The HoFer "Doug Flutie"

[SPTO]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cebby

It's mostly because they suck. If they were good enough to play in the NFL, they would.

Right...So I guess guys who are like 5'8 or shorter are going to be hugely successful in the NFL then?

I'll give you two great examples (one is a RB the other was primarily a special teams return guy who served as a receiver some of the time)

Michael "Pinball" Clemons was one of the most electrifying RBs i've seen. He was small by NFL standards at 5'6 (and honestly I think that number might be fudged as he looked shorter) and 170 pounds. A guy that size would get CREAMED in the NFL no matter how talented he is. Once he came to the CFL though he was an electrifying guy who truly earned the nickname "Pinball" because of his running style. He was more then just a flashy runner as he was an all-purpose guy who currently holds the record for all purpose yards in CFL history with 25,438 over 12 seasons.

The second example is Henry "Gizmo" Williams another guy who only stood at 5'6 and became one of the most prominent and successful return men in CFL history. He did play half a season with the Eagles but never really found his niche in the NFL because of his height. Yet when he came to Canada with the bigger field it allowed him to use his breakaway speed to elude tacklers and make exciting plays.

The CFL is a totally different animal from the NFL. Yes there are a lot of guys who quite frankly suck but the elite players in the league are talented in their own right. It's just that their talent is more suited to the bigger field and the different rules.

[DrJones]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cebby

It's mostly because they suck. If they were good enough to play in the NFL, they would.

For the last 10 years or so, I absolutely agree. That's because the NFL is more receptive to smaller/quicker players now than they were 15-20 years ago. I have little doubt that they were a handful (not many, mind you) of CFL players at skill positions in the 80s/early 90s who could've done okay in the NFL if given an opportunity like Jeff Garcia was in the late 90s. Because the NFL is no longer as dismissive of smaller/quicker players, a lot of them are on NFL rosters instead of coming up here, thus the talent level of the CFL has gone down. There's no Jeff Garcia-type in the CFL right now, that's for sure.

Strangely enough, I believe that if Michael Vick had been born 10-15 years earlier, he would've ended up being the best CFL QB of all time.

[SPTO]

Quote: Originally Posted by DrJones

Strangely enough, I believe that if Michael Vick had been born 10-15 years earlier, he would've ended up being the best CFL QB of all time.

Gotta also add the same for guys like Tim Dwight and Wes Welker. If they were born a little earlier (maybe not so much for Dwight) they would've been excellent CFL talents.

[DrJones]

Quote: Originally Posted by SPTO

Right...So I guess guys who are like 5'8 or shorter are going to be hugely successful in the NFL then? I'll give you two great examples (one is a RB the other was primarily a special teams return guy who served as a receiver some of the time) Michael "Pinball" Clemons was one of the most electrifying RBs i've seen. He was small by NFL standards at 5'6 (and honestly I think that number might be fudged as he looked shorter) and 170 pounds. A guy that size would get CREAMED in the NFL no matter how talented he is. Once he came to the CFL though he was an electrifying guy who truly earned the nickname "Pinball" because of his running style. He was more then just a flashy runner as he was an all-purpose guy who currently holds the record for all purpose yards in CFL history with 25,438 over 12 seasons. The second example is Henry "Gizmo" Williams another guy who only stood at 5'6 and became one of the most prominent and successful return men in CFL history. He did play half a season with the Eagles but never really found his niche in the NFL because of his height. Yet when he came to Canada with the bigger field it allowed him to use his breakaway speed to elude tacklers and make exciting plays. The CFL is a totally different animal from the NFL. Yes there are a lot of guys who quite frankly suck but the elite players in the league are talented in their own right. It's just that their talent is more suited to the bigger field and the different rules.

You're kinda proving my point as well. If he'd come along 10 years earlier, Devin Hester would've been returning punts for TDs in the CFL, not the NFL. Times have changed, to a degree.

[Cebby]

Quote: Originally Posted by SPTO

Right...So I guess guys who are like 5'8 or shorter are going to be hugely successful in the NFL then?

Physical talent generally goes hand in hand with sucking.

Sproles manages to play despite being short.

Every player in the CFL was unable to play in the NFL. I'd consider that "sucking"

[SPTO]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cebby

Physical talent generally goes hand in hand with sucking. Sproles manages to play despite being short. Every player in the CFL was unable to play in the NFL. I'd consider that "sucking"

15 years ago Sproles wouldn't even be on an NFL roster! That's the point DrJones is making right now and I agree. Do you honestly believe Sproles would be running around and given a chance to succeed 15 years ago?

[Cebby]

Quote: Originally Posted by SPTO

15 years ago Sproles wouldn't even be on an NFL roster! That's the point DrJones is making right now and I agree. Do you honestly believe Sproles would be running around and given a chance to succeed 15 years ago?

I'm not here to talk about the past. I'm here to talk about how bad the CFL is today.

[SPTO]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cebby

I'm not here to talk about the past. I'm here to talk about how bad the CFL is today.

Okay Big Mac have it your way