This blog entry is a disgrace. Donovan McNabb is overly scrutinized because he is a popular sports athlete in Philadelphia … thats it – We here in Philly boo Mike Schmidt, Scott Rolen, Curt Schilling, and even Santa Claus …

Jenni, instead of pulling the “minority card”, why don’t you spend your time researching the content for your articles instead of writing “garbage” like Coach Gundy said.

I think most Americans judge a writer by their writing ability and not by the size of their breasts. . . . Yes. . . color WAS an issue with quarterbacks and sex WAS an issue with sports reporters. . . but NOT ANYMORE. . . .in fact, a lot of people are AFRAID to criticize minorities now because of political correctness and such. . . .I thought we were past this type of crap in our society.

Ms. Carlson,

On the topic of first hand knowledge, lets remenber the most important thing, that being, you have NO first hand knowledge of being a football player at any level. Perhaps you should try your hand at being a food critic, you would then for sure have some first hand knowledge of what you write. What ever you decide, on behalf of football fans everywhere, please stop trying to cover football. Jenni with an “i” – cute.

RD

RD

To follow your logic to the end – only ex-football players should cover football, basketball players cover basketball, etc. What a bigoted pig you are to assume that, because she is a woman, she must know something about food. I’m curious. Have you ever posted on a male sports writer’s blog insinuating that they do not know what they are writing about; or do you simply assume that all male sports writers have also played sports? That is not always true, and, certainly, not all of them have played the sport which they are now covering.

Personally, I’ve found Ms. Carlson’s columns to be absolutely refreshing ever since her arrival in Oklahoma CIty. I have not always agreed with her, just as I did not agree with some points in the Bobby Reid article which cause all the turmoil.

One mark of a good writer, however, is to take a specific situation and then broaden it, or put it in a perspective which makes others think about the subject. Often, this is done using analogy.

Finally, RD, you have blinders on. Women, myself included, are often more rabid football fans than the men around them. That is certainly true in my family. This has certainly been recognized by Madison Avenue & the NFL.

One parting shot, RD – do you have any first-hand knowledge about newspaper column writing, how the job is done, and what goes into it? Perhaps you shouldn’t be writing here either.

Ms. Carlson – keep up the good work; lots of us enjoy it.

Interesting you mention having “to do a little bit extra” than your male counterparts in this posting. It belies your actual work as a columnist. If the column causing this recent uproar is any indication of how much “harder” you work to “get it right”, well, you fail miserably, Ms. Carlson.

I admit to being unfamiliar with your work prior to your hatchet job on Bobby Reid (seeing Gundy’s tirade made me want to check it out to see what all the fuss was about), but if the under-developed, non-attributed drivel you stated as “fact” in the column is your idea of “good journalism”, well, shame on you.

You know nothing of Reid’s relationship with his family, yet your article intimates you can “read” him because he’s got an affectionate mother. I guess you’d prefer he be the stereotypical “badass” athlete, and having him beating up coeds, or his professors, or starting bar fights on Saturdays. That would prove he’s not a “mama’s boy”, wouldn’t it?

You state there are “whispers” about him in the OSU locker room…so I guess non-attributed grumbling qualifies as a “source” now?

And while any gambler worth his salt knows inside-and-out the type and severity of a player’s injuries any given week, you couldn’t even be bothered to take 5 minutes to investigate the severity of Reid’s injuries; you just ASSUMED he was “goldbricking”.

That’s slipshod, sloppy, and unworthy of someone claiming to be a “professional” at what she does.

You claim you “give a little bit extra”? I’d be hard-pressed to believe that “extra” is in any way connected to journalistic ethics or personal integrity. You want your readers to believe you work harder? Well, here’s a tip: WORK HARDER!!! (Pretty simple, huh?)

And this is from a YANKEE, no less! (I live in suburban Philadelphia…Pennsylvania, not Mississippi).

You know what? You do have to do a little extra. Not because you are a woman or a minority, but because you are a no talent hack that needs to do something to get your voice heard no matter how unscrupulous. We all know you will write anything you have to so as it makes a “good” story.

