Jason Cole Defends Cam Against Vince Young Comparisons

[DaCityKats]

What young white QBs are compared to Tim Couch, JP Losman, Kyle Boller? All 3 of those guys were 1st round draft picks. Who playing right now that is a white QB hears those guys names when he has a 3 INT game or his team gets curbstomped?

Which pretty much makes it a racial issue. If you're categorizing QBs simply by race, what do you think that is? And again, there are hordes of white QBs over the last 10 years who have not made it. Why doesnt Cam get compared to them when he struggles? Perhaps do we want to give the illusion that white QBs never fail and are always the "safe" bet?

VY is not the only one who did not make it in the NFL as a QB. Its just funny that they only group and compare black QBs with black QBs, then tell you there's nothing racial about it. Leaf is the exception because he's a drug addict/criminal so its 'safe' to mention him with a black person. Why those other guys names dont come up like that?

Is it possible to offer praise to one black QB without giving a backhand slap to another 1? Or is that asking too much in 2012?

Leaf has a sickness so he cant be compared to black QBs or thugs.

[LinvilleGorge]

The same thing happens with white RBs.

Racial profiling happens. It's not just a black thing.

I'm not saying it's right or necessarily defending it, I'm just saying that it happens with all races. I guarantee you if there was an Asian LB prospect, the first comparison made would be Dat Nguyen. The Haloti Ngata comparisons are already starting for Star Lotulelei.

[XClown1986]

by the way, if anyone wants to see a listing of all the QBs drafted since 2002 who are white I'll be glad to post it. Its well over 100 players and today less than 10% of those guys have winning records or are still in the league. Why cant Cam be compared to or accused of being one of those guys when people want to slam him?

Again, because Cam didn't fail when entering the league. He did well. So did Vince Young. They both then struggled with their emotions in their 2nd year.

If the comparison was to Jamarcus Russell, I'd agree with you. But Vince Young's situation was very similar to Cam's. It's now just about how he deals with it from here.

[Captroop]

by the way, if anyone wants to see a listing of all the QBs drafted since 2002 who are white I'll be glad to post it. Its well over 100 players and today less than 10% of those guys have winning records or are still in the league. Why cant Cam be compared to or accused of being one of those guys when people want to slam him?

I'd actually like to see the list. My contention would be that very very few of the white QBs on that list were so-called dual threat QBs, which is a trait that VY and Cam undeniably share.

I'd like to look at the list and see if there are even a handful of QBs on it with a playing style remotely similar to Cam Newton. The closest would probably be Ben Roethlisberger...but he didn't wash out.

[DaCityKats]

The same thing happens with white RBs.

Racial profiling happens. It's not just a black thing.

I'm not saying it's right or necessarily defending it, I'm just saying that it happens with all races. I guarantee you if there was an Asian LB prospect, the first comparison made would be Dat Nguyen. The Haloti Ngata comparisons are already starting for Star Lotulelei.

but thats the point. why is it like that?racial profilling will always be here.

[SCP]

Cam isn't compared to white QBs because there is no white QB that has his skill set. Hell, not many black QBs have Cam's skill set. Cam's going to prove them all wrong in the end and I can't wait to see fat fugs like Peter King have to eat their words..... Again

[The Special One]

[King Taharqa]

Again, because Cam didn't fail when entering the league. He did well. So did Vince Young. They both then struggled with their emotions in their 2nd year.

If the comparison was to Jamarcus Russell, I'd agree with you. But Vince Young's situation was very similar to Cam's. It's now just about how he deals with it from here.

Nothing about Vince's situation is similar to Cam's. Vince Young made the playoffs his 2nd year. Thats struggling? Is Cam going to the playoffs his 2nd year? Vince never lead the league in YPA. They're only compared because they are black. Thats it. Thats the reason you dont hear people calling Cam "another JP Losman" or "another David Carr".

[XClown1986]

Cam isn't compared to white QBs because there is no white QB that has his skill set. Hell, not many black QBs have Cam's skill set. Cam's going to prove them all wrong in the end and I can't wait to see fat fugs like Peter King have to eat their words..... Again

I'd say Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, and Jake Locker have similar skill sets and they are white.

[King Taharqa]

I'd actually like to see the list. My contention would be that very very few of the white QBs on that list were so-called dual threat QBs, which is a trait that VY and Cam undeniably share.

I'd like to look at the list and see if there are even a handful of QBs on it with a playing style remotely similar to Cam Newton. The closest would probably be Ben Roethlisberger...but he didn't wash out.

Its not about how guys play, its how guys were sold. My list is filled with guys who were sold as "sure bets". My question is a) why did they fail? B) why are the guys who "play like them" not told they have to prove they arent them? c) if the "success rate" for "non-dual threat" QBs is so low, why are we seeing them get drafted every year despite that?

[Captroop]

Nothing about Vince's situation is similar to Cam's. Vince Young made the playoffs his 2nd year. Thats struggling? Is Cam going to the playoffs his 2nd year? Vince never lead the league in YPA. They're only compared because they are black. Thats it. Thats the reason you dont hear people calling Cam "another JP Losman" or "another David Carr".

Maybe no one is saying it in the media, but I'm definitely thinking David Carr. I don't care how big he is, when a QB is getting hit as often as Cam is and David Carr was, it can lead to irreparable shell shock and pocket nerves.

[XClown1986]

Nothing about Vince's situation is similar to Cam's. Vince Young made the playoffs his 2nd year. Thats struggling? Is Cam going to the playoffs his 2nd year? Vince never lead the league in YPA. They're only compared because they are black. Thats it. Thats the reason you dont hear people calling Cam "another JP Losman" or "another David Carr".

JP Losman never succeeded in the NFL

David Carr never succeeded in the NFL

Vince Young succeeded early. You said it yourself. Then his emotions started going haywire when he was playing bad, or the team struggled. The same questions were asked about Cam. Name a white QB that this has happened to. Don't worry I'll wait.

Otherwise, have fun being ignorant.

[LinvilleGorge]

but thats the point. why is it like that?racial profilling will always be here.

You answered your own question. I think it's just human nature to automatically associate people with whom they share a similar physical appearance. VY and Cam are both big bodied 6'5" black men who play QB and bring an athletically unique threat to the field. Physically, the comparison isn't that far off. When people were making that comparison leading up to the draft, I told them straight up that I'd take a non-crazy Vince Young all day everyday. If it wasn't for his issues between the ears, I think he would be a damn good NFL QB. I think he showed that he could've been.

[Captroop]

Its not about how guys play, its how guys were sold. My list is filled with guys who were sold as "sure bets". My question is a) why did they fail? B) why are the guys who "play like them" not told they have to prove they arent them? c) if the "success rate" for "non-dual threat" QBs is so low, why are we seeing them get drafted every year despite that?

A. Success rate is low at any position. You'd be better spent why the few who succeed do.

B. Because few receieve the amount of national attention Cam did, and now he's struggling in the spotlight. No one cares when a bad QB sucks. When a highly heralded and wildly successful QB suddenly struggles, he has to prove that he hasn't flamed out. If he wins, the comparisons go away.

C. Again the success rate at any position is low. Dual threat guys get flashy regular season numbers. But what percent of Super Bowl winning QBs have been dual threat QBs? For non-dual threats, yeah, the low end guys have the same crappy success rate, but the high end guys have an exponentially higher success rate. That's why non-dual threat guys get drafted.