Bernard Hopkins has never been one to shy away from stating how he really feels about something, or someone. As a Philadelphian, he has been an avid supporter of the local teams, and with Philly teams ousted from the NBA and NHL playoffs, and the NFL in the midst of a lockout, he says that he’s the real Philly franchise. That’s not all he had to say though, as he had some extremely harsh words to share about former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, a common target of Philly sports fans and some notable other athletes. Check out the controversial comments he made during his media workout session earlier in the week below.
According to Philly.com, Hopkins said some shocking things in McNabb’s direction:
“Forget this,” Hopkins said, pointing to his own dark skin. “He’s got a suntan. That’s all.”
Hopkins also implied that, while Vick and Owens remained true to their roots, McNabb did not, and that McNabb was rudely awakened when the Eagles traded him to the Redskins last year.
“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, patting a reporter on the back in illustration. “He thought he was one of them.”
Replace “guy in the house” with “slave in the house,” then replace “on the field” with “in the field,” and Hopkins’ message is Uncle Tom-clear.
It’s hard to misinterpret those words, and they are about as in your face and insulting as you can get. Why Hopkins felt the need to go after McNabb, particularly now, long after McNabb’s departure and with his training camp winding down its final preparations for his May 21st championship bout against Jean Pascal, is anyone’s guess.
He continued later:
“McNabb? Great. Skills? Throw the ball? Great. But there was something missing,” Hopkins said, according to the website. “Vick? He understands. And T.O.? Same cloth.”
“T.O. got [into] the boardroom and saw the way they talked to McNabb. Coming from where he [comes from] – that’s strange to some white people, when a black man speaks.”
“When T.O. walks in the boardroom with the Eagles suits, he’s like, ‘What the heck? I ain’t used to this language. I’m used to speaking up.’ “
Hopkins has never really made secret his feelings about McNabb, but nevertheless, biting comments from the boxing legend about a fellow Philly sports icon. Maybe he just wanted to generate some more press for the Pascal rematch. Consider that mission a success, if that was indeed what he was going for.
