Why Steve McNair is the Greatest Black College Football Quarterback of All Time


braveman

braveman

braveman
There are four pillars that ingrain black college football into the psyche of sports fans everywhere. Eddie Robinson, Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, and Steve McNair.

Eddie Robinson served as the tenured ambassador of black college football, ushering the sport from segregation into a brave new place of worldwide exposure and acceptance. Everything that the common sports fan knows about black college football, is a direct result of Coach Rob’s influence on the game.

http://www.hbcusportsblog.com/2009/...e-football-quarterback-of-all-time/#more-2869
 



Most folks tend to equate Doug to winning the Superbowl, but most forget what he (along with Jimmy Giles (Alcorn) and Ike Higgins (Southern)) did with a lowly struggling Tampa Bay team. They had had losing season after losing season prior to Doug coming along and taking them to the playoffs (and almost to an NFC championship, I might add). And this was all within his first five years in the league. Tampa Bay made a mistake when they failed to resign him (crazy story).

I want get into who's the greatest. All of them contributed to the greatness each individual one of them achieved.

Regards.
 
You guys have to realize that the dude who writes that blog is almost clueless on BCF. I hope that over time he gets better. I often criticize him. He is a regular on the MEAC page.
 
Dr. Mac said:
Most folks tend to equate Doug to winning the Superbowl, but most forget what he (along with Jimmy Giles (Alcorn) and Ike Higgins (Southern)) did with a lowly struggling Tampa Bay team. They had had losing season after losing season prior to Doug coming along and taking them to the playoffs (and almost to an NFC championship, I might add). And this was all within his first five years in the league. Tampa Bay made a mistake when they failed to resign him (crazy story).

I want get into who's the greatest. All of them contributed to the greatness each individual one of them achieved.

Regards.
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Great Post!
 
Tigerpride said:
You guys have to realize that the dude who writes that blog is almost clueless on BCF. I hope that over time he gets better. I often criticize him. He is a regular on the MEAC page.
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Good Post.

I hate it when these people don't do their research. It tells a lot about the pride and time placed in their craft....
 
JROCK said:
Good Post.

I hate it when these people don't do their research. It tells a lot about the pride and time placed in their craft....
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Did you actually read the entire post, or just draw your conclusions based on the commentary of others? The argument, on numbers alone, is sound.

As for Tigerpride, I appreciate the hate you've shown me over these last two years. I'm glad I can count you among the nearly 10,000 daily readers who either love or hate what I'm saying, but respect that I have something to say. I look forward to the day when you man up and create discussion through your own avenue, rather than sitting on a message board reacting with vitriol totally unbecoming of a gentleman and a scholar such as yourself.
 
HBCUSportsBlog said:
Did you actually read the entire post, or just draw your conclusions based on the commentary of others? The argument, on numbers alone, is sound.

As for Tigerpride, I appreciate the hate you've shown me over these last two years. I'm glad I can count you among the nearly 10,000 daily readers who either love or hate what I'm saying, but respect that I have something to say. I look forward to the day when you man up and create discussion through your own avenue, rather than sitting on a message board reacting with vitriol totally unbecoming of a gentleman and a scholar such as yourself.
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As I have said before, I congratulate you on your blog; however, YOU have to realize that when you put something out there, it's out there. The love I have for BCF shows though when I read things from you but the ONLY hate I have is not for you personally but I hate that our heritage being distorted and I hate reading untruths and insensible opinions. To me, you are not the right person for this but I can only hope that you continue to educate yourself, get some outside help, or do better research when you post blogs.
 
HBCUSportsBlog said:
Did you actually read the entire post, or just draw your conclusions based on the commentary of others? The argument, on numbers alone, is sound.

As for Tigerpride, I appreciate the hate you've shown me over these last two years. I'm glad I can count you among the nearly 10,000 daily readers who either love or hate what I'm saying, but respect that I have something to say. I look forward to the day when you man up and create discussion through your own avenue, rather than sitting on a message board reacting with vitriol totally unbecoming of a gentleman and a scholar such as yourself.
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..oh and it's not that we disagree with you but your knowledge and research are lacking. Blogs are based on opinion but they should also be informative reads.
 
