Is Donovan McNabb Devalued in the Trade Market Because of His Race?

The illegitimate, utterly foolish idea that lots of people are talking about: the idea that Ben Roethlisberger would have been suspended by Roger Goodell already were he black, or were he not a white two-time Super Bowl winning QB.

So...Goodell should be in the business of suspending people who haven't had criminal charges filed against them yet? Why? And what for?

Some have made utterly baseless comparisons between Roethlisberger and Adam "Pac-Man" Jones, others between Roethlisberger and Michael Vick.

In the former case, Jones was arrested 10 TIMES IN TWO YEARS during one stretch in the NFL, and that doesn't count his problems IN COLLEGE. If anything, Goodell was TOO LENIENT with Jones.

As for Vick...the fellow's suspension was IRRELEVANT BECAUSE HE WASN'T GOING TO BE PLAYING FOOTBALL DURING HIS 23-MONTH PRISON TERM ANYWAY.

The Roger Goodell bashers are basically in two camps. First is the group of people who blame all of Michael Vick's problems on everyone but Michael Vick. Second are the people who believe that Goodell just had it in for black players or was acting on behalf of owners and corporate interests who did.

The first group won't even listen to Vick's own statements concerning his behavior or take note of how his brother Marcus similarly threw away his own NFL career. The second group ignores what the failure to take care of its image problem because of fears of being called racist got the NBA: declining ratings and attendance, and the loss of their NBC television contract.

Speaking of the NBA, how many of the "Roger Goodell is giving Roethlisberger a pass because he is white!" crowd (meaning that they have either decided that Roethlisberger is guilty or simply want him suspended regardless of guilt just because Vick was) defended Kobe Bryant during his rape accusations? Jemele Hill of ESPN? This means you.

With that out of the way, let's deal with what is probably a LEGITIMATE racial issue: that apparently no one but the Raiders is willing to offer anything more than a third round draft pick for Donovan McNabb. Though I detest Sacha Baron Cohen for reasons that I will not get into, allow me to borrow from his Ali G character: "Is it coz he's black?" Otherwise, it makes no sense.

McNabb is a 33-year-old six-time Pro Bowler coming off the second best statistical season of his career (his best was when he had Terrell Owens). Assuming a good supporting cast, the guy has 15,000 yards and 100 TDs left in the tank. All that is worth is a third round pick?

Let me give you some comparison. Jay Cutler, who hasn't produced a winning season since high school, was traded for two No. 1 picks, two No. 2 picks, and Kyle Orton, a young QB who had led a team to the playoffs, last season. But Cutler is seven years younger than McNabb, right?

Fine. The Jets got Brett Favre, 39 years old and with real questions about his health and motivation, for a fourth round draft pick. Those questions were confirmed when Favre's arm gave out during the season and when he "retired" for the second time in a year.

"But Favre won a Super Bowl!" you protest. Yeah, way back in 1996, when McNabb was the starting QB and backup point guard at Syracuse. Claiming that Favre is anywhere near the same player physically or mentally that he was back then is absurd.

Also, the "McNabb never won a Super Bowl so that's why no one wants him" people are dishonest. Steve Young didn't win a Super Bowl until he was 33. John Elway didn't until he was 37. (In a game where he was 11-of-22 with an INT. Gee, wouldn't Donovan McNabb have benefited from a tailback like Terrell Davis? Elway certainly did because he was 0-3 in Super Bowls without him.) Dan Marino never won a Super Bowl at all.

Now tell me that Young, Elway, Marino, or for that matter Favre wouldn't have easily gotten a first round pick in a trade at that stage in their careers. That's what makes people calling the Eagles' GM Howie Rosemond a "shakedown artist " for demanding a first round pick for a QB that has at least three or four Pro Bowls left in him absurd.

So, instead of asking why the Eagles want so much for McNabb, we should ask Denver—who immediately, vociferously denied any interest in McNabb whatsoever—where they think Orton and Brady Quinn is going to lead them.

We should ask the Dolphins, who have a great defense and running game, whether Chad Henne gives them a chance against Mark Sanchez, let alone Tom Brady, in that division.

We need to ask the 49ers whether McNabb gives their very good WRs, running game, and defense a better chance to win than Alex Smith. (By the way, does anyone know that San Francisco has two first round picks and few real needs other than CB? Just checking in case you didn't know.)

Is Matt Leinart really ready to lead Arizona anywhere? Why not let him compete in training camp with McNabb to prove it? It would only cost you the No. 26 pick in the draft!

And are the Carolina Panthers committed to allowing someone named Matt Moore to duel with Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, and the very talented Josh Freeman? True, the Panthers don't have a No. 1 pick this year, but they could work something out.

Yet from those teams...nothing. Most vehemently deny interest, as did the Broncos, and the rest are lowballing like the Bills.

Many are making utterly ridiculous moves, such as the Cardinals signing Derek Anderson, the 49ers agreeing to be the fourth team to pay David Carr in four years, the Seahawks giving up a second and a third rounder for Charlie Whitehurst, the Broncos trading for Quinn and then declaring that there was no QB competition, the Panthers giving Moore $3 million next year, and best of all, the Vikings deciding that it is better to wait until training camp on the chance that 40-year-old Brett Favre MIGHT come back than give up the No. 30 pick in the draft to have a 33-year-old Pro Bowl QB to pair with Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, and Percy Harvin (the type of talent that McNabb never had in Philly, not even close!) for the next five years.

The funny part is how no one is talking about it. The fact that no one but the Raiders seems to really want a QB who will throw for 15,000 yards and 100 TDs unless they can get him for practically nothing is only being used as still more evidence that Al Davis is nuts.

It is amazing—even cowardly—that we would rather talk about how Ben Roethlisberger would have been suspended by Roger Goodell already if he were black than that.