Jump to content
Washington Football Team Logo
Extremeskins
Forum Rules and Guidelines

A Football Life: John Riggins 11/21/12 8pm NFL Network (Edit: 12 min preview added to OP)

Zazzaro703

By Zazzaro703
in The Stadium

Recommended Posts

ArmchairRedskin

ArmchairRedskin

Posted
Posted

Riggins is a huge part of the reason I became a Redskins fan. One of my first memories was of him running the ball over and over again in the SB. A whole bunch of short runs for most of the game. Then all of a sudden, boom! A long TD on 4th down. I was so excited about that run. To me it seemed like the whole reason the Redskins won that game was because of big ole John Riggins. i was hooked after that point.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TD_washingtonredskins

TD_washingtonredskins

Posted
Posted
Yeah right

Give him the Hogs to block for him and a franchise level qb like Theismann and there would be no debate.

Glad I missed this. Sounds like another NFL Films mythmaking instead of reality. Riggins sat out 1980 because he was "heartbroken" over the loss to Dallas. GTFOH.

Why the disdain for Riggins? And why so much appreciation for Portis? If anything, these two guys were very similar within the context of he eras they played.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tarpon75

Tarpon75

Posted
Posted
Why the disdain for Riggins? And why so much appreciation for Portis? If anything, these two guys were very similar within the context of he eras they played.

I am a big Portis fan,but he was no Riggins.Clinton went down way to easily at times,he even seemed go down without being really hit in some situations.Both were very good blockers but Riggins was a much more dominant runner. John did most of his damage in his 30's while Clinton was out of football by the time he hit 30.There really is no comparison,Riggins would punish tacklers,Portis never had that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kwitt

kwitt

Posted
Posted

[/color]

Yeah right

Give him the Hogs to block for him and a franchise level qb like Theismann and there would be no debate.

Glad I missed this. Sounds like another NFL Films mythmaking instead of reality. Riggins sat out 1980 because he was "heartbroken" over the loss to Dallas. GTFOH.

You are about the same age as myself. Do you not remember that game? I do. It's one of my earliest Redskins memories. I remember vividly crying as we tried to line up for a field goal with the time expiring. I also remember he put his heart and soul into that game. The image of him tossing the ball into the air after that long TD run is another vivid memory. I absolutely buy that he was emotionally affected by that game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AsiaticSkinsFan

AsiaticSkinsFan

Posted
Posted
Does anyone have the schedule on a football life. I forgot to tape it and would like to catch it when they replay it.

dont have a schedule, but it usually comes on throughout the week before the next episode.

---------- Post added November-22nd-2012 at 01:58 PM ----------

I am a big Portis fan,but he was no Riggins.Clinton went down way to easily at times,he even seemed go down without being really hit in some situations.Both were very good blockers but Riggins was a much more dominant runner. John did most of his damage in his 30's while Clinton was out of football by the time he hit 30.There really is no comparison,Riggins would punish tacklers,Portis never had that.

I think Riggins was the better player, but people ignore the big elephant in the room when talking about Portis. 2nd term Gibbs trying to turn Portis into a powerback.

Riggins and Portis had breakaway speed, but Portis didnt need to run over people to get his yards as he had better open field moves. Riggins was the opposite. Unfortunately Gibbs wanted to turn Portis into Riggins, and that took away a lot of his career.

I am convinced Portis would be seen as a HOF running back and probably still playing today if Gibbs hadnt mismanaged his career, while 1st term Gibbs saved Riggins' HOF career.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MartinC

MartinC

Posted
Posted
And, by the way, give Riggins the trainers, dieticians, supplements, technology, and techniques used by today's NFL atheletes and he would have been unbelievably beastly... seriously, just imagine.

I'm trying to imagine John Riggins listening to a dietician let alone following any programme set out for him and I'm finding it very hard. He was hardly a gym rat either ....

I am a HUGE fan of what John Riggin's did on the field and what he meant to this franchise in helping us to win that first Super Bowl - but off the field he was an embarrassment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
G1

G1

Posted
Posted
I'm trying to imagine John Riggins listening to a dietician let alone following any programme set out for him and I'm finding it very hard. He was hardly a gym rat either ....

I am a HUGE fan of what John Riggin's did on the field and what he meant to this franchise in helping us to win that first Super Bowl - but off the field he was an embarrassment.

Did you watch the documentary? What did you think about Dan Riley or Joey Ts comments about Riggins attitude to training?

Or John Kent Cooke's appraisal of Riggins off the field persona?

All of them, btw, completely disagree with you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MartinC

MartinC

Posted
Posted
Did you watch the documentary? What did you think about Dan Riley or Joey Ts comments about Riggins attitude to training?

Or John Kent Cooke's appraisal of Riggins off the field persona?

All of them, btw, completely disagree with you.

What do you expect people to say about someone when they are asked to take part in a programme like this? Your about the same age as me and so I'm sure you recall Johns off field behaviour mainly drink related. Again I LOVED what Riggo did on a Sunday - but he was not exactly a model professional Monday through Saturday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Commander PK

Commander PK

Posted
Posted

I thoroughly enjoyed the special. I finally got to watch it this morning. I didn't realize how much I didn't know about the man, and I can see how his father's disposition with him, always praising his older brother, motivated him to accomplish great things. I thought it was cool that his dad was a Marine in WWII. Quite a thing to imagine Riggo's dad out there mowing down Nazis. :silly:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AsiaticSkinsFan

AsiaticSkinsFan

Posted
Posted
What do you expect people to say about someone when they are asked to take part in a programme like this? Your about the same age as me and so I'm sure you recall Johns off field behaviour mainly drink related. Again I LOVED what Riggo did on a Sunday - but he was not exactly a model professional Monday through Saturday.

you were at Ashburn watching Riggins practice each week? if you were, then props. Give us some story of Riggins not being a model professional from Monday to Saturday.

