By Nunnie Robinson, Westside Gazette Sports Editor
Well. the unthinkable happened over the major duration of the NFL 2025 draft. The narrative for Shedeur Sanders’ precipitous fall in the draft now centers around his athletic shortcomings as a quarterback or not showing up for the combine or not participating in the Senior Bowl. Then the narrative about interviews with various teams creating more doubt and uncertainty.
Reflect with me, IF you will, on John Elway who emphatically informed the Indianapolis Colts not to draft him, that he wouldn’t play for them or Archie Manning advocating on behalf of Eli, demanding not to be drafted by the San Diego Chargers. Do Johnny Manzel and Baker Mayfield raise any eyebrows. Conversely, Colin Kaepernick took a knee while the national anthem was played in protest of police brutality and violence against Black Americans. That noble gesture cost him his career. Fair or not, the comparisons are there even though they -John and Eli – both enjoyed great NFL careers, winning two Super Bowls each. Why weren’t the Sanders afforded that same courtesy? White privilege, I am convinced. As a Mississippi native, having grown up in this country and knowing how racism plays apart in every fabric of America, I reflect back to our president, President Obama, whose Democratic Party had control of the Senate and Congress his first two years in office, allowing him to pass the Affordable Care Act. What happened next? The Tea Party steamrolled all over the country, twisting the narrative and convinced our fickle, uninformed citizenry to vote red, resulting in the Republican takeover of the senate and congress, effectively compromising President Obama’s executive powers for the next six years. You recall that Senator McConnell stated that it was their obligation/duty to make Obama a one term president. Though they failed miserably, they surely stymied and reduced his effectiveness as president. Since qb evals began, for most of the time, Shedeur was the #2 rated quarterback in the country behind Miami’s Cam Ward, and suddenly before the draft began, the rumors surfaced. Don’t really know the truth because I wasn’t in the room, but I do know this country and I know how they think about confident, opinionated, accomplished Black men like Deion Sanders. If Shedeur is guilty of anything, it is being Deion’s son, who, if you recall, made the comment that he would not want his son to play for certain teams in the NFL because of their racism or biased policies. I think that began the downward spiral. I was awfully disappointed in Mike Tomlin, the Steelers coach who needed a quarterback, had a third round pick but chose to fill other positions of need. This is the same Mike Tomlin who hired former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who accused the owner of racism and deceit, as a special assistant. Presently, he is the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. That entire NFL debacle quietly went away as if someone waved a magic wand. Tomlin, reason unknown, would not draft Shedeur in the third round in a position of need. Baffling to say the least.
Absolutely amazing! I firmly believe that the NFL colluded against Deion and Shedeur because they – the powers that be – wanted to put Deion and Black men generally in their place. What it tells us is that until we can call our own shots, though Individual success may be afforded Black Americans, collectively, we have a long way to go in terms of economic and political power and social justice. Only in America! Adding insult to injury, the Cleveland Browns traded up to draft Shedeur in the fifth round after previously drafting Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round. It nonsensical that 2 quarterbacks rated below him who played on superior teams – Ole Miss & Oregon – would suddenly be drafted higher. Shedeur simply outperformed while playing on an overtly inferior Buffalo team. You can probably think of other examples of Black men being put in their place because of their outspoken opinions or actions in various segments of our society. What the white man has too often done is urinate on us and tell us it’s raining, and we have fallen or fell for the okey-doke. In this case it’s not about money. Deion and his family will be fine. It’s the principle ; never should he have fallen to the fifth round, especially to a team who had already drafted a rookie quarterback. I am incensed and disappointed. It appears that we are helpless to do anything about it other than express how we feel. Earlier in the week I posted on Facebook a page with Michelle Obama eviscerating 45-47 for his incompetence and the comparisons to vice president Kamala Harris, who was held to a much higher standard, the same forces that elected a convicted felon and insurrectionist leader, a rapist to the highest office in the land over a politically astute former Attorney General, US senator and vice president in favor of a criminal! Only in America. I continue to believe that the biggest problem in this country is and continues to be racism in every conceivable aspect. God bless America.