By BOB PADECKY
As reported on this blog earlier, 49ers wide receiver Randy Moss said Tuesday during Super Bowl Media Day that he is the greatest wide receiver of all time.
Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe, now an analyst, is working the Super Bowl for CBS. His reaction to Moss’ statement bordered on outrage.
“Moss is out of his mind,” Sharpe said. “I mean you can debate every position in the NFL as to who’s better, but the only position you can’t debate is wide receiver. It’s Jerry Rice. It’s not even close.
“And think of this: Jerry put up his numbers when it was a run-first league. If Jerry played now, and played his entire career with these new defensive rules, Jerry would have had 250 touchdowns, 30,000 yards and 2000 receptions.”
For the record, Rice finished his Hall of Fame career with 197 touchdowns, 22,895 yards and 1,549 receptions.
49ers RSS feed
Loading ...
When you’re the best, players, coaches and fans will tell you. You do not have to proclaim you are the best. We do not need to be rehashing what Mr. Moss said. He had a poor performance the last Super Bowl, now here’s to him proving he’s the best Sunday evening with an outstanding performance.
ANY player who doesn’t think he’s the best in the world, should NOT be on the field on Sunday!!! Period!
TESTIFY, Dee Phiant!! Doesn’t ANY player think they are the BEST EVER in their repspective positions. Hell, even Joe Flacco called himsef an elite QB. Oh! ‘Cause it’s ‘Randy Moss’ and he actually said it. So what! What is he supposed to say, “Well. I consider myself probably like 2 or 3. I mean, at least top 5.” I’m really not bothered by Moss’ statement. Although Jerry Rice is the GOAT at his position, it’s not far fetched for Randy to say he’s the greatested WR’s to play the game.
+1000
What irony.
Jerry Rice called RM the best, when everybody knows JR is the best.
RM calls himself the best, when everybody eh, still knows the JR is the best (lol).
Wow, somebody is a little jealous it seems. Sharpe really doesn’t like Moss.
When you say someone is jealous, when you mean they’re envious (thus proving you don’t know the difference), god kills a fetus.
Just sayin’.
I miss the old football- The NFL in the 80′s and 90′s was GREAT.
You are so right I miss those years!
Suede/Mary – What did you like better about football those days?
Eddie D.
no salary cap.
Don’t forget they were allowed to hit in them days even QBs weren’t safe.
Back in that era, the term “smash-mouth” actually and literally meant “smash-mouth” (lol).
So do Big Suede. I am impressed with how the 49ers got to the Superbowl, but it’s bittersweet that it’s not alex leading the team as he should. He was really doing a good job. Part of me hopes he’ll stay, but I think he wants to start. I think he wants to go to arizona. I don’t see how he can play with Reid in KC, Cle and Jax are messed up, NY Jets media would be very bad. I was sure Smith said he wanted to be in the Bay Area or close to it. San Diego has Rivers. Oakland has Carson Palmer, don’t see how the Raiders would want Smith.
Randy Moss should always be at the top of the list of guys in discussion for best WR of all time in my opinion. Some new names will inevitably force their way into future conversations; like Calvin if he stays healthy. No matter how many times I run it through my head though, Jerry Rice comes out on top.
Shouldn’t even have think about it
i watched as Moss said this live, and he didnt sound boastful at all – i think he was talking like any great athlete would, at the culmination of his career, as he faces a huge game. I’m the man, i’m going to bring it – yeah, i’m great. I have no problem with his comment. just goes to show how the media wants to turn every little thing into a controversy.
fesnyc – I felt the same way.
Lets be real Randy was a great deep threat as was Rice early in career but hands down the stats dont lie! Rice is the Greatest Of All Time!
Ray/gr8lake/KLo/Dave – Welcome to the blog!
I like Randy a lot I was truly happy he’s on my team. But let’s get real Jerry is the greatest football player the NFL has seen!
While I will always think of Jerry Rice as the greatest WR of all time, a case could be made that he benefited from being on a team with a couple of the greatest QBs of all time.
These QBs may have helped Jerry’s numbers, while Randy probably made the QBs he played with look better than they actually were.
