So it's true what they say: third time's a charm.
Today Michael Irvin officially became a Hall of Fame wide receiver. After not receiving enough votes his first two opportunities, Irvin is headlining the Hall of Fame class of 2007.
I can only assume that the prolific receiver who became known as The Playmaker was simply being "punished" by voters that did not want him to be a first-ballot inductee. This honor for Irvin is overdue. (Read the "No Joshin'" post from after his first year on the ballot.) Perhaps not as long overdue as Rayfield Wright's induction last year, but long enough.
When I first saw the news this morning (well, morning out here on the West coast), I - as a Cowboys fan - felt a sense of vindication and relief. It was a feeling similar to what Peyton Manning may feel if he's successful in tomorrow's big game. Cowboys fans knew this moment would one day arrive. But when?
Irvin fell short two consecutive years. Even though last year he saw his teammate Troy Aikman become a Hall of Famer, the moment had to be bittersweet for the man who caught so many of those passes.
He admitted today on ESPN that he had some butterflies in his stomach this morning. How could he not? After the way voters had treated him the past two years, some doubt had to be creeping into his mind. For a player who never seemed to doubt his abilities during his playing days, some thoughts of "Will it ever happen? And if so, when?" had to infiltrate his mind.
Today, aah, today brings relief. Michael Irvin will forever be immortalized in the history of Pro Football.
It makes sense, really. If Troy Aikman is in, and Emmitt Smith will be in - once he's elligible, he's in on the first ballot thanks to his 18,355 rushing yards - wouldn't their seem to be a void when you mention their names as Hall of Famers.
Irvin is forever linked to Aikman and Smith. They are The Triplets. They - together - ruled professional football during the 1990s. If you wanted to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, you had to go through Dallas. To do that, you had to stop a Hall of Fame caliber trio. It's only fitting they all be together once again.
When the NFL's all-time leading rusher becomes eligible for induction, the three cornerstones of the Dallas dynasty will find themselves together once again - in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
When Emmitt takes his place in Canton, I'll say the same thing: third time's a charm.
Showing posts with label Hall of Fame. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hall of Fame. Show all posts
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Monday, January 08, 2007
Hall pass?
Now that Tiki Barber's career is over, football enthusiasts have began kicking around the idea that he may one day end up in Canton.
I'd like to go ahead and make a final ruling on Barber's Hall of Fame candidacy:
No.
To quote Mugatu in Zoolander, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
I don't mean to say Tiki Barber is not a good player. He is. Or was. He is most likely leaving 3,000 yards on the field, and I'm okay with that. It's his decision when his career is over and his alone.
But the Hall of Fame? I'm sorry, but Tiki is not one of the all-time greats.
Perhaps standards for the Pro Football Hall of Fame are dropping. Having a minimum requirement of inductees per year will do that.
My definition of a Hall of Famer, or a legend in any right, when you cannot tell the history of the game without mentioning that player. Jim Brown. Marcus Allen. Walter Payton. Barry Sanders. Emmitt Smith. Even now LaDainian Tomlinson if he keeps his current pace and can add a Super Bowl ring.
But Tiki Barber doesn't fit that category. He's not at the same level as those other backs. He's No. 17 all time in rushing yards with 10,448, and he holds several Giants records.
When I think of Barber, I think of a former fumble-machine who righted the ship for three solid seasons to close his career.
He leaves the game as a good player. Maybe even a borderline great player.
Borderline, however, does not qualify you for Canton.
Sorry to extinguish the Tiki-torch.
I'd like to go ahead and make a final ruling on Barber's Hall of Fame candidacy:
No.
To quote Mugatu in Zoolander, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
I don't mean to say Tiki Barber is not a good player. He is. Or was. He is most likely leaving 3,000 yards on the field, and I'm okay with that. It's his decision when his career is over and his alone.
But the Hall of Fame? I'm sorry, but Tiki is not one of the all-time greats.
Perhaps standards for the Pro Football Hall of Fame are dropping. Having a minimum requirement of inductees per year will do that.
