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Tuesday, February 6, 2007

The Playmaker: Haters Wanna Hate

Michael Irvin. One of the all time great game day players. A champion and leader on the field. Exhibiting pride and character with every route run and every block thrown. Giving all he had for the team. Maximum effort on every play. A career finally rewarded with a bronze statue and yellow blazer. The Playmaker is going to Canton.

How can anyone dispute his worthiness? An integral part of 3 Super Bowl winning teams. His stats, though excellent, don't accurately reflect his worth to his team and the important role he played on those teams. Yet, some columnists have been spewing bile and vitriol at Irvin's election. Angrily and self righteously proclaiming that because Michael lived life in the fast lane he didn't deserve to be in the Hall.

To those columnists, we can only say that the precedent has already been set. As long as Lawrence Taylor is in, trying to bar some one's entry because they had a taste for wine, women and neck bone (so to speak) is a losing proposition.

We've read Jason Whitlock's columns castigating Irvin and labelling him a "bo-jangler". Making fun of Mr. Irvin's flamboyant style and taste for fine (if somewhat gaudy) dress attire. Belittling Irvin's analytical skills and taking every opportunity to try and contradict what Irvin says.

So, it's easy to see that Irvin's election frustrates and angers someone like Whitlock. You know Whitlock. Mr. Real Talk. The Ovah Weight Lovah. The man who revels in his own Negro-ness by taking the time to point out those he deems to be too Negro. Might it be that Irvin's comfort in his skin reminds Mr. Whitlock how much he hates himself being a Negro? Might Mr. Whitlock's taunts of "bojangler!" really be veiled admissions of self loathing?

Irvin reached the pinnacle of his profession and is being immortalized. Whitlock will be quickly forgotten when hypertension, diabetes, heart disease or some other malady related to his love of soul food and fat belly cuts his career and life short. He will be lowered into the ground in a piano case sized casket by a small crane and covered in dirt. In contrast, children for generations will pay homage at Canton to the legend of the Playmaker.

We suspect that any "bo jangler" would happily dance on that grave (it certainly will be the size of a dance floor).

Other columnists quickly began whining and crying about their beloved Art Monk being left out. To their thinking, it was unfair for Irvin to get in and Monk to be left out. Monk had better stats (albeit in over 60 more games) and he wears a few rings on his fingers. Plus, he was a gentleman. And according to them, Irvin was not. But in the highly subjective world of Hall of Fame voting, why does Irvin's election have any connection whatsoever to Monk's inability to garner the requisite votes for entry?

A lot of players were class acts, put up nice stats and won a ring or two. But, a lot of those same players were not the foundation upon which the championships were built. And that is Monk. A guy that kept his nose clean off the field and put up nice stats on the field. But take him away, and chances are those 'Skins teams still win Lombardi Trophies. Take away the Playmaker? Well, those Cowboys teams might have won a Trophy and had some deep playoff runs, but would certainly not be considered one of the greatest "dynasties" of all time.

And that is why Michael Irvin is now "Hall of Famer" Michael Irvin. We hope Michael celebrated the news by heading over to Bo Jangle's for some chicken. He deserves it.

10 comments:

Dirty Sanchez said...

There are many fat, self-important columnists. There is only 1 Playmaker!

Alvin Harper would be working in a Bojangles today if not for Irvin drawing double coverage. Troy Aikman would not be in the Hall of Fame and people wouldn't mistakenly still think to this day that Norv Turner is an offensive genius.

Great player, lover of the ladies, supporter of the Mexican and Columbian economies, and a man with equisite sartorial sense. Here's to the Playmaker! I only hope that he keeps it real and has his yellow HOF blazer altered to include 8 buttons and a tie knot big enough to sleep on.

nation_of_islam_sportsblog said...

Sir, a tip of our driver's cap to your comment.

There was a synergy to those Cowboys teams. Certainly the great offense was incumbant upon the great line, great QB, great HB, excellent fullback, and one of the greatest receivers of all time. Those ingredients mixed together to form something that made the sum greater than even the great parts. But take Irvin out of the mix, and it all changes. He provided the heart and soul on the field. And led the relaxing celebrations after the game.

Personally, we think Fatlock is just angry he can't pull no ass.

We, too, look forward to Irvin stylin' and profilin' on center stage in Canton. We see an elongated blazer with the 8 buttons (as you said) in the future. Also looking forward to the oversized Jacob&Co. watch with a custom made yellow leather band to match the blazer.

Gonna be a party! Get the ho's lined up!

Anonymous said...

Well said. Irvin was the most dominant and exciting wide reciever in the early 90's. I am glad you took the time to blog about the idiotic sports journalists who confuse the Football Hall of Fame with some sort of fictional Hall of Morality. The inception of the Hall of Morality undoubtably came from the rear end of some bloated writer who never played a down of football, or never did a line of peruvian white off of the d-cup breast of a high priced escort.

Unknown said...

Yet, some columnists have been spewing bile and vitriol at Irvin's election. Angrily and self righteously proclaiming that because Michael lived life in the fast lane he didn't deserve to be in the Hall.

Hmm, might want to run these two sentences past your English teacher again, especially the second one.

Unknown said...

A lot of players were class acts, put up nice stats and won a ring or two

Sir, I thank you for correcting my grammar in the comments section of another post. In return, I'd like to return the favor.

","

Do you see that little tic mark between the quotes above? That is called a comma. It serves a very specific function in communicating through the written word. The rules which govern its use are called grammar. Please learn those rules and learn when and where to place a comma in a sentence. That way, when you correct me, you won't look like an idiot who can't use a comma.

Your grammar is atrocious, but you can also mangle an often used phrase. Well, done!

nation_of_islam_sportsblog said...

"Your grammar is atrocious, but you can also mangle an often used phrase. Well, done!"

Sir, for someone with out much time, we are flattered that you spend so much of it on our blog.

But we confess, you are getting so banal and desperate in your attempts to correct us; that, at this point we don't even know what you are talking about.

Strunk and White seem to be okay with the phrase you chose. So, if you don't mind, we'll just disregard your input. Thanks.

nation_of_islam_sportsblog said...

"The inception of the Hall of Morality undoubtably came from the rear end of some bloated writer who never played a down of football, or never did a line of peruvian white off of the d-cup breast of a high priced escort."

Sir, we agree. What is the point of putting in the hard work and effort to be the very best, if you can't reap the benefits off the field?

Unknown said...

Sir, for someone with out much time, we are flattered that you spend so much of it on our blog.

But we confess, you are getting so banal and desperate in your attempts to correct us; that, at this point we don't even know what you are talking about.

Strunk and White seem to be okay with the phrase you chose. So, if you don't mind, we'll just disregard your input. Thanks.


Banal and desperate are adjectives far better used to describe your blog as per the latest posts. Really, it's really getting rather pathetic.
As for not knowing what I'm talking about, ahem, I can't say I'm too surprised, giving the intellect (or lack of) I'm dealing with.

nation_of_islam_sportsblog said...

"As for not knowing what I'm talking about, ahem, I can't say I'm too surprised, giving the intellect (or lack of) I'm dealing with."

Sir, first...to continue or game of tit for tat...You used "giving" instead of "given". Woo HOO! More fun!

And we agree fully: Given the intellect which you were dealt, it isn't surprising you don't know what you are talking about.

Oh, and another shout out to Ohio. Dublin is really cold this time of year.

Godslittlebrother said...

I'm surprised his parole officer would approve such nonsense.