Michael Crabtree being Crabby!
“Oh greed, from which pit of hell cometh thou?”
I don’t get this folks, SOMEBODY tell me what I am missing here!
The last few years I was fortunate enough to watch some Texas Tech games on television and loved how these guys played. We were almost guaranteed many points every game, and it was most exciting. This high scoring team had a great quarterback, and also a great receiver, showcased last year when Texas Tech beat Texas in a thriller.
(R.I.P MJ)
One of the stars was Michael Crabtree, a sure-fire first round pick in the NFL draft. I realized that whoever picked this guy would certainly be in a good position to build a good offense, even with a decent quarterback.
So the NFL Draft comes around, and Michael Crabtree is picked #10 by the San Francisco 49ers…ok, not exactly the best team in the NFL at the moment, but to be sure there is great promise with what they have there. Seems like a no brainer; Crabtree signs, he gets on the team, works out and bingo, the 49ers have a new weapon that could just make the difference in them getting to the playoffs.
Problem.
That rare disease called Divamentia has descended on Michael Crabtree, where he thinks that he should be paid even more than the offer.
Let’s see…the 49ers are offering him about $20,000,000 over a 5 year period, with about $16,000,000 guaranteed. He’d be making about $4 million a year. He wants MORE money, comparable to the higher picks.
Comparable to what?
Darrius Heyward-Bey was picked #7 in the draft, the only other receiver ahead of Crabtree. He signed a 5 year deal guaranteeing him at least $23 million, but can make over $38 million.
Eugene Monroe was picked #8, and will get about $35 million, with about $19 million guaranteed. So what in the world is Crabbytree looking for?
If you looked at the 2009 draft, and what the players all signed for (except Crabtree) you can see a progressive change from the first pick on down. Generally speaking, the higher you are drafted, the more money you can be signed for, over a 4-6 year deal. Most players signed for 5 years, a few signed for 4 or 6.
The progression of salaries and guaranteed contracts goes lower as the picks go lower. For example, Matthew Stafford was the #1 pick, and signed with the Lions for 6 years, $72 million with almost $42 million guaranteed. The second pick was Jason Smith, who signed for the St. Louis Rams for 5 years, almost $62 million with $33 million guaranteed.
From there it decreases in salary as the pick get lower. One exception is Andre Smith, who signed with the Bengals for only 4 years, $26 million ,but $21 million of that guaranteed. From there the contract gets progressively lower.
If you look at the lower picks under Crabtree, you see that the #12 pick was Knowshon Moreno was picked by Denver for 5 years, $23 million, with $13 million of that guaranteed. Fellow receiver Jeremy Maclin was selected #19, and his contract was for 5 years, almost $15 million, with just over $9 million guaranteed.
You get the idea? The higher you are picked, the more money you can get, the lower you are picked, the less money you will sign for. If we were to use some kinda math at what Michael Crabtree should get since he was picked #10, it might be something along maybe $21 or $22 million, with about $16 million guaranteed…there abouts.
But that’s not enough. Crabtree wants similar money to what Darrius Heyward-Bey makes, which is about $15 million MORE than the contract that Crabtree has on the table, and about another 8 or 9 million guaranteed.
He wants #7 money when he was NOT the #7 pick….what makes this dude think he deserves that kind of money?
And the problem is that he looks at Brandon Marshall with the Broncos throw a temper tantrum and get what he wants, he sees Terrell Owens as “Mouth Almighty” and gets what he wants, and thinks that every receiver has to be the center of the universe. So Crabtree has already missed every bit of training camp, and the season has already started…he is now of no use to the 49ers.
And there is the thought of reentering the draft next year for a higher pick… a foolish gamble if you ask me.
Guys like this make me wish that he gets picked MUCH later in the first round, preferably the second round, so he can dream about those big dollars he left on the table. I realize this is a business, but the business wanted to award him $16 million guaranteed! That would have made him the 10th highest paid rookie of the draft…isn’t that the way it is supposed to work?