HBCUSportsBlog said:
Did you actually read the entire post, or just draw your conclusions based on the commentary of others? The argument, on numbers alone, is sound.
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I read your commentary and assert that it is lacking in research and elaboration on your contentions.

The first thing that I dispute is "There are four pillars that ingrain black college football into the psyche of sports fans everywhere. Eddie Robinson, Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, and Steve McNair." While the aforementioned are formidable, it is a surface statement.

It is very easy to forget the broad shoulders that each generation of these greats stand on. I believe a further elaboration would have been in order. I submit to you in the psyche of black colleges fans of all ages are also folks like Tank Young who was the first running back drafted from a black college. The works of Collie Nicholson who was a contemporary with Eddie Rob that also put Grambling football and black college football on the map. Coaches Like Ace Mumford who had 35 All Americans, 6 BCF National titles and would tell opponents what he was running and dare them to stop it. Finally Jake Gaithers, "Big Bad John" Meritts and William J Nicks, coaching gems could have been mentioned since you open the door to "pillars."

At the QB(s) position folks like James "Shack" Harris, Joe "Jefferson Street" Gilliam and Doug Williams were pioneers. The trials and tribulations that these three contended with to blaze the trail for others should never just be a mere footnote. When measuring other factors into the fray, I would be hard pressed to make an anointment of the best BCF quarterback ever without more elaboration.

It just seems to me that the article overlooks a legacy and over simplifies the significance of folks like Deacon Jones, Junious "Buck" Buchanon, Lem Barney, Rosey Grier, Mel Blount, Charlie Joiner, Otis Taylor, Ken Houston, Earnie Ladd, Jacky Slater, Willie Lanier, Willie Davis, Bob "Bullet" Hayes, Leroy Kelly, Larry Little, John Stallworth to name only a few who many see as "pillars" also.

Perhaps my expectations were a little higher for the article. I do applaud your effort. It is easy to be critical without pointing out the positive. Thus the reason for my applaud...
 
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JROCK said:
I read your commentary and assert that it is lacking in research and elaboration on your contentions.

The first thing that I dispute is "There are four pillars that ingrain black college football into the psyche of sports fans everywhere. Eddie Robinson, Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, and Steve McNair." While the aforementioned are formidable, it is a surface statement.

It is very easy to forget the broad shoulders that each generation of these greats stand on. I believe a further elaboration would have been in order. I submit to you in the psyche of black colleges fans of all ages are also folks like Tank Young who was the first running back drafted from a black college. The works of Collie Nicholson who was a contemporary with Eddie Rob that also put Grambling football and black college football on the map. Coaches Like Ace Mumford who had 35 All Americans, 6 BCF National titles and would tell opponents what he was running and dare them to stop it. Finally Jake Gaithers, "Big Bad John" Meritts Early and William J Nicks, coaching gems could have been mentioned since you open the door to "pillars."

At the QB(s) position folks like James "Shack" Harris, Joe "Jefferson Street" Gilliam and Doug Williams were pioneers. The trials and tribulations that these three contended with to blaze the trail for others should never just be a mere footnote. When measuring other factors into the fray, I would be hard pressed to make an anointment of the best BCF quarterback ever without more elaboration.

It just seems to me that the article overlooks a legacy and over simplifies the significance of folks like Deacon Jones, Junious "Buck" Buchanon, Lem Barney, Rosey Grier, Mel Blount, Charlie Joiner, Otis Taylor, Ken Houston, Earnie Ladd, Jacky Slater, Willie Lanier, Willie Davis, Bob "Bullet" Hayes, Leroy Kelly, Larry Little, John Stallworth to name only a few who many see as "pillars" also.

Perhaps my expectations were a little higher for the article. I do applaud your effort. It is easy to be critical without pointing out the positive. Thus the reason for my applaud...
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I acknowledge all of the above, but the truth is that casual black college football fans are not as knowledgeable about those names as the four "pillars" that I mentioned. It's lamentable, but it's the truth. If we're spending all of our time mentioning the great moments of the past, we are more prone to miss the great moments occurring right now.

