News: DMN: Michael Irvin: Sorry Jerry Rice, but I didn’t need stickum when I played

[MRV52]

Irvin can talk all he wants by not using stickum but what was that white stuff on his gloves?

 

[BoysFan4ever]

Yeah Jerry was great. He had great hands(go figure) and great in the open field with YAC. This stickum thing does make me wonder but I don't know how much this will affect his legacy from here on out. Everyone not only considered him the best WR of all time but best overall player but there has to be a little bit of doubt about that.

I had never heard about the best player of all time but I can see that.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

Whatever,,, it does diminish Rice's accomplishments but I'm not shocked or disgusted. There have been players and coaches bending the rules since the early days and sometimes it lead to championships. Mike's push-offs and Jerry's sticky fingers pale in comparison to the 'roided up 70s Stealers...

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I gotta say, there's a pretty clear distinction in my mind between using drugs and cheating in a football game. While I can obviously understand the argument, for a lot of guys--and I think Irvin is very, very definitely in this group--the man v. man, personal nature of sports competitions is kind of a sacred thing. You have that obligation to do whatever you can to do your best--and that extends to things like positioning yourself with your hands and elbows to catch the ball. And the other guy has an obligation to give his best to stop you. That's why you work so hard in practice you throw up, and then go back and work some more. It's why you play RB with a separated shoulder. It's why, when you're lying on your back in Philly and can't feel your legs and you hear the low-lives booing you, you take that as a compliment. To cheat in such a situation is worse than breaking drug or vice law because it's a mark against your notion of yourself as a competitor and as a man. Heck, I kind of agree with him. And I can definitely see how, with his personality he'd feel that way.

Now, if you pointed out to him that that might be inconsistent with his off the field activities, he'd probably laugh and tell you you have a point, too. But it's still not the same thing.

Good points.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Lord knows I didn't want to get into this debate about the article, but I must correct you on this one ... as Woody Girl said, she thought she was crystal clear and so did I. There is no where in my post or in this article any mention of his family, doing coke, strippers or any other "stupid crap" as you put it. So therefore, I was not, did not, and am not saying I "unequivocally support Michael in that. My comments and support are in regards to the subject and content of the article.

Fair enough.

 

[Idgit]

Good points.

Yeah, but I've got a hat to cover them.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Off the field is big difference than being accused of cheating....He has a right to be mad

I love Mike but he was guilty of pushing off all the time. I guess if it isn't called, then it's not illegal but strictly speaking, that was illegal.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Yeah, but I've got a hat to cover them.

Me too.

 

[tyke1doe]

Irvin can talk all he wants by not using stickum but what was that white stuff on his gloves?

Chalk?

 

[tyke1doe]

Lord knows I didn't want to get into this debate about the article, but I must correct you on this one ... as Woody Girl said, she thought she was crystal clear and so did I. There is no where in my post or in this article any mention of his family, doing coke, strippers or any other "stupid crap" as you put it. So therefore, I was not, did not, and am not saying I "unequivocally support Michael in that. My comments and support are in regards to the subject and content of the article.

It's all about context.

 

[punchnjudy]

Surprised Rice needed stick-um to catch all those dink and dunk passes he turned into long gains. I remember him more for what he did after the catch.

I remember an interview with Tyson where he said he hung out with Irvin and "Mike was crazier than me." Mike may have been cray cray back in those days, but as a football player the only real blemish was getting suspended one year.

 

[popp1234]

I gotta say, there's a pretty clear distinction in my mind between using drugs and cheating in a football game. While I can obviously understand the argument, for a lot of guys--and I think Irvin is very, very definitely in this group--the man v. man, personal nature of sports competitions is kind of a sacred thing. You have that obligation to do whatever you can to do your best--and that extends to things like positioning yourself with your hands and elbows to catch the ball. And the other guy has an obligation to give his best to stop you. That's why you work so hard in practice you throw up, and then go back and work some more. It's why you play RB with a separated shoulder. It's why, when you're lying on your back in Philly and can't feel your legs and you hear the low-lives booing you, you take that as a compliment. To cheat in such a situation is worse than breaking drug or vice law because it's a mark against your notion of yourself as a competitor and as a man. Heck, I kind of agree with him. And I can definitely see how, with his personality he'd feel that way.

