Before NFL teams decide to commit a draft pick and potential millions of dollars to a player, they try to find out everything they can about the young man. They do background checks, investigations, talk to coaches, and occasionally ask you to break dance. Seriously. But the latest level of scrutiny easily beats all others. As Pro Football Talk noted from Peter King’s column, TCU quarterback Andy Dalton’s hair color can even be a cause for concern.
King wrote in his column that “At least one team is thinking not just about Dalton’s brains but also about what’s on top of them. “Has there ever been a red-headed quarterback in the NFL who’s really done well?” a coach asked one reporter last week. “It sounds idiotic, but is there any way that could be a factor? We’ve wondered.”
If Andy Dalton slips in the draft, you think he’ll hire a lawyer to file a suit alleging fur discrimination? You think Larry David would take the stand as a witness citing his theory of baldness bias? It could happen and frankly, I’m not sure the world is ready for it. Sadly, not even going with a hip mohawk can help Dalton against this sort of scrutiny.
