Radio Host Saying That Lamar Jackson Isn't ‘Quarterbacky' Is NOT Racist

Fox Sports Radio host Monse Bolanos doesn't think Lamar Jackson should be the NFL MVP this season.

Bolanos prefers "quarterbacks to be more ‘quarterbacky.'"

"To me, Lamar Jackson’s just a great athlete, and he’s done a really good job and he had a great game against the 49ers. Prisoners of the moment, he is not the MVP. Christian McCaffrey is the MVP and he has been. I’ve been saying this for weeks.”

Her comment drew the ire of the usual suspects in the media, from Jemele Hill to Mike Freeman to Robert Griffin III.

The website Mediaite compiled a list of responses suggesting Bolanos is now a racist.

Sports Illustrated demanded she apologize, calling her comment a "dog-whistle."

The reaction was expected. Lamar Jackson is the most coddled player in the NFL.

The sports media has long cast him as the poster child for the disrespected black quarterback. So much so, that journalists and hosts are afraid to even criticize Jackson.

This week, NBC Sports blogger Mike Florio apologized -- several times -- picking the 49ers to "beat the shit out the Ravens" after Jackson called the prediction "disrespectful."

That's where we are: a football writer paid to give predictions apologized because his prediction hurt the feelings of a football player.

Let that describe the level of sensitivity around covering Lamar Jackson.

Of course, Florio's prediction was not "disrespectful." Nor is Bolanos' opinion "racist."

Bolanos tried to make the point that Jackson is not a great passer and relies on his athleticism. She's not completely wrong.

Jackson has failed to throw two touchdowns in a game six times this season. He ranks 15th in passing yards, 14th in passing touchdowns, and 11th in completion percentage.

Jackson is an okay passer. His running skills -- and threat to run the ball -- make him a great quarterback.

Now, I disagree with Bolanos' conclusion that Jackson's style of play diminishes him as a quarterback. Whether he is running or passing, he's more effective than all but -- maybe -- three quarterbacks in the NFL.

I would take him fourth after Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen.

Her phrasing was also silly. But guess what: sports talk radio is supposed to be silly.

Monse Bolanos hosts a weekend radio show on Saturdays. She's filling in on weekdays during the holidays. She's trying to make a name for herself in the industry, an industry that often rewards those who sensationalize topics.

And that's what Bolanos did: she sensationalized a sports topic.

The Sports Talk Radio Mount Rushmore -- Jim Rome, Chris Russo, Mike Francesa, and Colin Cowherd -- is full of sensationalism.

Ultimately, Bolanos took an unpopular opinion: that Lamar Jackson is not the MVP. She tried to back her opinion up by saying he's not a great pocket passer. Instead of saying "pocket passer," she used the more buzzy term, "‘quarterbacky."

She was trying to be entertaining; not racist. Her take was no more egregious than any of the takes Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith spew weekly.

How can a sports opinion about a regular season MVP award be "highly offensive?" It can't be.

No serious person is actually offended by Bolanos' comment. Anyone saying they are offended is either lying or grandstanding.

Bolanos is only a story this week because she picked against the most protected player in the sport, there is a race card to be played, and there's nothing better to talk about between Christmas and New Year's.

That said, expect Bolanos to apologize.

That is unfortunately how sports media works in 2023: You apologize if someone calls you a racist. Even if you didn't make a racist comment.

And Bolanos did not make a racist comment.

OutKick reached out to Monse Bolanos for comment. She did not respond.