Overrated? Let's Start with Sal Paolantonio and other "National" Sports Analysts

Here we go again. I guess ESPN has nothing better to feed NFL fans during the offseason than more of Sal Paolantonio’s “Overrated/Underrated” drivel. I wrote last year about this contrived book that Sal had written trying to label NFL players and coaches. I couldn’t believe how he had Barry Sanders, Brett Favre, and Jeff Fisher as overrated. ESPN, for some reason, has decided to use excerpts of this book as filler on their website during the summer.

I just laughed when I saw the latest piece on how Jeff Fisher is overrated. It amazes me that ‘national’ media members seem to look at a few numbers on a piece of paper and label people. Yes, Fisher’s team went 8-8 all three seasons from 1996-1998, but anybody with knowledge of the situation knows that the Oilers/Titans were a lame duck in Houston, a complete wanderer in Memphis, and a semi-vagabond at Vanderbilt during those years. That was actually an accomplishment to win 24 games when your franchise is homeless. Also, I love this quote from the book regarding the Titans/Rams Super Bowl: “Titans finish the 1999 regular season 13-3, advance to Super Bowl XXXIV against the Rams. Kurt Warner plays pitch and catch all day.” Is that why the score was 16-16 with two minutes to go? Sal tries to slam Fisher’s defense because they gave up the big play to Isaac Bruce, but he fails to mention that they played without their two starting safeties in that game. Once again, a quick attempt to judge a coach by using stats, without giving you the full story.

There is another book excerpt on ESPN that says Terrell Owens is overrated. Really? I think his 129 receiving touchdowns (1 behind Cris Carter for 2nd all-time) and his 131 total touchdowns (tied for 5th most all-time) squashes that argument quickly. But just so we don’t limit our case to a single stat, anyone who has watched the game over the last decade knows that Owens has been the clear #1 weapon on three different Playoff teams. That is true impact. Overrated? I don’t think so. Of course, bashing T.O. in Philly will make Sal popular in his local market, but it reads like bad talk radio everywhere else in the nation.

It’s not only ESPN. Here’s more useless material from a national outlet as they rank each team’s defensive line. Instead of writing something interesting about the players, CBS gives us a boring list that puts a “best” or “weak” label by one guy’s name. I love those ‘buzz’ words that national editors believe will make you the fans react heavily one way or the other. Thanks for letting us know that Dwight Freeney is the Colts’ best defensive lineman or that John Henderson is the Jaguars’ top man. Great insight.

It’s just very tiring to see supposed “national perspective” given to us by analysts who don’t want to do the work. To just look at some stats on a piece of paper and make broad judgments is very insulting to fans. If you’re working for ESPN, then you have more access than fans to the players, game film, scouts, etc. Please use it before coming up with more silly lists about the overrated Jeff Fisher, Barry Sanders, Brett Favre, or Terrell Owens.

Would you take those four men as your head coach and big weapons?

That’s what I thought.

- Patrick Snow

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