Shannon Sharpe gives Sterling some props

[sheepshead]

Love him or hate him, this is pretty cool:http://www.breitbart.tv/shannon-shar...uction-speech/

[mission]

Great speech last night. One of the best ever.

[bobblehead]

Great speech last night. One of the best ever.

Jim Kelley saying he never considered himself a tough guy because whenever people would say that he would look at his son Hunter who was battling being born with a death sentence.

No speech will ever make me cry after that one.

[gbgary]

yup...i watched his speech since i couldn't connect to the family night link. his call for sterling's consideration to the hall was right on.

[Bretsky]

Had Sterling not been hurt him and Favre would be considered to be either the best or 2nd best QB to WR connection ever and GB would have a few more titles

[Smidgeon]

I never got to see Sterling play. Or rather, I was too young for it to sink in. But in researching points of views on WRs throughout the years since, I've seen his stats for those seven years. And Shannon is right. They're unbelievable.

I know that it's not supposed to be a Hall of Stats, but I would guess that Sterling's seven years (including his rookie year) compare favorably to any other WRs' seven consecutive year stretch. Anybody have nominations of WRs with better stretches?

[smuggler]

Sterling was a better WR than Irvin, and Irvin is in the HoF (yeah, yeah, rings).

Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are, 'It might have been."

[gbgary]

gale sayers got in on stats alone and seven years.

[Bretsky]

Sterling was a better WR than Irvin, and Irvin is in the HoF (yeah, yeah, rings).

Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are, 'It might have been."

Completely agree; I think Sharpe was a solid level above Irvin
Truth be told I'm no sure I've seen a better all around WR except for Jerry Rice

perhaps a few young guys playing now can get to that level.

[sharpe1027]

Sterling was a better WR than Irvin, and Irvin is in the HoF (yeah, yeah, rings).

Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are, 'It might have been."

Agreed. Having watched both of them play, I find it difficult to understand when people say anything different.

[Scott Campbell]

Sterling dominated and abused defenses like nothing I've ever seen before. Rice had a better career. Irvin had a better career. But were they better than Sterling in his prime?

Man, that's a tough one.

If you go out on YouTube and watch Finley's highlights from 2009, you'll see a receiver that completely has his way with opposing defenses. He pretty much abused everyone that tried to cover him. That's what Sterling was able to do.

[pbmax]

gale sayers got in on stats alone and seven years.

That is exaggerating slightly, no? I mean Babe Ruth is in the HOF because of his numbers too. Sayers did things no one else had done combined before. 22 tounchdowns in a season from running, receiving, punt return and kickoff return. Six touchdowns in a game and an average above 5.0 ypc for his career despite the last two years being a shell of his former self due to injuries. The amazing thing about Sayers is that he really did his damage in five seasons despite playing seven and in those five seasons led the league in total yards from scrimmage 3 times. He was a RB at a time when teams in teams actually lived what we regard as bloviating and tried to establish to run and to stop the run as priorities 1 and 1A.

At RB in the sixties it was Brown, Taylor and Sayers. Top three for a decade. No arguments except career length.

Sharpe has two problems. One is era; unlike Sayers he played in an era that hand changed the rules for his position (and offense in general) and that had a huge impact on his numbers. By the time that settled, his overall numbers look pedestrian despite three incredible seasons.

From Deadspin today:
And in 1992, he had one of the greatest seasons any receiver has ever had. He won receiving's triple crown — Jerry Rice and Steve Smith are the only others to do so in the Super Bowl era — by catching 108 passes for 1,461 yards and 13 TDs. Some perspective: Art Monk's 106 catches in 1984 had been an NFL record for eight years until then. A year later, Sterling broke his own mark by catching 112 passes, and the year after that — in his final season — his 18 TD receptions still ranks tied for third all-time.

Should also note that he led the league in catches during a great 1989 season.

So not only do you need to triangulate his position in relation to those who came before him (like Monk) but you need to see what happened after. Before he ever came up for a vote, his most remarkable numbers were surpassed by Bruce, Carter and Rice. There are way too many WRs in this group. And many of them played much longer. Right now Cris Carter, Tim Brown and Andre Reed cannot get past each other. By the time that logjam clears, he will at the veterans committee. Which might be his best shot.

[vince]

That is exaggerating slightly, no? I mean Babe Ruth is in the HOF because of his numbers too. Sayers did things no one else had done combined before. 22 tounchdowns in a season from running, receiving, punt return and kickoff return. Six touchdowns in a game and an average above 5.0 ypc for his career despite the last two years being a shell of his former self due to injuries. The amazing thing about Sayers is that he really did his damage in five seasons despite playing seven and in those five seasons led the league in total yards from scrimmage 3 times. He was a RB at a time when teams in teams actually lived what we regard as bloviating and tried to establish to run and to stop the run as priorities 1 and 1A.

At RB in the sixties it was Brown, Taylor and Sayers. Top three for a decade. No arguments except career length.

Sharpe has two problems. One is era; unlike Sayers he played in an era that hand changed the rules for his position (and offense in general) and that had a huge impact on his numbers. By the time that settled, his overall numbers look pedestrian despite three incredible seasons.



Should also note that he led the league in catches during a great 1989 season.

So not only do you need to triangulate his position in relation to those who came before him (like Monk) but you need to see what happened after. Before he ever came up for a vote, his most remarkable numbers were surpassed by Bruce, Carter and Rice. There are way too many WRs in this group. And many of them played much longer. Right now Cris Carter, Tim Brown and Andre Reed cannot get past each other. By the time that logjam clears, he will at the veterans committee. Which might be his best shot.

Nice pb. You're probably right about Sterling. Campbell said it best though. He was better than all those guys you mentioned except obviously Rice.

[Iron Mike]

Completely agree; I think Sharpe was a solid level above Irvin

Just image if Irvin would have been flagged for pass interference every time he pushed off.....you'd put him in the same league as Jeff Query.

[pbmax]

Nice pb. You're probably right about Sterling. Campbell said it best though. He was better than all those guys you mentioned except obviously Rice.

That is why a veterans committee of people who actually played against him is probably his best shot.