Anti-Cowboy Bias in the Media? Look at Murray's breaking the Record

[Wayne02]

I went to nfl.com this morning to see what they had to say about Murray breaking Jim Brown's record. I saw nothing.

All I saw a lot of was Peyton breaking the TD record that was held by Brett Farr. That record held by Farr is an accomplishment and I take nothing away from Peyton.

But Murray's record is just as newsworthy and should be even more. But when you go onto nfl.com there is nothing about it. Nothing at all......

Here is what I saw:

Now why do I think that Murray's record is as groundbreaking as Peyton's?

Well first of all, Jim Browns record stood for 53 years - more than half a century. Back when Emmitt was running that ball there was a lot of talk that no one was ever going to beat the Great Jim Brown's record ever.

Secondly, Murray did it in a pass happy NFL where all the teams put emphasis on passing not running. Sure you may say that Murray was lucky to face teams that were built to stop the pass. However, teams knew what was coming and they watched film and put together a game plan in stopping the Murray. The great Jim Brown had the luxury of teams not knowing much about him and couldn't game plan as easily as today's pro football teams can.

Of course Murray didn't do this himself. He needed a dominant oline that can run the ball at will. But a dominant oline that only happens once in a decade and not any team can easily put together this type of oline. In today's NFL, all you need is a bit of luck in order to draft a QB that can sling it and voila, instant offense.

Thus Murray's achievement may even last longer than Peyton's in the record books.

You really believe Murray's "record" should be more newsworthy than Peyton breaking the all time TD record? Really?

 

[Zordon]

OP has a point. Murray breaks the record and this is the headline on espn.com

 

[DandyDon1722]

What? Didn't someone just make this same exact thread like yesterday?

I will admit I notice and address certain Cowboy biases in the media but I don't think this is a big deal. Manning dwarfs the player/fan landscape in the NFL and the fact that he overshadows what Demarco did is not only understandable, it should've been expected.

 

[NorTex]

Murray's isn't a real record. X straight 100 yard games "to start a season" isn't a record. What Murray has done is great, but come on.

My thoughts exactly!

 

[bayeslife]

Murray's isn't a real record. X straight 100 yard games "to start a season" isn't a record. What Murray has done is great, but come on.

If consecutive games with a touchdown pass thrown is a record, so is this.

 

[tyke1doe]

What? Didn't someone just make this same exact thread like yesterday?

The media butthurtedness is strong in this forum.

 

[tyke1doe]

This is essentially correct. It's somewhat random to keep track of consecutive 100-yard rushing games "to start a season", since when they occur adds nothing to the accomplishment. If one wants to make a big deal of consecutive 100-yard rushing games, fine. But what really matters is simply "how many?", not "when?". Based upon what really matters, Murray is only half-way to the record (list below).

In any event, it would be hard to compare the significance of a record as obscure as consecutive 100-yard rushing games to the significance of the all-time touchdown pass record. (How would you react if the weekend that Emmitt broke the all-time rushing yardage record fans of some random team were up in arms because their QB wasn't getting enough love for most 300-yard passing games "to start a season"?) That alone makes Peyton's accomplishment more worthy of attention.

Most Consecutive Games, 100 or More Yards Rushing
14 Barry Sanders, Detroit, 1997
11 Marcus Allen, L.A. Raiders, 1985-86
9 Walter Payton, Chicago, 1985
Fred Taylor, Jacksonville, 2000
Deuce McAllister, New Orleans, 2003
Larry Johnson, Kansas City, 2005
LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego, 2006

Break it down, Outlaw!

 

[JD_KaPow]

If consecutive games with a touchdown pass thrown is a record, so is this.

They're both records, but they're minor records. Most TD passes (career or season) is a major record. Most rushing yards (career or season) is a major record. I've seen plenty in print about Murray and his record. The attention paid seems appropriately proportional to the attention given to Manning's achievement.

 

[CyberB0b]

If consecutive games with a touchdown pass thrown is a record, so is this.

No. The direct comparison would be consecutive games with 100 yards rushing, in which Murray has a LONG way to go to break that one.

 

[Wayne02]

If consecutive games with a touchdown pass thrown is a record, so is this.

But Murray hasn't broken Barry Sanders consecutive 100 yard games record. That record is at 14.