With the length of contract and the overall salary, it gets a little sketchy, but maybe his argument was that there was such a dropoff from the #9 pick, B.J. Raji, picked by the Packers for 5 years, $28 million with $18 guaranteed to his $20 million, $16 million guaranteed. The difference of $8 million dollars might have been what upset him…and his agent.
If the 49ers make a deal with him, (and I hope they don’t), they might offer a few million more, maybe give him a $24 or $25 million dollar deal, maybe $17 million guaranteed, but how can they go any higher? He does not deserve it, he has not shown anything on the field, and he is suffering from Divamentia…somebody help the poor guy!
A sad story to be sure…where $20 million dollars just doesn’t buy what it used to…maybe he ought to take a part time job at Wal-Mart…I am sure they got one in San Francisco….
Showing posts with label San Francisco 49ers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Francisco 49ers. Show all posts
Friday, September 18, 2009
Friday, October 31, 2008
Mike Singletary and the 49ers
The NFL Code of Respect
It is said that respect is a two-way street, meaning that it’s not enough for you to GIVE respect, you also have a right to GET it as well. This may be seen in how teams respect one another both on and off the field.
I want to use an example to discuss how even in the National Football League there must be respect. Now, a lot of people talk about how players have to respect coaches, and I agree. The coach is the figure head of the team, and must be the leader. As such, that means that those under his command must respect his authority.
That’s fine, I got that.
But it goes both ways too. Sometimes the coach has to remember that he is not God, and is just as human as the team he coaches. Lots of times the delicate balance of team is broken when players no longer have the absolute respect of their head coach. This happens a lot in sports, but let me use a recent example.
I have the highest respect for current Head Coach Mike Singletary, one of the reasons the Chicago Bears won the Superbowl (along with Walter Payton, Jim McMahon and others). Many of you have seen the turmoil that has happened with the San Francisco 49ers, and how they recently fired their head coach and put Mike Singletary at the helm.
When I saw this, I was very happy for Singletary, and I felt it was LONG overdue. It’s like wondering why Joe Greene never got a shot at a head coaching job in the NFL. And we know Mike Singletary is a very intense player, and we hoped to see that happen with the 49ers.
Many of you know about how Singletary removed Vernon Davis from the game, then sent him to the showers. Singletary made a statement about how he’d rather play with 10 guys and get flagged every time than play with guys that are not with the team.
Now, when I first heard that, I thought that maybe he was right. Sometimes players get a little too emotional in the game and need to be tamed a bit. So maybe Mike Singletary was right in “nipping it in the bud” with this Davis by sending him to the showers. Maybe it was the way to get control of a bad team…and let’s not fool ourselves, this is a bad team.
But then a story comes out how Mike Singletary took his pants off during the halftime of a game to demonstrate how humiliating it was for the beating the 49ers were getting. That made the news all around sports media, and I was then starting to wonder what’s up with Singletary…that kinda seemed extreme…and weird.
Turns out, that info was “leaked” to the media, which now has Mike Singletary upset because as he said, “what happens in the locker room ought to stay there”.
In most cases I am inclined to agree, but I am making an exception, and even saying this about what happened…Singletary made himself fair game…so he needs to take his OWN medicine.
It pains me to say that, because I love Mike Singletary, but in the events of the last week or so, I think the coach has no right to argue about what the media found out. I think the better way to put this is “turnabout is fair game”.
Singletary had no problem throwing Davis under the bus, making his announcements to the media and the sports world. And although I don’t have a problem with the coach telling his players about stuff they don’t want him to do, and EVEN if he has to discipline his players, fine. But the moment you open your mouth to the media about that, you publicly humiliate one of YOUR players.
Where’s the respect in that?
And yet, Singletary gets bent out of shape when somebody leaks out what he says in the locker room. I don’t see how that is any different and it is possible that in what Singletary did, may have caused a severe fraction in the team. Lots of players on the 49ers are actually speaking on behalf of Davis, in support that maybe Mike Singletary should not have opened his big mouth to publicly embarrass one of his players. Perhaps one of those players (or coaches) felt that the respect of the team is not just about respecting the coach alone. It’s about respecting every player as a human being, and when they make a mistake, you correct in in the confines of your team…not to the media.
