An ESPN analyst raised a few eyebrows with comments this week about the Washington Redskins’ high-impact rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III. Yahoo Sports reports that Rob Parker’s comments on Thursday’s installment of “First Take” questioned whether Griffin is “black enough.”
The piece quotes Parker as saying: "I’ve talked to some people in Washington, D.C. Some people in [Griffin’s] press conferences. Some people I’ve known for a long time. My question, which is just a straight, honest question, is … is he a ‘brother,’ or is he a cornball ‘brother’? He’s not really … he’s black, but he’s not really down with the cause. He’s not one of us. He’s kind of black, but he’s not really like the guy you’d want to hang out with. I just want to find out about him. I don’t know, because I keep hearing these things. He has a white fiancee, people talking about that he’s a Republican … there’s no information at all. I’m just trying to dig deeper into why he has an issue.”
Sportswriter Doug Farrar comes out strongly against Parker’s comments, writing in the Yahoo piece: “We tend to expect preposterous stuff from this show — after all, that’s what that show does. But what Rob Parker said went far beyond the parameters of ‘opinion’ and veered quickly into something that should have ESPN seriously considering whether they want Parker representing even their worst traffic jam of a media product.”
Here’s a clip:
“Black enough” for what? To be an outstanding quarterback? Rob Parker sounds like he’s a racist. If RGIII has a white fiancee does that mean he can’t be an outstanding quarterback? If he’s a Republican does that mean he can’t be an outstanding quarterback? Rob Parker sounds like a very jealous person that tried to belittle someone in ways that have nothing to do with his football ability. Shame on him.
I wish I could have heard more of what Steven A. Smith was going to say. Rob Parker’s stupid comments should offend pretty much everyone. The guy must be a total idiot.