"No way a black QB gets away with things Tom Brady did" - Shannon Sharpe believes Buccaneers QB's treatment is example of white privilege
Former NFL player Shannon Sharpe is known for speaking his mind. He recently decided to do so on a matter which has apparently bothered him for some time now.
Tom Brady, in the eyes of many, is known as the "Golden Boy," meaning someone who can do no wrong. For example, the infamous "tuck rule" game went (arguably but justifiably) in favor of Brady and the Patriots, which ignited their epic run as one of the great NFL dynasties.
Recently, Tom Brady revealed that he tries to be a good sport in light of being accused of not shaking the opposing quarterback's hand after a loss.
When Brady's Patriots lost Super Bowl LII to the Philadelphia Eagles, Brady did not shake the hand of Eagles quarterback Nick Foles.
Brady, also, avoided shaking hands with then-Rams quarterback Jared Goff last season after a loss to the team, which caused an uproar among NFL fans.
Once again, Tom Brady walked off the field without shaking hands with Jared Goff and the Rams.
Stay classy, Tom. dailysnark.com/2020/11/23/tom…
Sharpe believes that this is just another example of white privilege.
He is the co-host of the Fox Sports Show "Undisputed" with Skip Bayless. The former tight end went on to say the following about his feelings on a black quarterback not being able to get away with the things that Tom Brady does because of white privilege.
"There's no possible way that a black quarterback could do some of the things that Tom Brady did and get away with it. But here again, I say sports are a microcosm of society. Because when you've accomplished a certain level of success, be it fame, be it money, you're allowed to do treat certain people a certain way. That's how it is in society. So why should we expect it to be any other way in professional sports?"
Sharpe played in the NFL from 1990-2003, a time when there were only a handful of black quarterbacks in the league.
Sharpe, also, spoke out about the firing of Houston Texans head coach David Culley. Culley, who is black, was terminated after only one season with the Texans.
The team was without their star quarterback, Deshaun Watson, as he did not play due to several allegations of sexual assault.
Here's what the former All-Pro tight end had to say about the situation:
"Black coaches are expected to do more with less, and when they don't, they're fired. David Culley was setup for failure."
Black coaches are expected to do more with less, and when they don’t, they’re fired. David Culley was setup for failure. https://t.co/B7u587gbWZ
However, as decades have passed, while things can always be better, it would be false to say that things in this regard have not improved.
The league has seen black quarterbacks drafted as the number one pick in the draft (i.e. Michael Vick, Jameis Winston, JaMarcus Russell).
The NFL is also now littered with black quarterbacks, such as Russell Wilson, Cam Newton (at times), Justin Fields, NFL MVPs Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, and others.
Despite the vast improvements from the NFL on issues of diversity at the quarterback position, there is always room for improvement.
What team did Shannon Sharpe play for?
Shannon Sharpe made a name for himself as John Elway's most dependable offensive option as a tight end with the team from 1990-1999. He was a major reason why the Broncos were able to win back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998.
After the 1999 season, Sharpe joined the Baltimore Ravens and won his third Super Bowl ring in 2000.
At this point in his career, Sharpe was more of a vocal leader than a major part of the offense as this team was built around Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis (Super Bowl XXXV MVP).
Sharper would return to the Broncos for the 2002 and 2003 seasons before calling it a career. He ended his career with 815 receptions for 10,060 yards and 62 touchdowns.