The myth surrounding black quarterbacks

Aaron Schatz, of Football Outsiders has an interesting column at The New Republic Online looking how Byron Leftwich is changing people's perceptions about the "stereotypical" black quarterback. Here's the first paragraph:

This Sunday's marquee matchup in the NFL pits the surprising, unbeaten Jacksonville Jaguars against their division rivals, the Indianapolis Colts. The hype surrounding the game will concentrate on the clash between the stingy Jacksonville defense and last year's co-MVP, Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning. But while Manning is probably the most talented player in the league, his counterpart on the other sideline might be a more noteworthy story in 2004. That's because Jacksonville's success puts its black quarterback, Byron Leftwich, in a position to singlehandedly end one of the most persistent racial stereotypes in all of sports--and to do it by playing decidedly unspectacular football.

It's an cool read, and you can see the rest of it here (free registration required, of course).