Sharpe just likes to hear himself get excited.
It makes you wonder what kind of numbers Larry Fitzgerald could have put up in his career if he always had an elite QB throwing to him
Bo Jackson was the greatest running back of all time and anyone who saw him play would have a hard time not agreeing. Lots of people point to Barry Sanders and/or Jim Brown.
Why is the WR position any different? Well, because Bo Jackson didn’t play WR. Bo was SO superior, athletically, to every other player that ever strapped on a helmet that he CAN be called the greatest RB of all time. Was Randy Moss THAT superior to Jerry Rice, talent-wise? No.
By the by, the 30 for 30 on Bo Jackson was the best I’ve seen yet.
Mr. E, that special on Bo was fantastic. That guy was an absolute beast.
BARRY SANDERS!
Jordo
Are you old enough to appreciate Bo Jackson?
If you never saw him live, the 30 for 30 thing is pretty good. Dude was 6’1″, 240, ran a 4.1 sec 40, couldn’t be tackled, caught the ball like a wide receiver, blocked, etc…
Could jump out of the building… and smart as a whip
I am with Mr. E on this one. Yes, Sanders was incredible, as was Eric Dickerson, but Bo Jackson played running back like no one I have ever seen.
I weep for what we didn’t get to see Bo Jackson do on the football field.
And while people like to note Deion Sanders’ success in playing both professional football and baseball, Bo Jackson was better than Deion at both sports.
JPN01
Who have u seen thats like sanders? A.Peterson is pretty close to Bo physicly wise WHILE IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAME THERE IS NO ONE WHO PLAYED LIKE BARRY ON ANY LEVEL
No question, Bo was a freak. But it’s hard to proclaim him king with the likes of Gale Sayers, Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, and O.J. Simpson in the mix. Just saying…
Barry Sanders is the only player in the NFL that retired and left me in shock. Obviously, he left the game early. He could have played 5 more years easily. Also, he was someone that was so electrifying, that you watched him play no matter what. You knew he was going to make an amazing run every single game he played. No matter who he played against, you knew he’d make an amazing play. I was in shock when the guy retired. I kept waiting for him to come back. He’d easily have the all time rushing record if he had not left the game. The Lions just wouldn’t trade him and he had too much class to demand one.
Jordo
Barry Sanders owns the record for rushes for a loss. I’ll ask again, are you not old enough to have “witnessed” Bo?
E,
Of course I saw Bo play. baseball and football. However, no stats, no stardom. What could have been? That doesn’t register. Barry also had one of the worst offensive lines in history. He lost yardage because of his running style and that garbage line. We’re you old enough to see Barry?
Yeah sure Jordo. Barry was good. I get it. When you say greatest of all time, do you take into account who you’d want for one game or who you’d take for a career?
Obviously Montana for one game. But probably Peyton Manning for a career. But would I let Manning go anywhere NEAR my all-time Superbowl team? Not a chance!
I want the best, and Montana was that guy. Who would my running backs be? I’d probably take Bo Jackson, Marshall Faulk, and Barry Sanders.
You are insane to take faulk over sander.
Jaga
You don’t read too good, huh?
Bo over everyone, but Bo goes with Marshall and Barry.
Marshall Faulk was unreal, a true game changer. He is what made the Rams so dangerous for a number of years. Absolutely explosive.
He may have been the most talented (debatable) RB but he wasn’t the greatest. He didn’t have the longevity or the numbers. Jerry Rice isn’t the most physically talented, but he was by far the greatest WR. Bo was a baseball guy first.
I think you guys have forgotton or never saw Earl Cambell – pure beast.
Undercenter
Sorry for the misfire;
I was just waiting for someone to bring up Earl Campbell… If he hadn’t been ‘run to death’ by Bum Phillips as the only offensive player on a ‘lousy’ Houston team, he would have been destroying defensive teams for another 5 years at least. The best RB I ever saw was OJ….say what you want, the dude played ball like NO ONE else.
