Ricky Williams to Ravens

[MikeO]

I hope you are as consistent when it comes to post-career honors for Ray Lewis.

First, Im not a Ravens fan so I don't give a crap who they put in their honor roll.

Second, Ray Lewis is a hall of fame player, the best MLB in the NFL in the past 30 years, who was the leader of the 2nd best defense in NFL history and led them to a Super Bowl. If you want to compare him to Ricky I laugh. If Ricky had the on the field success Lewis had, you MIGHT able to overlook his antics off the field. Maybe! The fact Ricky since 2003 did little to nothing in Miami. He was a back-up the entire time to Ronnie Brown (not exactly backing up Jim Brown or Emmitt Smith), to a hall of fame player you simply don't get it!! Back-Up players DON'T get in the honor roll. Sorry!

[Spider-Dan]

Second, Ray Lewis is a hall of fame player, the best MLB in the NFL in the past 30 years, who was the leader of the 2nd best defense in NFL history and led them to a Super Bowl. If you want to compare him to Ricky I laugh. If Ricky had the on the field success Lewis had, you MIGHT able to overlook his antics off the field. Maybe!

If Ricky had the on-field success Ray Lewis had, he'd be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and this entire discussion would be stupid.

Put rather simply: based on his play, do you think Ricky merits the Ring of Honor?  If you are going to disqualify people based on off-the-field issues, then at least be consistent about it.  Jason Taylor chose Dancing With The Stars over the team's offseason, and then went to play for the Jets.  I guess we should bar him, too?

[dolfan13]

not sure why people have such hate towards ricky. he was a weird guy, but he never did anything that comes close to what most modern athletes are in trouble / in the news for.

he smoked dope, and had/has social anxiety disorder. he didn't beat women, drive drunk, thug out with gangsters in clubs, hang out with dudes shooting up bars, etc...

look at the dolphins record books, and he is the second most successful running back in the history of the franchise. we're talking in 40+ years, and in the era of a significant focus on passing games.

if daniel thomas comes close to what ricky did on a production level for this franchise, then he will be a hell of a running back. chances are we won't see another productive back like ricky in a dolphins uniform for generations to come.

[MikeO]

Put rather simply: based on his play, do you think Ricky merits the Ring of Honor?  If you are going to disqualify people based on off-the-field issues, then at least be consistent about it.  Jason Taylor chose Dancing With The Stars over the team's offseason, and then went to play for the Jets.  I guess we should bar him, too?

1) Jason Taylor's resume is that of a hall of fame player
2) Jason Taylor was never a back-up (till this year) as a Dolphin
3) Jason Taylor holds numerous Dolphins records and won awards playing for the Fins.

Ricky did none of that and he was a back-up the majority of his years in Miami. YOU REALLY CAN'T SEE THE DIFFERENCE???

And if you are comparing Dancing with the Stars to quitting the team to go smoke dope in a tent in Southeast Asia, then really I don't know what to tell ya!!

[miamid45]

Ricky QUIT on his team!

Ray never quit....that's why you don't put Ricky on the Ring of Honor.

Good Riddance...we need FRESH young backs...not aged backs who are just playing to support their dozen or so kids!

[masterfins]

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."  Thanks for the good years, happy health in the future.

[Frimp]

I don't understand what is so difficult about answering whether or not Ricky is worthy of the ROH based strictly on his on field production.

FOr the record, I'd be for it.

[Spider-Dan]

1) Jason Taylor's resume is that of a hall of fame player
2) Jason Taylor was never a back-up (till this year) as a Dolphin
3) Jason Taylor holds numerous Dolphins records and won awards playing for the Fins.

Ricky did none of that and he was a back-up the majority of his years in Miami.

1) Any Hall of Fame player should make it on to the Ring of Honor without question.  Ricky obviously will not be going into the Hall of Fame.  That's the point of this discussion; if he were, this tangent is over before it starts.
2) Calling Ricky a "backup" is misleading, as you know; the last time that any RB had at least 50% of the total rush attempts on a team Ricky played on was... Ricky Williams in 2003.  Ronnie and Ricky have always been a running back platoon; accomplishing that with a player that's 4 years younger (at the tailback position!) is nothing to be ashamed of.  Furthermore, in 2009 (at the age of 32) Ricky started 7 games and led the team with 1121 yards rushing.  How many 32-year-old tailbacks do you see racking up 1000+ yards?
3) If Ricky holds more Dolphin records than JT, does this prove you wrong?  Because (as I already said) Ricky holds a damn lot of them.  Offhand:

- most rush attempts, career
- most rush attempts, season
- most rush yards, season
- most rush TDs, season
- most rush yards, game
- most consecutive 200-yard rushing games

Those are the easy ones.