I don't write for the people that experts on the culture, in similar fashion as churches don't preach solely to the saved and hospitals don't solely exist for people's yearly check ups.

We wonder why black colleges are not able to progress in the mainstream presentation of mid-major athletics, it is largely in part to the mentality of your post. Mentioning Shack Harris would've been just that; a mention of Shack Harris. It does nothing to advance the discussion on the greatness that Steve McNair achieved in college or the NFL, other than to reintroduce the classic notion of "respect those who came before you." How is today's black college football promoted or made more appealing to HBCU students and fans of present and future by continuously cramming history into their faces?

There is room to honor those who came before. When appropriate, I make every careful and deliberate effort to do so. But I apologize in advance if I see the greatness of what's going on in black college sports today and choose to write and opine on it. We are the only sports sub-culture that is perpetually hung up on who we used to be, and what we used to do. And we wonder why no one outside of our sub-culture is driven to interest in what we have to offer today.
 



HBCUSportsBlog said:
We are the only sports sub-culture that is perpetually hung up on who we used to be, and what we used to do. And we wonder why no one outside of our sub-culture is driven to interest in what we have to offer today.
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:lecture:

:clap:

i just wanted to chime in on this...what i quoted above is so dead on true. From sports to the academia we need to get the information out and be innovative and not settle with the status quo.

~back to your regular scheduled programming..~
 
I want to say Jarrett writes a lot of good stuff on his blog. It is not easy being a one man gang and trying to inform the masses about black college sports. I have contributed to his blog from time to time on certain issues that have an interest to the HBCU alum or just the casual observer.

I don't know how old Jarrett is or his depth of knowledge when it comes to the history of black college sports, but he sure knows a lot more than most people do. He makes an effort to inform the best the he can, considering, it's just him.

I mean, if some people don't like that he did not go back and mention some of the other athletes in SWAC past, well I don't think it was done with any ill will.
 
HBCUSportsBlog said:
I acknowledge all of the above, but the truth is that casual black college football fans are not as knowledgeable about those names as the four "pillars" that I mentioned. It's lamentable, but it's the truth. If we're spending all of our time mentioning the great moments of the past, we are more prone to miss the great moments occurring right now.

As stated ad nausea, there are other "pillars" that should have been mentioned. Unless you have conducted a poll, what you have submitted is conjecture. Doug Williams may or may not be in the top 4

I don't write for the people that experts on the culture, in similar fashion as churches don't preach solely to the saved and hospitals don't solely exist for people's yearly check ups.

If you are not writing for people "that experts on the culture," it is a prime time to educate. One cannot educate without personal knowledge or credible research.

We wonder why black colleges are not able to progress in the mainstream presentation of mid-major athletics, it is largely in part to the mentality of your post. Mentioning Shack Harris would've been just that; a mention of Shack Harris. It does nothing to advance the discussion on the greatness that Steve McNair achieved in college or the NFL, other than to reintroduce the classic notion of "respect those who came before you." How is today's black college football promoted or made more appealing to HBCU students and fans of present and future by continuously cramming history into their faces?

No question exists relating to the greatness of Steve McNair. However your hook/premise was not substantiated. One must make a comparative analysis if your contentions is he is "the greatest BCF football QB." This entails credible research of his most formidable counterparts (who happen to be from the past) and the level of competition which they played against in college. Had you conducted research to substantiate your premise you would not feel the need to be on the defense about past greatness or the off base banter about mentalities.

There is room to honor those who came before. When appropriate, I make every careful and deliberate effort to do so. But I apologize in advance if I see the greatness of what's going on in black college sports today and choose to write and opine on it. We are the only sports sub-culture that is perpetually hung up on who we used to be, and what we used to do. And we wonder why no one outside of our sub-culture is driven to interest in what we have to offer today.

In the context of BCF, all the individuals you are discussing are from the past including Steve McNair. The article we are discussing has nothing to do with as you state, "what's going on in black college sports today."
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Finally, I vehemently disagree with your last statement that "no one out of our sub-culture is driven to interest in what we have to offer today." Otherwise, BCF Football would have no national sponsors, television deals, national media exposure or the need for intangible assets.
 
