The ‘15 Chiefs Potpourri: A realm of aromas
By Laddie Morse
Dec 21, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) rushes the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 20-12. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Per-fuming at the Mouth
This past offseason Kansas City Chiefs star running back said,
"“Sometimes I feel like I’m the LeBron of football, because I can do so much.”"
While Jamaal got some other favorable press this summer with his speech at the Special Olympics, the impact of his comment about being the LeBron James of the NFL hasn’t died out. I recently heard about another NFL-to-NBA great comparison: Aaron Rodgers to Michael Jordan. While both are great athletes… in fact Jamaal Charles and obviously LeBron James are also elite players in their respective sports… I’ll never be able to understand anyone comparing an NFL player to an NBA player.
When I was a kid I used to watch NFL greats like George Blanda, Lou Groza, and Gino Cappelletti play their positions at a Pro Bowl level plus perform kicker’s duties. I also used to idolize Jim Thorpe although he came decades before my time. In fact, most kids I knew wanted to be like Thorpe because he was not only a great Olympian but was the master of multiple positions on the football field.
While top modern athletes are incredible specimens to behold, none of the football players who are compared to NBA players likely ever played one minute of defense.
J.C. and Rodgers are both great players and although I see Rodgers as a certain lock for the Hall of Fame and J.C. as a possibility… neither of them were ever defensive player of the year in their respective sports.
Although LeBron James may be the best player in the NBA right now, comparing anyone in any sport to Michael Jordan is probably a fool’s game.
Next: Pain is very real in football fandom