Welcome to the Hall of Fame, Playmaker…

Michael Irvin was inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame today and allCanesBlog.com wants to say ‘congrats’ to the man we’ll forever refer to as ‘The Playmaker’ even though he hasn’t strapped it up since 1999.

I read some articles today about media members pissing and moaning about Irvin being voted in over a handful of others, most notably former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and former Miami Dolphins offensive guard, Bob Kuechenberg. Tags ran the NFL for 18 seasons before stepping down a year ago and Kooch helped anchor the Fins’ o-line from 1970-1984.

Maybe I’m too new school for the old schoolers, but to me, Irvin’s career as a wideout deserve more recognition than an offensive lineman or league commissioner. If Troy Aikman is in, how can his #1 receiver not be in there with them? Aikman retired in 2000, a year after Irvin and was inducted last season. It was the Playmaker’s time.

I know a lot of folks out there don’t pull for Irvin. Hell, just ask the Philly fans who booed him and cheered the neck injury which helped force his retirement.

He’s brash. He’s arrogant. He’s a Hurricane. Hell, he embodies everything University of Miami haters loathe. Irvin is The U, which is great if you cheer for the guys in orange, green and white.

Those who didn’t vote for him today will point to Irvin’s off the field actions over the years. The guy did his share of blow, messed around with some hookers and had some outlandish accusations and distractions thrown his way over the years.

Should that be condoned? I guess I want to know who’s doing the condoning. Sports fans? Sure. If Irvin plays for your team, you’ll look past that. If he’s the “enemy”, you don’t. We’re not talking performance enhancing drugs here. We’re talking about recreational crap which hurts athletes. Not something to raise his game.

Are the old schoolers really going to lambaste a guy who partied off the field? Since when did the NFL consider that a crime? How many times this week have we seen Super Bowl highlight shows where former Green Bay receiver Max McGee rambles on about his pregame escapades on the eve of the inaugural big game?

You remember McGee. The back up wide out who was thrust into the game after Boyd Dowler separated his shoulder on the Packers’ second drive of the game. McGee spent the previous night in a brothel, an opium den and jail before strapping it up and catching 7 balls for 138 yards and 2 touchdowns in Green Bay’s 35-10 win.

Four decades later, the old timers can get a big chuckle out of that story as if it was nothing more than harmless, frat house, jock-like fun. Let the cameras roll, the writers write and plaster McGee’s face all over ESPNews for a week straight. Everyone and their mothers would chime in with their two cents and tisk-tisking of the event. The same way every has chastised Irvin for getting loaded and chasing tail in his day.

I’m not here to judge any of these athletes or determine who deserves in the Hall of Fame, but I’m also not ready to leave out The Playmaker, the ying to Jerry Rice’s yang in the 90s, just because he was a little rowdy off the field.

He wasn’t a cheater; he just partied harder than others. Musicians do it and win Grammys. Actors do it and win Emmys. CEOs and politicians do it and it’s swept under the rug.

It’s not like Irvin sliced up his ex wife, her boyfriend, almost offed himself on the 405 freeway in ‘Broncogate’ and jetted to Kendall for a life of swinging the wrenches on sub par golf courses during the day and drunken evenings at “Hooligan’s” on Flip Nite.

Congrats, Mike. Hurricane Nation is loving this. After a horrid 2006, things are looking up in 2007. A new regime. A slew of stellar recruits. People believing in the future of The U. And now The Playmaker makes the H.O.F.

A great bit of news to carry us over ’til Signing Day.

.:Canes305:.

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