One of the best days of the year has arrived.  The NFL draft.  I’m a bit of a traditionalist so this having the first round on Thursday in prime time, and then completing the rest of the rounds over the course of a few days is a bit of a wait and see thing for me.  I can say one thing, I will consume a lot less alcohol during this year’s first round than in the past.

So many side stories flying around.  The rumors and activity by the Raiders is exciting for me as a fan, but also adds a lot of intrigue.  By the time both my fans read this the Big Ben saga will have run it’s course.  Needless to say, I’m pretty stoked at the prospect of him wearing the Silver and Black even if I have to wait 4-6 games for it.  BREAKING NEWS:  the Raiders have hired O.J. Simpson as running backs coach.  He was quoted as saying “I wasn’t convicted of that crime.”

But I digress.  This is but one story of many subplots that have led up to this wonderful event.  Who will the Rams screw the career of?  Will Tim Tebow and Kurt Warner hold Bible study together?  Will Rat Boy Shanahan turn the Redskins into the NFL version of Running Back U?  Why does it matter that Toby Gerhart is white?  Yup, I’m going there.

The 2009 Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year is being overlooked because of the color of his skin.  In this day and age when so much attention is being placed on minority hirings in the coaching ranks, racism raises it’s ugly head to sting somebody who is such a gifted athlete that it should not matter.  According to a story on Yahoo! Sports, one longtime NFL scout predicted that Gerhart would not be drafted in the first round because he’s white.  He draws comparisons to the Rams’ Steven Jackson, but more often he’s heard that he’s the next John Riggins or just like Mike Alstott.  Oh yeah, those guys are white too.  Another NFL executive said they didn’t really care for him because it was felt he takes too many hits and would pay the price by season’s end.  Correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t Steven Jackson take a lot of hits but just motors over people?  One could say that Jackson has paid for it with a spate of recent injuries, but it’s not being said about him.  Why?  I let you fill in the blank.

Comments from some feel that would be better suited as a fullback.  You know, that big, plodding white guy who just clears the way for the quick and elusive back behind him.  Except one problem, Gerhart is pretty quick.  He’s got some great moves but knows the shortest distance between two points is a straight line….so he chooses to run people over.  Gerhart ran the 7th fastest time in the 40 at the Combine this year.  That was almost a tenth of a second faster that LeGarrette Blount from Oregon.  Why isn’t anybody stating that Blount should be a fullback?

No, the problem here is the ignorance that still invades peoples minds about what should be.  The stereotypical attitudes that made it so difficult for minorities to succeed in this country.  Who gives a damn the color of a person’s skin.  Are they good at what they do in comparison to others who do the same thing?  The answer for Gerhart is a resounding yes!  Should he slip to the second round, or even third as some have predicted, not only will some team get the steal of the draft but a great injustice will be served upon a young man who has carried himself with class and dignity.  When asked by a team at the combine how it felt to be a white running back and if he felt entitled Gerhart responded that he doesn’t think about that at all.  That he just goes out and plays ball.

Racism is the worst plague that this country has ever had.  Regardless of the awareness that has been placed on giving everybody equal opportunity it still exists and at times in some of the most surprising places.  Toby Gerhart is a victim of racism from an industry that prides itself on being all-inclusive.  I can’t even imagine what it feels like to grow up being hated all the time for the color of my skin.  I’ve grown myself to see beyond what’s on the outside of each individual and base my feelings toward them on their action and their character.  I just wish everybody involved with the NFL could do the same.  A player’s performance should dictate where they are drafted and their potential earnings.  Before we as a country and a people can really grow beyond this evil called racism, everybody needs to cast it aside.  Before we can really become one race…..the human race.