“How in the hell can u pay a man this much money that can’t run tackle or catch” -Tweet from Atlanta Falcons Receiver Roddy White
Note to Roddy White: we’ve heard enough.
I’m an Atlanta Falcons fan and I have no problem with my favorite teams players talking a big game so long as they can back it up. That is why it is always funny to hear Roddy White talk after pulling up lame in some of the biggest games the Falcons have played the last few years.
I am not oblivious to the fact that there is a fair share of blame to be passed around when it comes to the Falcons woes on offense; but when the star receiver comes out and starts calling people overpaid as he did today by calling out the commisioner Goodell for what his contract calls for by 2019 I could do nothing but fume. I’m not a fan of Roger Goodell but I’m also not a fan of someone going ghost when they themselves are getting paid to do so.
We love our numbers here at The Locker so lets look at some numbers White has put up in some of the games he was supposed to come up big for the Falcons:
Against teams in 2011 with a .500 record or better White averaged 71 yards per game and (wait for it) had just four scores in those eight games. If you don’t factor in the 147 yards against Tennessee then his average drops to 60 yards per game against the Detroit’s, New Orleans, Philadelphia’s and Houston’s of the world. six-year $54 million dollar contracts aren’t given to receivers we want to see take over games against Jacksonville, Minnesota, and Tampa bay. That is being overpaid when your performance doesn’t stack up in the limelight.
How do real elite receivers perform when the game is on the line against the toughest the league has to offer?:
- Calvin Johnson in 2011 against teams with a .500 record or better averaged 137 yards and had seven scores in those nine games.
- Wes Welker had an average of 88 yards and scored four times (sharing with two record-setting tight ends for touches)
- Larry Fitzgerald put up 96 yards per game against .500 or better teams and threw in five scores with a less than stable quarterback situation.
The playoffs were a story in mediocrity from White as well. In his three career playoff games White has a combined 193 yards and two touchdowns. Of the 92 eligible receivers in this years postseason White ranked 31st overall for receiving. nine places behind Eddie Royal and five behind teammate (and rookie) Julio Jones. Compare that to Calvin Johnson, who put up 211 yards and two touchdowns in his first playoff game; which came this year against the Saints. Larry Fitzgerald has an average of 117 yards per game and nine touchdowns in the six games he’s played in the postseason.
Some might say its unfair to compare him to Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald. He’s the number one receiver on his team and he runs his mouth more than either of them combined. He’s clearly “earned” the comparisons because he talks more than he shows up and that is troubling considering the aforementioned Julio Jones is knocking on the door to unseat him as the head wideout in Atlanta.
When talking about who is overpaid in sports it is moot point because we think all athletes are overpaid. I’m never going to tell someone who dedicates his life to something how much he should make as long as they earn what they’re making by doing what they are paid to do. Roddy should take that lesson to heart when he takes Roger Goodell to task for avoiding a lockout during regular season time and his handling of television contracts, pensions, retired player lawsuits, and other such troubles. Is he a saint? Not by any stretch of the imagination. But he is doing more than “running a non-profit” for a living as White implied later on Twitter.
When Roddy White himself answers the question he posed on Twitter about Goodell and his salary then we should give him a serious listen. Until then I implore him to work on breaking elite defenses when it is time to do so.
