It always starts with an innocent observation…
The Kid: Brady says he would trade two rings if that means he goes 19-0 in that one season where they lost to the Giants. Imagine being able to just say, “Yeah, I’ll give up two rings.”
JR: I guess he can’t really wear them all at once any way. He has so many Super Bowl trophies, he’s tossing them off boats.
DD: I mean, that would make that Pats team mythic. But really, I think he just wants a ring for Moss. I know I do!
The Kid: Haha, that’s true J! And yeah, I wish Miss could’ve gotten one. Crazy to think he never did.
JR: The Super Bowl hoarding Pats are obnoxious enough already. We don’t need them popping champagne every year like the geriatric ’72 Dolphins.
DD: Haha. Is Moss the best receiver without a ring?
The Kid: Ooooh, that’s a great question. Probably. Some might say Julio is up there. Wait, Megatron!
DD: Megatron and Barry Sanders and probably some other Lions are on a special list.
The Kid: I guess that’s fair.
JR: Larry Fitzgerald is 2nd in all time receiving yards and had one of the greatest super bowl performances ever (127 yards and 2 TDs). His Super Bowl play was superior to Moss’s, as are his career stats… But he got no rings. Gonna take him over Moss.
The Kid: Oh man, Larry is a great one.
DD: I like Fitz. I don’t know why he didn’t come to mind immediately.
The Kid: Maybe because he’s still active. The other guys have been gone for a while. Megatron, Larry, and then Moss. That’s probably my new rankings. Good call on Larry, J
DD: I didn’t realize that Fitzgerald had hit 2nd all time in receiving yards. Or that Casey had a man-cruch on Megatron!
The Kid: With how early he retired, it’s such a “what if”. Megatron was the best receiver in the league during my teens. It’s hard for me to shy away!
JR: Calvin Johnson was a monster! But his career was short, like all good Lions. I think we remember him and Moss easier because of their acrobatic grabs and crazy diving catches…Fitz is boring comparatively. He would burn guys outright. Ran patterns perfectly. No flash, just fundamentals. Hell, he doesn’t even do touchdown dances. Just hands the ball to the ref like it was really no big deal. So, maybe we don’t remember him as well, but he’s the best to never win a ring. I’ll go Fitz, Megatron, Moss.
DD: Wow. Both y’all with Moss at 3. Is T.O 4? I kept waiting for his name to pop out.
CJ: Fitz, T.O, Moss, Mega.
DD: And here comes Jackson with T.O. at 2. Imma call homerism on you and J, but I can’t argue too much.
JR: T.O. is definitely #4. And Fitz isn’t a Steeler, so not too homerish… Though he was a Pitt Panther!
DD: Yeah. You loved him since Pitt! I did too. I still have one of his college receptions etched in my brain. I’m torn now between him and Moss. And I love both of them off field too! For different reasons, but!
CJ: T.O. is third in TDs and yards. Hard to argue that.
JR: Chad has changed my mind… I’m going to move T.O. up to #2 on this list!
DD: Y’all crazy.
The Kid: Wow!
JR: I’m thinking about his performance in that one Super Bowl–against the Pats— wow! Almost as good as Fitz against the Steelers.
DD: Ah. The Eagles SB almost. That was pretty epic.
JR: Guys who performed like heroes on the biggest stage… But their teams came up short. Gotta go Fitz and T.O. for best WRs to not win one… Because you can’t fault them for their Super Bowl losses, and they happen to be #2 and #3 all time in receiving yards.
CJ: T.O.’s Super Bowl performance with a broken foot? That $&^# was serious!
DD: McNabb overshadows it for me with one of the weakest final drives ever. That was a ruined T.O. moment on par with Pete Carroll throwing on 4th down.
JR: Fitz’s Super Bowl performance against the Steelers was more dominant–and almost gave me a damn heart attack!– but I gotta give T.O. the 2 slot here. I had forgot all about him carrying the Eagles and a puking Donovan McNabb on his back! Heroic effort! Chad convinced me.
CJ: And to think Jerry and T.O. were teammates. Holy #@&%! Can you imagine lining up under center, looking right and left seeing those two guys? Beathard could make that work!
The Kid: Beat-hard as Matt loves to call him
CJ: #@&%! I could toss it up left handed to those two dudes. That they never won one together is shocking. With Roger Craig, Rathman, and Brent Jones!? How?
DD: Chad fell down a 9ers hole. People been down there since the ’90s.
The Kid: I think I need to take some time and watch some of these old games.