Donovan McNabb’s agent Fletcher Smith, who happens to be an African-American himself responded to the idiotic statements of Philadelphia boxer Bernard Hopkins with a written statement.
“Ill-informed statements such as the perplexing one Mr. Hopkins muttered recently are dangerous and irresponsible. It perpetuates a maliciously inaccurate stereotype that insinuates those African-Americans who have access to a wider variety of resources are somehow culturally different than their brethren.
“Donovan successfully led the Philadelphia Eagles franchise for a decade. He is the ultimate professional. On the field, he embodied confidence, hard work, assertiveness and a mutual respect for his teammates and the organization. Off the field, Donovan has been an outspoken advocate in the fight against diabetes, which has disproportionally affected the black community. He has given his time to bring awareness to this disease, which unfortunately affects 4.9 million African-Americans. Additionally, he is also involved in many other social initiatives. Donovan has always prided himself on being a leader who possesses impenetrable integrity. He will continue to exemplify the same characteristics in his future endeavors and will remain committed to serving all communities.
“Donovan’s parents are proud Americans who worked hard to give their sons the best childhood they could provide. He is unapologetically proud of sacrifices they made for him. Donovan and his brother were raised to be hard-working African-American men who were taught to believe in themselves.
“It is vital that we extinguish this brand of willful ignorance and instill in the minds of African-American youth regardless of the parental makeup of your household they can become anything they wish if they work hard and make the right decisions in life.
“I wish Mr. Hopkins luck in his upcoming fight.”
Mcnabb has been and still a great gentlemen on and off the field….. It was wrong what B-Hop said about him……. I think a lot of people want to see D-Mac get…… how can I say this…….. Gangsta and respond to something???? The whole Washington ordeal when Shanahan just disgraced or stabbed his career as a professional player……. Making him the 3rd string Qb and saying that theirs nothing that Donavan can show me that would make me think different of him on the field or whatever……. ANd the way the Redskin organization handled it was no class at all…… But Mcnabb said he wants to continue to be a Redskin to play in Washington……. A city whos Franchise’s who Booooed you during a Wizards game and the Wizards aren’t worth 2 dead flies smashed…….. I think B-Hop was very wrong in my book but I guess people want Mcnabb react in a way to stand up as a man or respond in a aggressive manner…… So what if he had a great up-bringing and his parents worked hard to do whats right for the family and their childs future……. B-Hop words of advice….. Not everyone came up from the HOOD!!!!
Hey G,
Have you read Marcus Hayes article/commentary on this statement today? The guy is a joke and has zero credibility as a journalist. Unbelievable that guys like Hopkins and even Hayes seem to bash McNabb at every turn. The guy may have been overrated and a bit of a choker, but he was a class act for a decade in the toughest media market in pro sports that seemed hell bent on making him snap.
I think this situation goes way back to the whole T.O. thing when Donovan said take my name out of your mouth to T.O. and said this is black on black crime. Regardless race shoudn’t be portrayed in this manner. Hopkins is a boxer and those cats are strange, they’ve been hit in the head way tooo much. I was a waiter at an upscale restaurant in Miami and Maryweather and his entourage came in with don king. They dined in the pdr and all of a sudden in the middle of the meal there was like a million dollars in stacks in the middle of the table. Boxers are just strange! I understand Mcnabb could have stood up for himself stronger and louder dealing with T.O., hopkins and shanahan. He kind of lost the locker room back then not showing a killer instinct by not showing too much passion, maybe thats why we didn’t win a superbowl but his color has nothing to do with it!
what’s malicious about or stereotypical to say that any race or culture that is exposed to different things will have a different cultural perspective, this agent is a dumb ass trying to sound intelligent, typical mcnabb too gutless to respond for himself
I can respect your opinion jakedog……. I thought agents were suppose to handle legal and economic well being…… Not to be his puppet and voice out what your client does on and off the field……. Maybe Mcnabb loves the role of no response is the best response…… As a man I would let B-hop have it…… I’m sorry……. I’ll say B-hop…….. Golden Boy Production couldn’t fix those CHOMPERS you call teeth……. You beat the man you call boss???? What does that make you????? Theirs no B-Hop production…….???? I’ll get real nasty!!!!! 757 what up!!
look, Hopkins is Born, beaten beloved Philly, who are these outsiders to judge Hopkins, a true champion, London Fletcher, ur outta here………..
this is the part where McNabb loses everyone who wants to be on his side. It always feels like he ducks issues when his own reputation is being smacked around.. Some situations I can see him not responding or sending some statement (like Rush Limbaugh)… But the TO situation and this one are 2 where he should take this personal enough to respond himself.
