News: BTB: Cowboys Midsummer Madness, Regional Final: Roger Staubach vs. Michael Irvin

[NewsBot]

Midsummer Madness has reached the regional finals! Today’s Elite Eight match-up features top seed Roger Staubach facing off against two seed Michael Irvin. Who will advance to the Final Four as the champion of the Paul Tagliabue Regional?

Our second regional final offers an ostensible study in contrasts: top-seeded Roger Staubach, the straight-laced family man and war hero, versus second-seeded Michael Irvin, the flamboyant playmaker (both on and off the field). Such a judgment is derives from looking only at the less consequential surface characteristics. In truth, when it came to competition, both men shared the same DNA: neither could bear to lose, and each would do anything within his power to help his side to victory. Sadly, this is an instance in which one of the proud warriors will have to go home. Who will move on, and represent the Paul Tagliabue Regional in the Final Four? Read the bios and comments, check out the videos, weigh the evidence, and cast your votes, good people!

Wanna keep tabs on the state of the bracket or look ahead to future contests? All the Midsummer Madness info you could ever want can be found right here.

Player: Roger Staubach

Position: quarterback

Seed: 1

How he got here: defeated Eugene Lockhart, 671-22; defeated Cliff Harris, 676-23; defeated Jason Witten, 641-185

Essentials:

Name Years Career AV Pro Bowls All-Pro RoH HoF

Roger Thomas Staubach 1969-79 128 6 0 yes yes​

​

Bio: A 10th-round "futures" draft pick in the 1964 Draft, Staubach, who attended the Naval Academy, joined the team in 1969 after fulfilling his military commitment. After backing up and sharing time with Craig Morton for two plus seasons, Staubach took over the starting role for good midway through the 1971 season, leading the team to ten straight wins, including its first Super Bowl victory (where he won MVP honors, becoming the first Heisman Trophy winner to be a Super Bowl MVP). Later that decade, "Roger the Dodger" led the Cowboys to a second Super Bowl victory and two other appearances in the Big Game (both agonizing losses to the Steelers).

Staubach had several nicknames; he was was known as "Roger The Dodger" for his scrambling abilities (in his career he made innumerable scrambles to buy time for a receiver to get open, and also carried the ball 410 times for 2,264 yards. Staubach was also known as "Captain America," as quarterback of "America's Team"; from 1971-'79, the Cowboys won an astonishing 95 games with him at the helm, and never won fewer than eight games in a season. And, finally, he was known as "Captain Comeback" due to his penchant for leading the Cowboys to improbable victories. In his career, Staubach led the Cowboys to 23 game-winning drives (15 comebacks) in the fourth quarter, with 17 of those in the final two minutes or in overtime, the most famous of which was the "Hail Mary" pass in a divisional round playoff game against the Vikings in 1975.

Staubach retired as the NFL's highest-rated passer of all time (when we subtract Otto Graham's AAFC numbers); he was the NFL's top-rated passer four separate seasons, each of which he also led the league in adjusted yards per attempt, finished with a .750 career winning percentage, and six Pro Bowl invitations. He played on five Super Bowl teams, four as the primary signal-caller, and twice took home a Lombardi. Staubach was a member of the NFL's All-Decade team for the 1970s, and, in 1999, was ranked 29th on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the second-ranked Cowboy behind Bob Lilly. In 2010, a Dallas Morning News poll selected him as the greatest Cowboy of all time. Staubach was inducted into the Cowboys' Ring of Honor in 1983 and elected to the Hall of Fame in 1985.

Highlights:


And check out this section from "A Football Life" entitled "Captain America." You'll be glad you did...

Member comments:

Member Comment
camrin55 When people hear "Dallas Cowboys", Roger Staubach is the image that comes to mind.
Legends never die.
Yellowbeard
Mr. Staubach

Everyone has their favorite player. Mine just happens to ooze awesomeness.

#12.

NCHeelsBoysFan
What a football player, What a person, what a great human being Roger is.

If you haven't read this, check this article out about how he took care of his long term employees when he sold his real estate company for $600,000,000. When Staubach sold his company, he took care of his team, distributing 88% of the purchase price to his employees. What an amazing person. http://fortune.com/2014/10/09/roger-staubach-real-estate-nfl/
​

Player: Michael Irvin

Position: wide receiver

Seed: 2

How he got here: defeated Bill Bates, 600-150; defeated Harvey Martin, 593-132; defeated Jimmy Johnson, 556-139

Essentials:

Name Years Career AV Pro Bowls All-Pro RoH HoF

Michael Jerome Irvin 1988-99 129 5 1 yes yes​

​

Bio: Irvin was drafted by the Cowboys in the first round of the 1988 draft, as the last first rounder selected by the Schramm-Brandt-Landry triumverate. He became the first rookie receiver in Cowboys' history to start a game in 20 years, finishing his rookie season with a 20.4 yards per catch average, tops in the NFC. After two injury-plagued seasons, he exploded in 1991, leading the NFL in yards (1,523, on 93 catches) and making the first of five consecutive Pro Bowls. In 1992, he helped lead the Cowboys to Super Bowl XXVII, where he caught seven passes for 114 yards and the two second-quarter touchdowns that essentially sealed the game.

At 6'2" and 207 pounds, Irvin was a big, physical receiver who manhandled cornerbacks and often was able to use his big body to make tough catches in traffic. He was also a vocal, emotional leader who set the tone for the great 90s Cowboys through his passion and work ethic. He was instrument in the Cowboys again winning Super Bowls in 1993 and '95. In 1995, he set Cowboys records for receptions (111) and receiving yards (1,603), while scoring 10 touchdowns and setting an NFL record with 11 games with over 100 yards receiving.

From 1991 through 1998, Irvin recorded 1,000-yard seasons in all but one year (1996, when he missed the season's first five games), and racked up an impressive 10,265 receiving yards. Irvin finished his career as the Cowboys receiving leader in games played, receptions, and yards, and second to Bob Hayes in touchdowns. His 47 100-yard receiving games remains the third most in NFL history, and his 87 postseason receptions and 1,315 postseason receiving yards place him second in NFL history behind Jerry Rice. Irvin was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2005 and elected to the Hall of Fame in 2007.

Highlights:


Member comments:

Member Comment
CoreyAdkison88
Irvin.

No second thoughts. The guy literally left it on the field in a Cowboys uniform.

doomsdaydominators94

Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin they have ESP Man


I’ve seen em on the field like cosmic twins. ESP! This is a special message for Michael and Troy.

jordanch68
It's Irvin, easily


If you play back his Hall of Fame acceptance speech he probably wins the whole thing.
​

Alright, BTBers, which man advances to the Final Four?

Poll
Who is the "better" Cowboy?

• Roger Staubach
• Michael Irvin

161 votes | Results

Continue reading...