I saw Bo play multiple times and I don’t agree. Jackson was a freakish athlete who possibly could have been in the discussion of all time greats but he had an injury that prematurely ended his career. As it stands Jackson wasn’t even the best RB on his own team. That honor goes to Marcus Allen. Saying Bo Jackson was the best RB of all time is like saying Greg Cook is the best QB of all time. It’s just not true.
Agree. Nobody calls Sayres the best, although he was something else for a while.
Agree also about Marcus Allen. I remember all too well his debut when he ran wild against the Niners. He arrived at ‘our’ expense.
I agree Houston, Bo was probably the best athlete to play RB, but not the best RB IMO He wouldn’t crack the top 5 for me.
Did we all forget about ‘Sweetness’?
And to think if it was not for Warren Sapp’s cheap shot face mask, Jerry Rice would have much ever better stats.
What is Moss on? Maybe he is trying to be a lighting rod to take pressure off his teammates. (unlikely)
I thought of that too Brodie. Seems like a fair enough assumption.
Will never forgive sapp for that to this day. glad he went bankrupt
Jerry Rice had Joe Montana (HOF), Steve Young (HOF), Jeff Garcia (4x pro bowler) and Rich Gannon (4x pro bowler) as his QB’s. Moss has Spergon Wynn, Brad Johnson, Andrew Walter, Daunte Culpepper, Alex Smith, Jeff George, Aaron Brooks, Gus Frerotte, Todd Bauman, Vince Young, Rusty Smith, Matt Cassell, Colin Kaepernick and Tom Brady as his QB’s. One legit star (Brady) and one potential future star (Kaepernick). The rest were awful to practice squad level players and Moss made them look like stars. I mean seriously, look at that pathetic list of clowns. If you switch their situations Rice probably isn’t even in the HOF let alone in the discussion for GOAT. Moss overcame more bad QB play than any receiver ever and still put up the 2nd greatest stats of all time. I put him at the top.
Or maybe Jerry allowed Steve Young, Duck Garcia, and Rich Gannon to look much better than they actually were?
Seriously? That’s your argument? He carried Steve Young, Jeff Garcia and Rich Gannon huh? hahaha How long do you think he played with each of them?
Relax, Dave. I’m just busting Steve Young, with whom Jerry played for a long while. One belongs in the HOF and the other only won one measly Superbowl.
Which one only won 1 Superbowl? Miss has never won a Superbowl so who are you talking about?
Most of RM’ big numbers came from Culpepper who made it a point to throw to Moss. No restrictions there. Moss also put up good numbers in N.E.
All the other QB’ would fall under your low-meter gauge.
But RM did not often endear himself on most teams which could not be blamed on sub-par QB’.
Dave
great post
Hmmmmmm Longer stints were in Minn/NE with Brady and Culpepper. Both were in the Pro Bowl while throwing to Moss.
Randy could’ve been the best. Jerry was the best.
U remember seeing Moss’ s first few gamez and beo g pussed because at the rate he was going, I knew he was a threat to pass Jerry Rice’s touxhdown recordin my opinion, Moss should have been the best but he was a slouch like Revis said. He didnt have Rice’swork ethnic. Moss had the gifts. He just didnt maximize them. He dogged it in Oakland.
Damn, I messed that message up with my phone. Damn.
Maybe this is why Alex’s agent put it out there that they wanted to be released. Because something possibly is already in the works?
http://nfltraderumors.co/darrelle-revis-to-the-49ers-for-alex-smith/
Bay – I can’t remember, who is Alex Smith’s agent?
Did you hear Greg Jennings put his house up for sale. I hope the Niners look into acquiring him.
Crab
Niners don’t acquire the obvious guys. Jennings would be great, but will cost top-dollar.
Tom Condon is his agent I believe. Jennings will want too much money. He’ll want $10-12 million a year I think I heard.
Bay
That’s right, Tom Condon is the agent. But the trade for Revis doesn’t make sense financially.
After next year, Revis becomes an FA and “is reportedly seeking a deal that would pay him $16 million annually and would include $50 million in guarantees”.
I think the Steelers will lose Wallace, too.
Smith isn’t going to the Jets due to them being 26 million over the cap. They have a ton of salary to unload not to mention the 17 mil hit that Sanchez will be. The Jets are screwed.
