Post by TheShadow on May 27, 2008 17:53:08 GMT -5
www.realfootball365.com
by Os Davis
A colleague here at RealFootball365.com – in the interests of protecting this person’s identity, we’ll call him “Alex Guzman” – recently pitched an assignment my way for these here Oakland Raiders pages: Namely, a piece on the subject “Why Tim Brown doesn’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.”
Now certainly in his fervor to mix the red ants and the black ants (or, in this care, the Os Hole with the Black Hole), “Alex” clearly typed a bit too quickly. Brown not in the Hall of Fame? Come on, if you watched NFL football at any point in the 1990s, you know that Brown was one of the top performers of the age at wide receiver, and not at all a bad return guy on special teams, either.
No, surely what “Alex” meant was something on Brown’s chances at first-ballot enshrinement, an even more amazing feat that is only accomplished by the heaviest of hitters. The list of such for the last four elections includes Darrell Green (2008), Bruce Matthews (2007), Troy Aikman (2006), Warren Moon (2006), Reggie White (2006), Dan Marino (2005), and Steve Young (2005). Of the 11 WRs currently in the Hall, exactly one got in on the first ballot: Steve Largent – still the greatest Seattle Seahawk ever – in 1995.
Right then, does Tim Brown deserve Pro Football Hall of Fame entry in 2010?
First, the statistics – hey, the numbers geek is speaking (writing?) – which are all in Brown’s favor. (Stuff like this tattooed all over the collective body of Raider Nation á la Leonard Shelby.) Brown’s entry includes data like:
• 1,094 career receptions, currently third most in NFL history;
• 14,934 receiving yards, second most in NFL history;
• exactly 100 receiving touchdowns, tied with Largent for sixth most in NFL history;
• aside from 1989, in which he spent the great majority of the season on IR, Brown appeared in all but two possible games over the entirety of his career;
• 175 straight regular-season starts – nearly 11 seasons – for the Raiders, a seemingly unassailable team record;
• nine Pro Bowl selections;
• nine straight seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards;
• holds franchise mark for receptions in a season;
• produced four of the top five franchise marks for receiving yardage in a season;
• amassed 320 punt returns for the Raiders, nearly twice as many as that of second-place Neal Colzie (168); and
• turned in a crazy 16,376 all-purpose yards for the Raiders, tops by far in franchise history (Clarence Davis sits at No. 2 with 5,910).
Stats may often lie, and they certainly try to in Brown’s case. The statistical argument against Brown gives an average full-season line of 68 receptions, 933 yards, and six touchdowns. (We’re bypassing the average 384 yards in returns Brown turned in over eight seasons as a full-time punt returner in order to make the devil’s advocate’s case stronger.)
When the numbers are broken down like so, Brown looks a bit worse against the field at first. After all, Jerry Rice’s average full season was a ridiculous 77 receptions, 1,144 yards, and 10 TDs. But checking out the stats from a couple of recent inductees -- Art Monk (67 receptions, 908 yards, five TDs) and Michael Irvin (68 receptions, 1,082 yards, six TDs) -- puts Brown well back into contention.
The difference? The same factor that Raider baiters want to use against Brown: Longevity.
The average season stat becomes meaningless when considered against the full work of Brown’s career – it’s football, people! The ability to take punishment matters! The case against Brown would have his key stats thrown out – you know, the bits about 16 full seasons, rarely missing a game, etcetera – while venerating a Brett Favre who chucked it to the detriment of his Packers for a couple of seasons but kept playing. Call it Cal Ripken Jr. Syndrome.
Finally, here are a couple of smidgens of YouTube propaganda presented as visual evidence of Brown’s greatness.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rqy-TN6Hfw
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZzCth2CxPs
So Brown’s a no-brainer first-ballot entry to the Hall. Certainly. Get ready to prep the party for August 2010, Raider Nation, ‘cause Tim Brown is going to Canton! Um, right?
Welllllllllll ... after hoisting the white flag up the ‘pole to ready my surrender on the “nix Tim Brown” debate, there it was: The most compelling reason why Tim Brown won’t (and perhaps even shouldn’t) be entering the hallowed halls in 2010. And won't Raider Nation be disappointed ...
To be continued.