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JROCK said:
Finally, I vehemently disagree with your last statement that "no one out of our sub-culture is driven to interest in what we have to offer today." Otherwise, BCF Football would have no national sponsors, television deals, national media exposure or the need for intangible assets.
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To conclude my role in perpetuating this discussion, I'll just reiterate the obvious; this is just my opinion. You would've liked to have seen more stats, and more reverence for more of the BCF legends. You didn't get them, and you didn't like the post. I can dig it.

But I do find it interesting that you find fault in the lack of polls and comparative analysis on my end, yet have posted no numbers to validate a opinion different from my own. Truth is, there are none. McNair's career was longer, and filled with more records and accolades on the collegiate and NFL level than any other black college quarterback. Others paved the way for him to do what he did, I wholeheartedly agree. Doesn't minimize his work or its impact on a historical scope. My opinion is that it makes him the best. Yours may be different. It's okay on both accounts, yes?

There are plenty of people who cleared the path for me to blog about black college sports, write for national publications, etc. There is an opportunity within every post, every article and every essay I write to make this known. But in the process of communicating an idea, praising those who made it possible for me to communicate the idea doesn't always enhance the possibility of you agreeing with my idea. You may not like it, but its the natural order of communicating.

For this reason, I have multiple venues for people to express their own ideas on my site. Between commenting on the posts, leaving a message on the live chat, or emailing me, there's plenty of space for my opinion to serve as the beginning to a diverse and enlightening discussion amongst many people. I get many more emails of support and thanks than I do disparaging remarks, so, I must be doing something halfway right.

I appreciate you. I thank you. I look forward to doing this again soon.
 
HBCUSportsBlog said:
To conclude my role in perpetuating this discussion, I'll just reiterate the obvious; this is just my opinion. You would've liked to have seen more stats, and more reverence for more of the BCF legends. You didn't get them, and you didn't like the post. I can dig it.

But I do find it interesting that you find fault in the lack of polls and comparative analysis on my end, yet have posted no numbers to validate a opinion different from my own. Truth is, there are none. McNair's career was longer, and filled with more records and accolades on the collegiate and NFL level than any other black college quarterback. Others paved the way for him to do what he did, I wholeheartedly agree. Doesn't minimize his work or its impact on a historical scope. My opinion is that it makes him the best. Yours may be different. It's okay on both accounts, yes?

There are plenty of people who cleared the path for me to blog about black college sports, write for national publications, etc. There is an opportunity within every post, every article and every essay I write to make this known. But in the process of communicating an idea, praising those who made it possible for me to communicate the idea doesn't always enhance the possibility of you agreeing with my idea. You may not like it, but its the natural order of communicating.

For this reason, I have multiple venues for people to express their own ideas on my site. Between commenting on the posts, leaving a message on the live chat, or emailing me, there's plenty of space for my opinion to serve as the beginning to a diverse and enlightening discussion amongst many people. I get many more emails of support and thanks than I do disparaging remarks, so, I must be doing something halfway right.

I appreciate you. I thank you. I look forward to doing this again soon.
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One thing I can do is agree to disagree and agree that it is OK on both accounts. In this instance my critiques were not necessarily a "dislike" but a sense of incompletion. It is my belief that both of us are lovers of BCF. If your perception of my comments are that they were disparaging, charge it to the mind and not the heart. I believe though, based on the above post, my points were pondered. Further, if one reader received anything positive, learned anything new, precipitated any research or their critical thinking have been enhanced, the dialogue has been constructive........Peace
 
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GRAM4LIFE said:
Pillars are to be built upon. McNair was great but I would not consider him the "pillar."
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I mean pillars in the sense that casual sports fans, inside and outside of black college football, usually limit their historical perspective on black college football around these four guys.

I'll be talking about this very discussion in about 45 minutes on today's show. Would love to hear each of you guys' perspective, or written in the live chat at www.hbcusportsblog.com.

www.blogtalkradio.com/hbcusportstalk
 
:tup:

I'm down for keeping these types of dicussions going. I can say that I have learn a lot of things that I didn't know on these broads when topics like this come up.
 
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