If not, then please stop making writing your opinion based on two events as factual statements.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bubble Screen

Bubble Screen

Posted
Posted
you were at Ashburn watching Riggins practice each week? if you were, then props. Give us some story of Riggins not being a model professional from Monday to Saturday.

If not, then please stop making writing your opinion based on two events as factual statements.

I think he was referring to what Riggins did off the field, during the week. And he's right. Riggins was not that great of a human being, off the field.

As for the A Football Life thing: watched it last night. Loved it. I'm amazed at how good a job NFLN does with these things. I could literally watch each one of them.

I had forgotten all about Riggins retiring back in 1980. And also had forgotten about him coming out in full uniform the day he was inducted into the Redskins ring of honor. And I never knew about him living in that trailer on the Potomac. He was an interesting character, for sure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AsiaticSkinsFan

AsiaticSkinsFan

Posted
Posted
I think he was referring to what Riggins did off the field, during the week. And he's right. Riggins was not that great of a human being, off the field.

I know exactly what he was referring too. a) dude partying doesnt make him "not that great of a human being" B) telling Justice OConnor to "lighten up" has nothing to do with him being a model professional.

No, Riggins the football player is who we care about. I need to know if Riggins was not a model professional during the week at Ashburn. So far his teammates, his coaches, and those around him during his playing career said he worked incredibly hard. But MartinC knows otherwise so I think he should share how Riggins wasnt a model professional at Ashburn during the week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MartinC

MartinC

Posted
Posted
I know exactly what he was referring too. a) dude partying doesnt make him "not that great of a human being" B) telling Justice OConnor to "lighten up" has nothing to do with him being a model professional.

No, Riggins the football player is who we care about. I need to know if Riggins was not a model professional during the week at Ashburn. So far his teammates, his coaches, and those around him during his playing career said he worked incredibly hard. But MartinC knows otherwise so I think he should share how Riggins wasnt a model professional at Ashburn during the week.

Ask and you shall receive - there are lots of stories around about Riggins turning up hungover for practice and even games and drinking after practice but I think the story below makes the case quite nicely - drunk and urinating over himself in the locker room during a team meeting?

http://espn.go.com/page2/wash/s/simmons/020314.html

Maybe the defining Riggo story: During one team meeting, the players heard a strange noise from inside the locker room, like the sound you hear when it just starts to pour rain. They glanced in the back and there was a groggy Riggins, lying on his back, his pants pulled down, peeing straight into the air all over himself. Gibbs and the poor coaching staff always looked the other way with Riggo, as long as he was coherent on Sundays, but this seemed a little much ... and yet the coaching staff never did anything. "They always looked the other way with him," said May. "It just wasn't Gibbs's nature to constantly battle with a player like that."
Link to comment
Share on other sites
AsiaticSkinsFan

AsiaticSkinsFan

Posted
Posted
Ask and you shall receive - there are lots of stories around about Riggins turning up hungover for practice and even games and drinking after practice but I think the story below makes the case quite nicely - drunk and urinating over himself in the locker room during a team meeting?

http://espn.go.com/page2/wash/s/simmons/020314.html

thats all I asked for. Thank you sir.

Doesnt make me look at dude differently because all I care about is how he is on the field, but thank you a lot for this. If there was a rep button here, you would get a positive one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dan T.

Dan T.

Posted
Posted

I saw Riggins twice around town during the years he played here. Once at the Black Rooster Pub in DC and once outside P.J. Skidoos in Fairfax. He was plastered both times. Seems like anything he did... party, hunt, work-out, seek a different path... he did to the fullest. No half measures. And at some level Gibbs recognized that and came to terms with it. Because on Sunday he was true to his nature and played to his fullest. And I haven't heard any teammate criticize Riggins in all the years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
veteranskinsfan

veteranskinsfan

Posted
Posted

I watched it this weekend. I really enjoyed it. I like the fact that Gibbs when he went to Kansas thought he would bring Riggo back then trade him. The best thing that happened to Riggo was his second wife I bet. It seems like now he is finally at a peaceful place in his life.

I learned a lot about him that I did not know. I had forgotten he had played with Namath. I remembered he had played with the Jets. I like when he handed his dad the football and gave the flowers to his mom during the stadium ceremony. He had a lot of issues with his dad for sure.

He has stayed in great shape for a guy his age.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dark Acre

Dark Acre

Posted
Posted
Yeah right

Give him the Hogs to block for him and a franchise level qb like Theismann and there would be no debate.

Glad I missed this. Sounds like another NFL Films mythmaking instead of reality. Riggins sat out 1980 because he was "heartbroken" over the loss to Dallas. GTFOH.

Are you really 42? Did you see Riggins 60+ yard TD sprint in 1979 against Dallas (that being the tragedy referred to above)? Riggo just flat out outran the D. He might've gone in untouched. Riggo also played pinball with the D, including linebackers. Check out the 1982 playoff run. There's no way Portis ends the game against Dallas with that Riggo drill.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...