Taylor Makes Giants History

[Ed Vette]

Tim: Not to diminish your point, but just want to add all Giants' QB's wear the same color helmets. Bob

And when a female kicker makes it on to an NFL team, that's cause for celebration too.

[Uni]

Acknowledging someone for breaking a color barrier whether it is for a team or an entire sport does not make anyone a bigot.

Unfortunately, I was expecting that kind of post. What a privilege it is to not have to care about skin color.

[MightyGiants]

Why does anyone care what color or race a player is? In my opinion, the Giants started the best player available at QB yesterday. I think this is a poor subject for a thread. Yes, I could see he was black, but no one I was watching the game with said anything about it. This is the type of thing bigots acknowledge.

Jim,

I see you're from NJ.  October is Italian Heritage Month in NJ.  There are many parades and festivals honoring Italian heritage and accomplishments throughout the state.   Are the people participating in those events bigoted? (I don't think so, but I wanted to show this comparison.)

The Giants were created back in 1925.   It took 98 years for the Giants to start and win with a black QB.   Don't you think objectively that can be considered a historic accomplishment and one worthy of recognition?  If we can honor and remember the accomplishments of Italian Americans, can we not do the same for Americans who are black?

[Ed Vette]

Jim,

I see you're from NJ.  October is Italian Heritage Month in NJ.  There are many parades and festivals honoring Italian heritage and accomplishments throughout the state.  Are the people participating in those events bigoted? (I don't think so, but I wanted to show this comparison.)

The Giants were created back in 1925.  It took 98 years for the Giants to start and win with a black QB.  Don't you think objectively that can be considered a historic accomplishment and one worthy of recognition?  If we can honor and remember the accomplishments of Italian Americans, can we not do the same for Americans who are black?

I do, but what do I know...

[Bob In PA]

I do, but what do I know...

Ed: I only saw the picture but IMMEDIATELY knew the author of the post.  LOL

[Giant Jim]

98 year history? That makes it sound like the Giants ownership are bigots. No blacks were allowed to play in the 20's and 30's on any team. Eli Manning stood in the way of black QB's potentially starting games for the Giants for about 15 years, in fact he stood in the way of Jews, Hispanics and other white people starting for the Giants. They have had many, many black assistant coaches and a black GM. There have been black QB's all over the NFL for years now, why is this any different or special? This is why racism doesn't go away, because people have to point it petty little things like this.

Jason Sehorn was asked years ago what it was like to be a white guy playing a position played mostly by blacks? That wasn't a racial question? If one can't help but acknowledge that it's the first time a black did this or a woman was elected there, etc, you're not just pointing out that prejudge was rectified, you're pointing out it was there all along.

The question and what should be pointed out is, "Should the Giants back up QB continue to start when their regular starter comes back?". I don't think race will have anything to do with the choice. The story is the back up played a couple of very good games and now has the press and fans calling for him to have the starting job.

[DaveBrown74]

I don't see why acknowledging race milestones points to bigotry on the part of the one acknowledging them, but that's just me.

[Giant Jim]

Jim,

I see you're from NJ.  October is Italian Heritage Month in NJ.  There are many parades and festivals honoring Italian heritage and accomplishments throughout the state.  Are the people participating in those events bigoted? (I don't think so, but I wanted to show this comparison.)

The Giants were created back in 1925.  It took 98 years for the Giants to start and win with a black QB.  Don't you think objectively that can be considered a historic accomplishment and one worthy of recognition?  If we can honor and remember the accomplishments of Italian Americans, can we not do the same for Americans who are black?

You're comparing apples to oranges. Blacks have their months and various nationalities have their festivals. How many Italians have played QB for the Giants? No one's going to care what nationality Tommy Devito is if he gets a chance.

 Let's honor people as athletes, period. Taylor's accomplishment has absolutely nothing to do with his color or heritage. This might've been a story on the 60's or 70's, but not today. Did the Giants ever have a black kicker. Will there be a thread the next time they do? How about a Jewish center or long snapper? 

[AYM]

You're comparing apples to oranges. Blacks have their months and various nationalities have their festivals. How many Italians have played QB for the Giants? No one's going to care what nationality Tommy Devito is if he gets a chance.

 Let's honor people as athletes, period. Taylor's accomplishment has absolutely nothing to do with his color or heritage. This might've been a story on the 60's or 70's, but not today. Did the Giants ever have a black kicker. Will there be a thread the next time they do? How about a Jewish center or long snapper?

Let's recall not too long ago - during the lifetimes of most of the posters in this forum - black people were considered by many to be too intellectually deficient to play the position. So it is a milestone worth noting.

[Giant Jim]

Let's recall not too long ago - during the lifetimes of most of the posters in this forum - black people were considered by many to be too intellectually deficient to play the position. So it is a milestone worth noting.

Do they still feel that way? Times have changed and we need to move on, not dwell on the past.

[brownelvis54]

[uconnjack8]

I think context is important on this one.  And the context is different for QBs than other positions. 

Yes their have been plenty of black players since the barrier was broken, but there was always a holdout on black QBs because of a ridiculous belief that they could not handle the mental aspect of the game. That barrier wasn't really broken until the 80's (I think) and then only sparsely.

Heck prior to getting the Steelers HC job, Mike Tomlin interviewed for that position for a different team.  Owner told people he thought Tomlin was too "soul".  That wasn't the 80's, the 70's or even the 60's, it was early 2000's.

I can definitely understand wanting to note this.

[Giant Jim]

Acknowledging someone for breaking a color barrier whether it is for a team or an entire sport does not make anyone a bigot.

I didn't know there was a color barrier today or with the Giants.

[y_so_blu]

That's something, I guess. I am more excited about us winning another game! And I am grateful to Taylor for being a part of it.