Why is this even an article?

tromadz

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 16, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
3
Location
Chicago
White receievers becoming scarce? packersnews.com writers stupid and bored?

White receivers in NFL becoming scarce

By Dylan B. Tomlinson
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers

Marc Boerigter knows he is not like the others.

Boerigter would like to be viewed the same way as the other 11 receivers on the Green Bay Packers training camp roster. He would love to be seen as just another player battling for a roster spot.

But Boerigter is different. He stands out among the other receivers for an obvious reason.

"Why?" Boerigter said with a nervous laugh. "Because I'm white?"

Yes, Boerigter is white. The Packers' other 11 receivers are black. Like anyone else, Boerigter would prefer not to be noticed because of his race. He would rather people identify him with his accomplishments on the field, rather than the color of his skin.

In the NFL, white wide receivers stand out because there are so few of them.

If Boerigter makes the Packers' roster this season, it will be the first time the team has had a white receiver since 2001.

It was five years ago that Bill Schroeder led the Packers with 918 yards and nine touchdowns in 2001. Since then, Brett Favre has completed 1,367 passes, but none of them were to a white wide receiver.

"We're a minority," Schroeder said. "In many ways being a white receiver is kind of like being an African-American golfer. I don't know why it's like that, but that's just the way it is."

Part of the reason is the NFL has fewer white players than ever. Just 25 years ago, 70 percent of the NFL was white. Now, it's 30 percent.

"The league has changed," NFL analyst and former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Cris Collinsworth said on NFL.com. "It's difficult to compare anything now in the NFL to what it was like 25 years ago."

In 1981, Collinsworth was one of four white receivers to play in the Pro Bowl. He joined San Francisco's Dwight Clark, Denver's Steve Watson and Seattle's Steve Largent.

In the past decade, Denver's Ed McCaffrey is the only white receiver to be selected to the Pro Bowl. McCaffrey made it in 1998 and 1999, but in the last six seasons, no white receiver has been selected.

Tennessee Titans receiver Drew Bennett had a Pro Bowl-type season in 2004 when he had 1,247 yards and 11 touchdowns, but he didn't receive an invitation. After that season, he was referred to as "The Best White Receiver in the NFL." It's a tag Bennett doesn't like.

"I guess you always want to be the best at something," Bennett said sarcastically. "I don't control what people say."

In the last five seasons, there have been 105 1,000-yard seasons, but only two of them — Bennett and Indianapolis' Brandon Stokley in 2004 — have come from white receivers.

"There are plenty of good, white receivers in the NFL," Bennett said. "I'm not going to get obsessed over stats."

But the statistics can be very telling. Last season, only six white receivers — Bennett, Stokley, St. Louis' Kevin Curtis, Atlanta's Brian Finneran, Carolina's Ricky Proehl and Seattle's Joe Jurevicius — finished among their teams' top three receivers. Curtis led all white receivers with 801 yards and Bennett was the only one to lead his team in receiving.

Packers receivers coach Jimmy Robinson has been coaching receivers for 21 years, including 17 in the NFL. Robinson said there's one simple reason why there are fewer white receivers in the NFL than ever before.

"Obviously, it comes down to talent," Robinson said. "Teams are committed to keeping the guys who are the best ones, regardless of color."

During the 2005 draft one of the players who was causing the most commotion was Matt Jones, a 6-foot-6, 230-pounder who played quarterback at Arkansas.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were so enamored with Jones that they took him with the 21st pick.

When the Jaguars drafted Jones, it was the first time in over a decade a white receiver was taken in the first round.

Packers cornerback Ahmad Carroll remembers when he got burnt by a white receiver during his rookie season in 2004 when the Packers were hosting the Titans on "Monday Night Football." The Packers were torched for three passing touchdowns in the 48-27 loss, but the one play Carroll remembers the most was the 11-yard touchdown pass from Steve McNair to Eddie Berlin.

Berlin is white.

"If I get burned by a white receiver, I'm going to hear about it more than if that's not the case," Carroll said. "Anybody who says otherwise is tripping."

Bennett said he has gotten the sense defenders may actually try harder to make sure they don't get beaten by a white player.

"I think they take me seriously. If you're in this league, you can obviously play," Bennett said. "Now, does it bother them a little more if I burn them for a touchdown? Well, you'd have to ask them that."

Schroeder said during his 11-year NFL career, he rarely got the sense he was being treated any differently on the field because he's white.

"Occasionally, you'd get a young player who might say something, but you'd never get that from a veteran," Schroeder said. "Players in the NFL have too much respect for each other to get wrapped up in something like that."

Packers cornerback Charles Woodson said he would never treat a receiver any differently than another.

"No way," Woodson said. "You can't think that way. I treat every receiver like they're Jerry Rice."Boerigter said he's never felt like he's been treated differently because of his race, but acknowledged there are aspects of being a white receiver that aren't going to go away anytime soon.

"The biggest thing that I think is really funny is the comparisons that people make," Boerigter said. "They always compare us to another white receiver. When I first came into the league, people were comparing me to Ed McCaffrey and Joe Jurevicius. We're always compared to those kinds of guys.

"You're never going to see any of us compared to (a black) receiver."

