The Denver Post covers the recent Yahoo! article on Gerhart.
There are some very good posts too...many slamming "Eminem" and some comparing Gerhart to Hillis. Almost all think Gerhart is getting the shaft because he's White. There is also a poll at the link that asks if you think Gerhart will be stereotyped and won't be given a fair chance. I voted "Yes".
Here's one of the reader's comments:
"What if his name was LaTobian Gerhart? I mean, he's still white but could be from a rough part of town or lived the thug life prior to attending Stanford. Just a thought."
http://www.denverpost.com/commented/ci_14928883?source=commented-&_requestid=7464156
<h1 id="articleTitle" ="articleTitle">Is
Stanford RB Gerhart too white for first round?</h1><div id="articleByline" ="articleByline"><a href="mailto
saunders@denverpost.com?subject=The%20Denver%20Post:%20Is%20Stanford%20RB%20Gerhart%20too%20white%20for%20first%20round?" target="_blank">By
Patrick Saunders
The Denver Post
</a></div><div id="articleDate" ="articleDate">Posted:04/21/2010 01:07:23 PM MDT
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</span><div ="articleCaption" style="width: 100%;">Stanford running back
Toby Gerhart punished would-be tacklers in college. Can he do the same
in the NFL? (AP | Paul Sakuma)</div></div></div></span></div>
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Stanford
running back Toby Gerhart busted through college defenses like a
rampaging white rhino.
The key word here being "white."
There is speculation out there that Gerhart might not be selected in
the first round of Thursday's NFL draft because of the color of his
skin.
Yahoo.com's Michael Silver, the former
Sports Illustrated writer, covered the touchy subject in a <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-gerhartstereotype042010" target="_blank">
fascinating piece </a>earlier this week.
According to Silver, Gerhart believes that it his race has colored
the opinions of some NFL personnel types.
"One team I interviewed with asked me about being a white running
back," Gerhart <div ="article2">< ="text/" ="">
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will get passed over in the first round of the NFL draft because he's
white. Do think his race will be a factor?</td></tr><tr><td ="pollsViewResults">Total Votes = < ="text/" ="">document.write(total);368</td></tr><tr><td><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><t><tr><td ="pollsAnswer">< ="text/" ="">
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No. I think he'll be selected based on talent and
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Yes. I think he's being stereotyped and won't be
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said. "They
asked if it made me feel entitled, or like I felt I was a poster child
for white running backs. I said, 'No, I'm just out there playing ball. I
don't think about that.' I didn't really know what to say."
But one longtime NFL scout told Silver that Gerhart's skin color
likely will prevent the Pac-10's offensive player of the year from being
drafted in the first round.
Other NFL personnel men and scouts say that race has nothing to do
with it. They simply believe Gerhart is not quick enough through the
hole, absorbs too many hits and won't punish defenders the way he did
during college.
"I'm just a running back who tries to do what he can to win games and
score touchdowns, but people have their opinions, and it's kind of
frustrating," Gerhart told Silver earlier this month. "People say, 'He's
slow,' or 'He's not going to be able to break tackles at the next
level.' In college I went up against players like (USC's) Brian Cushing
and Clay Matthews â€" guys who ended up making the Pro Bowl (as NFL
rookies) â€" and I ran through their tackles. It's too bad people look at
you all weird because of a stereotype."
For the record, Gerhart stands 6-foot, 230 pounds. At the NFL
Combine, he ran a 4.50-second 40-yard dash and registered a 38-inch
vertical leap. Last season, he rushed for 1,871 yards and 27 touchdowns,
barely losing out to Alabama's Mark Ingram in the closest Heisman
Trophy vote in history.
It will be interesting to see where Gerhart gets picked.</div>