Marshall’s glove tribute was selfish for several reasons.

1. By breaking the rules, Marshall could have cost his team the win. Stokley was right in stopping his teammate.

2. The tribute was less about racial unity, and more about a certain political candidate. The day we have true racial harmony will be when we don’t notice the skin color of a candidate, as Marshall did.

3. I don’t buy that there is ever “unity” because of any election (except [perhaps] when Reagan won his second term with 49 states out of 50). There isn’t even unity on what constitutes the advancement of civil rights. Consider that Lincoln was a republican, that the first elective office holders of every federal seat (except the incoming president) where all republicans, that affirmative action and the voting rights amendment and the civil rights amendment where all passed by republicans over democrat objections, that it was southern, white governors who tried to block access to integration (against a republican president, Eisenhower, and a democrat, Kennedy), and that republican cabinets have been more racialy diverse than democratic ones. We could go on and on (republicans get rid of klansmen like David Duke, or demote people who make questionable comments like Trent Lott, but democrats make excuses for Robert Byrd and others). One could just as easily argue that the current election means the end of any justification for affirmative action. One could also argue that the treatment of Hillary Clinton and the treatment of Sarah Palin shows that we are a misogynistic society.

One can accept or disagree with any of these points. To agree is to believe that Marshall’s “tribute” was out of place. To disagee, one is demonstrating that there is still no unity on these issues, and that it would be offensive to proclaim unity from the context of a partisan celebration or an election that had no more of a turnout than 2004. It just has no place in football.

For me, I think it would have been just as reprehensible to have had a McCain victory and have Marshall stop Stokely from putting on a bra and a moose fur coat. (lol)

Let’s let this whole issue fade away, and do so congratulating Stokley (and even Marshall) for letting cooler heads prevail. Football is a place for everyone, left and right, to forget about politics and to enjoy an escape from the daily grind.

Let’s agree to wish our new president well, to be ever grateful that we live in a country where power shifts peacefully, and to live in a country where the Broncos lead the division and the raiders continue to suck. Gotta love America!

Sadly, because of Brandon’s offseason behavior, he has a long way to go before people stop lumping him in with all those other knuckle-heads. To me, Brandon needs to lay low and play hard. Outstanding performances will help erode the preconceptions people have about him. That’s just reality.

Agreed.
I think his heart was in the right place. He has improved, and is doing mostly the right things. Unfortunatley many around the sports world are looking for any thing where they can lay in the boot to him.
I think he needs a little slack, and some positive affirmation on the good things he is doing, instead of the mob mentality of everyonbe piling on when he does ANYTHING out of place.
Kick em while they are down….that whole notion sucks!

Very intelligent, put together well, thought-out, and open ended provoking discussion.

Good Post!

Brandon was admirable in his intentions (relative to T.O signing a ball, or 85 doing some choreographed dance)

Brandon was immature in his timing.

Brandon’s entire attitude is opposite from what we see from prima donnas like ocho and TO. when they dont get 12 touchdowns a game the pout and yell. brandon chalks it up to his teammates being skilled. even when he called his teammates out when they weren’t getting it done, the tone wasn’t about getting him the ball more, it was about executing. like nick said- for brandon its about playing the game.

i do not think it is fair to put brandon in the same category as TO and ocho.

maybe he was playing dejected in the miami game. at least he has the sense to talk to the media as if he cares about team first. his head is in the right place. his heart will follow.

Marshall said Stokley told him, “Not a good time, might get a 15-yarder.”

Marshall listened to the veteran wide receiver.

“Absolutley, you know I’m a guy who stands for social landmarks, but if it jeopardizes our team and not win the game, I’m not going to do it,” Marshall said.

= guy has his head on straight. we want our youth listening to our veterans. (and we want youth who listen to veterans)

this article
http://cbs4denver.com/broncos/brandon.marshall.daniel.2.861242.html

had a good idea but the time and place was wrong. After talking to my father, he has echoed what has been said here, by TJack, FirstFan, Bear, Diehard, ect. (forgive me if I forgot anyone) his act trying to display the glove was a little immature. I have defended Marshall all the way since the offseason and I do like his attempt for a statement and the best place for it, was when he made his statement at the presser. But regardless of how we all feel about the election and such, the fact he could have cost Denver 15 yards, and turned a win into a loss, would have had worse repercussions and the crap he would have taken in the locker room could have fractured this team.

but wonder if we would be talking about it as much if it happened earlier in the game and the outcome of the game wasn’t on the line.

FRANK ZAPPA!

You can see Zappa’s politically charged statement in the picture above. In an effort to raise awareness for desperate housewives, Zappa stands in his bath robe, defiantly holding up his oven-mitted fist of resistance. VIVA LA DUST-BUSTER!

Looks like BMarsh is stealing ideas like TBell is stealing luggage!

how much positive attention he could draw to his point with a well composed Letter to the Editor in the “Opinion” section of the paper rather than the sports Section. Thanks for he post Chad. Way to stir up the old MHR pot!! Good job.

I’m really glad we’re talking about something like this, rather than some altercation with his ex-girlfriend. I watched Brandon on the NFL Network set directly after the game, and I was struck by his obvious intelligence, sense of accountability for his own actions, and candor. It was like watching Shannon Sharpe with (vastly) better grammar, or better yet, a Michael Strahan or a Boomer Esiason.

I was particularly struck by how he told the guys that the interception was his fault for making the wrong read, and that he hung Jay Cutler out to dry on that one. This guy is not TO or 85. He’s a young, intelligent guy, who, by all accounts, has an excellent work ethic. He’s growing up, and making better decisions. This player is clearly a building block.