My definition of a Hall of Famer, or a legend in any right, when you cannot tell the history of the game without mentioning that player. Jim Brown. Marcus Allen. Walter Payton. Barry Sanders. Emmitt Smith. Even now LaDainian Tomlinson if he keeps his current pace and can add a Super Bowl ring.
But Tiki Barber doesn't fit that category. He's not at the same level as those other backs. He's No. 17 all time in rushing yards with 10,448, and he holds several Giants records.
When I think of Barber, I think of a former fumble-machine who righted the ship for three solid seasons to close his career.
He leaves the game as a good player. Maybe even a borderline great player.
Borderline, however, does not qualify you for Canton.
Sorry to extinguish the Tiki-torch.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
LT not yet GOAT
If you think you know football, and you think you know great running backs, then you need to read this. If you don't know about great running backs, you're about to get educated.
In response to LaDainian Tomlinson setting a new single-season TD record (29) this afternoon, ESPN.com has a new poll question up:
Who is the greatest running back of all time?
Jim Brown
Walter Payton
Barry Sanders
Emmitt Smith
LaDainian Tomlinson
The scariest part of this poll: LT has captured 20% of the vote so far, and he's leaps and bounds ahead of Smith and - more astonishingly - Brown.
That's somewhat flattering to the new touchdown king, but let's just put things in perspective, shall we. On a day where Tiki Barber became the 20th back with 10,000 career rushing yards, this is a poll putting LT in the same category as the greatest backs in the history of the game. Now, I don't think Barber should be included in that group, but neither should LT - at least not yet.
If this question was "who had the best season for a running back?" or "who had the best first six years in the league at running back to start a career?" then LT would make for a fine choice.
Just because he set a new mark doesn't mean he automatically gets put in the same category, or the same realm of greatness, as those other names. Yet somehow it's happened.
Before I continue what I'm sure many would consider an LT-bashing, let me just make a case for him. He's in his sixth year, and at this pace should reach the 10,000 yard plateau at the end of the 2007 campaign. If - if - he can stay healthy, he has a legitimate chance to become the all-time rushing leader (which would be a tough task considering he's not yet halfway to Emmitt Smith's 18,355).
When historians look at back LT's career, they will see a Hall of Famer. He's helped to revitalize a struggling San Diego Chargers franchise. He's the heart pumping life through that organization and has been ever since arriving in 2001.
But before you put him in a category with Brown, Payton, Sanders and Smith, let's look at what those four did. Really quickly, here's a look at the NFL top 8 all-time leading rushers:
Now, numerically you can't argue with Smith, Payton and Sanders, and had Jim Brown played more than nine - yes, nine - seasons in the league, there's no doubt he would have continued to run over defenders at an alarming rate.
The knock on Emmitt is that he had great blocking and played on a good team, so he's not the greatest. Okay, arguably Michael Jordan played on a good team. Joe Montana played on a good team. Perhaps it wasn't a good team around him as much as him making the team better. There's no denying Smith's blockers were great - perhaps none greater than his fullback Darryl "Moose" Johnston - but someone still had to gain those yards.
Walter Payton. Sweetness. For nearly two decades his 16,726 seemed like the Holy Grail of pro football. He was the wheels that kept the famed '85 Bears moving in the right direction. He ran with a combination of power and speed that hasn't been seen since he hung up his cleats.
Barry Sanders [who by the way is leading ESPN.com's poll by a large margin] had jukes and moves that made video games require bigger hard drives. No one has escaped from as many defenders who had the "sure tackle" as Sanders. He was elusive. More importantly, he avoided getting hit hard, allowing him to play until he decided it was time to call it a career.
The best running back of all time is Jim Brown. No one has ever dominated the way he did. He led the league in rushing all but one year he played. And no defense could stop him, only the dream of an acting career.
So before LT gets put in Canton, let's just make sure he can keep it going like those who are already there.
In response to LaDainian Tomlinson setting a new single-season TD record (29) this afternoon, ESPN.com has a new poll question up:
Who is the greatest running back of all time?
