Jerry Rice to Seattle Seahawks!

[podstock]

Well, after 5 games with Oakland where Rice went without a reception in 3 of them, including 2 games where NO passes were thrown his way,

Rice got his wish, and is being traded to Seattle, reuniting with Mike Holmgren, both of whom were with the vaunted 49ers back in the 1980s!!

wooooohooooooo!! Seattle has a better chance to get to the playoffs, and hopefully, Rice will have some passes thrown his way!!

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http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/7807484

Rice gets wish, traded to Seahawks
Oct. 19, 2004 SportsLine.com wire reports

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Jerry Rice got his wish Monday night when the Oakland Raiders traded the NFL's most prolific receiver to the Seattle Seahawks.


The trade will be finalized after Rice undergoes a physical and the league gives its approval. The Raiders did not say what they received in return for Rice, but two Internet sites reported it was for a conditional seventh-round draft pick.

Rice told his teammates Monday he was headed to the Seahawks, and signed autographs for some before leaving.

"Yeah, we knew," fullback Zack Crockett, one of Rice's longtime friends, told the AP in a phone interview. "Right now, everything is so fresh. This is a real sad day. You lose a lot of close friends as well. We'll definitely miss him."

Rice asked for a trade last week as his role on the Raiders diminished. Earlier Monday, Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said the team was looking into a possible deal.

"I would think it would give any team a boost, but really it's up to the Raiders," Holmgren said. "It's really their call."

Holmgren was Rice's offensive coordinator from 1989-1991 with the San Francisco 49ers, and Holmgren was the Niners' quarterbacks coach starting in Rice's second season with the team in 1986.

Seattle was a logical destination for Rice because he knows Holmgren's offense and the Seahawks might need a depth receiver.

The 42-year-old Rice wanted to play for a team that will give him a greater role. He has gone without a catch three times this season, including in Sunday's 31-3 loss to Denver, but still believes he can be productive.

"They know each other, and Mike was interested in Jerry before he signed with the Raiders," Rice's agent, Jim Steiner, said Monday afternoon. "He will know the offense if that's where he ends up, and he'll fit right in."

Rice is the NFL's career leader in catches and touchdowns and the only receiver ever to play after age 40. He has only five receptions for 67 yards and no touchdowns this year. Last season, he led the Raiders in catches (63) and yards receiving (869).

He claimed the Raiders never told him to expect a diminished role, and he would embrace the chance to play elsewhere because he "can't go out this way." He said earlier this year that this would be his last season, but backtracked later.

Rice left the Raiders' facility early Monday afternoon to handle family responsibilities.

"Nothing," Rice said of any developments. "My day is done. I'm going home to take care of some kids."

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

[Rockman]

Considering the Seahawks are one of my favorite teams (all my family lives up there) This is the next best thing to the 49ers again lol. Im happy, and the seahawks are a pretty young team and will learn alot i think.

[wdwain]

Great pickup by the Seahawks i think......

[minew_m]

That's what the Seahawks needed, and this is what Rice needed for his career. The system in Oakland wasn't working for Rice. How can a guy with his talent barely get any passes thrown his way?

[podstock]

Originally posted by minew_m
How can a guy with his talent barely get any passes thrown his way?

You and I disagree lots of time, but this is one time where we are both in agreement, lolol

[minew_m]

Originally posted by podstock
You and I disagree lots of time, but this is one time where we are both in agreement, lolol

I can't really disagree on this issue, lol. Jerry Rice is arguably the greatest receiver to ever play the game, hands down.

[podstock]

Originally posted by minew_m
Jerry Rice is arguably the greatest receiver to ever play the game, hands down.

and of course, we are back to disagreements.

There is no "arguably" in this case.

No one can make a case for any wide receiver, past (Don Hutson) or present (Randy Moss).

Rice holds all-time NFL receiving records in the regular season, in the post-season, and in the Super Bowl, to go along with his NFL MVP in 1987 and the Super Bowl MVP in 1988

Until a wide reciever matches those numbers, no WR can ever be as good as Rice.

Rice has the stats
Rice has the Super Bowl rings (not to mention Super Bowl records)
Rice has the honors and accolades.

Some day, Randy "I play when I wanna play" Moss may match what Rice does statistically ..... but, until Moss makes his mark in the post-season and in the Super Bowl, no one can say legitimately that Moss is on the same level as Rice

On any other position in football, there will always be debates, and with good convictions

Who's the best QB - Namat? Montana? Elway? Favre?
Who's the best middle linebacker - Dick Butkus? Mike Singletary? Brian Urlacher?
Who's the best RB - Jim Brown? Emmit Smith? Barry Sanders? OJ Simpson?
who's the best CB - Deion Sanders? Champ Bailey?
who's the best ever coach - Lombardi? Bill Walsh?

But, when it comes to:

who's the best WR

it's Jerry Rice, hands down.

NO ONE ELSE (not Hutson, not Biletnikoff, not Art Monk, not Steve Largent, not Randy Moss) has the stats, or the honors, or the accolades, or the accomplishments that Jerry Rice has.


WR is the only position in football where there is no debate whatsoever, whether or not a person is a fan of Jerry Rice, or a fan of Randy Moss, or of Hutson, etc.

You look at the combination of stats, accomplishments in the big games, achievements in the Super Bowl ---- no other reciever can match what Rice does.

Only Randy Moss has the chance, with respect to regular season stats. But, Moss has performed miserably in the playoffs.

Perhaps one day, 25 / 50 / 100 years, someone will accumulate the necessary stats and accolades to do better than Jerry Rice.

But, as of right now, Jerry Rice is the greatest wide receiver ever to play in the NFL