabb picked up a football. That's what entertainers are in most cases.
I don't know why Rush-bots can't see how brain washed they are. If McNabb had a terrible season the ditto-heads (and Rush himself) would have been running around saying, "See, I told you so." McNabb has a stellar season and Rushies are saying Rush inspired him to excellence.
I don't see how an egostistical, uneducated, criminal, drug addict has such power over otherwise intelligent people.
Pretty damn funny!
I hope it's Chiefs/Eagles and the Chiefs turn McNabb into Chunky Poop. Ain't gonna happen though because the Packers are going to run Greene for 200 yards and McNabb will be playing catchup ball which he is not too good at. He'll be picked off three times.
****Limbaugh was forced to resign, then left the airways for a stretch to deal with a drug addiction after spending much of his career bashing such a thing.*****
Actually that would be a lie. Leftist had to go all the way back to 1995 to find a quote of Rush on drugs.
That being said I would agree with the first paragraph of this article. I would question Rush's knowledge of football. He's a great radio ppersonality and pretty good political insights but as for football he is really kot that knowledgable. Not that that makes him much differene from alot of people on TV or radio nowadays.
Rush is no William Buckley or Tony Snow.
Oh puh_leeez. You can do better than trying to make your comments personal attacks. Just because someone has a different viewpoint doesn't make them some brain-washed robot. What are you a Buchanan-bot? Yeah, let's just name-call each other....
Rush usually makes more sense than Buckley. I remember watching Ronald Reagan tear Buckley apart in a debate over the Panama Canal. Buckley favored the Carter policy of giving it away, now the Chinese control it.
My point is that Rush has no skills as a debator, intellectual savvy, or being effective in an unscripted or uncontrolled situation. He's like that neighborhood genius that hangs out at the local bar four hours a night, explaining the errors of town politics to his fellow bar buddies. Sure he sounds on target. Sure he has an audience. But the moment he moves his act to a schoolboard meeting he's a bitter fool.
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