Blame Game: It's Your Fault, Tarvaris!

A man who owes his current employment in the NFL as a head coach to the success of a Negro QB has taken the first chance to throw the blame of his team's current slow start directly at his young, developing Negro QB.

In an act of pure selfishness and political motive, Brad Childress has sent the message that the 0-2 start of the Vikings is QB Tarvaris Jackson's fault. Childress has relieved Jackson of his command of the offense and resuscitated the continually failed corpse of Gus Frerotte.

The move of going to Frerotte alone should absolve Jackson of culpability in this horrible start.

Childress, who wouldn't have a head coaching job if it weren't for riding the coat tails of Donovan McNabb in Philly, didn't hesitate to throw Jackson as a sacrifice to quell the grumbling masses.

“I know there’s many other plays, there’s a lot of other people that have to step up,” Childress said. “But then when you go back through and look at the tape, and most importantly to be able to sit across from the young man and want to be able to verify what you’re feeling—it’s kind of like looking in your kids’ eyes and saying one (thing) and feeling another.”

Clearly, he must not be seeing the tape that exposes the dropped passes. That makes it clear that the conservative play calling and predictable offense are making it difficult for the talented Jackson to flourish.

“I was very surprised,” receiver Bobby Wade said. “I didn’t anticipate that. Obviously it’s the coach’s decision and the administration’s decision and we have to run with that.”

Wade's remarks assuredly echo the feelings of the rest of the team. One of veiled disillusionment and burgeoning internal strife over the choice of the coach to interject the corpse of Gus Frerotte into what started off as a promising season of high expectations.

The reality of this is microcosmic of what is going on in the rest of the NFL right now.

As we reported all season last year, it was becoming quite apparent that the Negro QB was well on his way to position domination. The white QB was going the way of the white running back. A sideshow act of fun and enjoyment when the novelty got his hands on the ball.

But now, the exhumation of Frerotte can be seen as symbolic of the collective attempt to bring the white QB back from the dead.

No one said it would be easy. From the still to be fully explained incarceration of Michael Vick to the recent debacle in the handling of Vince Young's desire to eat his wings in peace to horrendous coaching and mentoring provided to JaMarcus Russell; it's clear......the serpent's head has been cut off, but the body is still moving.

Certainly, Gus Frerotte's longevity and willingness to wear a different uniform every year are admirable. Though, the reality is that the longevity is more a testament to a stubborn league desperate to fight change, rather than to Frerotte's stamina.

But, NFL owners and plantation bosses, be warned: change is in the November rain.

Change we can believe in.