It like people know they can kick McNabb up the butt and he wont say anything
I considered myself a McNabb fan when he was here, but I was disappointed the way he handled the TO situation.. Just my opinion, but I think McNabb should have stood up to TO and made it clear that his distractions wont be tolerated while he plays on MCNABB’S team. that he didnt take ownership of the lockeroom and say “im the leader here” disappointed me and it seemed like he let TO drag him thru the mud like Rush did and like B-Hop, Redskins and J Mondesaire did also.. I almost have no more sympathy for a guy who would continually let people beat up on him in public
I was happy to see McNabb traded, but Hopkins talk is crazy. McNabb should tell Hopkins he will beat his ass in a MMA fight. Hopkins can box, but it’s a different story in a MMA match. I may not be Donovans’s biggest fan, but he would put a hurtin on B-hop. Mayby that is Hopkins plan for a pay per view with Donovan because no one cares about who he’s fighting for the last 4 years.
Imagine a 4 week show about both guys training for a Mcnabb / Hopkins fight like they do for the big fights. Monster ratings and McNabb isn’t under contract. This is the kind of post I’m doing because of the strike. Vick could be the ring announcer. Andy would be in Donovans’s corner and shanahan would go to Hopkins side. It’s crazy, but everyone would watch. Ochostinko would somehow ride a bull as the opening attraction.
Bernard is a washed up old fighter who needs to drum up controversy to get people interested in his upcoming fight ( which many probably didn’t even know )
I wonder if he considers the president Black ?
Why does Donavan have to stoop to Bernards level to be considered a man or to gain respect from people…
Bernard is doing the work of the Willie Lynch memo, good job Bernard.
gotta, hopkins got cheated in december, this time will win light heavyweight crown, are you serious, this time pascal will get beat in unanimous decision
jphalines, what kind of crack house from which you post, mcnabb put a beating on hopkins? hopkins would drop mr. softy like a bad habit, you are funny
Jake,
Hopkins is a total bada$$, but a pissed off 240+ pound McNabb would be hard to wrestle and take out. It actually makes me laugh typing this because I’ve also called McNabb soft. McNabb would get major respect in Philly win or lose forever. I know McNabb wouldn’t sink to that level, but it’s a funny conversation. Can Julius Peppers beat up the heavy weight champ(I don’t even know who it is)? Don’t forget this is MMA, not boxing. MMA typically turns into a wrestling match with elbows.
blacks sure love race. never knew black people were the only ones who suffered from diabetes. why did mcnabb not make everyone aware? why just blacks? plus black people always talk about race. case in point bernard hopkins. obama is a constant reminder of race. same with jesse jackson. never understood the whole n word thing. still dont to be honest. its always race. black people never let it go in america. i tell you this right now, if you go to europe blacks do not talk like this. i love america but man you guys have always had your head up the asses with race. let it go.
Other than diabetes being prevalent in the Black community his father suffers from it. Unfortunately many Blacks don’t have the means or resources to attend or get treatment. I’m sure plenty of white Athletes help their own and the way I see it it their money, time and choice. Race is always going to be an issue as long as people like you think the way they do. You say you don’t understand this or that and therein lies the problem. No one wants to or tries to get any understanding and that’s fine too. As for Blacks in Europe, they’ve been assimilated over the years and are separated by the density of their complexion as was the case when they (Europeans) colonized countries in Africa. The lighter their skin, the higher their social classification and so forth and so on. I used to get ticked off at guys luke you but I just realize that you only come out on forums like this or when you’re out with your buddies having a few. As for the use of the N-word, if you don’t see the fuss over it, use it in the presence of the right Black person I promise you’ll get your answer. Hopefully they’ll remove your head from your ass.
hey ron glover. i would never use a word that has the meaning of a troubled time. you assume that white athletes help their own but you cant name anyone who thinks like this and if you could, i would be right beside you saying the same thing i am saying now. the thing is; is that i am right and you are wrong. race is always going to be an issue as long as there are people like you who rush to judgement. every month or so i get on drudge and there is always a race issue. very vitriolic tones. i see it all the time in this city. it is disgusting to me. i thought with having a black president it would not be the case any more but it is. maybe even more so.
for your information i am a russian immigrant. my son was born here and i try my best to raise him. we are not prejudice. we understand intolerance because of the things i saw as a child. i understand this world a lot more than you my friend.
