Can we stop praying at the alter of Jerry Rice now?

[AvengerRam_old]

The media loves Jerry Rice. He is, without question, the most productive WR of all time, and one of the most productive players of all time. His work ethic and ability to play into his 40s is admirable.

But... all that does not change the fact that the guy's a jerk.

I won't mention the massage parlor incident (Oops! I just did!). Instead, I'll focus on two recent events.

First, a few weeks ago, his record streak of consecutive games with a reception ended IN A GAME THAT HIS TEAM WON. You would think that he would react by simply commenting after the game that "its been a good run," while confirming that the important thing was that his team won. Instead, he threw a tantrum on the sideline.

Now, he's traded to Seattle and he takes Steve Largent's #80 jersey. Apparently, this was approved by Largent and the team... but that's not the point. Steve Largent is a Seattle football icon. Perhaps... the only Seattle football icon. In that city, #80 should always represent Largent, not some washed-up carpetbagger who lacks the class to SIMPLY WEAR ANOTHER NUMBER!!!

I'm sure Chris Berman and other Rice apologists will find some way to excuse this act of hubris. Me... I've had about enough of Rice's act.

[Nick]

Re: Can we stop praying at the altar of Jerry Rice now?

Actually, regarding the number, the guys on NFL Live said they thought Rice should say thanks but no thanks. I've had this discussion with others and have taken the same position - for as much respect as Rice has gotten over his career, you'd think he could give a little bit to another player and opt to wear a different number.

[AvengerRam_old]

Re: Can we stop praying at the alter of Jerry Rice now?

I heard that he actually didn't want to have a number on the jersey, just a big "ME."

[thoey]

Re: Can we stop praying at the alter of Jerry Rice now?

I heard that he requested the number. Seattle said that it was Largents number and was retired. He asked if it couldn't be "un-retired"? They said they would have to contact Largent. He said that would be good. They called Largent, and with class, he said sure.

What a classless act against the only #80 Seattle has ever had. I wonder what the fans think of it???

[dfarrar777]

Re: Can we stop praying at the altar of Jerry Rice now?

[QUOTE=AvengerRam]Steve Largent is a Seattle football icon. Perhaps... the only Seattle football icon. In that city, #80 should always represent Largent, not some washed-up carpetbagger who lacks the class to SIMPLY WEAR ANOTHER NUMBER!!![QUOTE]

Well, that's a new one.

I'm agreeing with a bunch of Rams fans. :king:

Personally, I think Rice will help us sustain drives in the slot, but the #80 thing has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Obviously, he would have honored Largent more by taking a pass. And for the organization to accept it when there were years that the Largent Mystique was the only thing keeping the Seahawks from being no more interesting to America than the Arizona Freakin' Cardinals...

It's an insult to the greatest player the team has ever had.

[adarian_too]

Re: Can we stop praying at the alter of Jerry Rice now?

I guess the question I would have is why the Seattle Front Office felt it necessary not to intervene on Largent's behalf and just say that the organization retired the number and not the league. Just as much as it might say about Rice, it says volumes about the Seattle organization.

[AvengerRam_old]

Re: Can we stop praying at the alter of Jerry Rice now?

I agree that it should not have been put in Largent's lap. As a class act, he's going to say "Sure, no problem" but you have to believe that he would prefer that the number stay retired. Somebody else should have told Rice to pick another number.

[HUbison]

Re: Can we stop praying at the alter of Jerry Rice now?

Rice - a classless request
Seattle FO - a gutless buckpass
Largent - an honorable gesture

[DJRamFan]

Re: Can we stop praying at the alter of Jerry Rice now?

Great post Avenger. I agree wholeheartedly. Rice perhaps, could have taken a play from Barry Sanders book and retired in his prime rather than bouncy from team to team to think he can still be young.

Seahawks fans should be ticked dfarrar777. Besides, now that you've agreed with us your intelligence has gone up lol (just kiddin' ya)

[HUbison]

Re: Can we stop praying at the altar of Jerry Rice now?