So maybe the info leaked on Mike Singletary dropping his pants was justified. Heck, if you want to embarrass one of your players, fine, but don’t get upset when you get embarrassed yourself.
I really think if Singletary had just yelled at him and let him be, it would have been cool. Or even if he sent him to the showers, that is fine, just don’t tell the media what that was about. That was only between you and Davis…not the rest of the world. I can imagine the teammates of Davis felt that Singletary was too hard on him. Discipline is fine, I am all for it, but to put his shame out there for the world to judge is not fair to Davis, and I thought Mike should have been a better man than that. So I think he got what he deserved with the “pants dropping” example. It ought to be a sign to the coach that just as you treat your players with little respect, expect the same.
Sometimes coaches need to realize that treating players like inmates in prison does not work. You must treat them like MEN, because they are MEN. Once you get the respect of MEN, then you can lead these MEN, and thus get the respect of these MEN.
It’s like Duke Football several weeks ago. Duke played at home vs. Virginia and won that game, and during that game a Duke player intercepted a pass and ran in the end zone. On the way there, he dove in celebration in the end zone, which by some stupid rule is now considered excessive celebration..
(and don’t get me started on that)
The Duke player got up, was happy and celebratory as the fans were excited and cheering. But the second he got to the sidelines, not one but TWO coaches on that team jumped down his throat trying to tell this guy how stupid it was to do that.
This is a problem with people used to losing, they find the WRONG things to discipline. Yes you talk to him and tell him not to do it again, but tell me this, how many games have Duke won in the last 5 years? This is a team that does not see winning much, so you BETTER enjoy every bit you can get.
Since winning that game vs. Virginia, they lost the next two, and recently beat Vandy in a very low scoring game. Perhaps they learned that chewing out a kid for scoring a touchdown was an issue they didn’t have to treat like a felony.
Mike Singletary can learn from that. Great player he may be, and one of the best defensive linemen of our time…but being a coach means respecting ALL players just as much as you want them to respect you. If he does not learn this soon, there may be a mutiny.
It is said that respect is a two-way street, meaning that it’s not enough for you to GIVE respect, you also have a right to GET it as well. This may be seen in how teams respect one another both on and off the field.
I want to use an example to discuss how even in the National Football League there must be respect. Now, a lot of people talk about how players have to respect coaches, and I agree. The coach is the figure head of the team, and must be the leader. As such, that means that those under his command must respect his authority.
That’s fine, I got that.
But it goes both ways too. Sometimes the coach has to remember that he is not God, and is just as human as the team he coaches. Lots of times the delicate balance of team is broken when players no longer have the absolute respect of their head coach. This happens a lot in sports, but let me use a recent example.
I have the highest respect for current Head Coach Mike Singletary, one of the reasons the Chicago Bears won the Superbowl (along with Walter Payton, Jim McMahon and others). Many of you have seen the turmoil that has happened with the San Francisco 49ers, and how they recently fired their head coach and put Mike Singletary at the helm.
When I saw this, I was very happy for Singletary, and I felt it was LONG overdue. It’s like wondering why Joe Greene never got a shot at a head coaching job in the NFL. And we know Mike Singletary is a very intense player, and we hoped to see that happen with the 49ers.
Many of you know about how Singletary removed Vernon Davis from the game, then sent him to the showers. Singletary made a statement about how he’d rather play with 10 guys and get flagged every time than play with guys that are not with the team.
Now, when I first heard that, I thought that maybe he was right. Sometimes players get a little too emotional in the game and need to be tamed a bit. So maybe Mike Singletary was right in “nipping it in the bud” with this Davis by sending him to the showers. Maybe it was the way to get control of a bad team…and let’s not fool ourselves, this is a bad team.
But then a story comes out how Mike Singletary took his pants off during the halftime of a game to demonstrate how humiliating it was for the beating the 49ers were getting. That made the news all around sports media, and I was then starting to wonder what’s up with Singletary…that kinda seemed extreme…and weird.
Turns out, that info was “leaked” to the media, which now has Mike Singletary upset because as he said, “what happens in the locker room ought to stay there”.
