This is for us old farts!

[Colts And Orioles]

o


When I was in 4th grade, I saw Lydell Mitchell break the all-time record for receptions by a running back in a season when the Colts were playing the Jets in the final game of the 1974 season, a season in which the Colts were finishing up their 3rd consecutive progressively losing seasons (they went 5-9 in 1972, 4-10 in 1973, and 2-12 in 1974.) Mitchell finished that season with 72 receptions.

I never saw Lenny Moore play, but Mitchell's incredible feature as a dual-threat running back was reminiscent of Moore's greatness.

When Mitchell set that record in 1974 the season was only 14 games long, and the NFL had just begun to chip away at the rules which allowed the legal mugging of pass receivers ...... prior to 1974, defenders could continually bump receivers on their passing route as long as the ball was not yet in the air ...... in 1974, defenders were only slightly limited to a maximum of 2 bumps as long as the ball was not yet in the air.

In my rat's ass of an opinion, Mitchell's prime (1973-1977) was not long enough to merit induction into the Hall-of Fame. Gale Sayers had a very short prime, but his play on the field (both on plays from scrimmage and on special teams) was so astronomically great that it can arguably be compared to the dominance that Sandy Koufax had on the pitcher's mound from 1961 through 1966. I don't believe that Mitchell's prime was Sayersesque enough or Koufaxonian enough to warrant induction into Canton.

Terrell Davis' prime was also very short (1995 through 1998), but his utter dominance in both the regular season and the post-season arguably puts him in the same category as players such as Koufax and Sayers.

o