[QUOTE=dfarrar777][QUOTE=AvengerRam]Steve Largent is a Seattle football icon. Perhaps... the only Seattle football icon. In that city, #80 should always represent Largent, not some washed-up carpetbagger who lacks the class to SIMPLY WEAR ANOTHER NUMBER!!!

Well, that's a new one.

I'm agreeing with a bunch of Rams fans. :king:

Personally, I think Rice will help us sustain drives in the slot, but the #80 thing has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Obviously, he would have honored Largent more by taking a pass. And for the organization to accept it when there were years that the Largent Mystique was the only thing keeping the Seahawks from being no more interesting to America than the Arizona Freakin' Cardinals...

It's an insult to the greatest player the team has ever had.

I feel for you guys in Seattle. I can't imagine someone else wearing Bruce's #80 for the Rams. I'm sure you guys are just as (if not more) dumbfounded at Rice's request for Largent's number. No one else should be wearing #80 in Seattle except Largent.

[RammieGirl]

Re: Can we stop praying at the alter of Jerry Rice now?

I find this so disrespectful. I personally admired Rice in the past for his abilities as a player. But this is uncalled for. Why Rice even requested that number of Largent shows absolutely no consideration to this man. There’s a reason a number is retired for a player, it was DESERVINGLY EARNED!!!! If they are going to reverse that decision, what’s the fricken point of retiring it in the first place???? Mr. Steve Largent deserves kudos for being the gentleman that he was to allow it, which he shouldn’t have been put in that position in the first place. Seattle??? What kind of organization are you running up there???

[rebel13]

Re: Can we stop praying at the alter of Jerry Rice now?

He's good, but I think he has always been overrated....Any real good reciever could have done the same with 2 hall of fame qb's throwing passes and championship caliber teams year after year. I wonder how he would have done with the bucs or bengals and other mediocre qb's throwing to him?

[Nick]

Re: Can we stop praying at the alter of Jerry Rice now?

ProFootballTalk on the Largent issue....


RICE WRONG TO TAKE LARGENT'S NUMBER

We touched on this issue on Tuesday night. Now that we've had a chance to ponder it some more, we're convinced that Jerry Rice will be committing a major faux pas (French for fauxck up) if he dons No. 80 for his new team, the Seattle Seahawks.

In sports, numbers have loads of meaning, and the retiring of numbers is a big deal.

The unretiring of numbers, for any reason, is largely unprecedented.

Of course, some of the same qualities that made Steve Largent one of the all-time greats likewise prompted him to take the high road on this one, allowing Rice to take Largent's jersey down from the rafters and wear it for the 10 games or so that Jerry will actually be a member of the team. Our guess, however, is that Largent privately is seething about the fact that Rice even made the request.

"It's an honor for me to wear that No. 80 out of respect to [Largent]," Rice said. "When he said that, man, it sent chills through my body because I know what he has done for this city. You think about the Seattle Seahawks, you think about Steve Largent. And for him to just say that, without any hesitation, that I could wear his jersey, that meant the world to me."

Sure, Rice tried to say all the right things, but does anybody believe that Rice wanted to wear No. 80 out of respect for Largent? Or was it to further glorify Rice's own massive ego, which it now seems had been satiated over the years by the stats, and by that ridiculously overblown record of consecutive games (drum roll please) catching a pass?

We suggested on Tuesday that Rice should do something fresh in Seattle, like wear No. 16, Joe Montana's number from their mutual heyday in San Fran. A reader reminded us that, when Montana left the ***** for Kansas City, Joe had enough sense not to ask Len Dawson if No. 16 could be taken out of mothballs.

Jerry, you should take a page from your old teammate. Give up number 80. Ask Tom Rouen for No. 16 instead.

Will any of this tarnish Rice's legacy? Probably not. But if Jerry doesn't zip his lip and walk away from the game soon, there's a chance that the initial vote for his induction into the Hall of Fame might draw more than a few "nays."

[WisRamsFan]

Re: Can we stop praying at the alter of Jerry Rice now?

Didn't he try to give up the #80 when the Whiners legacy was coming to an end, i.e. Young retiring and such. Then he wanted something like the #6 because that's how many points he gets everytime he scores a TD. Of course the league overuled that option.