Walter Payton not scoring in Super Bowl XX (1 Viewer)

[Ghost Rider]

For years, I have heard people talk about low class it was for Mike Ditka to let William Perry score in the Super Bowl instead of Walter Payton, but I have to ask...why? Payton's team won the Super Bowl! That is the ultimate! Sure, scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl would have been nice, but given what a great career Payton had (one of the best two or three RB's ever and some would say THE best), I do not see this as a stain on his career like some do. Thoughts?

 

[facook]

It isn't a stain on his career. It was simply a dishonor to Payton to throw the novely act Perry that bone instead of giving Payton that extra moment in the sun.

 

[SSOG]

It was classless by Ditka. It was more an act of showboating over the Patriots. Does anyone honestly think that the Fridge was in there because he was a better runner than Payton?

 

[Ghost Rider]

It was simply a dishonor to Payton to throw the novely act Perry that bone instead of giving Payton that extra moment in the sun.

Why?I never heard Terrell Davis complain when Mike Shanahan let Howard Griffith run in two one-yard touchdowns in Super Bowl XXXIV.

 

[Bri]

I would think amidst the 46 points Payton could have gotten 6 of em'. I'd swear I remember folks asking him and him saying he didn't care and was just glad to play in the Supe and such.

 

[Bri]

For years, I have heard people talk about low class it was for Mike Ditka to let William Perry score in the Super Bowl instead of Walter Payton,

I never understood why it was "instead of". I mean they didn't score one TD but a slew of em'.

 

[Dynasty]

For years, I have heard people talk about low class it was for Mike Ditka to let William Perry score in the Super Bowl instead of Walter Payton,

I never understood why it was "instead of". I mean they didn't score one TD but a slew of em'.

The Bears four offensive touchdowns were:11 yard run by Suhey

2 yard run by McMahon

1 yard run by McMahon

1 yard run by Perry

The Perry touchdown came late in the third quarter when the game was already 37-3. The game was over and whoever punched the TD in was simply getting a career highlight moment. Ditka chose to give it to Perry rather than Peyton.

In Ditka's defense, I found this on wilkipedia about Walter Payon in Super Bowl XX:

One irony in the Bears victory was that Payton had a relatively poor performance running the ball and never scored a touchdown in Super Bowl XX, his first and only Super Bowl appearance during his hall of fame career. Although Payton was ultimately the Bears' leading rusher during the game, the Patriots defense held him to only 61 yards on 22 carries, with his longest run being only 7 yards. He was given several opportunities to score near the goal line, but New England stopped him everytime before he reached the end zone (such as his 2-yard loss from the New England 3-yard line a few plays before Butler's second field goal, and his 2-yard run from the 4-yard line right before McMahon's first rushing touchdown). Thus, Chicago head coach Mike Ditka opted to go for other plays to counter the Patriots defense. Perry's touchdown and McMahon's rushing touchdowns could be considered as scoring opportunities that were denied to Payton.

 

[Bri]

For years, I have heard people talk about low class it was for Mike Ditka to let William Perry score in the Super Bowl instead of Walter Payton,

I never understood why it was "instead of". I mean they didn't score one TD but a slew of em'.

The Bears four offensive touchdowns were:11 yard run by Suhey

2 yard run by McMahon

1 yard run by McMahon

1 yard run by Perry

The Perry touchdown came late in the third quarter when the game was already 37-3. The game was over and whoever punched the TD in was simply getting a career highlight moment. Ditka chose to give it to Perry rather than Peyton.

but why dwell on that one? Did McMahon need two? Suhey? is that Matt Suhey? Geesh did he have to get a highlight moment over Payton?

 

[Dynasty]

but why dwell on that one?

Because it was Payton's last chance.

 

[Bri]

but why dwell on that one?

Because it was Payton's last chance.

heh, well I guess. Seems silly to me. So many great things to remember about Payton, why that one? Well, I've been known to dwell on things so...to each his own I guess

 

[Da Guru]

Walter had a number of chances but could not punch it in!

 

[Fishnic]

I would think amidst the 46 points Payton could have gotten 6 of em'. I'd swear I remember folks asking him and him saying he didn't care and was just glad to play in the Supe and such.

Class act individual, and #1 running back ever no matter what stats are compared to him

 

[Tillmanisahero]

Because he was one of the best people (no matter the position) to ever play the game and Perry was a human joke(Highly overated DT IMHO). Payton played hard for many years for bad Bear teams and he never complained and always tried his best...I think the very least DiCkta could have done is make sure Payton gets one F#$%ing TD in the Superbowl. I am a Packer fan and I feel that strongly....lol. Payton was the poster child for Class Act in the NFL.

