Aikman's Not a HOF'er? 'Were You There'??

By Mike Fisher | @fishsports

SAN DIEGO (105.3 THE FAN) -- A USA Today column (discussed today on 105.3 The Fan) overshadows for the moment the Cowboys' 17-7 preseason-opening loss at San Diego -- and rightfully so.

For the media outlet's assertion that "Troy Aikman doesn't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame" is so absurd that I would urge USA Today to stick with what it knows.

Like, "What should Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, parents to "North West," name their next coming bundle of joy?"

As a Texan, I suggest "South By South(West).''

One of Shan & RJ''s funniest bits is Mickey Fisher, Cowboys homer/historian, shouting kids off his lawn by arguing, when questioned on past greatness, "Were you there?''

USA Today is transparently click-whoring an assault on one of the most accomplished NFL players of all time and in doing so is suggesting that the author, for all his wobbly attempts at science and humor, "wasn't there.''

Debates against Aikman's brilliance are football idiocy, as I'll establish in my point-by-point rebuttal (starting with the cutline beneath the Aikman photo):

USA Today: "In his first year as general manager, Jerry Jones used his ammunition from the Walker trade to find … (a) future Pro Bowler in Troy Aikman … ''

"Were you there?'' Wrong. Aikman was drafted in April. (With Jerry as the owner, though it's giving him a great deal of credit to say "Jerry drafted him,'' as the groundwork was already put down by the Landry/Schramm/Brandt administration.)

USA Today: Dallas used Walker picks to draft "Steve Wisniewski, Daryl Johnston, Mark Stepnoski and Tony Tolbert. (They) combined to play in 22 Pro Bowls."

"Were you there?'' Wrong and wrong and wrong. Wisniewski was not drafted to play for Dallas. He was drafted to play for the Raiders, swapped in a deal that led to a pick that netted Johnston.

Therefore, the Cowboys can claim to have "drafted'' both of them. Furthermore, the author should talk to Johnston, Step and Tolbert about their teammate Aikman to learn that if he thinks they led Aikman to success rather than the other way around, he's grossly misinformed.

USA Today: "Zero All-Pro teams.''

"Were you there?'' Aikman was All-NFC Second Team twice, a Pro Bowler six times and a Super Bowl MVP. Was he ever a first-team All-Pro QB? No. Why not?

Montana, Elway, Moon, Kelly, Young, Marino, Cunningham and Favre.

Those eight names are "why not.'' They gobbled up the individual honors — well-deserved, too — while Aikman occupied his time winning more games than any QB in the decade of the 90's, while setting records for accuracy in the playoffs (when the stakes are highest) and while winning three Super Bowls.

Are all those guys "better'' than Aikman? Ask any football guy from the era: Elway was physically superior to most humans on the planet. And Young could move like a running back. But yes, Aikman was a superb and (in his younger days) a mobile athlete. His athleticism matched most anyone. His bravery was unexcelled. His arm strength, delivery and accuracy was second to no one.

So where are the huge numbers?

USA Today: "Aikman's "value'' ranks him behind Steve McMichael, Henry Ellard, London Fletcher and Dave Krieg. … Brad Johnson has more touchdown passes as does Jon Kitna, Chris Chandler and Jim Everett and, well, so many other ridiculous names. His passer rating is 49th in league history.''

"Were you there?'' A system that measures defensive tackle Steve McMichael's "value'' in comparison to Aikman's? Nonsense. A "passer rating'' that shows Aikman is inferior to Jon Kitna?That's ridiculous on its face, and the ridiculous goes deeper — for people who actually watched the 90's Cowboys.

Aikman absolutely could've styled his game after Marino's. He absolutely couldn't styled his game after Favre's. But why throw seemingly every down like Marino? Why take thrilling chances seemingly every down like Favre?

Aikman unselfishly was a leader of a dynastic team that threw when the game demanded it. All those short-yardage TDs by Emmitt? Those could've been short-yardage TD throws, but … why? Troy Aikman preferred winning on the scoreboard to stats in the scorebook. And that informed almost literally every single thing he did, on the field and away from the field, in becoming the legend he is.

If you have a "scientific formula'' that shows that to be inaccurate, a formula that shows Aikman to be inferior to Krieg, Kitna and Brad Johnson , it's akin to a formula showing water isn't wet. Your "scientific formula'' is ridiculous. And so, probably, are your credentials as a scientist.

I'm told that when you continue into the story, the author questions the HOF credentials of another dozen-and-a-half guys, including another ex-Cowboys great, Bob Hayes. And I'm asked whether I'll execute rebuttals on those names, too, but no.

USA Today whored me into one click by manufacturing nonsense about Aikman. Whore me once, shame on me. Whore yourself out 18 times in one story? Shame on you.

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