In most cases I am inclined to agree, but I am making an exception, and even saying this about what happened…Singletary made himself fair game…so he needs to take his OWN medicine.
It pains me to say that, because I love Mike Singletary, but in the events of the last week or so, I think the coach has no right to argue about what the media found out. I think the better way to put this is “turnabout is fair game”.
Singletary had no problem throwing Davis under the bus, making his announcements to the media and the sports world. And although I don’t have a problem with the coach telling his players about stuff they don’t want him to do, and EVEN if he has to discipline his players, fine. But the moment you open your mouth to the media about that, you publicly humiliate one of YOUR players.
Where’s the respect in that?
And yet, Singletary gets bent out of shape when somebody leaks out what he says in the locker room. I don’t see how that is any different and it is possible that in what Singletary did, may have caused a severe fraction in the team. Lots of players on the 49ers are actually speaking on behalf of Davis, in support that maybe Mike Singletary should not have opened his big mouth to publicly embarrass one of his players. Perhaps one of those players (or coaches) felt that the respect of the team is not just about respecting the coach alone. It’s about respecting every player as a human being, and when they make a mistake, you correct in in the confines of your team…not to the media.
So maybe the info leaked on Mike Singletary dropping his pants was justified. Heck, if you want to embarrass one of your players, fine, but don’t get upset when you get embarrassed yourself.
I really think if Singletary had just yelled at him and let him be, it would have been cool. Or even if he sent him to the showers, that is fine, just don’t tell the media what that was about. That was only between you and Davis…not the rest of the world. I can imagine the teammates of Davis felt that Singletary was too hard on him. Discipline is fine, I am all for it, but to put his shame out there for the world to judge is not fair to Davis, and I thought Mike should have been a better man than that. So I think he got what he deserved with the “pants dropping” example. It ought to be a sign to the coach that just as you treat your players with little respect, expect the same.
Sometimes coaches need to realize that treating players like inmates in prison does not work. You must treat them like MEN, because they are MEN. Once you get the respect of MEN, then you can lead these MEN, and thus get the respect of these MEN.
It’s like Duke Football several weeks ago. Duke played at home vs. Virginia and won that game, and during that game a Duke player intercepted a pass and ran in the end zone. On the way there, he dove in celebration in the end zone, which by some stupid rule is now considered excessive celebration..
(and don’t get me started on that)
The Duke player got up, was happy and celebratory as the fans were excited and cheering. But the second he got to the sidelines, not one but TWO coaches on that team jumped down his throat trying to tell this guy how stupid it was to do that.
This is a problem with people used to losing, they find the WRONG things to discipline. Yes you talk to him and tell him not to do it again, but tell me this, how many games have Duke won in the last 5 years? This is a team that does not see winning much, so you BETTER enjoy every bit you can get.
Since winning that game vs. Virginia, they lost the next two, and recently beat Vandy in a very low scoring game. Perhaps they learned that chewing out a kid for scoring a touchdown was an issue they didn’t have to treat like a felony.
Mike Singletary can learn from that. Great player he may be, and one of the best defensive linemen of our time…but being a coach means respecting ALL players just as much as you want them to respect you. If he does not learn this soon, there may be a mutiny.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Greatest RBs ever...#11, #10, #9....
Greatest Rbs ever…#11, #10 & #9
This is getting pretty interesting as we count down the greatest NFL running backs of the current time…note I wanted to say of ALL time, but that technically is incorrect. We can never make a list of the greatest all time, because we are basing it on the idea that nothing in the future will change what we say.
If someone had done this list back in 1998, it would be different from what we have now, because some of the guys on the list were not at their prime. If this same poll was done in 1988, there would be some on the list now that wasn’t even in the NFL then. If this poll was done in 1968, some of these backs weren’t even BORN. So the idea of greatest of ALL time, or the greatest EVER is purely subjective.
I even say that against myself.
But let’s not confuse the idea of “great” with “favorite”. There are lots of backs that some older guys might have really liked. Emerson Boozer, John Brockington, Sam (the BAM) Cunningham, Chuck Muncie, numerous other guys might have been favorites of some of the older readers, but they may not have been amongst the greatest of all time.
