{"id":42426,"date":"2018-04-23T01:27:42","date_gmt":"2018-04-23T07:27:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=42426"},"modified":"2018-04-23T01:28:00","modified_gmt":"2018-04-23T07:28:00","slug":"the-anti-semitism-controversy-surrounding-nfl-prospect-josh-rosen-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/the-anti-semitism-controversy-surrounding-nfl-prospect-josh-rosen-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"The anti-Semitism controversy surrounding NFL prospect Josh Rosen, explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_1540977\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">(JTA) \u2014 For most of last year, many predicted that UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen would be the first player chosen in the 2018 National Football League draft.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_42427\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-combine.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42427\" class=\"wp-image-42427 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-combine-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-combine-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-combine-768x506.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-combine.jpg 880w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/198;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42427\" class=\"wp-image-42427 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-combine-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-combine-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-combine-768x506.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-combine.jpg 880w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-42427\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Josh Rosen warms up for a game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., Sept. 9, 2017. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The sturdy 6-foot-4 signal-caller has racked up an impressive array of passing statistics since his freshman year in 2015, and analysts have praised the right-hander\u2019s throwing mechanics, accuracy and poise in the pocket. The Cleveland Browns, the beleaguered franchise that holds the No. 1 pick this year, badly&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/nfl\/browns\/2018\/04\/18\/cleveland-browns-2018-nfl-draft-needs-prospect-fits\/527978002\/\">need a quarterback<\/a>. The Jewish kid from Manhattan Beach, California, who had a bar mitzvah and is just now barely old enough to legally drink alcohol, was set to make Jewish sports history at Thursday\u2019s draft.<\/p>\n<p>But over the past few months, Rosen\u2019s stock has begun to drop. In February, Todd McShay, a leading NFL draft analyst,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.espn.com\/blog\/new-york-giants\/post\/_\/id\/56165\/josh-rosen-to-the-giants-in-todd-mcshays-latest-mock-draft\">predicted<\/a>&nbsp;that the New York Giants would select him with the second pick. On Monday, prominent Sports Illustrated writer Peter King wrote that he \u201ccan\u2019t find a likely spot\u201d for Rosen&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nfl\/2018\/04\/16\/nfl-draft-picks-prospects-trades-mmqb-peter-king\">in the top six picks<\/a>. On Wednesday, it was reported that the New England Patriots&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nesn.com\/2018\/04\/patriots-have-expressed-interest-in-drafting-ucla-qb-josh-rosen\/\">are interested<\/a>&nbsp;in Rosen \u2014 and they have the 23rd&nbsp;overall pick (although they could trade with another team to get a higher slot).<\/p>\n<p>The reason for the slide? Apparently it has nothing to do with Rosen\u2019s physical health or ability to sling a football, but rather involves who he is and what he has said off the field. And for at least one prominent sports TV personality, the conversation about Rosen has dipped into anti-Semitism.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Some background: He\u2019s a talker<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Rosen has not just made headlines with his grid skills. He has&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbnation.com\/college-football\/2017\/8\/9\/16117804\/josh-rosen-comments-ucla-quarterback\">criticized<\/a>&nbsp;the college football system, arguing that the high level of play required by the sport and schoolwork don\u2019t mesh. In the same vein, he sarcastically&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.latimes.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/la-oe-dreier-candaele-college-athletics-lean-right-20160729-snap-story.html\">blasted<\/a>&nbsp;UCLA for signing a $280 million apparel deal with Under Armour while college athletes are unpaid. He once wore a hat on the golf course that read \u201cF*** Trump.\u201d He snuck a hot tub&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/88zk0iqwZs\/?utm_source=ig_embed\">into his dorm room<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This tendency to speak his mind \u2014 what the scouts call \u201cintangibles\u201d \u2014 put him at odds with UCLA coach Jim Mora throughout Rosen\u2019s tenure with the Bruins. Mora said Rosen reminded him of Johnny Manziel, a former college star whose&nbsp;once promising NFL career was derailed by unorthodox behavior, substance abuse issues and multiple arrests.<\/p>\n<p>Rosen has also been open about his ambitions for a post-NFL career, something that scouts and others in the industry have taken to mean that he isn\u2019t focused enough on football. He told&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bleacherreport.com\/articles\/2722587-josh-rosen-qa-ucla-qb-on-injuries-ncaa-and-post-nfl-goal-to-own-the-world\">Bleacher Report<\/a>&nbsp;in August that he wants to get an MBA, create a business and \u201cown the world.\u201d The Sporting News&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sportingnews.com\/nfl\/news\/nfl-draft-rumors-quarterbacks-sam-darnold-baker-mayfield-josh-rosen\/k2o3vl3ntwmv130v4xuwokguq\">reported<\/a>&nbsp;in January that some believed Rosen was only interested in football to \u201cmake money and support the lifestyle he wants.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Analysts really seem to care that he\u2019s Jewish.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_42428\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42428\" class=\"wp-image-42428 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-768x506.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen.jpg 880w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/198;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42428\" class=\"wp-image-42428 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen-768x506.