Ed Reed: Superstar, Not

Don Wassall

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The amount of manlove safety Ed Reed is receiving from the media of late is another case of hype over substance when one looks at the bigger picture.


Reed early on in his career didn't mind tackling that much butquickly gaveup that part of his job description. I knew he was way over-rated compared to the Bob Sanders-like drooling being done over him these days, but even I was shocked to see how few tackles he had this season.


Are you ready? The player many Caste clowns are hyping as the league's MVP had 41 tackles in 2008 -- 34 solo and 7 assisted.
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A white safety with twice that many would be cursed out of the league by the DWFs and media as a hapless loser.


But Big Bad Ed did exceed his 2007 tackle total -- last year he had 39.
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In his rookie season he had a mediocre 85 tackles and it's been downhill ever since.


But hey, he's a ball hawk! Instead of such minor matters as covering and tackling, Ed hangs out in the backfield and waits for the occasional stray pass to intercept. And the media goes crazy!


The Steelers used to have a safety like that, Darren Perry. He got lots of interceptions by doing the same thing, catching stray passes when he was usually 5 or 10 yards away from the intended receiver. Any time a defender would get a lucky pick like that we always called it a "Darren Perry interception." Move over, permanently injured Bob Sanders and make way for Ed "40 Tackles a Season" Reed, the NFL's new best defensive player.
 

Tom Iron

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Just more smoke and mirrors from the nfl. They better hope their fan base stays drunk. Otherwise, somebody may wise up some day and ask why a guy like reed is missing or not even trying to make so many tackles.

Tom Iron...
 

Thrashen

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"But Big Bad Ed did exceed his 2007 tackle total -- last year he had 39.In his rookie season he had a mediocre 85 tackles and it's been downhill ever since."


Compare Reed's tackle total to other black starting safeties, and you'll find similarly pedistrian numbers. Troy Paulomaulo had an equally pedestrian 73 this season. Yet the "NFL's Chosen Islander" has a new Gatoraide commercial about his life every 2-3 weeks. You know, the classic "hard fought battle" of being heavily recruited by USC, given every opportunity to start and excel, then being a very high draft pick by the Steelers. Wow, Troy had it tough.

Comparing the stats of these two "superstarts" with the incredibly few white safeties that are racially permitted by the NFL is also laughable. Let's say, Eric Weddle and Pat Tillman, for instance....

Weddle had 127 this season, 11th in the NFL.

Tillman, when playing for the then horrible Cardinals, had 155 tackles (120 solo), 1.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 9 pass deflections and 1 interception in 2000.

Guys like Tillman and Weddle are playing every play like it's their last one, while wimps like Paulomaulo and Ed Reed sit back and make easy interceptions.

Hell, Ed Reed isnt even the best safety on his own team! Former Wisconsin Badger, Jim Leonard, an undrafted Bills casteoff, made more critical plays against the Titans that Reed and Ray Lewis combined!Edited by: Thrashen
 
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