Boerigter said he doesn't take any of it too seriously. He just wants to go out and do his job as quietly as possible, but he understands as a white receiver he may be scrutinized a bit more.

"I suppose it's funny," Boerigter said. "Guys make jokes about it, me being a white guy. I guess there just aren't that many of us."
----------------------
this could be a mini camp story, but not when football is being played now, this is silly.
 
OP
OP
tromadz

tromadz

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 16, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
3
Location
Chicago
to discuss its stupidiness.... my bad for thinking intelligent conversation goes on here. the post before mine proves my point there.
 

pyledriver80

Cheesehead
Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
2,391
Reaction score
0
tromadz said:
to discuss its stupidiness.... my bad for thinking intelligent conversation goes on here. the post before mine proves my point there.


You mean the one you started?

You want intelligent conversation Trom? When you learn that discussing all the positives of a team also means that you account for the negatives, then it will be possible. Sadly for you it's not possible.

You would rather say "The O-Line is fine" then accept that it's not and we are facing a season opener real soon. I know "They are rookies" and it was just "A measly Pre-season game" but do you think they are going to change in 3-4 weeks or even 3-4 months?

Did you see how Colledge played Stiff and Lacked Aggression? Did you see Spitz's lack of athletic ability and lateral movement? Did you see Coston get Bull Rushed right back into the QB? This is stuff that YOU STATED the coaching staff was going to address along time ago. It's not going to change overnight, or even in the next few months. We have no other options to turn to. I'm sorry if this is just to painful for you to take.
 
OP
OP
tromadz

tromadz

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 16, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
3
Location
Chicago
the one i started? i made the article? what?

and no they arent going to change in 3-4 weeks. progression does not exist in the NFL. you are either good, or ur not. peoples abilities dont increase or decline, thats video game stuff. im with you, pyle.
 

pyledriver80

Cheesehead
Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
2,391
Reaction score
0
tromadz said:
the one i started? i made the article? what?

and no they arent going to change in 3-4 weeks. progression does not exist in the NFL. you are either good, or ur not. peoples abilities dont increase or decline, thats video game stuff. im with you, pyle.


They obviously didn't change much in 3-4 weeks now did they? I thought this is why we had training camp?
 
OP
OP
tromadz

tromadz

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 16, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
3
Location
Chicago
you're right. im sure they havent changed one bit since arriving. I concur. horrible coaching here. im disgusted.
 

pyledriver80

Cheesehead
Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
2,391
Reaction score
0
A new immature tactic, Trom, I'm impressed. It sure beats the name calling you normally resort to.
 

pyledriver80

Cheesehead
Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
2,391
Reaction score
0
tromadz said:
im just trying to show you how stupid you truly sound. hope it sinking in.


Not really, I mean I'm not the one that said the "O-line was fine." Had I said something that stupid I would expect ridicule. I just stated these guys looked terrible and it's not going to change overnight. And yes, we are in this situation because TT did not have the forsight or creativeness to prevent it. Again sorry, you can't deal with it.
 
OP
OP
tromadz

tromadz

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 16, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
3
Location
Chicago
not overnight. over weeks, assjack. (there, old school)

sorry you dont know how schedules work.
 

pyledriver80

Cheesehead
Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
2,391
Reaction score
0
tromadz said:
not overnight. over weeks, assjack. (there, old school)

sorry you dont know how schedules work.


Hmmmm, thats the same thing you stated when these guys were brought in. So we had WEEKS to turn them into what they were last night. They must have been flat-out awful to begin with I guess. So in another 4 weeks they will be mediocre, 4 weeks after that they will just suck, 4 weeks after that they will be below average and then in Week 12 or so when Brett is in the hospital and we are 3-9 we can make our Playoff run?

Young guys need time, not a few weeks or months. Thats why most teams draft players and let them gain experience in practice and mop-up roles and not just throw them to the wolves right away. Our Brain Trust obviously has a different plan because ashe stated "The OG spot isn't that important anyways"
 
OP
OP
tromadz

tromadz

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 16, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
3
Location
Chicago
i love it. their first nfl action ever and they didnt do good, and you flip out over it and say they cant change. do you read what you type? i love it.
 
OP
OP
tromadz

tromadz

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 16, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
3
Location
Chicago
yikes, can we watch them struggle in a 2nd game before plan b is come up with? GB just signed an OG, and they will probably sign more if they have to.

writing them off over preseason week 1 game is so ****ing stupid you blow my mind.
 

pyledriver80

Cheesehead
Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
2,391
Reaction score
0
This is the NFL buddy, you better always have a plan B. Thats why we have things like Backup QB's.

So our plan B is Peko and Moore? Oh boy, that is comforting
 
OP
OP
tromadz

tromadz

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 16, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
3
Location
Chicago
and bourke

im sorry are we supposed to have all pro depth? cuz nobody does, but GB shoulda been creative, im sure.
 
OP
OP
tromadz

tromadz

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 16, 2005
Messages
999
Reaction score
3
Location
Chicago
and thats based off of one preseason game. congratulations. you are a *******

poophead

jerkface

um...and you smell

(can i get banned so I dont have to deal with pf.com for a while, this is unbearable)
 

Members online

Latest posts

Top