Jim Brown
Walter Payton
Barry Sanders
Emmitt Smith
LaDainian Tomlinson
The scariest part of this poll: LT has captured 20% of the vote so far, and he's leaps and bounds ahead of Smith and - more astonishingly - Brown.
That's somewhat flattering to the new touchdown king, but let's just put things in perspective, shall we. On a day where Tiki Barber became the 20th back with 10,000 career rushing yards, this is a poll putting LT in the same category as the greatest backs in the history of the game. Now, I don't think Barber should be included in that group, but neither should LT - at least not yet.
If this question was "who had the best season for a running back?" or "who had the best first six years in the league at running back to start a career?" then LT would make for a fine choice.
Just because he set a new mark doesn't mean he automatically gets put in the same category, or the same realm of greatness, as those other names. Yet somehow it's happened.
Before I continue what I'm sure many would consider an LT-bashing, let me just make a case for him. He's in his sixth year, and at this pace should reach the 10,000 yard plateau at the end of the 2007 campaign. If - if - he can stay healthy, he has a legitimate chance to become the all-time rushing leader (which would be a tough task considering he's not yet halfway to Emmitt Smith's 18,355).
When historians look at back LT's career, they will see a Hall of Famer. He's helped to revitalize a struggling San Diego Chargers franchise. He's the heart pumping life through that organization and has been ever since arriving in 2001.
But before you put him in a category with Brown, Payton, Sanders and Smith, let's look at what those four did. Really quickly, here's a look at the NFL top 8 all-time leading rushers:
1. Emmitt Smith 18355
2. Walter Payton 16726
3. Barry Sanders 15269
4. Curtis Martin 14101
5. Jerome Bettis 13662
6. Eric Dickerson 13259
7. Tony Dorsett 12739
8. Jim Brown 12312
Now, numerically you can't argue with Smith, Payton and Sanders, and had Jim Brown played more than nine - yes, nine - seasons in the league, there's no doubt he would have continued to run over defenders at an alarming rate.
The knock on Emmitt is that he had great blocking and played on a good team, so he's not the greatest. Okay, arguably Michael Jordan played on a good team. Joe Montana played on a good team. Perhaps it wasn't a good team around him as much as him making the team better. There's no denying Smith's blockers were great - perhaps none greater than his fullback Darryl "Moose" Johnston - but someone still had to gain those yards.
Walter Payton. Sweetness. For nearly two decades his 16,726 seemed like the Holy Grail of pro football. He was the wheels that kept the famed '85 Bears moving in the right direction. He ran with a combination of power and speed that hasn't been seen since he hung up his cleats.
Barry Sanders [who by the way is leading ESPN.com's poll by a large margin] had jukes and moves that made video games require bigger hard drives. No one has escaped from as many defenders who had the "sure tackle" as Sanders. He was elusive. More importantly, he avoided getting hit hard, allowing him to play until he decided it was time to call it a career.
The best running back of all time is Jim Brown. No one has ever dominated the way he did. He led the league in rushing all but one year he played. And no defense could stop him, only the dream of an acting career.
So before LT gets put in Canton, let's just make sure he can keep it going like those who are already there.
Monday, July 25, 2005
How 'bout them triplets
When I heard the other day that the triplets - the original triplets - were going to be inducted into the Cowboys' Ring of Honor together, I thought it was one of the best calls Jerry has made since buying the 'Boys.
Troy Aikman. Emmitt Smith. Michael Irvin. The triplets.
There may have been others, but none were better. Aikman led the Cowboys to three Super Bowl wins. Irvin put up Jerry Rice-like numbers until an injury cut-short a Hall of Fame career. And Smith ran his way into the record books with 18,355 career rushing yards.
When the three amigos are inducted into the Ring of Honor, I have made it a point to fly back to Dallas for the game, a Monday Night Football game against the hated Washington Redskins in the home opener.
Growing up watching the triplets do there thing and do it well was one of the greatest experiences ever. As a kid in Dallas, nothing was bigger than the Dallas Cowboys, and on the Cowboys, no one was bigger than the triplets - not even Jerry.