I have lots of favorites that didn’t make the list, so I have to separate what makes a running back good, and what makes him great. With that in mind, let’s continue through the menu….
#11 Thurman Thomas: 47 points
There actually is a lot of irony here because history begs us to only remember winners…but how many running backs can say they led their team to the Superbowl FOUR times? Thurman Thomas is actually tied with the #10 on this list, but you’re going to get a lot of amens from Buffalo Bills fans on this one. One of the constants of the 1990s was Thurman Thomas scoring touchdown after touchdown and making the Bills a dynasty for that magical time in NFL history. A very classy player, and certainly a great back.
Why not higher? The difference in him being #11 and being in the top ten is paper thin, but a lot is based on his team accomplishments. As mentioned before, Thurman is tied with the next guy on the list, but if he had one just one of those four Superbowls, he’d been a lock for the top 10. He is on the list on each of the three characteristics of individual stats and has a great number in individual awards element. But the easiest answer to this question of why he is not higher is this: because there are indeed better backs coming up.
Why on the list? This is where many could argue about Thurman Thomas losing four Superbowls…after all, we only remember the winners right? That’s kinda perverted thinking because remember, the Superbowl is made up of the NFC AND AFC Champions… of which Thurman Thomas was a great part of many times. Many good or even great backs might get one shot at a Superbowl, even if they lose. Even though Thurman and the Bills lost 4, at least he GOT there…how many of YOUR favorite backs can even say that?
#10 Roger Craig: 47 points
Many times the difference in any tie I have will usually favor the great back that has greater team accomplishments. For this reason Roger Craig is in the top 10 list. Roger Craig is a pure definition of the word, “all purpose back” and proved it from the first year he entered the NFL. From start to finish, Roger Craig on any team he played for meant playoffs because you could count on his rushing as well as any other yards in any other way. The perfect TEAM player and an excellent back, you just cannot go wrong with Roger Craig.
Why not higher? Roger Craig had high marks when it came to team accomplishments, but he no longer ranks in any of the three characteristics of individual stats. He is not in the top 30 in yards, touchdowns and his yards per carry does not give him any points. The three elements must be in agreement for a back to be considered the greatest, and even though Roger Craig is clearly great, I could not put him any higher.
Why on the list? Roger Craig helped the San Francisco 49ers to three Superbowls, and won them all. They also went to an NFC Championship or two, so the resume of Roger Craig is very heavy. Again, one of the key elements of being great is being a powerful force in the team’s accomplishments. Granted he gets no points off my formula in the individual stats element, he still gets plenty of points in the individual awards element. Roger Craig has easily proven his worth to this list.
#9 Frank Gifford: 51 points
Another “old school” back that played before there was a Superbowl. The once-voice of “Monday Night Football” Frank Gifford is a legendary figure to the sport for winning, endurance and old school football. Much like Roger Craig, he had to wear a couple of hats, but he proved his credibility not just in the running back position, but in other positions as well. A true champion in every sense of the word, well before there was such a thing as a “Superbowl”. Old die-hards of the way the NFL used to be can stand up and be proud of Frank Gifford.
Why not higher? One of the first things that actually worked against Frank Gifford was the era adjustment. Because he retired in the 60’s that was 4 points off. If there was no era adjustment, he would still be about this same spot, or tied with #8 coming up. But as we continue to move up, we see that to be THE greatest, the numbers in all three elements must be higher. No one is going to question Frank Gifford in team accomplishments. He scored a 35 with that, which is up there with the best On that alone, he’d be in the top 5, but he also ranks barely on the top 30 with touchdowns and he does have a good yards per carry average. Frank Gifford is well decorated in individual awards, so yes, he is quite worthy.
Why on the list? Champions need great players, and Frank Gifford is one of them. Multiple trips to the NFL Championship game and a Pro-Bowl selection 8 times, there are few that can make claim to greatness as Frank Gifford can…in fact, according to my list, there are only a hand full of others that can boast greatness as well as Frank Gifford has. The New York Giants had a gem in this man.