And the Sanchez hit happens whether he’s on the team or not. I can’t see the Jets putting $25 million into the QB position when they’re already in cap hell.
Exactly clemons. They are gonna have to bite the bullet and roll with Sanchez and a draft pick or cheap free agent pick up as their qbs. Can’t say I feel bad for rex and woody.
The Jets are in cap hell.
The stats show that Moss was a bit more explosive than Rice.
While Randy only had an average of 4.5 catches per game to Jerry’s 5.1, he had more TDs per game .72 to .65 and 15.6 yards per catch to Jerry’s 14.8.
Randy Moss is attempting to make the ultimate sacrifice for his teammate five days before Super Bowl. In addition to conceded, abrasive, and combative, Randy Moss is also highly intelligent. He just dove on top of the pre Super Bowl media grenade on behalf of Crabtree (dodging pending assault charges questions), Kaepernick (dodging Alex Smith questions), Davis (dodging dry spell questions), and more. Does anyone not think that he knew what he was about to say was going to whirl up a huge media frenzy?!?! I also watched the Jerry Rice response video. If you asked me, I’d say the two of them got together last night and schemed up this whole thing. If what I’m supposing is true, Randy Moss just made the most awesome move of his career!
Jack …
Do you have a link to the Jerry Rice response ?
It was on ESPN, at that sports desk they set up in front of that stylish New Orleans hotel…. I can’t locate it.
I saw it at lunch. Rice took it with class. The only thing he said was to let the fans decide and that he’d never go out and proclaim himself that way.
The problem I have with Moss saying what he did was that he’s also been quoted as saying something like, “I play when I want to play.”
To me, Rice was great. Muhammad Ali was great. Jim Brown was great. Hard workers who do the work no one else is doing. Those guys are great. Eddie D. was great, not because he was an athlete (later in life) but because he was the best owner in professional sports and every NFL owner will admit it. Just what he did for Jeff Fuller (all by itself) was enough to make him great.
Greatness is more than going out and telling people that you’re great.
Really dont care about what Shannon Sharpe says. If Moss think he is greatest of all time so be it. Glad he does. He isnt but who really cares?
Well Rice had Montana.. When Moss was with Tom Brady they broke records. Physically, Moss was able to Megatron his way by jumping over defenders to make catches.
Also Moss said impact in the game as a whole so there’s leadership that us fans don’t see..
Meetings, locker room, knowledge of the game, coaching younger players like Crabtree V Davis. I’m not sure anyone talks about Jerry Rice like that. All I hear is how conditioned he was and his preparation. I’m not sure he made Tim Brown from the Raiders better. Timmy was already one of the best receivers in the that era. Both have their dominance in the game that’s for sure. Correct me if I’m wrong.
Go 49ers!!!
In reference to Adam’ comment about M.Wallace becoming a free agent.
If there was a chance to sign either of them, I would have to go with Wallace.
The problem with Wallace is that there would be no bargaining chips that we could put on the table except for draft picks. And even with that, Wallace will ask for the moon.
Revis may be our best deal because there would be interest with AS in the mix. I will toss out another possibility to add with AS, I would add K.Hunter in the deal as well.
LMJ is likely going to take many more snaps next season leaving Hunter to watch on the sidelines. Let’s add KHunt to the mix and see if we can acquire Revis.
Some of these guys though are going to get a rude awakening, I think. Some of the teams they MAY want to play for could be jammed up cap-wise. Some of the lesser teams may have lot’s of room but no hope of doing much.
May come down to priorities? Win a ring and sacrifice some money. Or take the money and play for the Browns or Jags.
It will be interesting to see what we do with the receivers this next season. Jenkins seems stuck in neutral, who knows whether Mario makes it back. Moss starts making more demands to be used differently? Williams may stick.
I guess the real Randy Moss is coming to the table, first I am the greatest crap and now he is upset with his role on the team.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/matt-maiocco/randy-moss-i-dont-my-role
claude balls says:
January 29, 2013 at 6:45 pm
“I weep for what we didn’t get to see Bo Jackson do on the football field.”
