With today being the day New York Giants' punter Jeff Feagles is making his retirement from the NFL official, I was going to put together one of those lists that encompass the span of Feagles' brilliant career.
Alas, the incomparable 'MJD' at Shutdown Corner has already done it. Since I'm loving 'MJD's' list I think I will simply reference a couple of the points in his post I find most amazing.
- Feagles was the last remaining player in the NFL who was in "Tecmo Super Bowl."
- Feagles was also the last remaining player who was active during the Reagan administration.
- On September 4th, 1988, the day Feagles kicked his first punt in the NFL, the number one song in the United States was "Monkey," by George Michael. Gas was $1.08 a gallon.
Check out 'Shutdown Corner' for the rest of the list.
Let me say this in tribute to Feagles. I know he did not kick up to his standards in 2009, and I know we are looking forward to the competition between Matt Dodge and Jy Bond, but the Giants will miss the 22-year veteran.
You don't stick around that long without being incredibly good at what you do, and without gaining a wealth of knowledge about your craft.
No one in the history of the NFL has been as good at directional kicking as Feagles, who turned pinning opponents inside the 20 into an art form.
I loved watching Feagles work during training camp, moving the ball sideline to sideline as he worked on his placement. Besides, how many punters have ever walked to the field with fans screaming "Hall of Famer" at them?
If they ever do vote a punter into the Hall of Fame I know Ray Guy is first in line. Feagles, though, is not far behind.
The guess here is that Lawrence Tynes will also miss Feagles' steady hand as a holder, and his wisdom in figuring out Meadowlands' wind patterns.
Feagles has earned his retirement. I'm glad he chose to do it now, before his skills eroded to the point where the Giants were forced to push him out the door.
- Rookie mini-camp starts today. I will check for some reports and try to get you some details later on.