Lamar Jackson Didn't Need LeBron, 'Black Twitter' To Defend Him From No Name 'Quarterbacky' Radio Host

Last week, a fill-in host for Fox Sports Radio named Monse Bolanos argued that quarterback Lamar Jackson is not "'quarterbacky."

She claimed Jackson is a "great athlete" who relies heavily on his running ability.

Her argument was not without merit. At the time of the segment, Jackson ranked 15th in passing yards, 14th in passing touchdowns, and 11th in completion percentage.

Jackson is not an elite pocket passer, Bolanos' apparent definition of "quarterbacky."

Had she made the argument about, say, Josh Allen -- another great quarterback who isn't all that "quarterbacky" -- the response would have been heated but fun.

Yet conversations regarding Lamar Jackson are rarely fun. Jackson is the most coddled player in football. The media cast him as the disrespected black QB. Almost any perceived slight against Jackson generates a contentious conversation about racism.

The sports world is still screeching over Bolanos' comments nearly a week later.

Wednesday, USA Today published an op-ed titled "'Quarterbacky': The dog whistle about Lamar Jackson that set off football fans worldwide."

The author, Mike Freeman, claimed Bolanos' portrayal of Jackson symbolizes how America views black people, like him and Jackson:

"If you're Black, and you followed this story, you may not be able to throw a football like Jackson, but you can relate to him in another way. You can understand what it’s like to be judged unfairly, as Jackson has been for much of his NFL career. Many Black Americans are in workplaces that don’t treat us respectfully. Where there are double standards for us. Where our accomplishments are minimized, and our errors blown into something bigger than they should be," said Freeman.

" an angrier social media reaction from Black Twitter in months."

While Freeman lied on his resume, he's not lying here. People are furious over the use of the word "quarterbacky" as it pertains to Lamar Jackson.

Including LeBron James:

And the Baltimore Ravens:

Ultimately, the outage says more about those feigning the outrage than about Monse Bolanos' comment.

Say you disagree with the radio host and your opinion is that Lamar Jackson is, in fact, "quarterbacky."

Then so what?

Bolanos didn't slight Jackson's character, report on him irresponsibly, or damage his reputation. She argued against his case to win a useless regular season award by using a buzzy word.

It's called sports-talk radio during the holidays.

The narrative that Bolanos' segment proves that bigotry against black QBs exists is simply dishonest. Of course, it is. So much of the conversation around Lamar Jackson is dishonest.

Bolanos' segment isn't proof of anything other than she is trying to make a name for herself, like every other fill-in host on-air.

Bolanos is also a nobody. Perhaps she will one day be a big-name host. I hear she's talented. But she isn't a big name now. She has 5,000 followers on X. Her opinion carries no weight.

LeBron James with 50-plus million followers is severely punching down by using her name to defend Lamar Jackson. It demonstrates how desperate he and others are to convince their followers that Jackson is disrespected.

Jackson's defenders already crafted the argument that he is the primary target of a systemically racist NFL and fan base. Their argument requires continued streams of evidence. And the demand for such vastly outstrips the supply.

As a result, Jackson's sycophants -- like Robert Griffin III -- highlight random people who "criticize" him and use said criticism as proof of a larger conspiracy to discredit a black QB.

They are in search of strawmen.

Last year, ESPN spent days feigning outrage over some anonymous scout saying Jackson isn't a top 10 QB.

Who cares?

One can find a low-hanging fruit disregarding any star player.

Bomani Jones called Josh Allen a "dumbass" last month. Domonique Foxworth suggested Allen's fans are racist. Wonky Boston radio hosts still dismiss Brady as a "system QB."

Yet no one calls those comments "highly offensive" or writes columns saying those hosts owe the players an apology, as SI demanded Bolanos issue to Jackson.

Those comments barely make the news.

The Jackson brigade is exploiting Monse Bolanos to convince people Jackson is a victim.

But he's not a victim. No one playing in the NFL is a victim. Especially one with a $260 million contract.

Lamar Jackson didn't need LeBron James and "Black Twitter" to rescue him from a nameless weekend radio host.

He's not that fragile.