That’s My Quarterback – TO and Tony

NFL QB Controversy 2021 Kickoff Edition

To kick off our second year of Running It Back, Tarlin and Mike are back to talk NFL, beginning by returning to 2008 and Terrell Owens’ legendarily tearful “That’s My Quarterback” press conference. We recall how Owens defended his quarterback, Tony Romo, who was taking heat from the press for vacationing in Cabo with Jessica Simpson during the Cowboys’ bye week prior to losing to the future Superbowl Champion New York Giants.

We look for lessons to be learned from this and other QB controversies across the league in 2021 as we get amped up listening to The Mad Fanatic’s hype track for Drew Lock,That’s My Quarterback.

From there, we’re off to the races, tracking the controversies emerging everywhere while looking for lessons for our professional lives based on controversies with the “CEOs on the field.” Whether it’s Mac Jones, Aaron Rodgers, Daniel Jones, or Justin Fields, Mike and Tarlin bring hot takes and sharp connections to QB conversations present and past.

We’re excited to be back for another year of Running It Back. Thanks for joining us for the ride.

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Kaepernick’s Legacy, September 11th, and QB Controversy

Tarlin and Mike reflect on the opening of the NFL season with a mix of excitement, confusion, and frustration just after the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans began the 2020 NFL season in front of 17,000 live fans at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The fractured approach to protesting the anthem, with the Texans opting to remain in the locker room before joining the Chiefs for a moment of unity resulted in boos from the fans and confusion from TV viewers like Mike who watched it live.

We run it back to how sports can help us heal in difficult times like after the September 11th attacks in 2001 and contrast that with the unevenness and confusion of the return of football today. We tie much of that to the story of Colin Kaepernick who lost his opportunity to play in the NFL thus far since his protest of police brutality back in 2016. From there, we hit on the history of controversy around the abilities of black quarterbacks which seems mostly a thing of the past as we witness Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and other elite black quarterbacks establish a new understanding of the position.

From there, we quickly run through the QB1s out there to sort out where the most intriguing controversies may arise this year. There’s much to talk about with Aaron Rogers and Jordan Love and we connect that narrative to the Joe Montana and Steve Young era in San Francisco along with the Drew Bledsoe and Jimmy Garrappolo battles with Tom Brady over the years.

We’re happy that football’s back, and in this crazy year, we try to put this season in some context as we run it back to seasons gone by.

And we sprinkle in a bit of Friday Night Lights while we’re at it. Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can’t Lose.

Thanks for listening.