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Emmitt needs to keep mouth shut
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Just use "Emmitt needs to shut it" for the headline. I think you guys will like this one, it's one of the better columns I've written so far.
Emmitt Smith crafted an impressive career.
18,355 yards, 164 touchdowns, three Super Bowl championships, and one embarrassing temper tantrum.
What's that? Whoops, that last one didn't happen on the field, did it?
In the 1990s, the Dallas Cowboys were America's Team, the best team in any sport during that decade. This was largely due to their popular "Triplets," running back Smith, quarterback Troy Aikman and wide receiver Michael Irvin.
Last week, six-time Pro Bowler Aikman was easily voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in his first year of eligibility. Irvin was snubbed in his second attempt.
Many have speculated that Irvin was twice denied admission to the Hall because of his non-football-related endeavors. Ten years ago, in the height of his career, Irvin was busted for possession of cocaine, leading to probation and a hefty fine.
This past November, the wideout-turned-ESPN analyst was arrested for an outstanding unpaid speeding ticket. He was then charged with a misdemeanor after police found drug paraphernalia within the star's vehicle.
Irvin, who acted childish after his rejection in 2005, chose to take the high road this year, displaying his joy for longtime teammate Aikman.
"Last year this time, I was in my room crying. I couldn't move," Irvin told reporters after the announcement of the Hall of Fame inductees. "Now, I'm out here and I'm going to laugh and enjoy this moment for Troy. It's not about me. It's about Troy."
Whether sincere or not, it's good to hear the big guy show some class in the wake of his disappointment; besides, it's only a matter of time before No. 88 gets in the Hall.
However, Smith, the NFL's all-time rushing leader, decided to take a different approach.
Smith, who is expected to be a unanimous choice for Canton in 2009 (once he becomes eligible), ripped into the Hall's voting committee, arguing that one's accomplishments on the gridiron should always overrule one's off-field blunders.
"This is the Pro Football Hall of Fame, not the Life Hall of Fame," Smith told ESPN's Roy Firestone in a Feb. 3 interview. "His stats are what they are. They are not going to change. This is what he's done off the field — what has that got to do with what he's done on the football field?"
Now, I completely understand the legendary running back is more biased than the striped shirts in last Sunday's Super Bowl. And, uh, that's saying something.
But if these words are truthful and justified, then I guess Pete Rose belongs in Cooperstown. I mean, who cares that the guy broke baseball's golden rule? He had more hits than anyone else in the history of the game, so he should be in the Hall of Fame, according to Emmitt.
Let's take it a step further. Barry Bonds got 'roided up in the clubhouse, which is obviously not on the diamond, so technically, his soon-to-be home run record should be good for Hall of Fame credentials, right?
I could present more examples, but I think you get the point. Yes, on-field records and achievements are the key measure of who gets in and who goes home, but extremely dumb mistakes that take away from an athlete's role model status should also play into consideration.
Smith made another puzzling comment that I found interesting.
"If you're going to sit there behind closed doors and not show your face and not tell people who you voted for, shame on you," he said. "Shame on you for a lot of reasons, because … if you're man or woman enough to make a vote against a person, you should be man or woman enough to tell someone why you did it. That's the part for me that's totally disappointing."
He continued, "A player should be honored to be here. And when you start seeing stuff like this, what honor is there? Some people get snubbed because of what? Nobody knows. Everybody's behind closed doors still making their vote, still walking up to the player's face and smiling in their face and talking behind their back at the same time. That's not cool."
I'm sorry, Emmitt, you lost me. Were we talking about the Hall of Fame or a day in the life of a fourth-grader?
Walking up to the player's face and smiling in their face and talking behind their back? I think I just had a flashback of the playground bullies picking on me during recess because I couldn't make it across the monkey bars.
Seriously though, does anybody know what Smith's talking about? Maybe he's gotten a hold of Ricky Williams' wacky weed.
If he's going to defend a former mate, he might as well stick to the topic of why Irvin deserves to be enshrined in Canton.
After all, seeing as his laughable interview was conducted away from the football field, this might affect his status for the Hall in three years.
At least under Emmitt's logic.
