When Did Wide Receivers Become Such Jerks?

When did wide receivers become such jerks?

It did not happen overnight, but now, by far, they are the biggest show-boating, selfish simpletons in the NFL.

It did not used to be like this. It did not have to be like this.

The 1970's all-decade squad consisted of game-breaking professionals—Paul Warfield, Lynn Swann, Harold Carmichael, and Drew Pearson.

They did not do a lot, if any, look-at-me dances or body-twitching taunts.

Their own teammates would have been highly annoyed, but what would have been worse would have been the reaction of the opposing defensive backs.

The rules were different then.

Not only could quarterbacks be tackled, but receivers could be covered. Bump-and-run and then try to tear the wide-outs' head off if he caught the ball.

Headhunting defensive backs like Jack Tatum, George Atkinson, Mel Blount, Doug Plank, and Cliff Harris would not have taken kindly to being mocked by an opponent.

In Tom Danyluk's excellent book about 70's football, The Super Seventies, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Mike Wagner describes how the Super Bowl Steelers would have dealt with "big" wide receivers like Randy Moss:

"We played against big receivers like Moss before. You know what we would have done to Randy Moss? We would have [expletive] him up. We would have absolutely [expletive] him up. We would have hit him on every possible play."

In the 80's bump-and-run was outlawed.

Life for pass catchers became sweet. Life for Lester Hayes became harder.

But the all-decade, Hall of Fame wide receivers of the 80s like Jerry Rice, Art Monk, Steve Largent, and James Lofton, were not look-at-me show boats.

Great individual players, but dedicated above all to the team's success. They were not glory-seeking, media hogs desperate for the spotlight.

They were not troubled and brooding. They did not whine to the press about coaches, teammates, or  play calling.

The closest thing to showboating was the Fun Bunch in Washington, who did celebrate as a group, and the Marks, Mark Duper and Mark Clayton, in Miami.

Neither group were like the mega ego monsters that pout along the sidelines today.

In the 90's, the all-decade team consisted of Cris Carter, Jerry Rice, and Tim Brown. All rather understated professionals most of the time.

But then we encounter the ancestor of the modern prima donna.

Meet Michael Irvin of the University of Miami.

Irvin was a Hall of Fame player and he played tougher and better then the prawning sideline princes of today. The "Playmaker" was much more of a team player then these guys today.

And Irvin even blocked and liked his quarterback.

But Irvin planted the showboat seed and it mutated.

It blossomed into its look-at-me selfishness of today when it merged and mutated with Deion Sanders, who also played wide receiver in Dallas.

Sanders was not the team player like Irvin, but much more of a showboating jerk. An talented showboating jerk, but a jerk nonetheless.

Ever the showboat, Sanders was first and foremost always for Sanders. His massive egomania spawned the selfish, me-first monsters who lurk the sidelines now.

This Cowboy seed has left us a sick crop of selfish spotlight seekers who shun the team. A crop of overpaid players that play half-speed when they feel dissed or offended by someone or something.

The "Playmaker" and "Neon Deion" have degenerated into the moody antics of Chad Johnson, Terrell Owens, Plaxico Burress, Javon Walker, Steve Smith, Randy Moss, Roy Williams, Braylon Edwards, and their ilk.

The seeds of the modern jerk receivers were sown by the stars of Dallas a decade ago—only most of these guys aren't nearly as good.

Even the "Playmaker" never thought it would morph into this.

Where's Jack Tatum and George Atkinson when we need them?