Archive for September, 2011
Why I Believe Walter Payton Is The Best Running Back In Nfl History
This is one of those debates that could go on for all eternity and I have seen very good arguments for other running backs. Our society is so fast paced and we easily forget good movies good food good friends and superior sports legends. Before I get into this my opinion will not be based on sheer numbers even though I could probably use that argument and still make my case. Numbers alone dont tell the whole story as I will try to demonstrate. When the Bears drafted Payton 4 in the 1975 draft they were a terrible terrible football team. Their team had zero offensive weapons to speak of and even the defense was considered mediocre. Bob Avellini was their QB. Who? My point exactly. Payton proceeded to rush for 0 yards on 8 carries in his first NFL game. He finished his rookie season with 679 yards and the bears finished the season 410. the very next season Payton exploded into stardom with 1390 yards with 13 tds and a 4.5 ypc. Even with those statistics the bears still finished 77 netting them a 2nd place finish behind the 1121 vikings. Keep in mind that defenses KNEW he was the Bears only offensive threat and he still got those numbers. Their WRs were below average the oline could not pass block and they had no tight end to speak of. The whole offense was payton sweep left payton sweep right draw play payton etc. the very next season was arguably Paytons best with 1852 yards 5.5 ypc. This was in 14 games. This was the first year that I actually watched him play and I saw every game every carry of that season. The Bears squeaked their way into the playoffs with a 95 record with primarily the same team as they had when Payton was drafted. Offensively it was still Payton Payton and more Payton yet teams still couldnt stop him. This season was even more amazing when its noted that the bears final game of this season was played against the NY giants on basically a sheet of Ice. Frozen rain pretty much stopped any hopes of walter breaking the 2000 yard mark though Im not sure how many yards he gained that game. The Bears did win the game 129 in overtime but lost to the eventually super bowl champion Dallas Cowboys in their wild card game. Payton was named NFL MVP that season and he proceeded to rip off 4 more seasons of 1000 yard or more until the strike shortened 1982. 4 more consecutive seasons of 1000 yards should be able to make my point but thats not the whole story.
Walter Payton was probably pound for pound the strongest football player of his time and some time after he retired. He could leg press over 450 pounds easily and his NFL superstars competition performance in the standing overhead press of 300 lbs was amazing besting the much bigger players Lyle Alzado and Dave Casper. In this same competition he also won the 100 yard dash. Its well known that he could walk on his hands for 50 yards and leapfrog teammates who were standing upright. Physically he was a freak of nature thanks to his determination and training methods.
On top of his strength Walter was extremely elusive. I know Barry Sanders could make defenders look pretty stupid but walter was by no means a slouch in this area. Outside of sanders I would have to make walter a close second when It comes to forcing missed tackles. Another attribute of his game was his acceleration it only took him a few steps to be up to top speed but he still had the ability to cut on a dime from top speed due to the strength in his legs. Mike Ditka is quoted as stating that Walter Payton was the best football player he has ever seen period.
Sadly Walter Payton has passed away from the strangest of circumstances a rare liver disease took him from us at the age of 45. even though he was on the list of patients for liver transplants and people were willing to move him up the list because of his celebrity status he refused to allow that.as great of a football player that he was he was probably a better person.
The title of His autobiography never say die sums up his playing style. From blocking to receiving as well as running the football he grades out well above average in every category and considering the fact that he has NEVER played with a pro bowl QB WR or TE his accomplishments are even more amazing.
Sweetness never complained never had contract squabbles never backbit a teammate never berated a coach. He was such a model citizen the NFL created the Walter Payton man of the year award renaming the NFL man of the year award to recognize on and off field accomplishments of NFL players. I had the pleasure of actually seeing walter as I drove down a highway in suburban Chicago and as I pulled up to the right of his car mercedes I waved to him and in his genuine bright smile waved back. He will be missed by NFL fans and the people who knew him outside of football for a long long time. thank you Walter for enriching our lives with your life and talent.
About the writer: SouthSide Chicagofan feeds sports fans with the latest musings at RootZoo.com. He’s an expert when it comes to a href=”http://www.rootzoo.com/threads/view/116306/”>baseball player stats and nobody beats him in fantasy baseball. Now that baseball is over keep an eye on his nfl player list analysis.
Why Heyward-Bey Will Be A Better Pro Than Crabtree
When analysing the Raiders selection of Darrius HeywarydBey I choose to be more open minded about the selection than many in the Raider Nation have proved to be. My only beef with the Raiders concerning this pick is the fact that they could have traded down numerous spots to get HeywardBey so I greatly question his value at number 7 overall. However in terms of all of these receivers coming into the NFL from college nobody and I stress NOBODY knows how this will all play out. This is the NFL not the NCAA and all the stats and TD’s that Crabtree put up in college doesn’t mean crap at this level. Let me repeat. All the stats Crabtree put up at Texas Tech do not mean CRAP at the NFL level. Just look at all the WR busts throughout the years in the NFL who were studs in college. Charles Rogers Mike Williams Troy Williamson and Reggie Williams are just a few of the first round busts that come to mind. With that in mind I have researched HeywardBey and Crabtree and I truly believe HeywardBey will turn out to be thebetter NFL player and I am about to explain to you why.
