Tweet
The national president of the NAACP said Thursday that he was outraged by comments in a column about Donovan McNabb written by the Philadelphia chapter president.
NAACP president and CEO Bruce S. Gordon responded to the controversy caused by J. Whyatt Mondesire in his Nov. 27 column for the Philadelphia Sunday Sun. Mondesire, who owns the paper, criticized the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback's leadership skills and said he "played the race card" in explaining why he no longer runs the ball.
"Whatever possessed Mondesire to take such a negative position on a positive person like McNabb is beyond me," Gordon said. "The NAACP has many civil rights issues that require our attention. Criticizing Donovan McNabb is not one of them."
Mondesire said that his column critical of McNabb was based on his opinions alone and did not necessarily reflect the position of either the local Philadelphia NAACP or that of the national organization.
Earlier in the week, McNabb responded sharply to the column, which called him "mediocre at best."
"If you talk about my play, that's one thing," McNabb told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "When you talk about my race, now we've got problems. If you're trying to make a name off my name, again, I hope your closet is clean because something is going to come out about you ... I always thought the NAACP supported African Americans and didn't talk bad about them. Now you learn a little bit more."
Gordon will try to repair some of the damage.
"In light of Mondesire's criticism it has become a personal priority of mine to set the record straight," Gordon said. "I intend to reach out to Mr. McNabb personally to offer my apology as well as my support."
McNabb's season ended last month when he decided to have surgery for a sports hernia. It's been a miserable year for the five-time Pro Bowl selection, starting with his feud with now-banished wideout Terrell Owens.
Source: AP
NAACP president and CEO Bruce S. Gordon responded to the controversy caused by J. Whyatt Mondesire in his Nov. 27 column for the Philadelphia Sunday Sun. Mondesire, who owns the paper, criticized the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback's leadership skills and said he "played the race card" in explaining why he no longer runs the ball.
"Whatever possessed Mondesire to take such a negative position on a positive person like McNabb is beyond me," Gordon said. "The NAACP has many civil rights issues that require our attention. Criticizing Donovan McNabb is not one of them."
Mondesire said that his column critical of McNabb was based on his opinions alone and did not necessarily reflect the position of either the local Philadelphia NAACP or that of the national organization.
Earlier in the week, McNabb responded sharply to the column, which called him "mediocre at best."
"If you talk about my play, that's one thing," McNabb told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "When you talk about my race, now we've got problems. If you're trying to make a name off my name, again, I hope your closet is clean because something is going to come out about you ... I always thought the NAACP supported African Americans and didn't talk bad about them. Now you learn a little bit more."
Gordon will try to repair some of the damage.
"In light of Mondesire's criticism it has become a personal priority of mine to set the record straight," Gordon said. "I intend to reach out to Mr. McNabb personally to offer my apology as well as my support."
McNabb's season ended last month when he decided to have surgery for a sports hernia. It's been a miserable year for the five-time Pro Bowl selection, starting with his feud with now-banished wideout Terrell Owens.
Source: AP