Several days after boxer Bernard Hopkins essentially called Donovan McNabb a house slave and an Uncle Tom and questioned his blackness, ESPN commentator Stephen Bardo said on First Take that he was incensed by Hopkins’ comments and now hopes the 46-year-old boxer “gets his brains beat in” during his May 21 fight against Jean Pascal.
Earlier this week Hopkins was in Philadelphia promoting the upcoming bout when he decided to shift gears and start criticizing McNabb, the former Eagles quarterback who now plays for the Redskins. Among other enlightening comments, Hopkins said McNabb wasn’t black enough for his taste.
“Forget this,” Hopkins said, and pointed to his own skin. “He’s got a suntan. That’s all.”
AdvertisementAccording to Hopkins, McNabb had a privileged upbringing in Chicago and isn’t as tough as himself, current Eagles quarterback Michael Vick or Cincinnati Bengals receiver Terrell Owens, who famously had a falling out with McNabb before being released by Philadelphia in 2006. Hopkins said Tuesday that McNabb and Owens essentially didn’t speak the same language.
“T.O. got [into] the boardroom and saw the way they talked to McNabb. Coming from where he [came from] — that’s strange to some white people, when a black man speaks,” Hopkins said, according to the Daily News. He said Owens “[wasn’t] used to this language. [He’s] used to speaking up.’ ”
Hopkins said that is why McNabb felt a sense of betrayal when he was traded by the Eagles to the Redskins before last season.
“Why do you think McNabb felt he was betrayed? Because McNabb is the guy in the house, while everybody else is on the field. He’s the one who got the extra coat. The extra servings. ‘You’re our boy,’ ” Hopkins said, according to the Daily News, and patted a member of the media on the back to illustrate his point. “He thought he was one of them.”
When contacted by the Daily News, McNabb’s publicist said the quarterback would not have a comment.
While he questioned McNabb’s mettle, Hopkins didn’t take a shot at McNabb’s integrity.
“Nice guy. I’d trust him around my kids,” Hopkins said, according to the Daily News.