Yes yes, much has been made over the years of Donovan McNabb’s “outstanding” sense of humor and propensity for jokiness — in the huddle, at practice, on the sidelines, etc.  It’s just his way of keeping everyone loose and relaxed!  (Or it’s an adolescent response to panic and nerves — better make some jokes and let everyone know that I’m not feeling anxious here.  Whichever.)

For the most part, I’ve been on the “yeah, I don’t get it” team w/r/t Donovan’s jokes.  I mean, he seems like a nice guy, but he doesn’t seem funny in the way that a Charles Barkley or a Gilbert Arenas is funny.

But I’ve got to hand it to him: he definitely had a good joke ready yesterday for his presser:

On how he found out that he was named the starter for the game vs. Arizona: “(Jokingly) I was told by the janitor. Me and him have a pretty good relationship around here. It was a pretty good conversation that we had.”

Not bad, Donovan!  Not bad!  Maybe someone wrote it for him as a birthday gift?  Also, I like the stage directions added by PE.com.

Of course, even making the joke has offered fodder for a round of foreboding columns.  I especially like the black-and-white photo in this one — really brings the point home, doesn’t it?

Happy Belated Birthday, Big Five.