(07-16-2021, 09:32 AM)SeldomRite Wrote: [ -> ] (07-16-2021, 08:58 AM)JagFanatic24 Wrote: [ -> ]You guys are funny. Brunell is in the Pride of The Jaguars.
Yep, they cheapened the honor. Maybe next they'll put Marcedes Lewis in, or maybe Kevin Hardy.
I am torn on this issue-or at least had been-for quite some time.
The Pride of the Jaguars is supposed to be a recognition of a player's significant contribution to the Jaguars-an acknowledgement of the best of the best in team history. Certainly, Brunell's tenure represents the best and most successful era in the 26 or so years of Jaguars history. Those of us fortunate enough to have witnessed the early days of the franchise between 1995 and 1999 saw the franchise's first ascent mirror Brunell's. Nobody else's history should factor into the discussion.
Yet if you compare Brunell's career with some the other QB inductees of other teams' equivalent to the Pride, you'd find he'd pale in comparison to the Marinos and Elways, Staubach's and Mannings that are inducted in the rings of honor in other teams. As Jaguars fans, we all want our team to be comparable or better than any other team in every positive metric. We'd like to be able to say we could compile a team of our all time greats and put them up against your team's all time greats and the Jaguars greats would kick your team's butts. Having a guy in the Pride that may not merit induction in other teams' equivalent does appear to cheapen it at first glance and shatters that confidence envisioned in that scenario I just described.
To gain additional perspective on this, I researched the rings of honor of several other teams. I wanted to see how stringent their standards were in determining who got in and who didn't. I noticed something interesting. Not every honoree on each team's equivalent to the Pride was a Hall of Famer, or even merited Hall of Fame consideration. Being a Cowboys fan before the founding of the Jaguars, my frame of reference and curiosity began there. Their Ring of Honor is a most impressive, and most exclusive honor. Of the 22 members of their Ring of Honor, 17 are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Of those five not enshrined in Canton, all but one made at least Five (5) Pro Bowls and at least one Super Bowl. That one is former QB Don Meredith, who made three Pro Bowls and no Super Bowl.
Denver has had great quarterbacking for a significant portion of the last forty years, beginning with John Elway in 1983, and most recently Peyton Manning at the tail end of his all time great career. Yet alongside Elway in the Broncos ring of honor is QB Craig Morton, who only played for Denver for six years-the last if his career. While he was QB for Denver in their first Super bowl appearance (SB XII), his performance in hat game was horrendous and he was benched. He never made a single Pro Bowl. Another QB in the Broncos Ring of honor is Frank Tripucka, who QBd the Broncos from 1960-63. He made one Pro Bowl his entire 14 year career, and it was with Denver. But he never QBed them to a winning record as a starter.
An examination of the Vikings' Legends Ring of Honor shows RB Chuck Foreman as a member. He played with the Vikings seven years (1973-1979), had only 3 1000 yard rushing seasons, and went to 5 pro Bowls and was a member of 3 of the Vikings Super Bowl teams. DL Jim Marshall has a very well respected name among NFL fans. Known as an iron man, he played 20 years total, 19 with the Vikings. Yet he only made two Pro bowls. Also in the Vikings Rings Legends Ring of honor is another 2 time Pro bowler, LB scott Studwell. These are other examples of good but not great players being enshrined in an individual team's ring of honor.
I found at least two other examples of less than great QBs currently inducted in a team's ring of honor: Jake Delhomme (1 Pro Bowl, 1 Super Bowl appearance) in Carolina and Dave Kreig of Seattle. I think if there is any pattern to be discerned from this-in addition to the inclusions of Don meredith, Frink Tripucka, and Craig Morton above-it is that there may be more...latitude given towards early franchise contributors whether they meet the textbook definition of "great.". This is not exclusive to the Jaguars. Within this context, I don't think Brunell's inclusion in the Pride represents some sort of indictment of the team, or some indicia of absurdly lowered standards.
Perhaps there is an argument to be made that no ring of honor should have been established here until there has been enough players truly worthy of such an honor. However, that would serve to delay or even deny the recognition of unquestionably noteworthy contributors to Jaguars history. Why should great players like Tpny Boselli, Fred Taylor, or Jimmy Smith be denied recognition by the team because subsequent GMs/coaches not be able to get their heads out of their butts long enough to sufficiently stock the team? Establishing a ring of Honor when we did was a good thing. There was already a groundwell of support to do so, and such a move helps to establish and bolster a tradition with which a young franchise and fanbase could readily identify.
As time goes on, I believe eventually, we'll have enough great players with enough accomplishments-individual and team wise for the team to be more selective/exclusive in who gets enshrined into the Pride in the future. Until then, I think Brunell's inclusion in the Pride is appropriate.
.gif "Laughing")