NFL's Message to the Black Man 2010

That's what we hearing a lot lately, right? What with quarterbacks behaving like debauching Norsemen and wide receivers indulging weed and gun fetishes.

But how do you define character? Is it defined by growing up surrounded by moral quicksand pits the second you wake up, yet avoiding any trouble with the law, as Dez Bryant did? How about having the discipline to complete a pre-med caseload in 21/2 years, at a 3.75 clip, demonstrating the character worthy of a Rhodes Scholarship.

Apparently not, according to Brian Billick. The former Baltimore Ravens coach called Myron Rolle's decision to forego his senior year to pursue Magnum Opus of academic fellowships "a character issue." So let me get this straight, his decision to return to his sport constitutes lack of commitment to that sport?

Only if you're black or not a quarterback.

Drew Henson left football for baseball, and faced none of this. Chris Weinke, who ironically also played for Bobby Bowden at Florida State, returned to football after eight years, and was highly drafted. The words used to describe these men were "mature" "grounded" and possessed of "life experience."

In the NFL, if you're black, character means "humbly docile."

In retrospect, this was predictable, especially with the accompanying surprise pick of Tim Tebow by the Denver Broncos.

Consider this. The newest NFL Players Association President is DeMaurice Smith. He has rattled the cages of the league aristocracy in two years than the lily livered Gene Upshaw did in 20. Smith spent nearly 20 years as an attorney in Washington, where he developed a reputation as a fierce litigator. It is no surprise that he advocates fiercely for his union. Indeed, Smith has more political pull than most owners, and has shown no hesitance to use it. Smith is also Black.

In the days leading up to the draft, Myron Rolle relieved his agent, Leigh Steinberg, in favor of Joel Segal. Steinberg had been playing up not just Rolle's quality athletic talents, but also his potential as a transformative figure in the community, someone people would be proud to follow. Indeed, his nickname in the Florida State locker room was "president". The theme was sort of "Obama with cleats."

Uh oh.

Most NFL owners are conservatives. In those circles, invoking the "O" word is akin to calling upon Mephistopheles. Knowing he may one day be an impact player in the NFL, owners had to postpone the day Myron Rolle could have impact off the field. First and second round contracts create leverage, something they were not going to provide him if they didn't have to. They had to put him in his place. Now.

If any team was going to pick Tebow, it was going to be Denver. The son of Christian missionaries, Tebow has made no secret of his desire to use his prominence as a platform to promote his faith. Christian Evangelical movements abound in the greater Denver area from mega churches like New Life and Grace Chapel, to Stalwart Political Forces like Focus On The Family. Indeed, it was FOF who sponsored the Super Bowl ad featuring Tebow and his mom. Former Colorado University football coach Bill McCartney, who founded the popular Promise Keepers men's ministry in nearby Boulder, has gushed over what Tebow will mean to the local evangelical community. It all makes sense.

What's discouraging is that the NFL had the chance to send a message to young Black men about the type of man they want to play in their league. Yet a man with no worse than second or third round talent who has no arrests, no accusations of miscreance, no failed drug tests, and hell, no scandalous pictures on MySpace drops to near irrelevance because of . . . what exactly?

Good job NFL. Black men of character and intellect got the message loud and clear.