Sports and Race: If Jay Cutler Was Black

Sorry, Non- Sports Fans, but I had to rant about this. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, google Jay Cutler. He’s an NFL quarterback

If Jay Cutler, he wouldn’t get the benefit of the doubt like he currently is receiving. There wouldn’t be throngs of teams clamoring to trade for him. Teams would avoid him, sports radio would vilify him, fans would shun him. Not real fans, but those that expect their athletes to be perfect, instead of people. They’d spout venom about his immaturity and tell America that he’s exhibiting prima donna behavior. They’d suggest that he’s a distraction that needs to be fined, suspended, cut from the team. There wouldn’t even be a discussion about who’s right or wrong. The team is more important than one player. They need to make an example out of him. Be harsh with him and the rest of the league will understand that conduct detrimental to the team will not be tolerated. You can’t stand for that. No player is bigger than the team. No player can be allowed to show up his coach like that. No player can just not return the owner’s phone calls. He’d be considered a cancer, America’s favorite word to describe black athletes.

But he’s not black. So he gets exactly what he wanted. He doesn’t have to pay any fines. He's not suspended. He gets to leave the team that he’s under contract to. He gets the benefit of the doubt from the sports public. I’m not saying this situation is racism (at least not deliberate racism), but there definitely is a double standard at work. If you wanna take race out of it, call this post… If Jay Cutler was Terrell Owens…or If Jay Cutler was Allen Iverson… or If Jay Cutler was Manny Ramirez… Basically, any man of color can’t assert himself like Jay Cutler did and get away with it with his reputation unscathed.