On a more serious (or at least self-important) note, race in sports is a can of worms I’d probably do better not to open. But something on one of yesterday’s NFL broadcasts really bugged me.

For years, there have been complaints that the media associates character attributes with white athletes, while assuming black athletes got where they are on natural talent. The classic example offered is that Larry Bird was constantly lauded for his work ethic in the ’80s, while Magic Johnson was mostly praised for his superior God-given abilities.

So there, on one of America’s major networks, was a graphic yesterday that showed how the “perfect quarterback” would be built. And what were its components? The heart and mind of Brett Favre and Peyton Manning (both white), and the arm and legs of Daunte Culpepper and Donovan McNabb (both black).

I’m sure it wasn’t intended as a racial statement; producers probably didn’t even think of the undertones. But the subtext, to me, was unmistakable – particularly because I have no idea how it was determined that Manning is smarter than McNabb, or that McNabb is more physically gifted than Manning.

I admit, it wasn’t exactly Rush Limbaugh on ESPN. But I still can’t imagine I was the only one who noticed it.