Steve Smith says that Champ Bailey is the best CB he's ever faced, takes shot at JNo?

[pantherphan96]

Outside of getting burned pretty badly in his last couple years, Champ was one of the top CBs year in and year out. No disrespect there at all.

[Lumps]

calling the best CB to ever play the game the best CB to play the game is a shot at Norman?

 

you guys are idiots.

[Cpt slay a ho]

Wow if you took that as a shot to norman..................just wow

[Anybodyhome]

The term "shut-down" corner is a part of football history when DBs didn't get flagged for touching a WR. Champ Bailey was a shut-down corner and there were but 3 or 4 during that relatively brief period of history- Ron Woodson, Lester Hayes, Mel Blount- actually deserving of the title, although it is quite over-used now. 

Because of the illegal contact rule (thanks to Mel Blount) and the NFL's need to help offenses score 30+ a game to keep ratings up, today's definition of "shut-down" is a completely watered-down version of what those players used to be. 

It's not a shot at Norman. Rather, it's a retrospective of Smith's career and the best he's faced, and Champ Bailey was certainly among the best he faced. 

[Hammerin'Cameron34]

Is he wrong

How would anyone think its a shot at Norman, he's in only his second year playing really good

[Randolph Panther]

If Smitty wanted to call him out he would not have done it indirectly.  He would have done it by name.  

[Pejorative Miscreant]

If Smitty wanted to take a shot at Josh, he would simply take a shot at Josh. Josh has been one of; if not the best defensive players in the game this year but Smith is talking versatility, legacy and year over year consistency. 

It's not a slam. 

[Icege]

2 hours ago, Kuhndog94 said:

You people are not reading the entire OP. He's not taking a shot at Norman when he says Champ is the best he's ever faced.

He's taking a shot at Norman by saying he doesn't go to the slot to shut down the NO. 1 receiver. He is taking a shot by talking about being below average for 3 years. He is most definitely throwing some shade at Norman. 

This is the Huddle.

Folks read the first page, pie a couple of funny things, and then stop reading a post halfway through once they've misunderstood something so that they can rage post later.

DANCE PUPPETS, DANCE!

[KendrickPanther]

Steve takes shots at everyone. I really don't have a problem with it. At least he can back it up. Roddy can't

[iamhubby1]

I saw that segment. The ONLY thing that gave me pause about it? The on screen graphic showed "Hall of Famer Steve Smith."

 

I was confuse about that one. How did he make the HoF already? As much as I am hopeful that he does make it. It just confused me that he was already in.

 

Other than that. I saw nothing that upset me about the interview. Pretty tame by Smitty standards.

[Icege]

9 hours ago, Cover2 said:

what does the GYN stand for 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obstetrics_and_gynaecology

[Moorgan]

16 hours ago, Icege said:

This is the Internet.

Folks read the first page, pie a couple of funny things, and then stop reading a post halfway through once they've misunderstood something so that they can rage post later.

DANCE PUPPETS, DANCE!

fixed

[Khyber53]

Steve's an elder statesman of the game now, he can sit back and make pronouncements like this, and in the end, he's right. Lock down corners now aren't what they used to be. And he's throwing shade on the new crop of CBs out there, not just Norman, although he does fit the overall bill a bit.

Norman is having a lights out year and we're benefiting greatly, So will he at year end, either here or somewhere else. The question is after the big big check, will he still play as well, with the same fire? The great ones can and keep doing it over a long career. I hope Norman can, and in Panther blue and black.

Time will tell, just like the bell is tolling on Smitty's long career. And yes, he is one of those long, term greats that got even better after the big check.