So there you have it, three more on the list as greatest of all time, and oddly enough, the last two I listed were just as much a threat as a RECEIVER as they were a running back. I didn’t want to limit this to just a pure and absolute running back, because in the game of football sometimes you have to do more to help your team. This really is a solid point of what makes some of these guys great.
Before I go, let me share another name that didn’t make the list, and why. Remember, just because they didn’t make it does not mean they are great. I mean, who drew the line to say that the top 25 running backs are great? Why can’t it be 36, or 42, or 58? It’s just a nice clean number to work with, so don’t get upset at the rankings, it’s just some ramblings from a football fan.
Jamal Lewis: 20 points
This is interesting because he has an excellent chance of getting on the top 25 with just a few more accomplishments. Remember, the #25 back of all time (according to my insane formula) was Ladainian Tomlinson with 28 points. Now granted, with both being current in the NFL, LT could move up as well, but Ottis Anderson at #23 is not likely to move up any more.
A Superbowl Championship with the Baltimore Ravens adds a big star to his resume, and a pretty good yards per carry as well as being on the top 20 all time with yards helps too. If I did this ranking in 2010, he may very well be on that list, knocking somebody off. So this isn’t about why he isn’t on the list, it could easily be how soon he may be on that list.
Ok, let’s shut it down for a little bit, hope you can get some mileage out of this ranking. Remember, I am not doing this to degrade anybody, every one of these backs is a hero and a model to somebody, and we all have our favorites. Hope yours is on this list. Next time, we’ll cover a few more as we get even closer to the greatest of all time….
Gotta stop saying that, it isn’t quite accurate…
Later guys….
This is getting pretty interesting as we count down the greatest NFL running backs of the current time…note I wanted to say of ALL time, but that technically is incorrect. We can never make a list of the greatest all time, because we are basing it on the idea that nothing in the future will change what we say.
If someone had done this list back in 1998, it would be different from what we have now, because some of the guys on the list were not at their prime. If this same poll was done in 1988, there would be some on the list now that wasn’t even in the NFL then. If this poll was done in 1968, some of these backs weren’t even BORN. So the idea of greatest of ALL time, or the greatest EVER is purely subjective.
I even say that against myself.
But let’s not confuse the idea of “great” with “favorite”. There are lots of backs that some older guys might have really liked. Emerson Boozer, John Brockington, Sam (the BAM) Cunningham, Chuck Muncie, numerous other guys might have been favorites of some of the older readers, but they may not have been amongst the greatest of all time.
I have lots of favorites that didn’t make the list, so I have to separate what makes a running back good, and what makes him great. With that in mind, let’s continue through the menu….
#11 Thurman Thomas: 47 points
There actually is a lot of irony here because history begs us to only remember winners…but how many running backs can say they led their team to the Superbowl FOUR times? Thurman Thomas is actually tied with the #10 on this list, but you’re going to get a lot of amens from Buffalo Bills fans on this one. One of the constants of the 1990s was Thurman Thomas scoring touchdown after touchdown and making the Bills a dynasty for that magical time in NFL history. A very classy player, and certainly a great back.
Why not higher? The difference in him being #11 and being in the top ten is paper thin, but a lot is based on his team accomplishments. As mentioned before, Thurman is tied with the next guy on the list, but if he had one just one of those four Superbowls, he’d been a lock for the top 10. He is on the list on each of the three characteristics of individual stats and has a great number in individual awards element. But the easiest answer to this question of why he is not higher is this: because there are indeed better backs coming up.
Why on the list? This is where many could argue about Thurman Thomas losing four Superbowls…after all, we only remember the winners right? That’s kinda perverted thinking because remember, the Superbowl is made up of the NFC AND AFC Champions… of which Thurman Thomas was a great part of many times. Many good or even great backs might get one shot at a Superbowl, even if they lose. Even though Thurman and the Bills lost 4, at least he GOT there…how many of YOUR favorite backs can even say that?
