Page 21 - AT

A21
SPORTS Wednesday 26 February 2020
Determining

All-Decade team for

2010s no easy chore

By BARRY WILNER Still, selecting such teams
AP Pro Football Writer makes sense. Why not hon-
The Pro Football Hall of or the best of a decade,
Fame is embarking on a dif- especially in such a team
ficult assignment: determin- sport? In some ways, short
ing the All-Decade team of of making the Hall of Fame,
the 2010s. it's as big an honor as many
Yes, there are some slam offensive linemen and spe-
dunks on both sides of the cial teamers will ever re-
ball and on special teams. ceive. There are a bunch
There also are some real of obvious choices for
tough decisions to be the team of the 2010s, of
made. course. Tom Brady at quar-
All-Decade teams are of terback. Adrian Peterson at
value in assessing creden- running back. Joe Thomas In this Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020 file photo, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady walks to the
tials for potential Hall of at left tackle. sideline after throwing an interception late in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football
Fame candidates. They J.J. Watt on the D-line. Luke game against the Tennessee Titans in Foxborough, Mass.
carry with them a sig- Kuechly and Von Miller as Associated Press
nificantly unfair element, linebackers. Justin Tucker
though. Players who arrive as the placekicker. Georgia Tech at 6-foot-5, NFL," says Ira Kaufman of and Rams' Johnny Hekker
in the NFL in the middle of Rick Gosselin of Talk Of 237 pounds with 4.29 speed Fox 13 in Tampa and also dominated the decade,"
a decade and last into the Fame Network, a Hall of — and played every bit to a hall voter. "In the playoffs, he says. "Tucker is being
middle of the next decade Fame voter, makes a strong that size and speed in the Jones has been equally looked at as one of the
are at a severe disad- argument for the talent- NFL with the Detroit Lions. productive with 61 catches greatest placekickers in NFL
vantage for making such ed but disruptive Antonio He set an NFL record with for 834 yards and six TDs in history. Hekker edged out
squads. Brown and the prematurely his 1,964 yards receiving eight postseason games." Thomas Morstead through
Consider Curtis Martin, who retired Calvin Johnson at in 2012 and also led the Another Hall of Fame voter, the decade as the game's
was inducted in the Can- wide receiver. league in catches that Dan Pompei, chooses Rob best punter. Plus, Hekker is
ton, Ohio, shrine in 2012. "Brown may have had his is- season with 122. He strung Gronkowski as his tight end athletic enough to throw a
He played from 1995-2005, sues off the field but not on together six consecutive instead of Zach Ertz and few passes and keep op-
rushing for at least 1,000 it," Gosselin says. "He strung years of 1,000-plus yards Travis Kelce. ponents nervous about him
yards — usually much high- together six consecutive before retiring after the "There might not be an making a first down. Both
er — in all but one season. 100-catch seasons for the 2015 season at the age of easier choice on the en- were undrafted players
He didn't make either All- Steelers from 2013 through 30. He went to the Pro Bowl tire team," Pompei notes. from 2012."
Decade team, though. At 2018. Brown led the league all six of his seasons in the "No tight end came close Pompei weighs in for Devin
least he had such over- in catches twice, receiv- decade and was a three- to him in terms of impact. Hester as the punt return-
whelming credentials that ing yards twice and touch- time All-Pro." He created mismatches, er: "He might have been
he made the hall. downs once on his way to Yet others would argue he made big plays and he at his peak in the previous
On defense, look at Buf- seven Pro Bowls and four for Larry Fitzgerald or Julio blocked. Oh, and he won decade, but there was no
falo's Nate Odomes, one of All-Pro selections. As a bo- Jones. three Super Bowls." one better than him in ei-
the best cover cornerbacks nus, he gave the Steelers "Jones made seven Pro John Clayton of ESPN 710 ther decade. He scored
from 1987-96 before injuries four touchdowns on punt Bowls in the decade and Seattle makes a case at seven of his career 14 punt
short-circuited his career. returns and another on a his average of 96.2 receiv- placekicker and punter. return touchdowns and av-
Not a sniff of an All-Decade kickoff return. ing yards per game ranks "On special teams, Ra- eraged 12.1 yards per punt
roster for Odomes. "Megatron came out of No. 1 in the history of the vens kicker Justin Tucker return in the 2010s."q

Columnist suspended for

calling Browns’ Mayfield “midget”

CLEVELAND (AP) — A columnist for the station comment on the situation.
Cleveland sports talk ra- and frequently appears Mayfield has had a con-
dio personality has been on air. tentious relationship with
suspended indefinitely for The station’s owner, Good Grossi, who advocated
referring to Browns quar- Karma Brands, issued an for the Browns not to take
terback Baker Mayfield as immediate apology to the 2017 Heisman Trophy
a “midget.” Mayfield and the Browns winner with the first overall
During a commercial while adding its decision draft pick in 2018.
break at the NFL scouting to punish Grossi. The com- Last season, Mayfield,
combine in Indianapolis, pany also said it will pursue who is listed as 6-foot-
ESPN Cleveland’s Tony sensitivity and inclusion 1 on Cleveland’s roster,
Grossi didn’t realize his training “for everyone on stormed out of a group
microphone was still on our content teams across interview session in the In this Dec. 22, 2019, file photo, Cleveland Browns quarterback
when he used a vulgar our company.” Browns’ locker room af- Baker Mayfield reacts during an NFL football game against the
word before calling May- Chris Talbott, a spokesman ter taking objection to a Baltimore Ravens in Cleveland.
field a midget. Grossi is a for Mayfield, declined question by Grossi.q Associated Press