Clinton Portis loves the Hogs.
He must love them. He paid homage to those great Super Bowl champion offensive linemen like Russ Grimm, Joe Jacoby and a host of others on Tuesday. In fact, it sounds as if he wishes he was playing behind those guys, instead of the crew in front of him now.
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He expressed this admiration in the context of diminishing the accomplishments of one of the most beloved Redskins of all time — John Riggins, the team’s all-time leading rusher, who Portis could pass by this season.
“I think he was a great running back, but, you know, think of who else was around him,” Portis told reporters. “That was really not hard to be a great running back when you’ve got that talent all around you. I think they just had great teams, you know. I think everybody who played in that era as a running back is big around here.”
In otherwords, it’s harder for Portis to have to play behind his line than it was for Riggins behind his blockers.
Riggins has been critical of Portis numerous times in radio and television commentary over the years, so this feud has been going on for a while — just like the one Portis has had with another former Redskin back, Brian Mitchell.
More relevent, though, is the fact that this is the second straight start of the season that Portis has insulted his offensive line, although this time it is not as blatant as when he declared last year that he wished he was still running behind the offensive line of his old team, the Denver Broncos.
But he said, in essence, that Riggins had it easier than he does.
The funny thing is, Portis is right about that. Being right, though, isn’t going to count for much when you take on a legend — especially since all Redskin fans have these days to comfort them are those legends.
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For more information about Thom Loverro, go to www.thomloverro.com
