Jerry Rice, the greatest WR to ever play retires!

[Rockin' in the Free World]

Jerry retiring is a big deal for me in a weird way. He was my favorite pro athlete (any sport) for my entire 22 year life, a real role model, inspiration. I have no memories of the NFL without Jerry Rice! The one game I ever saw him play was a pre-season game against the seahawks, I couldn't have been more than 10...Montana was on the sidelines, so maybe even younger...and Jerry scored three touchdowns. I was convinced he knew I was there, one of the most magical moments of my life.

Here's to the greatest ever...we will miss you...man, I better stop...I'm getting a little teared up!

 

[jacobdrj]

I saw that PTI episode. I was furious when he kept saying Rice was the best WR of his era. What a joke. Jordan isnt the best then. He never played against the old old guys or before the shot clock era right? Give me a break.

Well, yeah. There is truth to that. A players greatness is often defined by the leval of his competition. Jordan's was good (Malone, Miller, Barclay, Drexler, Ewing, Kemp, Shaq, to name some that stuck out in my mind) but I am not sure he ever had to deal with a complete team like the Celts or Lakers of the 80's, certainly not on a consistant basis. Hek, Jordan had to wait for the Pistons to die before he went on a roll. He was clutch, nobody denies that. But there have been other clutch players. Did he always try and improve his game? Yeah. But can you say that he was really better, if not that much better, than Wilt or Kareem? Sure, Jordan can be called the best 1-on-1 guy ever, but in team play? Ehh... He was the best in his era, not the 80's, but the 90's.

Rice, great player. Maybe he was helped by having one of the best QBs, Olines and Defences in history. He certainly deserves concideration of being the best FB player ever, but you can certainly make the arguement that there were better.