Mike Ditka

SFREDSKIN

You are right, Walter Payton was the best RB (and possibly the best player) I've ever seen, bar none. The guy had class, was tough and the complete package. May he rest in peace.

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Joe Gibbs- The best coach of all time, Lombardi trophy should be renamed Gibbs.

Art Monk- Art was like an OL playing WR, doing the dirty work and not getting the glory.

Darrell Green- Best DB ever.

Purveyor of fine Filth

Slingin Sammy 33

Is your point that giving the ball to Payton on the 1 is a drop-off from giving it to the Fridge? I don't care if Ditka told NE he was giving the ball to Payton, and what hole he was hitting, they still wouldn't have stopped him. WP had a knack for getting in the End Zone. As the other guys have said, Ditka got caught up in the Fridge hype and made a call he would like to have back.

Here's another way to look at how bad Ditka's call in that situation was; Payton had a 2.24% fumble percentage per carry.....the Fridge 25% over his career. Up to that point Fridge hadn't fumbled, but giving the ball to a big, fat, DT has a much higher chance of a fumble occuring than a Pro bowl RB. Looking at it from that angle, the call couldn't have been worse. What if Fridge fumbles and NE recovers and scores, then sparks the unbelievable comeback? Let's say you give the ball to Payton, even if he doesn't get in, kick the FG and now it's 40-3. There is no way in hell NE was coming back from that (not that they had a snowball's chance anyway).

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...[If] an angel fairy came down and said, '[You can have anything]....you would like to own,' I wouldn't be surprised if you said a football club and particularly the Washington Redskins.'' — Jack Kent Cooke, 1996.