Former Cowboy receiver Michael Irvin was bestowed the highest honor the NFL can give to a player when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame yesterday in Canton, Ohio.Irvin has never been one to check his emotions at the door, and yesterday was no exception. He spoke of his affection for his former teammates, coaches and owners, while also apologizing for his admitted moments of weakness off the field.
Irvin's on the field accomplishments were never the issue here. The issue was whether his off field exploits had tarnished the career he had worked so hard for on the field to the degree that inclusion to the Hall of Fame would tarnish that arena of football greats.
Make no mistake, Irvin was one of the best at his craft when the spotlight shown on him during gameday, and maybe the same factors that contributed to his success on the field led to his demise off the field, for he never seemed to do anything half-heartedly.
Irvin's likable, "happy go lucky" persona makes him the kind of person you want to root for, but his story reeks of "the boy who cried wolf" saga when we read another off the field issue has once again reared it's ugly head in his life.
It's a sad statement to make, however the perception is if you want someone to liven up your party, call Micheal Irvin, but if you need a person of integrity to vouch for your character, don't bother.
We watched as Irvin admitted his shortcomings and talked of realizing that integrity was part of the total package for HOF induction while being at last year's event. Now, more than ever, we want to believe that he truly is a changed man. No, the Hall of Fame selection committe didn't owe this one to Mr. Irvin. Now he owes them one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Irvin
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