They got to Dallas in consecutive years. Irvin was drafted in 1988 - and when he left the NFL, he was last player to play for Tom Landry to retire. Aikman entered the league in 1989, and Smith made his way to Dallas the next year as part of the Herschel Walker deal.
Until Irvin's untimely retirement, the triplets dominated football. The beginning of the end didn't come until Michael didn't get up from the solid turf of The Vet as half of Philadelphia cheered his injury (don't get me started!).
People talk now about Peyton Manning, Edgerine James and Marvin Harrison being the "new triplets." Until they do what the Cowboys' version of the triplets did, they will be nothing more than three good football players on the same team.
Any team can assemble three good football players, but until they can come together to dominate their positions at the same time while dominating the entire National Football League, they will not compare with the triplets.
HOW 'BOUT THEM COWBOYS!
HOW 'BOUT THEM TRIPLETS!
Troy Aikman. Emmitt Smith. Michael Irvin. The triplets.
There may have been others, but none were better. Aikman led the Cowboys to three Super Bowl wins. Irvin put up Jerry Rice-like numbers until an injury cut-short a Hall of Fame career. And Smith ran his way into the record books with 18,355 career rushing yards.
When the three amigos are inducted into the Ring of Honor, I have made it a point to fly back to Dallas for the game, a Monday Night Football game against the hated Washington Redskins in the home opener.
Growing up watching the triplets do there thing and do it well was one of the greatest experiences ever. As a kid in Dallas, nothing was bigger than the Dallas Cowboys, and on the Cowboys, no one was bigger than the triplets - not even Jerry.
They got to Dallas in consecutive years. Irvin was drafted in 1988 - and when he left the NFL, he was last player to play for Tom Landry to retire. Aikman entered the league in 1989, and Smith made his way to Dallas the next year as part of the Herschel Walker deal.
Until Irvin's untimely retirement, the triplets dominated football. The beginning of the end didn't come until Michael didn't get up from the solid turf of The Vet as half of Philadelphia cheered his injury (don't get me started!).
People talk now about Peyton Manning, Edgerine James and Marvin Harrison being the "new triplets." Until they do what the Cowboys' version of the triplets did, they will be nothing more than three good football players on the same team.
Any team can assemble three good football players, but until they can come together to dominate their positions at the same time while dominating the entire National Football League, they will not compare with the triplets.
HOW 'BOUT THEM COWBOYS!
HOW 'BOUT THEM TRIPLETS!
Saturday, March 19, 2005
The Greatest
The Cowboys re-signed the NFL's all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith so he can retire as a member of the team he helped make great during the '90s. Emmitt will finish his career with 18,355 rushing yards (1,629 yards ahead of Walter Payton), 164 rushing touchdowns and 4,509 carries; all are NFL records.
Five years from now, I will tune in to see Emmitt standing at the podium in Canton for his Hall of Fame induction. Aside from maybe Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith is the greatest running back in the history of football. The only reason Brown may have been better is because we don't know just how much more he would have done had he continued playing.
But Emmitt continued. Emmitt perservered. Emmitt went for the record...and he got it. He deserved it.
When Emmitt first came into the league his goal was to be the NFL's all-time leading rusher. Here we are 15 years later, and who is the NFL's all-time leading rusher? Yes, that would be Emmitt Smith.
While some might argue that Emmitt wasn't that great, I just have one word for them: bullshit! Some say anyone could have broken Payton's record with an offensive line like the 'Boys had during the '90s, but you still have to hit the hole while it's open. And Emmitt did.
And as Michael Irvin has pointed out numerous times, he made it look easy. Watching Emmitt run, it never seemed like he was doing anything magical. He wasn't plowing over linebackers like Jim Brown. He wasn't avoiding DBs with ankle-breaking jukes like Barry Sanders. He just kept running...right into the record books.
I grew up watching Emmitt Smith run for the record, and we may very well never see another running back like him. He was an amazing back, and the NFL is better off today after Emmitt's run with greatness.