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/rosen.jpg 880w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-42428\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Josh Rosen at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, March 3, 2018. (Joe Robbins\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>After the waves of criticism poured in about Rosen\u2019s off-the-field opinions, analysts were left wondering how teams would evaluate him and where exactly he could be selected in the draft. Some chose to dig into other factors that might offer clues, such as his identity and background.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccording to my source, he\u2019d rather be in New York [on the Giants]. He\u2019s Jewish, there\u2019s a stronger Jewish community, he\u2019d rather be in the New York market than the Cleveland market, blah blah blah, we don\u2019t know,\u201d Stephen A. Smith, a prominent ESPN commentator,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jta.org\/2018\/04\/09\/arts-entertainment\/sports\/qb-josh-rosen-want-play-ny-cleveland-jews\">said<\/a>&nbsp;on a radio show a couple of weeks ago.<\/p>\n<p>Rosen has hinted at this kind of Jewish preference before. He was born and raised in a tony area of Southern California, the son of Charles Rosen, an orthopedic surgeon who was once on President Barack Obama\u2019s shortlist to become surgeon general, and Liz Lippincott, a journalist and the great-granddaughter of the founder of the University of Pennsylvania\u2019s prestigious Wharton School of Business. In 2016, he told&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/college-football\/2016\/08\/08\/ucla-qb-josh-rosen-bonafide-star-how-will-he-handle-fame\">Sports Illustrated<\/a>&nbsp;that Los Angeles\u2019 large Jewish community was a factor that brought him to UCLA, even though he had wanted to attend Stanford \u2014 he was rejected by the Northern California school despite his stellar grades and standout athletic ability.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn retrospect, being Jewish is a big reason why I should have considered UCLA,\u201d he said. \u201cJust because of how Jewish Hollywood is, and they really want someone to look up to because they just don\u2019t have professional athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Another ESPN radio show, hosted by sports writers Jorge Sedano and LZ Granderson and former NFL player Keyshawn Johnson, picked up where Smith left off. But their analysis brought up Rosen\u2019s wealthy parents, and it became a little strange.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirst thing you say: doctor, Manhattan Beach \u2026 the first thing you think, at least I think: pretty affluent neighborhood, little bit of money,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThey could be broke as a bag of glass, I don\u2019t know, but certainly doesn\u2019t seem that way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you talk about his religion, I believe Josh is Jewish, [OK]?\u201d he continued. \u201cNew York \u2014 big Jewish community \u2026 much like L.A. You factor that into the equation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Granderson posited that Rosen might even play better if he were drafted by New York or a team in a city with a big Jewish population, and Johnson agreed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf he is an observing Jewish individual who is embraced by the local community, that will certainly raise his ball,\u201d Granderson said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is this anti-Semitism?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The development in this story that seems to have hit Rosen\u2019s draft hopes the hardest came earlier this month, when Mora questioned whether he is \u201cfit\u201d for the NFL. After praising his skill and intelligence on the field, the veteran coach told Sports Illustrated\u2019s King that Rosen lacks a \u201cblue-collar, gritty attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe needs to be challenged intellectually, so he doesn\u2019t get bored. He\u2019s a millennial,\u201d Mora said.<\/p>\n<p>For Tony Kornheiser \u2014 the sports writer and TV personality who stars on ESPN\u2019s \u201cPardon the Interruption\u201d \u2014 this was the last straw.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is classic anti-Semitism. Absolutely classic anti-Semitism. \u2018We don\u2019t want this guy, this guy\u2019s too smart,\u2019\u201d Kornheiser said in a rant on his podcast last week. \u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as too smart \u2026 [T]his is anti Semitism in its most blatant form. It\u2019s like, \u2018we don\u2019t want this guy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kornheiser, who is Jewish, and his co-hosts also likened the NFL\u2019s fear of Rosen to its past&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nydailynews.com\/sports\/college\/progress-prejudice-plight-black-quarterback-2018-article-1.3733429\">prejudice against black quarterbacks<\/a>, who on the flip side have been labeled as not smart enough to succeed at the demanding position.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, Rosen\u2019s fellow quarterbacks in the draft pool, such as Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen and Sam Darnold, are also all millennials. It\u2019s also worth noting that Mayfield, the Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Oklahoma, was arrested last year for being publicly intoxicated. But his personality hasn\u2019t made as many headlines as Rosen\u2019s leading up to the draft.<\/p>\n<p>Former NFL quarterback Sage Rosenfels, who also is Jewish, saw Mora\u2019s comments in a different light.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen Jim Mora said Josh Rosen is really smart and needs to be challenged every day or he\u2019ll get bored, that improved his draft stock in my book,\u201d he wrote. \u201cGive me a player who wants to be challenged and doesn\u2019t get overwhelmed with basic XOs. I like this kid more and more.\u201d<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"Tumblr\",\"Email\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"medium\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"The%20anti-Semitism%20controversy%20surrounding%20NFL%20prospect%20Josh%20Rosen%2C%20explained\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1491],"tags":[553,619,8790,8795,9284,8788,9330],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42426"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42426"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42430,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42426\/revisions\/42430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}