Hi Jenni,

I am not going to give you as hard of a time as most of the other folks, but I do think Coach Gundy had some salient points. While you have the right of free speech, you do have to be cognizant that these are amateur athletes who are unpaid and should be less scrutinized than pro players. While you do have the right to your opinion, you also have a responsibility to your paper and community to promote public good. As a former black athlete,
I did like your comparison of being a female journalist with a black sports hero. Obviously, unbeknownst to your readers, racism and prejudice are still alive in America. However, no one who is not a minority would realize this.

Wow. This is a really well-timed blog don’t you think? Black quarterbacks being more scrutinized than others? THAT CAN’T BE RIGHT! Oh wait… well there is that one two-bit psuedo journalist from Oklahoma who wrote a scathing personal attack on a black quarterback because of nothing more than he eats chicken.

I didn’t notice you writing any blatantly libelous articles about any white kids lately. But that might just be because, as a general rule, I refuse to read this trash you can writing.

as a black male who played football at the d-1 level and now owns a business, its very ironic to see a person like yourself finally understand what it is like to be viewed as a minority.

at the end of the day, non minorities wont ever understand and will be very critical of the reality. as a male, i dont understand half the subtle battles of women, and would suggest there is some wisdom on my part of realizing that.

however, being black and being a woman is apple and oranges. its fruit, but not the same at all.

your article on bobby reid was just awful. also your good morning america interview was no better. im not a fan of yours by any means, but i do understand the point you attempt to make and am sorry for all our sakes things are the way they are-isnt it funny how people still make it seem that racism/bigotry is a thing of the past?? truth be known every race is racist, because to even endorse the concept of race puts you on a bad path.

If working harder means spitting out that crap you call reporting, you need to work even harder. Don’t compare yourself to a black QB, they actually have a demonstrated skill to be in the NFL, while who knows what Jenny(i) means by working “harder.”

There’s probably a “gig” waiting for you at the National Inquirer. “blakelylaw Says” you sound like an idiot like Carlson. Are you two related? Go home and clean the house. By the way most women who are “rabid football-fans” either had sex with one or like to admire the players forms, much like me watching the Miss Hawaiian Tropics pagent. It isn’t because of their talent or their knowledge of the game. Penetration has a whole new meaning here.

Carlson needs to stick to writing a lunch menu and stop trying to pretend she knows anything about football. “blakelylaw Says” want to sniff my jock strap?

Rex Grossman probably knows a hell of a lot more than McNabb about QB scrutiny in the NFL. Last I checked, he is white. Ryan Leaf comes to mind as well. Cade McNown…Joey Harrington…Chris Weinke…Kerry Collins…Bubby Brister…Heath Schuler…Tim Couch…Rick Mirer…Rich Gannon. I could go on.

So why is it that once Donovan McNabb devolves down into the ranks of this group of notable under-acheivers, it’s only because he is unfairly targeted due to his race?

As a professional Qarterback in the NFL I can honestly say that When I see Suzi on the sidelines it is refreshing to know that times have changed and that women (to quote Annie Lenox and Aretha Franklin)are doing it for themselves. I do not feel that I am scrutinized anymore that my white counterparts. I am scrutinized because I am a second year man. HYPE HYPE and did I mention HYPE. Can I move on to Coach Gundy? I think that he is correct about the excessive slamming of a college player. The relationship between coach and player is like parent and child. So to Coach Gundy he was defending his own. Likewise Bobby has to walk around campus day after day “It hurts”,. Perhaps because he is a tough football player people gather he does not have feelings. Perhaps Ms Carlson does not recall being that young with the burden of heavy responsibilities on your shoulders. At the same time Ms Carlson is not a sports writer. She is an opinion columnist who writes about sports. Even if she did not know the difference between a touchdown, and a homerun. she is entitled to her opinions. My comment and question to Jenni is this. You write for a newspaper that represnts a southern state regardless of how it was meant, why would you put yourself and you paper in the crosshairs by referring to Booby Reid’s mom ” feeding him chicken on the sidelines”, not once but twice. When it comes to the Ms Carlson’s column about the starting QB situation at OSU. I think that Coach Gundy is just the beginning of a host of issues that will be brought up because of that article, and will be the least of the papers problems concerning. Of course that is only my opinion.

Jenni,

Watching you respond to criticism, with your editor at your side. I don’t think that you should compare yourself to Donovan. He is a highly trained professional. After reading your article critical of a college QB – filled with “rumors” from ” sources” – your work is that of a hack.

