Saturday, December 29, 2012

Is there anything this guy can't do?  The first time I heard his name I thought, "Wait, didn't I go to high school with him?"  I did, except it was a different Calvin Johnson.  In the quarterback-driven NFL, only a star player with the alias "Megatron," could float under the radar.  Hard to believe a guy nick-named Megatron could be considered inconspicuous.  I mean when I saw him in the Acura car commercial I didn't even know who he was till they flashed his name on the screen.  For the most part these guys are just jersey's and helmets when you see them on Sunday.  It's only the Peyton's and Brady's that get big endorsements and first name & face recognition.  But that is no longer the case for Calvin.

Jerry Rice was recently voted, by NFL Players and Coaches, the greatest football player ever.  Rice holds almost every receiving record with the exception of touchdowns scored in a single season and the recently eclipsed, receiving yards in a single season.  The stats read like 'Ruthian' records that appear to be unreachable by human beings.  When Babe Ruth finished his career in 1935, his closest competitor had 336 fewer HRs.  Jerry Rice has 208 total TDs, 2nd place is Emmitt Smith with 175(closest receiver is R. Moss with 154 TDs).  Rice's total receiving yards are even more ridiculous.  His 22,895 receiving yds are 6,691 yds greater than Terrell Owens' mark of 16,204 yds.  Career receptions is the other record Rice holds by a wide margin, over Tony Gonzales(1,549 to 1,104).  Three amazing marks which are likely to stand for half a century or more.  Or will they?

That Single Season record I mentioned before of receiving yards being surpassed was done by none other than Calvin Johnson.  Right now CJ's 6 total NFL season stats are 483 receptions, 7,764 receiving yards and 54 TDs.  Doing the Math, if Johnson keeps this pace in about the year 2024 he'll be close to the receiving yards mark and total receptions, but he'll still be way behind in TDs.  Mind you, those projections are quite a stretch.  Megatron may be super-human right now, but does he have the desire to be the greatest ever?  Will his resolve be as potent if he suffers a career threatening injury, as Rice did in 1997 when he blew out his left ACL & MCL on a reverse.  Jerry Rice's overall talent was by no means exceptional.  He ran a 4.71 40yd dash and was not the physical specimen of Johnson's ilk.  Rice stood 6'2 200lbs, Johnson stands 6'5 236lbs, runs a 4.35 in the 40 and has a 43
inch vertical leap.  But when those freakish natural talents diminish with age, will Calvin Johnson have the mental fortitude and focus to work harder to remain great?

The consensus so far says, "Yes" to these questions about Johnson.  Coaches and teammates rave about his character.  But once again there is no metric for HEART.  Calvin 'Megatron' Johnson's Rookie Blue Refractor is as visually impressive as the man himself making a leaping catch over three defenders.  Detroit Muscle, Platinum Trim and Electric Blue Prisms capture Calvin Johnson in this Gem Mint Masterpiece.

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