Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had already had to deal with more than enough bias on his way to the NFL. There was of course ex-NFL general manager Bill Polian’s belief that the former Louisville star should switch to receiver, a common racial constraint for black quarterbacks that goes back decades. And there is still the perception among some that Jackson is a rudimentary “running quarterback,” despite the fact that he ranks second in the NFL in touchdown passes with 25, ranks first in touchdown pass percentage at 7.8%, ranks fourth in Adjusted Net Yards per Pass Attempt at 7.89 (tied with Wilson) and has posted two games with a perfect passer rating of 158.3 this season.
Despite all that, some people can’t get past the stereotypes. Some other people seem to be interested in creating new ones. The 49ers have suspended former NFL linebacker Tim Ryan, their radio color analyst, based on remarks Ryan made following Baltimore’s 20-17 Week 13 win over San Francisco.
“He’s really good at that fake, Lamar Jackson, but when you consider his dark skin with a dark football with a dark uniform, you could not see that thing,” Ryan said Monday on Bay Area radio station KNBR. “I mean you literally could not see when he was in and out of the mesh point and if you’re a half step slow on him in terms of your vision forget about it, he’s out of the gate.”
The 49ers expressed their disappointment in Ryan in the suspension announcement.
“We hold Tim to a high standard as a representative of our organization and he must be more thoughtful with his words. Tim has expressed remorse in a public statement and has also done so with us privately. We know Tim as a man of high integrity and are confident he will grow and learn from this experience.”
Ryan said this in his own statement:
“I regret my choice of words in trying to describe the conditions of the game. Lamar Jackson is an MVP-caliber player and I respect him greatly. I want to sincerely apologize to him and anyone else I offended.”
Per the San Francisco Chronicle, 49ers officials have reached out to the Ravens organization to apologize, and assure their opponent last Sunday that the matter is being taken seriously.
Ryan, who’s worked for the 49ers since 2014 after 13 years with FOX Sports, has no known history of public racism, which should be taken into account. He’s generally known to be one of the smarter analysts in the game. But the nonsensical nature of what Ryan said, and the complete insensitivity to the larger picture, should draw concern.
“No less damaging than the fact of Tim’s sentiments are their implications,” longtime activist and 49ers consultant Dr. Harry Edwards wrote in an e-mail to the Chronicle. “In a game that is so competitive and where ‘winning edges and even slight advantages’ tend to be critically important if not determinant, are we really to believe that White QB’s are at a strategic disadvantage? Should the 2020 NFL player draft select for dark-skinned, athletic QB prospects in search of the next Lamar Jackson? Or maybe this puts a premium on QB’s – irrespective of race — who can play well wearing the right color gloves — gloves that will give them the right hand hue to camouflage the football on handoffs.”
Whatever the ramifications of Ryan’s ridiculous words, it’s just one more question black quarterbacks have to face. One more obstacle they have to overcome. One more inquiry about their supposed “advantages” when, in truth, black quarterbacks have operated behind considerable, crushing, and at times, career-ending disadvantages throughout the NFL’s 100-year history.
The 49ers are confident that Ryan will “grow and learn from this experience.” It’s a teachable moment for everyone who watches and analyzes the game to check ourselves, our privileges, and our blind spots, and to make sure we’re holding everyone to the same standard.