Oakland Raiders: Who Is the Greatest or Who Was a Prodigy? Ask John Madden

An article was written a few minutes ago. It was erased.

Let’s just say that there was a malfunction. 

This article is a response to Tim Graham’s request for a discussion of who is the greatest deep threat.

Here is the quote:

• Jerry Rice: Automatically comes to mind in any receiver debate.
• Warren Wells: John Madden calls him one of the greatest players he coached. In 1969, Wells averaged 26.8 yards per catch with 14 touchdowns on only 42 catches.
• James Lofton: Averaged over 20 yards a catch five times in his Hall of Fame career.
• Bob Hayes: Olympic gold-medal sprinter revolutionized the game. He averaged 26.1 yards a catch in 1970 and is said to have been the reason bump-and-run coverage came to be.
• Willie Gault: Olympic-caliber sprinter averaged 20.0 yards a catch for his career.
• Harold Carmichael: At 6'8", the four-time Pro Bowler was a basketball player in cleats.

All of these players are being compared to Randy Moss, who many believe to be one of the greatest.

It was a joy to see that a couple of Oakland Raiders were included in Graham’s list. I am a firm believer that if a man has done a remarkable job on the playing field, then give him credit.

If a credible source recognizes the data and accomplishments of a player, then you would think that the sports media would do so.

Sometimes, this is not the case.

One player in the list had phenomenal numbers. His career was interrupted for two years because he served in the military. One argument is that since more corporations honor the years that a man serves in the military, perhaps it would be wise for the NFL to honor those older players who also served this country.

When you look at the videos of historical games and peruse the data, there is a perspective that is suppressed as it relates to outstanding performance on the playing field in a short and intense career during a historical era in the United States.

Who do you perceive as the greatest deep threat in the NFL? Post your comment on this link or in the BR comment strand. Visit this link.

No doubt if the truth is revealed in the media and in the blogs solely related to performance on the playing field, then indeed, we all may be set free and in a frame of mind to make a commitment to excellence.

In other words, the pursuit of truth is the pursuit of excellence.

Go Raiders!