Tim Ryan Said Something Stupid, But Let's Be Generous About His Intent

Re: Tim Ryan's "dark skin, dark ball, dark jerseys" comment about Lamar Jackson. First of all, it's a soundbite. It'd be nice if the two minutes before and two minutes after were available, and everyone was judging by that context. Second, I don't condemn his intent if we interpret it generously. All things being equal, it's a small advantage for the offense to have a QB whose skin color is similar to that of the ball in a ball fake scenario. Common sense. Soldiers wear camouflage to deceive their enemies, and some animals blend in with their surroundings to improve their chances of survival. Same concept. For sake of argument, 95% of the effectiveness of an RPO/ball fake is personnel, situation, offensive scheme, and execution. 5% is how much contrast there is between the QB's skin color and that of the ball, or the contrast between the QB's gloves/sleeves and the ball. Ryan's comments were objectionable because he carelessly chose his words. It sounds dismissive, like Jackson's success is attributable to something as trite as the literal color of his skin. This is especially problematic given the history of how the style of play of black QBs has been stereotyped and scrutinized. QB is more racialized than any other position in sports. So, yeah, Ryan should have been more specific about what he meant, which, best possible interpretation, is the less contrast there is between the ball and the skin tone of the QB, the more difficult it is to read the mesh point, by a very small degree, all things being equal. To keep things as objective and rational as possible, imagine the ball is white (with brown laces) and the QB is Carson Wentz in a white Eagles jersey. "Light skin, light ball, light jerseys" would sound ignorant, but it'd make sense if it were extrapolated and details were added. Any way, Action Jackson is ahead of the curve in becoming a great QB, and he's a winner, so far, and fun to watch. I'm still not gonna convert to a Ravens fan. 🏈💥🧐🚀💣📬🎯