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

Walter earned that T.D. through years of thankless toiling for a laughingstock of a franchise. During all those years he never complained, never caused a disruption, never asked to be traded nor demanded the spotlight in contrast to Barry Sanders who quit under similar circumstances or Dillion who demanded a trade. He was the ultimate class act and competitor.I am a Packer fan and quite happy to pour dirt on the Bears, but I recognize ultimate class when I see it and that class deserved reward in a blow out game. Does it tarnish Walter's career, no. Rather it tarnishes Ditka's.

 

[Cecil Lammey]

Walter earned that T.D. through years of thankless toiling for a laughingstock of a franchise. During all those years he never complained, never caused a disruption, never asked to be traded nor demanded the spotlight in contrast to Barry Sanders who quit under similar circumstances or Dillion who demanded a trade. He was the ultimate class act and competitor.

I am a Packer fan and quite happy to pour dirt on the Bears, but I recognize ultimate class when I see it and that class seserved reward in a blow out game. Does it tarnish Walter's career, no. Rather it tarnishes Ditka's.

Walter endured through a horrible stretch in Chicago. The team was pathetic for many years, then Ditka/Buddy Ryan came in and the rest is history. Class move by Walter not to pout.

Kinda like when Marshall didn't score for the Rams in SB34. One of the best RB's of all time and he helped his team win the big one.

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

I could care less....This is the biggest nonsense I've heard regarding the Bears.McMahon AUDIBLED out of a call for Payton. Is that Ditka's fault? No.End of story.

 

[packersfan]

Had the game been close and Payton couldn't punch it in, Ditka would not be faulted for finding other ways to try and score. The fact the game was a blowout and Perry's TD was essentially meaningless is what made the decision such a questionable one. Ditka could have given the ball to Payton on every down possible and if Payton didn't score the Bears were still going to win going away. But if Payton scored it would've given him a well-deserved individual highlight that would've added another notch on his Hall of Fame career.It was basically about respect. Ditka should have given Payton the respect he deserved instead of turning to a joke like Perry for a TD. I don't think it's ultimately anything to get really worked up over. When looking at Payton's career, nobody really remembers he didn't score in the Super Bowl. But when you had someone like Payton who gave every drop of himself that he had for the organization and suffered through some horrible years and some pretty awful teams the least you could do in that situation was throw him a bone and try to give him that individual moment in the sun that he so richly deserved.

 

[Red Apples]

For years, I have heard people talk about low class it was for Mike Ditka to let William Perry score in the Super Bowl instead of Walter Payton, but I have to ask...why? Payton's team won the Super Bowl! That is the ultimate! Sure, scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl would have been nice, but given what a great career Payton had (one of the best two or three RB's ever and some would say THE best), I do not see this as a stain on his career like some do.

Thoughts?

for years?get over it already.

 

[GhostOfAnAlias]

but why dwell on that one?

Because it was Payton's last chance.

Um, no it wasn't. It was the 3rd quarter. The Bears actually had 5 more possessions in the game, but they were unable to score on any of them. Payton had one final run on 4th-and-goal with 5:48 to play but was stuffed at the 5-yard line.

 

[porkins]

  It was simply a dishonor to Payton to throw the novely act Perry that bone instead of giving Payton that extra moment in the sun.

Why?I never heard Terrell Davis complain when Mike Shanahan let Howard Griffith run in two one-yard touchdowns in Super Bowl XXXIV.

Off topic: That was to gift wrap the MVP for Elway. Don't let anyone else on the team shine more than him.

 

[Hamstring]

Walter complained publicly a lot about it. Ditka has said he wished Payton got one looking back. Oh well, he has a ring.Maybe if Walter wasn't fumbling in the beginning of the game and leading the Patriots to the fastest score in SB history (at the time) they would have given him the rock more. Ok that's a little much.

 

[QuizGuy66]

The Howard Griffith comparison is not a fair one as Griffith was1) a full time running back not a novelty act like Perry2) the guy who's blocking got Davis a lot of those yards in the first place3) Kyle (dude who probably score more points than any other non-picked up player in all of fantasy football) Johnson actually has played the same exact role during this season - scoring as a full back on designed passes at the goal line. Using the full back this was has been a staple of Shanahan's4) It's only right that the NCAA record holder for touchdowns in a game get to score in a Super Bowl (Howard got 8 TDs vs. Southern Illinois) Of course not that I'm biased Illinois alum who actually was at that game in 1990 -QG

 

[Tough As Nails]

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...68204&hl=Payton

Topic covered a little bit in that thread.

The Bears had 10 plays inside the 5-yard-line. Payton got the ball on 5 of those.

5 Payton runs - 0 TDs

2 McMahon runs - 2 TDs

2 pass plays - 0 TDs

1 Perry run - 1 TD

Seems like a perfectly acceptable and normal breakdown to me. Feature back gets 50%. FB gets 10%. Pass plays/scrambles get 40%. Payton had opportunities to score. He didn't. NON-issue.

 

[Hamstring]

Payton just wasn't reliable inside the 10. Suhey had some moves though!

 

[Statorama]

(edit: censoring myself)