I hated Michael Irvin and the Cowboys growing up. They always ended the Packers playoff hopes and Irvin's TD dance brought me recurring nightmares. Those memories were only rivaled by horrific images of the Cowboy's other WR, Alvin Harper, jumping over Packers short CB Terrell Buckley for TD after playoff TD.
No matter if you liked the Playmaker, there was no disputing he was a straight up baller and one of the top WRs in the 90s. Irvin's inability to be elected in the first 2 years of his Hall of Fame eligibility had more to do with his arrests and egotistical personality off the field than his performance on the field. Also, the HOF election process is a joke and plenty of members need their voting privileges yanked.
I have to admit that I LOVED him wearing a purple mink coat like a PIMP would wear to his drug related court appearance a decade ago. I spent a futile afternoon looking for that photo on the serious tubes and still NO DICE. I would love to see someone track that down. I am still waiting for web address for Marcus Allen's myspace page and video of Jon Lovitz shredding Bud "Hercules" Selig at the Dodger/Giants game last Thursday night.
(I still believe underrated Jay Novacek should be in Canton. The Cowboys ALWAYS went to Novacek on 3rd downs and he was a first down machine.)
Over the past few years Irvin has made repeatedly outrageous comments on ESPN as one of their football analysts. He rubbed a shit load of NFL fans the wrong way and most of his commentary lacked basic common sense. It was all hollow showboat style over true substance. He somehow kept his job, until the higher ups at Bristol finally cut the cord this past off season.
Michael gave his Hall of Fame induction speech on Saturday night and boy did he deliver. He was passionate, humorous, respectful, emotional, appreciative, remorseful, and most of all, inspirational. Here is a transcript of his speech.
PFT pondered a thought that immediately I had on their blog today about where this Michael Irvin has been the past few years. I have no clue.
DID BRISTOL CREATE THE IRVIN MONSTER?
A couple of readers have raised an intriguing question in response to Michael Irvin's stellar, classic, inspiring Hall of Fame induction speech.
Who is the real Irvin? The guy we saw last night? Or the guy we saw on ESPN over the prior few seasons?
And if the Canton version of Irvin is the real guy, why did he come off as such a complete id-ee-it during his time on ESPN?
Could it be that Irvin was goaded by ESPN producers into adopting an over-the-top buffoonish shtick and that, in time, Irvin became a creation that they could no control?
We recall that Irvin set the stage for his ESPN gig with some work on FSN, but we can't recall whether Irvin was the same guy on FOX that he was on ESPN. If he wasn't, then how did he get that way?
Regardless, we hope the guy we saw last night is now the real Irvin, and that someone else will give that guy another chance in broadcasting. If, and only if, the guy we saw in Canton is the guy who shows up every Sunday.
Irvin started down the road to football fan redemption by his stirring performance in Canton, I just hope he continues on it.
Here is the Video
Copy of Irvin's Speech
Video of Speech
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