Quarterback is crucial place in all of sports activities. The Falcons are on the hunt for a brand new one. And never solely does their subsequent signal-caller must be an ideal match for the group, however for the town. Atlanta is Black as hell, which suggests their subsequent beginning quarterback most likely shall be, too.
“You want to go get the best fit for your people. You want to go get the best fit for your coaches. You want to go get the best fit for our city. You want to do all of those things. There’s nothing ruled out,” new Falcons head coach Raheem Morris advised CBS Sports activities’ Jonathan Jones.
“And I know you’re gonna jump all over the best fit for the city thing. I mean, I can see the excitement,” he added. “People are gonna read into those words and whatever. However they do those things, and you can’t stop that. There’s people that are from Atlanta, there’s people from around Atlanta. You can name the mileage and how close people are, but you’ve got to do what’s best and what’s right for your team at the right time, and we won’t rule out anything.”
Whereas Morris didn’t explicitly say the franchise was on the lookout for a Black quarterback, it’s simple to learn between the strains. This was a Black head coach, who stories to a Black Basic Supervisor, for a group that performs in a Black metropolis, as Morris mentioned this to a Black reporter, throughout Black Historical past Month.
One plus one equals two.
To be clear, Morris understands that the shortage of expertise at quarterback performs a significant half within the Falcons’ failures. “If we had better quarterback play I may not be standing here at the podium,” he recently admitted.
Having a Black head coach is uncommon within the NFL, and so is having a Black GM. The mix of the 2 is much more distinctive. At this level, the Falcons may as properly go for all of it and get a Black quarterback to finish the trinity. Time and time once more, professional sports activities have confirmed that match is crucial factor. It’s not all the time about who hires you or what choose you’re within the draft, as that fails compared to if that location is a spot the place you may flourish. Give it some thought: The Falcons have been flirting with Invoice Belichick earlier than they employed Morris.
Are you able to think about that dude kicking it in Atlanta?
No.
It’s why Trae Younger went to the Hawks and Luka Doncic ended up with the Mavericks. We all know which of the 2 gamers concerned within the memorable NBA Draft day commerce is healthier than the opposite. However “culturally”, Younger was a greater match for Atlanta, in the identical approach that Dallas has been the proper place for Doncic.
Let’s not act just like the Falcons aren’t the identical franchise that made Michael Vick the first Black quarterback to be taken with the No. 1 total choose within the historical past of the NFL Draft. Matt Ryan could have taken that franchise to the Tremendous Bowl and received an MVP, however Vick remains to be arguably essentially the most beloved QB in franchise historical past — even in spite of everything of the dogfighting charges. These No. 7 jerseys aren’t going wherever. D.J. Shockley even used to get loads of love as a backup, as he was a School Park native and starred at Georgia.
Between having the Blackest, and quietly the very best, rivalry in all the NFL with the New Orleans Saints, a tremendous tailgate scene, and the electrical environment across the metropolis and contained in the dome on gameday, this can be a state of affairs the place match is of the final word significance. There’s a cause the Falcons have been the one group to have over 50 artists at their celebration of fifty years of hip-hop final season.
The town of Atlanta has solely had Black mayors since Maynard Jackson took office in 1974. Not solely is the city majority Black, nevertheless it’s thought-about this nation’s Black Mecca, because it’s the house to 6 Traditionally Black Schools and Universities. That is the one place the place race being a consider a group’s determination on who ought to or shouldn’t be the face of the franchise ought to matter. It will be dumb to not have that dialogue or think about it, given all that comes with being a metropolis’s beginning NFL quarterback.
In the long run, a veteran like Kirk Cousins or rookies like Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy may all wind up being viable choices for what the Falcons must make an affect. However let’s not act like if Jayden Daniels or Justin Fields have been profitable in a Falcons jersey, the joy across the metropolis of Atlanta wouldn’t attain a special degree.