Now, if you pointed out to him that that might be inconsistent with his off the field activities, he'd probably laugh and tell you you have a point, too. But it's still not the same thing.

Thank you. And I agree, but I could not get an explanation on why the opposite was presented, because I am just a "poster", a mere mortal, not worthy of a response, according to one or two counts..lol...but it's still all good.

 

[RoboQB]

I had never heard about the best player of all time but I can see that.

Jerry Rice is called the GOAT by many of his peers... Irvin has called him "Jesus in Cleats"... there has been many debates on
whether he or Jim Brown is the Greatest of all Time.

I loved watching Rice play... he truly was unstoppable for quite some time... but I wish I'd never heard him speak... it kind of takes away
from the mystique..... of course, now I can say that about every player in any sport, but that's another topic.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

Jerry Rice is called the GOAT by many of his peers... Irvin has called him "Jesus in Cleats"... there has been many debates on
whether he or Jim Brown is the Greatest of all Time.

I loved watching Rice play... he truly was unstoppable for quite some time... but I wish I'd never heard him speak... it kind of takes away
from the mystique..... of course, now I can say that about every player in any sport, but that's another topic.

I've always heard what a great player he was & thought to myself too bad he was a Niner.

 

[Idgit]

Thank you. And I agree, but I could not get an explanation on why the opposite was presented, because I am just a "poster", a mere mortal, not worthy of a response, according to one or two counts..lol...but it's still all good.

I'm making an exception and responding to you this once. Even though I agree with everybody else.

I think it's easy to look at it and see that snorting coke and philandering is 'worse' than sneaking some stick-um on your gloves, and so it's an easy way to evaluate the relative sins involved. But, yeah, they're kind of different moral equations, and people are funny about how they draw the lines.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

I love Mike but he was guilty of pushing off all the time. I guess if it isn't called, then it's not illegal but strictly speaking, that was illegal.

It wasn't illegal.
Still not cheating.

 

[jobberone]

You can't pass a joint with stickem on your fingers.

As my Grandmother would say, "Hmmmmm ummph!".

 

[gimmesix]

I don't have an issue with him saying anything regard to the issue, but as I stated in my OP, I can ignore it, too.

That's fair. Irvin hasn't earned the right to be indignant.

To address another point in this thread, though, (not one made by you) on athletes being held to a higher standard. I don't think this is about holding anyone to a higher standard, it's about holding them accountable for doing what's right.

As a journalist, I hold people like Brian Williams to the standard of not "cheating" at his job. The same with other journalists who have made up stories or information. And I certainly don't mind anyone pointing out how wrong he was to do that and how it harms our profession.

Rice admitted to cheating and that's simply wrong. He gained a competitive advantage over those who chose to play by the rules. When players cheat, they deserve whatever criticism they get, just like when journalists cheat, etc.

That criticism, like with Irvin, needs to be tempered by our own past failures, but it needs to be voiced to let it be known that what Rice did absolutely was wrong and that there was right way to do things and still be successful.

 

[Sportsbabe]

That's fair. Irvin hasn't earned the right to be indignant.

To address another point in this thread, though, (not one made by you) on athletes being held to a higher standard. I don't think this is about holding anyone to a higher standard, it's about holding them accountable for doing what's right.

As a journalist, I hold people like Brian Williams to the standard of not "cheating" at his job. The same with other journalists who have made up stories or information. And I certainly don't mind anyone pointing out how wrong he was to do that and how it harms our profession.

Rice admitted to cheating and that's simply wrong. He gained a competitive advantage over those who chose to play by the rules. When players cheat, they deserve whatever criticism they get, just like when journalists cheat, etc.

That criticism, like with Irvin, needs to be tempered by our own past failures, but it needs to be voiced to let it be known that what Rice did absolutely was wrong and that there was right way to do things and still be successful.

Good response on the "higher standards", but the key and relative words I feel are "tempered response". Like WG said, indignation is what I have a problem with when people discuss the public failures of others.

 

[Sarge]

Stick um or not, Rice is the best ever. There were a ton of people using it back in the day.