[Brian Fein]

In 9 seasons under contract with the Miami Dolphins, Ricky Williams had exactly 1 season with more than 1400 yards, and 2 with more than 1200.  He, however, has 5 seasons during which he had under 1000 yards rushing.  Add to that the fact that he "retired" for 2004 and was suspended during 2006 and had 6 whole carries in 2007 (for a whopping total of 174 carries between 2003 and 2008), I say no.

He had 1 brilliant season, and 2 "pedestrian" seasons, AND THAT'S IT.  That, combined with a bunch of antics and hardship and turmoil, means he does not deserve to be in the Ring of Honor.

[Pats2006]

Cant wait to see how they use him over there..

[Spider-Dan]

In 9 seasons under contract with the Miami Dolphins, Ricky Williams had exactly 1 season with more than 1400 yards, and 2 with more than 1200.

...which makes him the only Miami Dolphin running back ever to rush for more than 1200 yards.  And he did it twice.  He's also the only Dolphin running back ever to lead the league in rushing.

By the way, I must say, you have a gift for understatement.  1372 yards is "over 1200" and 1856 yards is "over 1400"?  Did Dan Marino throw for "more than 30" touchdowns in 1984?  Did Jason Taylor have "double digit" sacks in 2002?

He, however, has 5 seasons during which he had under 1000 yards rushing.

Is this supposed to be a slam on someone playing the tailback position for the Dolphins?

Ricky has had three seasons with 1000+ yards rushing (he averaged 1448 for those three seasons, but whatever).  As best I can see, that gives him three times as many 1000+ yard seasons as any Dolphin not named Larry Csonka.  In fact, here are the top four Dolphin RB yardage seasons of all time:

1. 1856- Ricky, 2002
2. 1372- Ricky, 2003
3. 1121- Ricky, 2009 (at age 32 and starting less than half the season, mind you)
4. 1117- Csonka, 1972

Add to that the fact that he "retired" for 2004 and was suspended during 2006 and had 6 whole carries in 2007 (for a whopping total of 174 carries between 2003 and 2008), I say no.

So basically, you are bashing him for not COMPLETELY DECIMATING the Dolphin record books, instead of merely owning most of it?

Could/should he have played more?  Sure.  But based solely on what he actually did, he's (at worst!) the second-best Dolphin RB ever; the only person that holds a candle to him is a HOFer.

He had 1 brilliant season, and 2 "pedestrian" seasons, AND THAT'S IT.

Brian, Ricky's two "pedestrian" seasons were better than any other running back in Dolphin history.  He owns the top 3 rushing seasons in the history of the franchise... what, you're downgrading him because he could have owned the top 5?

P.S. One more thing, before we get too much further... do you even dispute the claim that Ricky is a top-2 running back in the history of the franchise?

[Spider-Dan]

It has come to my attention that Lamar Smith ran for 1139 yards in 2000, which should displace Ricky's 2009 as the #3 Dolphin RB season ever.  As I already pointed out, Ricky started less than half of that year, but facts is facts.  Since I doubt anyone in this thread believes Lamar Smith is a candidate for the Honor Roll, I think the gist of my previous post stands.

[Fau Teixeira]

From a purely statistical standpoint. I would say no. He doesn't have enough years of consistent greatness to qualify.

And if asked I would also say czonka doesn't deserve RoH either. But he does have an undefeated season going for him as well as two rings.

[Spider-Dan]

If Larry Csonka doesn't qualify for RoH in your eyes (despite being in the NFL Hall of Fame), I'd be hard pressed to see how the RoH could contain more than three names:

Joe Robbie
Don Shula
Dan Marino

I daresay Csonka was more impactful at his position than any Dolphin player except Marino.  (JT is close, though.)

[Sunstroke]

I like Ricky, but my vote (if I had one) would be "no."

I won't argue with Ricky's numbers on the field...he's the best RB that Miami has had since Csonka. If this debate was over Ricky's induction into "The Ring of Statistical Accomplishment," I'd be all for it, but it's for "The Ring of Honor," and Ricky's behavior while in Miami, the drug use, the bolting on his teammates, etc... isn't how I'd define "honor."