During the past 10 years 4 receivers that have been taken in the Top Ten in the NFL Draft have turned into playmakers while the others have been busts. They are as follows:
Calvin Johnson Detroit
Larry Fitzgerald Arizona
Braylon Edwards Cleveland
Roy Williams Dallas
What traits do these receivers share? They are all 6’3″ or better and they possessed at least better than average speed if not blazing. I am not seeing either out of Crabtree. For starters nobody knows how fast Crabtree truly is. The only publicly recorded time of Crabtree running the 40 is 4.53 however that came from a site that also greatly exaggerated his height so how can you really believe them? Throw in the fact that Crabtree played in a spread offense at Texas Tech and also has a foot injury that numerous NFL GM’s were concerned with and one has to wonder how fast Crabtree truly is. I have seen a bunch of his games in college and it always seemed that he would take the angle on DB’s rather than blowing by them. Whether this was by choice in an effort to disguise his lack of speed in unknown but one thing is for certain: Crabtree is not going to be running the 100 meter relay anytime soon. Furthermore his height has been exposed as well. Originally Crabtree was listed at 6’3″ but we all found out at the draft that he is only 6’1 1/4 so now essentially the 49ers have a short/slow receiver that they are banking on for the next 10 years.
By contrast HeywardBey is at least an inch or inch and a half taller than Crabtree and the speed factor is not even a question. Jeremy Maclin is close to his speed but Crabtree is not. When you examine what the Raiders are trying to do it becomes painfully clear why DHB was the selection. As I mentioned my only problem with it is that they didn’t trade down to get him when that could have been an option. Perhaps the Raiders could have nabbed DHBand someone like University of Arizona tackle Eben Britton thus filling 2 glaring weaknesses. However when analysing the measurablesand all of the health variables as well you clearly see why the Raiders favored HeywardBey over Maclin and especially Crabtree and that is not even including personalityor “character” traits. All you need to see is one interview from Crabtree for you to see that he is extremely arrogant. Not confident. Arrogant. Arrogant to the point that I think he already has people working on his HOF bust before he has even run and NFL route yet. By contrast DHB is humble and has come to Oakland ready to workand I have liked every interview that I have seen of him to this point. People question DHB’s production at Maryland as well as his hands but theses concerns are unjustified. First unlike Crabtree DHB did not play in a spread offense in collegeand bothMaclin and Crabtreeplayed with far superior QB’s at their respective schools than DHB did at Maryland. Everyone is saying that DHB is a bust and has Troy Williamson written all over him. I concede that there will probably be a bust at WR from this draft class but I differ by believing that Crabtree has a much higher risk for thisdistinction than DHB does. In summary: GIVE THE KID A CHANCE!!!!! You just might be surprised.
Cheers and Beers
About the writer: Chris Limburg is the fanatical purveyor of Gothicfootball.com: A Oakland Raider/fantasy football blog that provides commentary on everything that is the NFL and fantasy football. Sign up for my free newsletter at: http://www.gothicfootball.com
Why Getting A Custom Made Nhl Hockey Jersey Is A Good Idea
The NHL hockey jersey apart from being witness to the colorful unfolding of our favorite hockey leagues history is also one of the most popular pieces of sports merchandise being sold today. Almost every sporting and sport memorabilia and collectibles store worth its salt carries a variety of NHL memorabilia especially NHL hockey jerseys. However at times it happens that in spite of the huge glut of NHL hockey jerseys in the market you might not be able to find the exact jersey that you are looking for.
This might be because you are in search for an antique jersey that is no longer very popular amongst NHL fans today. Another reason could be that you do not like the detailing on the jerseys being sold because one or more small yet crucial details are missing from the jerseys. One more reason why buying NHL hockey jerseys might become a problem could be because of the prohibitively high prices that some jerseys come with especially if they carry brand names and logos of any major sporting brand in the world.
One great idea that comes to everyones rescue when it comes to situations like those presented above is that of getting custom made NHL hockey jerseys. All the problems mentioned above can easily solve themselves when you start getting your jerseys custom made. There are a large number of professional jersey makers who can create the perfect NHL jersey for you complete with all the large and small details and that too for a lesser price than what you would have to pay for a model with a brand icon and lesser details.
Going to a custom jersey maker is also a good idea if you have given up on finding the jersey you are looking for because of its unavailability in all kinds of stores. A good custom jersey maker will be able to create a jersey for you even if it is what your favorite team was wearing thirty years before or if it belongs to a team that is not playing league hockey anymore. On top of this most jersey makers should be able to put in all the little details that you want on your favorite jersey.
Another good thing that a custom jersey maker might be able to do is put your name on your NHL jersey so that you actually feel like you are a part of your favorite hockey team when you wear it. So if you are really serious about your NHL hockey jerseys then locating a good jersey maker who can create all kinds of NHL hockey jerseys is a good idea. In case you cant find one in your town or city then do not despair because there are a number of good online jersey making companies that let you customize and design your jersey on their web pages and later on make and ship that jersey to you. Wearing a jersey that you have designed yourself will increase the pleasure that you get from sporting your favorite teams colors so why not go and locate a good jersey maker asap?
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Article written by Robert Riles III
owner of skyfireproducts.com a sports store for all
sports fans.