Flabbergasting...the black Grinder found

Ok, if you've talked to me extensively over the last few years (or, for that matter, just stood somewhere near me for more than 5 minutes), you've heard me bitch about the fact that sports commentators (you could stop the sentence right there and eliminate the "the fact that..." let's face it, I despise these people, or at least the half-assed way they do their jobs) have this annoying...um, let's call it a verbal tic. In order to remove this all from the realm of some larger social commentary, we'll say verbal tic.



Whenever a white player makes a great play, does something great, or just is great, it's because he works hard, is the first guy on the practice field and the last guy off the field, and is a smart, hustling, grind-it-out guy who gets the most out of his talent. For shortcut's sake, let's call this kind of player a "grinder."


When an African-American player does makes a great play, does something great, etc., it's always "look at the athleticism! The natural, god-given ability! That he is in now way responsible for! It's all talent!"


Now you see why I want to call it a vocal tic. Maybe it's intentional, maybe it's not. I don't care. It's annoying. But tonight, for the first time in history, I heard the exception to the rule. From, of all places, Dan Dierdorf.


Ok, I know. He's terrible. He is to football announcing what Jeff George was to the quarterback position. He should be better than he is. But good god, he's not. He doesn't know the rules of the game (he tried to tell us there would be a 10 second runoff had Indy been called for delay of game near the end of the half...no, Dan, no. First, the clock was stopped, that penalty only applies when the clock is running). He makes mistakes all the time, and I'm not sure if he's actually watching the game, or if he's doing the People magazine crossword puzzle. But tonight he (sort of, temporarily) redeemed himself.


In the 3rd quarter, Ed Reed jumped Pierre Garcon's deep out route and picked the ball off. Because he's Ed Reed, he started running it back, and quickly at that (he's good at this part). Even though Garcon was at a dead stop when the ball got picked (and Reed had a good 5 foot head start), Garcon took off after him, chasing him for about 40 yards, then executing a textbook punch-the-ball-out move (yeah, I know, technical term). The ball popped out, bounced right to Dallas Clark, and the play ended about 8 yards behind where it started. It was quite possibly the best defensive play I've ever seen from an offensive player (and don't give me Don Beebe, because a) that play was a meaningless part of a blowout, and b) Leon Lett had given up).


So the play ends, the crowd is going batshit crazy, and Dan Dierdorf...Dan Dierdorf...says, while narrating the highlight "look at the hustle!" And he didn't just do it once. He called it a great hustle play at least four times the rest of the game. Not once did he mention the athleticism of Garcon, who to be fair looked like Usain Bolt chasing the guy who just stole his lunch. I mean, damn, he was flying.


But no, not a single mention of his speed. Just the hustle, the never giving up on the play...dare I say, the "grindyness."


So, if you're scoring at home (or even if you're alone...), this football season has now seen:


1. Herm Edwards as sage evaluator of talent ahead of the curve ("those Bengals can play some defense..." Week 1)

2. Bill Belicheck as basic strategy failure (4th and 2, Indy)

3. The following coaches are in the playoffs: Brad Childress, Norv Turner and Wade Phillips.

4. MVP discussion (before he got hurt) of Cedric Benson.

5. And now, in the second round of the playoffs, 361 days after the inauguration of the first black president, the designation of the first black Grinder.

Pierre Garcon, welcome to the club. See Aaron Rowand about your jacket and membership card. And even though he's behind you professionally, you still have to get Tebow his coffee.