It's all about the numbers when it comes to greatness
By Bryce Martin

I hate it when I call in to talk radio shows. I hate it just as bad as when I write a letter to the editor. I never do it, however, as a response to obvious claptrap. I have my scruples, yes siree, Bob.

In both calling and writing on these occasions, I feel afterward that no matter how profound or cogent my comments, I have still lowered my mental self to that of the average call-in cretin or reader retard. The morning after comedown is real.

I guess I do it because I feel that a little dash of profound and cogent has its place.

I recall a few years back when I called in and told George Plaster, who was blasting Dennis Rodman the person, that I had just came to realize that Rodman would be the only NBA player in history to make the NBA Hall of Fame who was never on one of its league's all-star teams. Plaster went through that one like a dose of salts through a widder woman. As if my comment had been that of just a regular caller. An example of a regular caller would be one who wondered why the Titans didn't try to grab Tee Martin when he was carrying a clipboard for whatever NFL team it was who mistakenly drafted him.

The fact that Plaster could not fathom such a thing tells you all you need to know about him. It's all about numbers. Comparative numbers. Numbers reached in a short amount of time trump those that take longer to accumulate.

During the last pre-Super Bowl coverage, on The Zone's 3HL program, one of its hosts remarked that a victory by the Pittsburgh Steelers' QB Ben Roethlisberger would ensure his entry into the NFL Hall of Fame. Surprisingly, I heard the same comments from some national commentators. Not a chance. Why? He does not have the numbers. He's not even close to having the numbers. The numbers are always regular season totals. When those numbers are close to HOF standards, then post-season numbers help tilt the decision for HOF legitimacy. There is no rule on this. It's just something you figure out on your own when you are profound and cogent.

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