As I stated there are White athletes the contribute to causes that help their own, can I name one off the top of my head, no, but they do exist and I’m ok with that. My issue with you is bit to take offense when a Black man does it.What makes you right and where did I rush to judgment, I responded to your post, you talk about how we’ll never let race issues go,etc. I feel sorry for you if you believe that Barack Obama Presidency would cure all of racisms ills, if anything its magnified it. I never identified you by color or nationality, I can care less about who or what you represent, I only deal with your comments. Nothing against you but the problem with many people that come are just told whatever about Blacks and they take it at face value and assume that we just talk about race because we’re bitter over slavery or the Civil Rights Movement.My suggestion to you is to read about the Black experience in America, talk to some Black scholars on race. And just because you had experiences in your homeland as a child doesn’t give you more knowledge of the world than me by any stretch, my friend
we all love and respect dmac. always in our memories and a hall of famer.
hopkins is an attention whore and a has-been for the most part.
As long as there are ignorant people there will alwys be racism.
Hey RonGlover,
Since it was brought up and you refuted it, can you possibly name a white athlete who sets up a charity for “white youth” or a “white college fund”? I know that you say that they exist, but you can’t recall a specific instance. However, that is bunk. If you are going to make such an outrageous claim that even you know is false, back it up. It is easy to come on a forum and make statements that are categorically false, simpy because there is never accountability. The fact remains–runtheball09 made a valid point and your statement “can I name one off the top of my head, no” is weak. Are racial issues still alive in this country? Absolutely. But statements and assertations like yours are a big part of the problem at this point. Benard Hopkins is as racist as Rush Limbaugh or any of these other idiots and sets back alot of the good that has been done regarding racial relations in this country, but he rarely gets called out in the black community because he is black and “keepin it real”. Ignorant black people do more detriment to their race than any white bigots in this day and age.
And no, I am not a forum warrior. I would gladly destroy your arguement face to face as well, but at that point you would probably want to fist-fight.
fran35,
What makes you think that I would want to resort to a fistfight if my argument is proven wrong? Do you really think I care about losing an argument? Really, just as I said Donovan McNabb contributes to a diabetic charity for african-americans it’s prevalent in the african-american community and more so because his dad suffers from it. Boomer Esiason donates to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis is a disease prevalent in whites.His son Gunner has the disease. I don’t have a problem with that runtheball09 did and apparently you do as well. I’m in total agreement about Hopkins and Limbaugh being racists. So my statements are part of the racism problem in this country as well. Can you name some of the good that’s been done regarding racial relations in this country. I’m just curious to know. As far as a face to face, I’m all for that. And I only fight when physically provoked.
“Since it was brought up and you refuted it, can you possibly name a white athlete who sets up a charity for “white youth” or a “white college fund”? ”
They wouldnt need to call it a “white” anything in this society.. that would be redundant like putting your name on your own furniture in your house..
People have plenty of causes which contribute to, black and white.
more ignorance shown by rasheed1 this is what i am refering to. its always about race and numbers and figures and percentages and justifying the case for african americans to seperate themselves from the rest of society. if brent celek had a charity for autistic children who are white everyone would be pissed off with me right beside you. if a white boxer said that brent celek was a good tight end because he was raised in the white suburbs it would be stupid and race related. i’m sorry that ron glover and anyone else cant understand this.
@runtheball09 you’re the one that has the problem with McNabb donating money to a charity that benefits type 2 diabetes it affects his dad who just so happens to be African American. U are making a race issue out of it I stated in my last post of a similar situation affecting a white athlete. And for the 3rd time I have no problem with it. I’m not trying to understand what you are saying because you obviously aren’t reading what I’m saying or are just that ignorant. You’re not trying to understand what blacks have gone thru here, you’d rather buy into what someone told you instead of finding out why things are the way they are. That’s ignorance.
“its always about race and numbers and figures and percentages and justifying the case for african americans to seperate themselves from the rest of society”
Are you serious? Separate ourselves from society? That’s the most idiotic statement I’ve read in a long time. You don’t have a clue about race relations here as I stated before, your thoughts are from what you’ve been told.
I gave proof that you asked me to provide of a white athlete with a similar situation because you and fran35 didn’t think I could provide it.
Rasheed1–
Great statement–“everything in our society is about and doesn’t need to be stated. It is people like you who must identify everything as about race.