We had a son play D-1 football, I’m glad he never had to deal with an unprofessional “columnist” (not reporter) like you.

Jim in Pennsylvania

Now…about the Reid/Gundy issue…

All this talk about Reid being a defenseless “kid” who has suffered at the hands of a newspaper columnist. I call BS! This same “kid” has fellow “kids” who are male AND female and carrying weapons and live ammo in Iraq and Afghanistan. These are MEN. These are WOMEN. These are grownups. These people are Reid’s age AND younger. They suffer great stress and great loss. They do it because of honor and duty. Reid is a QB on a D1 program and a Big12 school. He is BMOC. He sleeps in a soft, warm bed with full, hot meals every day. He has fraternity guys and sorority girls chasing him all day and all night. Everybody worrying about pity-poor Reid need to think again about how tough our young women on the ground in the heat of Iraq and in the cross-hairs of Al Qeada are EVERY DAY OF THIE LIVES, and stfu.

Reid’s job is to Man Up. Gundy’s job is to lead him there. Carlson’s column means nothing.

Hello, this is America. It doesn’t matter what color or gender you are. If you want to be on top in your profession, then you have to give that extra effort. I hate the use of the gender or race card. Do you know how many immigrants from other countries came to this country with nothing. At one point the Irish were considered to be equal to the so’called suppressed african americans. Where is the equality laws for the polish, irish, etc.. By the way you don’t help your cause when go after a young athlete. Even if a male writer wrote the article, there would still be hostility toward the author. Everyone claims that they just want to be equal, when really they just want an advantage over the competition (Equal Opportunity Employer’s, numerous scholarships to minorities).

Matt there is a word that is used on a regular basis, that is so inaccurate. Minoritiy and Minorities. Referring to women and people of color. So in other words if one is not a white male then they are labled as a minority? Consider this take all the people of color form Asia (including the 1/4 of the earth’s population in China, Africa, The Carribean Islands, the idigenious people of Australia. All the ethnic people born in Europe, and the countries of the Middle East, not to forget Native Americans including all native tribes Navajo, Ojibwe.. Pacific Islanders, and people from above the Artic Circle (Eslimos)and you compare that number to the number of people on this planet with and of strictly European heritage (white folks) and you will find yourselves greatly out numbered. As fare as women they outnumber us 6 to 1 on Earth. So look in a mirror Matt, and there you will see the true Minirity, but as for me I will jsut call you Matt

Please excuse the ocassional typo. It seems I am always hurrying through these

The analogy of female sports reporter to black NFL QB is a good one. Does anyone seriously think that the Coach would have gone off in that way on a male reporter? I seriously doubt it. Good entertainment, sure, but the whole “You don’t have children” thing struck me as profoundly sexist.

That said, the original piece was indeed pretty lame, I have no idea where the “feeding him chicken” idiocy comes from…

We’re not talking about the female journalistic equivalent of Donovan McNabb here, more like a female Seneca Wallace.

t

ever heard of rex grossman? eli manning? peyton before he won it all?

Fact is, QBs get scrutinized on their performance, its not racial issue anymore.

Seems like you dont know squat about sports. Give it up.

You are in same class as Kim Jong il

jenni – you should chose another profession. you’re just not very good at this.

If playing major college football is such a sacrifice and hardship on the players and the public scutiny the “kids” endure is so damaging, why not just end the entire OSU football program and Coach “I’m a man” Gundy can become a motivational speaker.

Tim Davenport you are brain dead. Watch any number of coach’s tirades hurled at male reporters. Heck, didn’t Mr. Rome once get physically assaulted by an NFL quarterback. You, like Jenni, probalby never played the game or had to put up with nerds, know it alls, and armchair quarterbacks saying they could do the job better having never strapped on pads in the middle of summer, getting your body beat to hell, and putting your heart and body on the line, week in and week out. Go back to your Dungeons and Dragons where you can save some fantasy world. And Jenni, if you did have kids you would know what the coach is talking about. His comments could have been directed to a male or female reporter and to take them as sexist is silly. Or are you pulling a Johnny Cochrane here to get out of Oklahoma? Heck, you’ve already received (undeserved) national attention.