Robert Griffin III benching has Shannon Sharpe defending Mike Shanahan on race issue - when no one attacked him

When possible, it’s always better to name names — especially when you are injecting race into the equation. This did not register on Shannon Sharpe.

Talk of Robert Griffin III, and Mike Shanahan’s decision to shut him down, filled the air Sunday. Sharpe’s passionate soliloquy was a highlight.

On CBS’ “The NFL Today,” he spoke of his 24-year relationship with Shanahan, whom he played for in Denver, and how the coach had tried to trade him twice.

“That happened 15 years ago. Then, as I do now, I never thought it was about race,” Sharpe said. “I thought it was because he thought he could find a better tight end than Shannon Sharpe.”

Sharpe said that was Shanahan’s right — just as it was his right to bench Griffin the rest of the season.

“He (Shanahan) had to be politically correct. I do not (have to be),” Sharpe said. “RG3 has played awful. And it comes to a point in time that you owe it to the 52 guys in that locker room to put the best 11 guys on the football field. Right now that’s not RG3. Race or racism had nothing to do with this.”

Who said it did?

What is he talking about?

Sharpe spoke with so much emotion that he must have had someone in mind, someone who claims Shanhan’s move is racially motivated. Sharpe should have identified the person(s). Now we are left to guess. That’s not good. Who is he he talking about?

Michael Irvin, perhaps?

Last week, on the NFL Network, Irvin ripped Shanahan for his handling of Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth.

And Sunday, when Kurt Warner asked why RG3’s teammates “are not making a big deal about this,” telling Shanahan “we want our leader to go to battle with us,” Irvin again alluded to McNabb and Haynesworth. He said Shanahan is too busy making sure everyone knows he’s in control.

“That’s why nobody can step up and say anything,” Irvin said. “He’ll cut their head off like he’s cut off those other guys’ (McNabb/Haynesworth) head.”

Only Sharpe knows who he was talking about. His heartfelt rap was moving.

Unfortunately, it left more questions than answers.

GOING LONG
The Shanahan/RG3 discussion was totally predictable, a for or against kind of thing.

Howie Long dared to go in a different direction, focusing on a broader, critical issue — the integrity of the game.

“Next week Washington plays Dallas. Direct implications on who will win the NFC East,” Long said. “That directly impacts the integrity of the game if RG3 is your franchise quarterback, he’s healthy and he’s ready to play.”

Underlining Long’s point was a live shot of Griffin, in sweats, running along the sidelines. The dude looked very healthy.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Anyone remember the Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin-Miami Dolphins controversy?

You know, the one about bullying? It appears winning has provided some — like Dan Marino — with a convenient case of temporary amnesia.

He interviewed (more like a mass Twinkie Munch) coach Joe Philbin and Dolphins players during a feature on CBS’ pregame show.

Does anyone remember that Marino is a member of a committee selected by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to review and investigate Miami’s locker-room “culture?” It was hard to believe he could be an objective member of the panel. After watching Marino on this piece, it’s even harder. The spot left a bad perception.

Robert Sabo/New York Daily News

Here's a new drinking game: chug when the Giants make a poor play. This guy will need more than one.

However, we don’t blame Marino. Not at all. We blame the brainiacs at CBS Sports who gave him this particular assignment. They must have forgotten (or wanted to forget) that he is on Ross’ committee.

RADIO NOWHERE
It wasn’t quite torture, but close.

For reasons known only to me (temporary insanity?) I actually watched the entire Seahawks-Giants “game.” It wasn’t to listen to Kevin Burkhardt and John Lynch. Muted them to hear how Carl Banks and Bob Papa would handle this one-sided piece of dreck.

The radio voices sounded as beaten down as the team they cover. Think about it, now Banks/Papa actually must go to Detroit to witness an even worse beating. Maybe OSHA can get an injunction against the Giants, prohibiting them from playing Eli Manning in a game that will be hazardous to his health.

Manning’s offensive line is a walking safety violation.

Anyway, Banks deserves credit for succinctly explaining the Giants’ predicament. “There’s a lot of work to be done,” he said in the fourth quarter. “They are just not very good.”

POPE TAKES A PASS
These are the final days.

And as WFAN’s Mike (Sports Pope) Francesa peered out from the balcony, the unwashed masses who were there live, and the millions watching around the world on the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network, wondered if he would address the split between the Vatican and Al Yankzeera, which will leave the pontiff looking for a new TV simulcast home.

His Excellency tossed only a crumb to the peons. “I know there’s a lot of stuff about YES and me,” said the Pope, eloquent as ever. “We will get to that tomorrow. This is a football Sunday.”

Yes, a holy day.

MEANO TO GENO
How come these pregame mouths like making fun of Geno Smith?

What has he done to them? We are starting to feel sorry for him.

On NFLN’s “GameDay First,” Shaun O’Hara, in a bad mood knowing he still has several weeks to work with Sterling Sharpe, reminded viewers how Smith said he was going to “let it loose” against Carolina and not “play like a robot.”

O’Hara: “Hey, he sounded like a robot when he was saying that.”

Even worse for Smith was the NFLN crew. It couldn’t stop laughing as video aired of his TD pass to Jeremy Kerley last week against Oakland. They were howling because the pass was intended for Santonio Holmes.

“It was actually intercepted by Kerley,” a cackling Warren Sapp said, igniting the other chuckleheads on the panel to cast more aspersions on Mr. Smith.

SWEATER JEST
Does ESPN’s Keyshawn Johnson have a thang with Justin Tuck?

It’s a valid question, considering how MeShawn captioned video of Tuck walking into MetLife Sunday morning wearing a sweater without a shirt. “Tuck looks like he used to play football,” Johnson said.

That must be some kind of fashion statement.

TRAVELING NANTZ
Just in case you didn’t know, CBS’ Jim Nantz works very hard. Just ask him.

That’s what Adam (Nabob) Schein did (sort of) on CBS Sports Network’s “That Other Pregame Show.”

“Jim, how’s the beach?” Schein asked Nantz, who was with Phil Simms in Miami for Pats-Dolphins.

“Hey, I was doing a basketball game in Michigan Saturday (Arizona-Michigan), I’m sorry you missed it,” Nantz said. “So I didn’t see the beach.”

Poor guy. Life must be tough.