Have you ever thought that there is an incredible double standard in our society? Our kids are raised to see that there must be a seperate benevolent association for all things African American. It was drilled into my head and all of our kids head that racism is as prevalent as the common cold. All the while, in 95% of our population, there is no shred of racism. If John McCain had been a member of a church which openly trashed and preached against blacks as Obama’s Rev. Wright did to whites, McCain would have been drawn and quartered.
Last I checked the elected leader of the US is African American. I felt that this was huge progress and people could stop beating the drum. The fact remains–African Americans make up 12.9% of the population. Hispanics make up 15.8% of the population. Whites make up 65% of the population. You can make of this what you want, but the numbers state that for Obama to have been elected, a good majority of the voting white people elected him.
And by the way, if there are 15.8% of us who are Hispanic, when are we going to get our just due and have a Hispanic President?
@RonGlover,
Our lines are getting crossed. I was not trashing McNabb. This whole debate started because I defended him and think of him as a true role model and a class guy–regardless of the fact that he is white or black. Donating to a Diabetes charity is certainly not race exclusive; nor is donating to a Cystic Fibrosis or Sickle cell Anemia fund predjudiced or racist because they are more prevalent in a certain race. To say that is ridiculous and idiotic. Where I take exception is where there are certain funds or organizations that specify that they exist to better a certain race or ethnicity. I think that this sends the wrong message to kids of any color that the races are seperate.
As far as me not knowing about race relations or the history of African Americans, I take exception. While I am not African American and that certainly brings a totally different perspective with things, I have taken college level African American history and literature courses. I have been the “token white boy” on my college basketball team and been in many clubs where I was the only white face. I have experienced how it feels to be a minority albeit on a small scale. In todays society, most white kids know significantly more about African American history than they do about their own heritage. This is because African American history is extensively taught in our schools. There is no seperate class taught for German Ameican history or Irish American history.
Finally, as for proof of a white professional athlete contributing money or joining a group which specifies it belonging to “white” people in its title, as Reid would say– the time is yours.
The reason why associations like the United Negro College Fund exist is because even after Brown v. Board of Education and the Little Rock Nine, additional funds were needed to provide students from low income homes to receive a secondary education.
And the UNCF is open to all ethnicities.
fran35, lines are being crossed, I know you weren’t trashing McNabb I was taking exception to runtheball09 in regards to McNabb donations to type 2 diabetes, I’m sure if a white person came in white type 2 diabetes they would not be turned away. My comments regarding the Black experience and understanding it were in response to runtheball09 once again because he explained that he’s a Russian Immigrant but is raising a child here. And while it may not be right for associations to be “race exclusive” there was a time in this country where it was neccessary for Blacks, Jews and Hispanics. And although you’ll find that they may carry the name, sometimes that’s all it is just in name only. Like I said about Boomer Esiason and his son with cystic fibrosis effects more white than blacks so if someone contributes to it thats fine doesn’t make them racist, this is what runtheball09 was trying to imply IMO, that’s why I went to there with that. Of course the name would not say “White” this or “White” that but I think my illustration of Boomer and his son was adequate.
Ron,
Since you brought up the UNCF, here is my take. While I am absolutely not disagreeing with the need for the UNCF in years past, or seperate black centric organizations in years past, I think that these groups can perpetuate racism on both sides. I think that ignorance on both sides is fostered by these exclusive groups. Ignorant whites teach their kids that although society is pushing integration, it is really alright to be seperate. Ignorant African Americans teach their kids that things are really as bad as they used to be and there is no progress made and that while integration was fought for, seperation is really best. I understand that many of these groups are holdovers from a time when they were needed, but I really think that they send the wrong message in this day and age and foster negative feelings.
As far as Boomer Esiason and Cystic Fibrosis Charities go, you are correct that it is a pre dominately white disease; only 1 in 17,000 blacks are affected. I think comparing Esiason’s work with CF is similar to Terrell Owens work with Sickle Cell, which only affects 0.25% of the white population. Either way, the charities are not specifically targeting a race or ethnicity, just trying to help those with the afflictions.
That’s all I was trying to explain to runtheball09, he stated, ” why did mcnabb not make everyone aware? why just blacks?” All I was saying was that his father has a form of the disease that is prominent in blacks. Then I went into my comparison. That’s all I was trying to do. I agree with the fact that some organizations may perpetuate a “once race only” facade but like I said UNCF is and always has been open to any ethnicity. Unfortunately, in this day and time we have to sometimes look past the name.