#10 Roger Craig: 47 points
Many times the difference in any tie I have will usually favor the great back that has greater team accomplishments. For this reason Roger Craig is in the top 10 list. Roger Craig is a pure definition of the word, “all purpose back” and proved it from the first year he entered the NFL. From start to finish, Roger Craig on any team he played for meant playoffs because you could count on his rushing as well as any other yards in any other way. The perfect TEAM player and an excellent back, you just cannot go wrong with Roger Craig.
Why not higher? Roger Craig had high marks when it came to team accomplishments, but he no longer ranks in any of the three characteristics of individual stats. He is not in the top 30 in yards, touchdowns and his yards per carry does not give him any points. The three elements must be in agreement for a back to be considered the greatest, and even though Roger Craig is clearly great, I could not put him any higher.
Why on the list? Roger Craig helped the San Francisco 49ers to three Superbowls, and won them all. They also went to an NFC Championship or two, so the resume of Roger Craig is very heavy. Again, one of the key elements of being great is being a powerful force in the team’s accomplishments. Granted he gets no points off my formula in the individual stats element, he still gets plenty of points in the individual awards element. Roger Craig has easily proven his worth to this list.
#9 Frank Gifford: 51 points
Another “old school” back that played before there was a Superbowl. The once-voice of “Monday Night Football” Frank Gifford is a legendary figure to the sport for winning, endurance and old school football. Much like Roger Craig, he had to wear a couple of hats, but he proved his credibility not just in the running back position, but in other positions as well. A true champion in every sense of the word, well before there was such a thing as a “Superbowl”. Old die-hards of the way the NFL used to be can stand up and be proud of Frank Gifford.
Why not higher? One of the first things that actually worked against Frank Gifford was the era adjustment. Because he retired in the 60’s that was 4 points off. If there was no era adjustment, he would still be about this same spot, or tied with #8 coming up. But as we continue to move up, we see that to be THE greatest, the numbers in all three elements must be higher. No one is going to question Frank Gifford in team accomplishments. He scored a 35 with that, which is up there with the best On that alone, he’d be in the top 5, but he also ranks barely on the top 30 with touchdowns and he does have a good yards per carry average. Frank Gifford is well decorated in individual awards, so yes, he is quite worthy.
Why on the list? Champions need great players, and Frank Gifford is one of them. Multiple trips to the NFL Championship game and a Pro-Bowl selection 8 times, there are few that can make claim to greatness as Frank Gifford can…in fact, according to my list, there are only a hand full of others that can boast greatness as well as Frank Gifford has. The New York Giants had a gem in this man.
So there you have it, three more on the list as greatest of all time, and oddly enough, the last two I listed were just as much a threat as a RECEIVER as they were a running back. I didn’t want to limit this to just a pure and absolute running back, because in the game of football sometimes you have to do more to help your team. This really is a solid point of what makes some of these guys great.
Before I go, let me share another name that didn’t make the list, and why. Remember, just because they didn’t make it does not mean they are great. I mean, who drew the line to say that the top 25 running backs are great? Why can’t it be 36, or 42, or 58? It’s just a nice clean number to work with, so don’t get upset at the rankings, it’s just some ramblings from a football fan.
Jamal Lewis: 20 points
This is interesting because he has an excellent chance of getting on the top 25 with just a few more accomplishments. Remember, the #25 back of all time (according to my insane formula) was Ladainian Tomlinson with 28 points. Now granted, with both being current in the NFL, LT could move up as well, but Ottis Anderson at #23 is not likely to move up any more.
A Superbowl Championship with the Baltimore Ravens adds a big star to his resume, and a pretty good yards per carry as well as being on the top 20 all time with yards helps too. If I did this ranking in 2010, he may very well be on that list, knocking somebody off. So this isn’t about why he isn’t on the list, it could easily be how soon he may be on that list.
Ok, let’s shut it down for a little bit, hope you can get some mileage out of this ranking. Remember, I am not doing this to degrade anybody, every one of these backs is a hero and a model to somebody, and we all have our favorites. Hope yours is on this list. Next time, we’ll cover a few more as we get even closer to the greatest of all time….
Gotta stop saying that, it isn’t quite accurate…
Later guys….
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
