Who Was Better?

I would have liked to see what Dickerson could have done if free agency arrived prior to his final season.

Barry Sanders never played on a 1-15 team.

 

Peekaboo!

 

He never played on truly terrible teams at all. His teams were 78-82 in his career, with 5 seasons of 9 or more wins. He was a quitter...

JK.

He had some help from Herman Moore (another underrated WR), but that was about it.

 

There has long been some revisionism going on with how 'terrible' those Lions teams were, mainly by people who didn't watch football then.

Sanders went to the playoffs five times in seven years, which is as good as you can hope for as a player - to be in the hunt.

They had the misfortune of being in the NFC when it was at its peak strength as a conference.

 

Those teams were loaded with talent, just not on the offensive line.

But in defense of the line they had a guy paralyzed mid-game and another guy who was killed by a semi while he was working in his front yard (Eric Andolsek).

Those teams needed a coach.

 

Buzzie Bavasi wouldn't have signed Ryan, but would have signed the Maddux Bros. if they were both 8-6. (alas, Mike M. never had an 8-win season.)

 

Black Sox Scandal or Astros Sign-Stealing Scandal?

 

By what measurement? It's effect on the game? Landis came in after the Black Sox thing and banned those gents for life, even though they'd been acquitted. People are dragging Manfred for not imposing a harsher punishment, i.e., taking away the title, rings, etc. But I have a feeling a lot more is still to come with the Red Sox, etc. Remember, Beltran said he came over to the Astros from the Yankees and told Houston they were way behind the times. If the Yankees and Red Sox are central to this sign-stealing thing, whew, this is maybe just what the sport needs to gin up some flagging interest.

 

The other teams who may be part of it are minor players.

Seems like there are 3 massive scandals since 1919: Black Sox, Pete Rose, Astros.

Pete was a singular degenerate. Several Black Sox and Astros were knee-deep in it.

 

Steroids and the Mitchell report are up there. All probably just a tick above the Pittsburgh coke trials of the 1980s.