 

[TimHortons]

I agree. It's a streak, and one of those things you accomplish on the way to a record, but consecutive 100 yard games aren't a thing like touchdowns or wins. And the streak requires a lot more than just your running back. It's a function of the passing game helping extend drives and the blocking, obviously. I think this current Murray streak is more a measure of our overall offensive effectiveness than anything Murray does personally. And don't get me wrong, Murray has been fantastic--and stayed on the field--during this run. He's been great. But it pales next to a career accomplishment like the passing TD record.
I also like to see Favre's records go down, since I don't like that he flopped to give Strahan the sack record. That's bad historical karma in my book, and it should have a price.

Murray's isn't a real record. X straight 100 yard games "to start a season" isn't a record. What Murray has done is great, but come on.

I think it's the "to start a season" part that makes it not a record. Sanders' 14 straight 100 yd games streak is a record, but adding the "to start a season" qualifier onto it makes it too arbitrary. Hopefully Murray can make a run at Sanders' record this year.

 

[adamknite]

I'm a huge Cowboys homer and I didn't even give Murray's breaking of the "record" more than an "awesome, he's got the record." Why? Because in the big scheme of things this is a very minor record. It's not like he's breaking the all time yardage record or anything. This is a good streak to open the season but I don't think I'd put any more stock into it than that. Even if he approached the consecutive 100 yard games record I don't think I'd care too much about that one either, they are good streaks and they are good conversation pieces but not really streamers and ceremony type of important in my eyes. Now if he started to catch the single season yardage record that would be a different story.

 

[camelboy]

You sound like a broken record.

Reply of the year

 

[Risen Star]

Someone needs to explain to me why Murray's record should be more newsworthy than Peyton's.

But don't let it interfere with the weekly whine fest over media hate. I'll wait.

 

[Risen Star]

I'm a huge Cowboys homer and I didn't even give Murray's breaking of the "record" more than an "awesome, he's got the record." Why? Because in the big scheme of things this is a very minor record. It's not like he's breaking the all time yardage record or anything. This is a good streak to open the season but I don't think I'd put any more stock into it than that. Even if he approached the consecutive 100 yard games record I don't think I'd care too much about that one either, they are good streaks and they are good conversation pieces but not really streamers and ceremony type of important in my eyes. Now if he started to catch the single season yardage record that would be a different story.

Hater.

 

[Plankton]

Someone needs to explain to me why Murray's record should be more newsworthy than Peyton's.

But don't let it interfere with the weekly whine fest over media hate. I'll wait.

If Murray wasn't a Cowboy, no one on this board would be slamming the media for not making this as much of a media mention as Manning's TD record.

 

[DallasCowboys2080]

why is it considered "a minor" record? what constitutes a minor record? if its so easy to get or so minor why hasn't it been done since jim brown?

 

[tyke1doe]

why is it considered "a minor" record? what constitutes a minor record? if its so easy to get or so minor why hasn't it been done since jim brown?

Because major records imply longevity. I mean, it's great that Timmy Smith has the NFL rushing record in the Super Bowl, but it's minor compared to Emmitt Smith's rushing record because the latter speaks to longevity. Anyone (like Flipper Smith, the former Rams WR who set the most yards in a game - don't know whether he still has that record) can catch lightning in a bottle. But it's the truly great who, when they break records, it's more noteworthy because it suggests a career of greatness.

I implied earlier (by liking someone post) that Murray's accomplishment is not a record. That's incorrect. It is a record, but it's not a major one when compared to what Peyton has done. I think in that light, it's a minor record. However, I'm glad that a Cowboy has that record.

 

[Outlaw Heroes]

why is it considered "a minor" record? what constitutes a minor record? if its so easy to get or so minor why hasn't it been done since jim brown?

Seriously?

It's a "minor" record because it's not a part of the typical football fan's consciousness. If you had asked virtually any reasonably educated fan prior to this season "who holds the all-time TD pass record", chances are that fan would have been able to name Favre. What do you think the response would have been if you'd asked "who holds the record for most consecutive 100-yard rushing games to start a season?" Even the most educated of fans would likely have had to guess. More likely, they'd simply have responded "who cares?"

 

[cowboys2233]

Brown opened the 1958 season with 6 st8 100 yard games.

Yeah, and he did it against guys named Joe and Stanley, who worked as plumbers and carpenters during the offseason. If by "good old days," they mean "not nearly as competitive as today's game because today's game is much more popular and more financially lucrative, creating a much deeper talent pool," then I would agree, the old days were good. LOL.

But I am admittedly a bit surprised that this record lasted as long as it did, with guys like Dickerson, Sanders and Emmitt carrying the rock. Shows just how special of an accomplishment it really is.