The only regret I have looking back on Emmitt's entire career is the handoff he took against the Seahawks in 2002 when he broke Payton's record. It was 2nd and 7 on the Dallas 30 yard line. The offensive line had guys like Andre Gurode, Flozell Adams and Solomon Page. The handoff came from Chad Hutchinson. And the fullback Robert Thomas, well, he wasn't wearing #48.
If only it could have been Troy Aikman handing off that ball to Emmitt. If only Moose was in there blocking. Every member of the dynasty teams who could make it to Texas Stadium that weekend was there to watch Emmitt break the record.
But Emmitt outlasted them all. The back who was too slow and too small coming out of college has now sealed his name in the record books...where it should be.
Five years from now, I will tune in to see Emmitt standing at the podium in Canton for his Hall of Fame induction. Aside from maybe Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith is the greatest running back in the history of football. The only reason Brown may have been better is because we don't know just how much more he would have done had he continued playing.
But Emmitt continued. Emmitt perservered. Emmitt went for the record...and he got it. He deserved it.
When Emmitt first came into the league his goal was to be the NFL's all-time leading rusher. Here we are 15 years later, and who is the NFL's all-time leading rusher? Yes, that would be Emmitt Smith.
While some might argue that Emmitt wasn't that great, I just have one word for them: bullshit! Some say anyone could have broken Payton's record with an offensive line like the 'Boys had during the '90s, but you still have to hit the hole while it's open. And Emmitt did.
And as Michael Irvin has pointed out numerous times, he made it look easy. Watching Emmitt run, it never seemed like he was doing anything magical. He wasn't plowing over linebackers like Jim Brown. He wasn't avoiding DBs with ankle-breaking jukes like Barry Sanders. He just kept running...right into the record books.
I grew up watching Emmitt Smith run for the record, and we may very well never see another running back like him. He was an amazing back, and the NFL is better off today after Emmitt's run with greatness.
The only regret I have looking back on Emmitt's entire career is the handoff he took against the Seahawks in 2002 when he broke Payton's record. It was 2nd and 7 on the Dallas 30 yard line. The offensive line had guys like Andre Gurode, Flozell Adams and Solomon Page. The handoff came from Chad Hutchinson. And the fullback Robert Thomas, well, he wasn't wearing #48.
If only it could have been Troy Aikman handing off that ball to Emmitt. If only Moose was in there blocking. Every member of the dynasty teams who could make it to Texas Stadium that weekend was there to watch Emmitt break the record.
But Emmitt outlasted them all. The back who was too slow and too small coming out of college has now sealed his name in the record books...where it should be.
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Michael deserves a Hall pass
When I heard who would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend, I was shocked. Not by Dan Marino's induction. Not by Steven Young's induction. By Michael Irvin's exclusion! Is that a joke?
Irvin deserves the Hall of Fame. The only feasible reason to keep him out would be his off-field problem, and I don't believe that's enough!
As if his 750 receptions for 11,904 yards and 65 touchdowns in the regular season from 1988-1999 with the Cowboys wasn't enough, Irvin was intrumental in the 'Boys' three Super Bowl wins (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX) in tht 1990s. There's a reason his nickname will always be The Playmaker.
That's what Michael Irvin did. I grew up going to Texas Stadium and watching Troy Aikman play-fake the ball to Emmitt Smith before launching it downfield to Irvin, who would make a juggling circus catch before running the rest of the way to the endzone. In fact, Michael Irvin led the Cowboys in receiving from 1991-1998.
Let's not forget his playoff numbers: 87 receptions for 1,315 yards and eight touchdowns in seven playoff seasons ('91-'96, '98).
Irvin's number's are good enough for Canton. That is indisputable.
Don't believe me? Let's compare The Playmaker to the best receiver in NFL History: Jerry Rice.
The numbers don't lie. Irvin should be in the Hall of Fame.
His off-field problems are keeping him out of Canton, and I have a problem with that. Irvin did have some serious drug problems during his time with the Dallas Cowboys. He was even arrested for possession. That has nothing to do with his ability to make plays on the field. Irvin wasn't a saint off the field, but he had the numbers.
