Heath Shuler For Congress?

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Dec 18, 2004
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Former Tennessee QB Heath Shuler is running for Congress in North Carolina's 11th District as a Democrat. Shuler says he is pro-life, pro-gun, pro-tax cut, and against amnesty for illegals. In short Shuler seems to be a conservative democrat who can fit a socially connservative, economically populist district.

Today's (10-5)NRO has a lengthy article on this race. Shuler made a lot of money while living in Knoxville as a real estate developer after leaving football. He moved back to his home area in Western North Carolina in 2003. Shuler has a good chance of winning.

Shuler left Tennessee with a year remaining and was drafted by the Redskins. He held out of training camp on the advice of his agent, and never seemed to catch up. Several injuries helped end his NFL career. As I recall, NFL fans really hated him. When healthy, Shuler was an "athletic quarterback." I saw him play several times at Tennessee.
 

White Shogun

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Hope he wins.
 

bigunreal

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Next to Cade McNown, Heath Shuler was probably the most hated young QB (by fans and the media) in modern NFL history. For no clear reason, Redskins' fans instantly hated him after he had the audacity to hold out during training camp (like high draft picks haven't done that regularly for many, many years). Apparently, Shuler incurred the wrath of the local media when he refused to kiss "Pope" Sonny Jurgensen's ring (wasn't sufficiently awed by Jurgensen's advice). Jurgensen became overtly anti- Shuler during Redskins' radio broadcasts, and actually came out and lobbied for Gus Frerotte (a cinderella story 7th round pick who was irrationally beloved and overrated by everyone simply because he was competing with Shuler) to be named the starting QB. Shuler's rookie season was not bad in comparison to the first seasons of most future great NFL QBs, but like McNown he was constantly portrayed as terrible and a "bust." Then, idiotic coach Norv Turner staged an open competition for the starting job between Shuler and Frerotte prior to Shuler's third (I think) season with the team. The two players were very close statistically during the first three preseason games, and Turner announced that they'd each play a half during the last preseason game. Shuler played less than a half, because Turner angrily removed him from the game when he tripped taking the snap from center and the opposition recovered his fumble. Frerotte was absolutely horrendous during the second half (something like 2-18 passing), but Turner abruptly named him the starter after the game. It was Shuler's misfortune to have psycho QB-killer Mike Ditka become more enthralled with him than any other coach and his career with the offensively-challenged Saints was predictably brief. Who knows how good Shuler really was? He was given even less of a chance than McNown, and was unfairly treated by the league, the press and the fans.
 

Don Wassall

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I remember the irrational hatred directed at Shuler very well. He was given up on very quickly for a high first round draft choice. It was indeed much like what Cade McNown went through. It's bad enough for all white quarterbacks and white football players, as they are the targets of the mass self-loathing whites have been indoctrinated to have for themselves in the U.S., but some seem to really become the object of all those pent-up negative feelings. Bill Schroeder is another prime example. Kyle Bollerand Joey Harrington areprobably the most despisedamong current players. Edited by: Don Wassall
 
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I remember the neocon magazine, The American Spectator, even took it upon themselves to run an anti-Heath Shuler article.
 
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