I remember CBS commentator, Jimmy the Greek arguing that African-Americans were athletically superior to whites stating that this "fact" was the result of 'selective breeding' -- a biproduct of slavery. Jimmy was promptly fired but make no mistake that his views were generally accepted by a significant percentage of the sports viewing population.

Flash-forward another fifteen or so years and Rush Limbaugh attempts to argue that political correctness is to blame for the perceived success of black quarterbacks like Donovan McNabb. The result: Limbaugh resigned over his statement and McNabb and his team are now poised to unseat the defending Super Bowl champions.

So what do we make of this? If we use athletics as a lens to view history, history has shown us that progress has been made in the area of race-relations. Probably not enough but some. As an African-Canadian, I'm certainly proud of the accomplishments of black athletes such as Donovan McNabb, although to be honest, I don't really think of Donovan's accomplishments in the context of race. It is a testament to our progress as a society that our general reaction to overtly racist comments by the media is to denounce them. With that being said, I worry about the subtle racism that still pervades athletics and the media. What's that you ask? Well, as you watch the Super Bowl this Sunday, pay particular attention to the descriptions made of both MVP-calibre quarterbacks. Undoubtedly, McNabb will be hailed for his athleticism whereas Tom Brady (a white quarterback) will be hailed for his leadership and "good decision-making". A subtle but powerful distinction. Maybe we haven't come that far at all.