Let's take a look at what would happen if the situation was reversed. What if Irvin didn't have the numbers, but was a humanitarian? Let's say that over his full 11 seasons in the NFL, Irvin only record an average of 20-30 receptions a year instead of his career average of 67. Instead of his 65 TD's, he only had 25, but he was a good person?
The Pro Football Hall of Fame wouldn't have even looked at him for a spot! It's about the numbers. It's about how they did on the field. Irvin took care of business when he stepped onto the turf at Texas Stadium and any other stadium he went to. He deserves his Hall pass.
This isn't like baseball's Pete Rose situation where Rose actually tainted the game by betting on the team he was managing. That's not an off-field problem. That's making the game of baseball dishonest. Irvin did nothing like that.
Irvin had drug problems. I can live with that. Irvin's drug problems didn't rock the foundation of the National Football League. He went out there 159 times in his career and made plays. The Playmaker needs his Hall pass.
Irvin deserves the Hall of Fame. The only feasible reason to keep him out would be his off-field problem, and I don't believe that's enough!
As if his 750 receptions for 11,904 yards and 65 touchdowns in the regular season from 1988-1999 with the Cowboys wasn't enough, Irvin was intrumental in the 'Boys' three Super Bowl wins (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX) in tht 1990s. There's a reason his nickname will always be The Playmaker.
That's what Michael Irvin did. I grew up going to Texas Stadium and watching Troy Aikman play-fake the ball to Emmitt Smith before launching it downfield to Irvin, who would make a juggling circus catch before running the rest of the way to the endzone. In fact, Michael Irvin led the Cowboys in receiving from 1991-1998.
Let's not forget his playoff numbers: 87 receptions for 1,315 yards and eight touchdowns in seven playoff seasons ('91-'96, '98).
Irvin's number's are good enough for Canton. That is indisputable.
Don't believe me? Let's compare The Playmaker to the best receiver in NFL History: Jerry Rice.
Jerry Rice, who has played 20 seasons from 1985-2004 (and may very well be back next year) in the NFL has recorded 22,895 receiving yards (a record that will never be broken by anyone). He has played in 303 games, starting 284 of them. Michael Irvin played in roughly half that many games (159 - while starting 147 of them).
Michael Irvin's career was cut short by injury four games into the 1999 season when he took a vicious hit going over the middle at the Vet in Philadelphia. He only played 11 full NFL seasons - about half that of Jerry Rice.
Logically, by only playing half as much as Rice, Irvin should have about half his numbers, which he does: 11,904 yards to 22,895. Irvin has 750 receptions to Rice's 1549. I'm not saying that Irvin would have played 20 years and broken or even come close to Rice's all-time records, but during his career, Irvin was at the same pace as Rice.
The numbers don't lie. Irvin should be in the Hall of Fame.
His off-field problems are keeping him out of Canton, and I have a problem with that. Irvin did have some serious drug problems during his time with the Dallas Cowboys. He was even arrested for possession. That has nothing to do with his ability to make plays on the field. Irvin wasn't a saint off the field, but he had the numbers.
Let's take a look at what would happen if the situation was reversed. What if Irvin didn't have the numbers, but was a humanitarian? Let's say that over his full 11 seasons in the NFL, Irvin only record an average of 20-30 receptions a year instead of his career average of 67. Instead of his 65 TD's, he only had 25, but he was a good person?
The Pro Football Hall of Fame wouldn't have even looked at him for a spot! It's about the numbers. It's about how they did on the field. Irvin took care of business when he stepped onto the turf at Texas Stadium and any other stadium he went to. He deserves his Hall pass.
This isn't like baseball's Pete Rose situation where Rose actually tainted the game by betting on the team he was managing. That's not an off-field problem. That's making the game of baseball dishonest. Irvin did nothing like that.
Irvin had drug problems. I can live with that. Irvin's drug problems didn't rock the foundation of the National Football League. He went out there 159 times in his career and made plays. The Playmaker needs his Hall pass.
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