Skip Bayless Thinks Irvin Is The GOAT Wide Reciever

[Hostile]

Not in my book. Irvin was great, but even he knows how amazing Jerry Rice was.

 

[CowboyMark]

Why do people say that Rice is the GOAT based on his numbers but don't say the same thing when it comes to Emmitt Smith? Why do people cherry pick whatever suits them? You can't use the OL excuse because take a look at what Jerry had for most of his career. He didn't play on a losing team until this century. Emmitt on the other hand played on 7 losing teams. I don't know but you can't use one excuse for one person and not the others. It sort of reminds me how people say Phil Jackson only won titles because he had Jordan and Pippen and then had Shaq and Kobe. As if all the great coaches in history (Landry, Walsh, Lombardi, Stengel, Riley etc...) had crappy players when they won their championships. It simply isn't fair.

 

[Stautner]

I was just tuning into ESPN First Take right now and Skip Bayless thinks Michael Irvin is the greatest wideout of alltime, better than Jerry Rice. What are your thoughts on this? Me personally I think Bayless is nuts, I love Irvin as much as the next guy but there is no way he was a better wideout than Jerry Rice IMO.

Bayless is nuts. Of course, Bayless has made a career out of saying outrages, and often tupid things. That's hjow he gets attention.

Somebody needs to mention Don Hutson.

YR

Lance Alworth maybe?

As great was Rice, he was one of the luckiest players in NFL history. He played with two of the greatest QBs in a system that was built for him to succeed.


Even tho I'd take him with the game on the line over Young, Aikman was not on their level. And more importantly, the Offense ran the ball alot. Particularly, in the red zone, where Irvin's numbers pale to Rice and other Great receivers. If he played in an offense like the 49ers back then, or the Colts today (regardless of the rules). He'd be putting up 10+ TD seasons routinely.

And Irvin wasn't in a system with a great QB that was designed for him to succeed?

Aikman, Irvin, and the system were in perfect sync, but still not Jerry Rice.

And lets not forget that at almost 40 years old Jerry went to Oakland and still put up 1,100-1,200 yard 7-9 TD seasons.

And lets not forget that Irvin didn't have John Taylor to share catches with.

 

[realtick]

People forget the Sterling Sharpe may have the most dominant in that 5-6 year timespan as well. He was drafted in the 1st round of the 88 draft like Irvin was. He suffered a career ending neck-injury in the prime of his career -- the year he was injured I think he had 18 TDs or so -- with 2-3 games to go!

That's impressive but Jerry Rice caught 22 TDs in just 12 games in 1987.

 

[Stautner]

How much longer did Rice play then Irvin...I dont know, thats why I'm asking. Larger amount of time will make an accumulation of stats skewed, the larger the time difference, the larger the stat discrepancy.

Irvin played 12 years, Rice 20 years, and Rice put up almost double the yardage and over 3 times the TD's.

Besides, still being an effective WR at almost age 40 only adds to Rice's greatness. He was still putting up 1100-1,200 yard, 7-9 TD seasons that late in his career.

Even Rice acknowledges this in his HOF speech. Irvin was his fiercest rival for best WR in the 90's. During this 5 year period, Irvin was undisputedly better.

And I agree with YR, Don Hutson was the greatest of all time. He had no real competition at any time in his career. None.

It can be debated who was better during that 5 year stretch, but that is a small snapshot of a career. As great as Irvin was, Jerry Rice's career dwarfed his. That's no disgrace - Rices' career dwarfed every other WR too.

 

[PBJTime]

Sorry, but Jerry Rice is the greatest of all time.


End of Discussion.

I love Irvin. He (and that 90's team) is what I grew up watching, so I see them in a particularly glowing light.

However, there's no way I put him over Rice.

 

[BAT]

Irvin played 12 years, Rice 20 years, and Rice put up almost double the yardage and over 3 times the TD's.

Besides, still being an effective WR at almost age 40 only adds to Rice's greatness. He was still putting up 1100-1,200 yard, 7-9 TD seasons that late in his career.



It can be debated who was better during that 5 year stretch, but that is a small snapshot of a career. As great as Irvin was, Jerry Rice's career dwarfed his. That's no disgrace - Rices' career dwarfed every other WR too.

Rice does not dwarf Don Hutson. Don Hutson is the Jim Brown of WRs. He did it first and he did it best. There was no one, NONE, that came close to Hutson THROUGHOUT his entire career (which like Brown, was ended at his peak). Unlike Rice, there is no "snapshot" comparison, because he completely dominated his position his whole career and there was no one even close.