It doesn't matter that LT was one of the greatest linebackers ever. If cocaine and prostitutes are going to disqualify someone, then he should be disqualified. Anything else is a double standard. And yet every time that Michael Irvin was removed from the triplet mix, Aikman and Smith weren't able to hold their own. Look how much the team suffered during his suspension, look how they collapsed when he was injured in the 96 Divisional playoff against Carolina, watch how the Cowboys fell apart after his injury in Philly. It wasn't just the fact that when it came down to the line he was always the one to get in position to make the plays. Irvin was the emotional and spiritual leader of that franchise. When he left the Cowboys the heart of the team went with him, and the franchise STILL hasn't recovered from the gap in leadership that he left. He was a very important part of that Dynasty, as important as either Aikman or Smith. All three deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Moose Johnson was an incredible fullback and he was also important to the Dynasty. May have been the best fullback playing in his decade. Sadly, you don't get in the Hall of Fame for blocking. See how long it takes most Offensive Linemen to get in. Irvin did in fact define the agressive, forceful posession reciever that is so popular in the NFL these days. Again, you can listen to any commentator today and hear them use the words "Michael Irvin like" or "Michael Irvin style" reciever. That is what is called defining. No one is a Jerry Rice like reciever. Only Jerry Rice is a Jerry Rice like reciever. He can't define anything because the man wasn't human. He was the greatest reciever ever to play the game, possibly the greatest football player ever. There won't be anyone like him again in our lifetimes.
I think if Marvin Harrison continues to play like he has for another 5 years he can easily be talked about in the same breath as Jerry Rice. Of course, that's a big if. AND the Colts will need to win another championship or two to make it a fair comparison.
And I'm not saying that cocaine and hookers disqualifies Irvin from the Hall of Fame. (I'm just using them to idly provoke you.) I'm saying that without three rings he'd never have gotten in. The Hall of Fame committee weighs championships heavily in their assessment of players as Hall-worthy, and if I was fantasy drafting that era I'd take Andre Reed over Michael Irvin every single time.
Because of our own personal biases I'm likely underrating Irvin and you're likly overrating him, so he's probably somewhere inbetween.
Dunno if I'd put Harrison in the same league as Rice. He's the best playing right now, but no one is Jerry Rice, even when you discount that he played at a high level till he was like 80. Yeah, I know you're getting my goat. But excuses to talk football are fun. Would Irvin had gone to the hall with no rings? I have no clue. I know that Lance Alworth, Charlie Joiner and Paul Warfield all had similar stats to Irvin and went. Andre Reed will go in with no rings, and his stats, while better than Irvin's, aren't phenomenanly better, especially when you consider Reed played six years longer. Pure stat wise Irvin is in the top 10 in nearly every category, and only trails Rice when you get into playoff records. You are correct though we're both overrating and underrating him. As a triplet, he's like a minor deity to me, so my views are always going to be colored. I'm just happy he's in the Hall of Fame.
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And yet every time that Michael Irvin was removed from the triplet mix, Aikman and Smith weren't able to hold their own. Look how much the team suffered during his suspension, look how they collapsed when he was injured in the 96 Divisional playoff against Carolina, watch how the Cowboys fell apart after his injury in Philly. It wasn't just the fact that when it came down to the line he was always the one to get in position to make the plays. Irvin was the emotional and spiritual leader of that franchise. When he left the Cowboys the heart of the team went with him, and the franchise STILL hasn't recovered from the gap in leadership that he left. He was a very important part of that Dynasty, as important as either Aikman or Smith. All three deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.
Moose Johnson was an incredible fullback and he was also important to the Dynasty. May have been the best fullback playing in his decade. Sadly, you don't get in the Hall of Fame for blocking. See how long it takes most Offensive Linemen to get in.
Irvin did in fact define the agressive, forceful posession reciever that is so popular in the NFL these days. Again, you can listen to any commentator today and hear them use the words "Michael Irvin like" or "Michael Irvin style" reciever. That is what is called defining.
No one is a Jerry Rice like reciever. Only Jerry Rice is a Jerry Rice like reciever. He can't define anything because the man wasn't human. He was the greatest reciever ever to play the game, possibly the greatest football player ever. There won't be anyone like him again in our lifetimes.
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And I'm not saying that cocaine and hookers disqualifies Irvin from the Hall of Fame. (I'm just using them to idly provoke you.) I'm saying that without three rings he'd never have gotten in. The Hall of Fame committee weighs championships heavily in their assessment of players as Hall-worthy, and if I was fantasy drafting that era I'd take Andre Reed over Michael Irvin every single time.
Because of our own personal biases I'm likely underrating Irvin and you're likly overrating him, so he's probably somewhere inbetween.
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Yeah, I know you're getting my goat. But excuses to talk football are fun.
Would Irvin had gone to the hall with no rings? I have no clue. I know that Lance Alworth, Charlie Joiner and Paul Warfield all had similar stats to Irvin and went. Andre Reed will go in with no rings, and his stats, while better than Irvin's, aren't phenomenanly better, especially when you consider Reed played six years longer. Pure stat wise Irvin is in the top 10 in nearly every category, and only trails Rice when you get into playoff records.
You are correct though we're both overrating and underrating him. As a triplet, he's like a minor deity to me, so my views are always going to be colored. I'm just happy he's in the Hall of Fame.