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You must be a Packers fan, because you cant get over the fact that the Cowboys dominated in the 90’s. By the way nice article. haha
I have to say that for Michael Irvine to be compared to Pete Rose and Barry bonds futures in the Hall of Fame is a little uninformed. The problem is that off the field behavior is part of the criteria for entering the MLB Hall of Fame. Voters for the NFL Hall of Fame are told to not take off the field actions into consideration at all. So when it comes to entering the Hall of Fame situations from different sports probably should not be compared
do your homework before you write, that was just plain ignorant
Mr. Brenner,
If you call what Emmitt Smith said about Michael Irvin throwing a “temper tantrum” I can only imagine what you would describe the Terrel Owens ordeal as. Not only is Emmitt one of the most prolific running backs in NFL history, he also embodies everthing that is good about sports, period. Throughout his career he carried himself with dignity and class (even as the NFL entered the age of me-first attitudes), showed a tremendous work ethic, and was praised by the family of Walter Payton as the only man they would approve of breaking the all-time rushing record.
So my question to you is, what’s your beef? How can you be upset with a man defending one of his closest friends and teammates, who should undeniably be in the Hall of Fame? Just because YOU don’t seem to think Irvin should be in the Hall, doesn’t give you the right to attack one of the great all-around people of all-time.
Which brings me to my next point. Putting your own seriously twisted opinions about Irvin’s Hall of Fame status aside, how dare you compare Emmitt’s comments to the situations of Pete Rose and Barry Bonds. That is a leap that Michael Jordan couldn’t make. Emmitt was merely stating that if someone revolutionizes the game on the field, off the field activities should not matter. Key words: OFF THE FIELD! Pete Rose bet on his own team. Barry Bonds used steroids, (according to you, and I’m not necessarily denying it) which DIRECTLY effected the game of baseball through his on-field performance. Michael Irvin’s activities (which occured mostly out of season according to comments made on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown) did not effect on-field performance. You are taking Emmitt’s words, and mutilating them with your pseudo-logic. You are the one who needs to keep your mouth shut, and stay off of Ricky William’s “wacky weed.”
best team of the 90s?
what about the Chicago Bulls?!?
Wow, that is some twisted logic. Not sure how you made the jump from Michael Irvin to Pete Rose and Barry Bonds, and somehow concluded that Emmitt wants Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame. These are totally different situations.
I actually do think Irvin is pretty much a dirtball. But boy, when you ask if anybody knows what Emmitt Smith is talking about - yes I do actually. Much more than I know what you’re talking about in this rambling illogical column.
Thank you to Mr. Bryan Tublin. I couldn’t say it any better than that! Irvin’s off-field exploits did NOT enhance his on-filed performance, (As DID Barry ‘Roidman’s). If anything, Irvin may have performed at an even higher level had he been living clean. Leave Emmitt alone! He may be the last class actor to ever grace the NFL. I will never forget the fact that Emmit never spiked the ball or danced upon scoring, but rather would simply hand the ball to the nearest official. How I pray my 11-year-old son grows up to be more like Emmitt, and less like all of the brash, in-your-face, me-first, slit-the-throat sack-dancers, who celebrate as if they just won a Super Bowl, because they made a play they should have, while they are losing by 40 points!! God Bless Emmitt Smith.
I somewhat agree with your article. I think Smith should be allowed to “throw a temper tantrum” and defend his former teammate. But at the same time, you pointed out that he is bias because he is a former teammate.
Has anyone thought that maybe Irvin hasn’t been selected yet because voters don’t think he’s worthy of being chosen in his first or second year? Yes, he was a great receiver. Yes, he was apart of the “triplets” of the 90s Dallas dynasty. Yes, he should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But that doesn’t mean that just because he’s not selected on his first or second ballot that all hell should break loose.
When I think of a first ballot HOFer, I think of a guy like Reggie White. Arguably the greatest defensive player ever. When I think of Irvin, he’s not even in my top 10 wide receivers ever. Being a HOFer is a great achievement. Being a first ballot HOFer is even greater. I don’t care what Irvin did off the field. He’s a HOFer in my book, but I wouldn’t want to see his name next to the words “First ballot Hall of Famer…” like Steve Young’s are or Emmitt Smith’s or White’s, or Jim Kelly’s, Montana’s, etc etc.
He’ll get in. Look how long it took Harry Carson. But that doesn’t mean that he wasn’t great.