Agreed Claude, Bo had unlimited potential. I (IMO) would add Gale Sayers to that list. Another great RB felled by a knee injury.
Whew, no kidding. Back in those days any kind of surgery was like being cut stem to stern. No scopes, no real hope of coming back.
Many people forget that Jim Brown retired in his prime because at the time he was being lured by Hollywood.
JB was still a dominant RB when he left the game and could have easily played another 5 years of productive football.
Had JB stayed with football instead of wanting his image on the big screen, he would possibly still be the all-time leading RB.
Bo Jackson was the best pure athlete I’ve ever seen. Big, strong and fast as a RB, but he was also an all star Baseball player. A great outfielder with a cannon for an arm and the power to hit some bombs out of the park. Just an amazing physical specimen that was forced to leave too soon. If anyone hasn’t seen it, I strongly recommend the ESPN 30/30 documentary they did on him. Really well done.
@AES
I’m with you on Sayers and Jim Brown.
I can’t say that I ever saw Sayers or Brown play, other than looking at film, but Bo Jackson was a true freak of nature. Too bad he played for the Raiders.
Bo Jackson’s career actually ended because of a dislocated hip, not his knee. He dislocated and fractured part of his hip, which resulted in severe cartilage damage. I don’t think that even today’s surgical methods would have brought him back, not in football anyways.
It was necrotising fascitis, or something like that, where parts of the bone itself were dying. If I recall, Garrison Hearst had a similar issue with his ankle or lower leg bone.
It sounds like Shannon Sharpe needs a pep talk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=l-gQLqv9f4o
Jerry by far is the best WR in the history of the NFL! Barnone its JERRY RICE BABY. GO NINERS
He might be the best football player ever. I’d consider “Concrete Charlie” Bednarik also.
Adam:
“Eddie D. was great, not because he was an athlete (later in life) but because he was the best owner in professional sports and every NFL owner will admit it. Just what he did for Jeff Fuller (all by itself) was enough to make him great.
Greatness is more than going out and telling people that you’re great.”
Adam,
Eddie D. was very instrumental in the late Freddie Solomon’ life and continues to assist FS’ family to this day. I believe that espn has done a special on this great friendship between the former owner and former player.
Great owner.
Great man.
AES.
absolutely right !
I wasn’t aware of what he did for Freddie, but was well aware of what he did for Jeff Fuller…
Always thought the Niners should retire his number and put him up on the Ring of Honor …
But, that’s just me
Should the 49ers retire number 11? I don’t think another player should ever wear number 11 on the 49ers.
MWNiner,
Another player that I would add to that Ring of Fame is Paul Hofer.
His career was shortlived because of a bad knee injury. But I have yet to see a RB who can run with the fearless and wreckless abandon as P.Hofer.
Darren I agree Jeff Brohm deservs to have his #11 retired
Jerry Rice actually has 208 career touchdowns. 197 receiving, 10 rushing and 1 fumble recovery.
I’d always say Rice was better then Moss. Moss is not the WR he thinks he is.
Who has it better then us? Nooooooooooooooooobody!
I say to Randy Moss – “OK. Randy. PROVE IT! The Super Bowl is Sunday. Go ahead and prove you are the greatest ever by leading the 49ers to a win!!” Now, if he does that, you know, I’ll let him say whatever he wants to and I’ll have a big smile of happiness on my face.
I say to Moss that he AND Crabtree should both have…26 catches combines, 250 yards combined. but odds are, they’ll have 9 catches for Crabtree, 2 catches for Moss, and CK goes like…14 for 20 for 210 yards.
Anybody ever ask Rice what he thought?
Stan i heard second hand this morning his response was short and simple. It was something to the effect of whatever, I still own the record book.
Thanks.
Does anybody remember Larry Schrieber…? Talk about giving it all…total reckless…great 49er, too short a career.
(er FB in the late 60′s early 70′s took over when Ken Willard retired
Hmm…well, statistically both JR & RM are great. I put JR on top is because he is also an NFL icon. Is RM an NFL icon? No.
Anyone who thinks physical ability makes a player the best at his position drastically underestimates the importance of hard work.