Upchurch # 6 "kick return aces" on NFL Network Top 10

[East Coast Fan]

I hope that this wasn't talked about before-I couldn't find it-but Rick Upchurch came in at # 6 of the Top 10 Kick Return Aces on NFL Network the other night. When they asked Gale Sayers about him, he just sat there, shook his head, and mumbled "no"-no what? And Vai Sikahema who played for the Cardinals and is now a Philadelphia sportscaster said " I have to deduct 1 or 2 points from Upchurch because he played in Denver; the punts go farther, and he had about 15 yards to work with to get set up". I was glad to see him on that list as he should be, but I can't say that I agree with these two guys. But then again I'm biased because he was a BRONCO!!!

[tripleoption]

Just part of the bias against the Broncos. I saw it too and I just shook my head when they mentioned he loses points for playing in Denver. :tsk:

[drewloc]

Just part of the bias against the Broncos. I saw it too and I just shook my head when they mentioned he loses points for playing in Denver. :tsk:

I agree, with as much emphasis as they like to put on the altitude here we can't win. Either it's because the ball flies farther, or everyone is winded due to altitude. It's a can't win situation. :tsk:

[Tned]

Anybody watch the 10 worst blown calls earlier in the night? Any Denver calls?

[tripleoption]

Didn't even know it was on. What were some of the worst?

[East Coast Fan]

Anybody watch the 10 worst blown calls earlier in the night? Any Denver calls?



I saw that awhile back, and they do mention the Rob Lytle "fumble" but suprisingly I don't think that they "rated" it-they just mentioned it I believe. I certainly would've rated that one high on the list!

[Devilspawn]

I saw that awhile back, and they do mention the Rob Lytle "fumble" but suprisingly I don't think that they "rated" it-they just mentioned it I believe. I certainly would've rated that one high on the list!
I believe this is the list:

10 - Holy Roller.....Raiders vs Chargers
Stabler intentionally fumbles.

9 - Bottle Gate.....Jaguars vs Browns
Review after next play has already started.

8 - SuperBowl XL.....Seahawks vs Steelers
PI in endzone, Ben TD, holding call.

7 - Sugar Bear Roughing Call.....Patriots vs Raiders
Roughing call on Patriots after pass.

6 - 2002 NFC Wildcard.....Giants vs 49ers
Pass interference on 49ers not called, instead "eligible" reciever called ineligible.

5 - Bird Emmanuel Catch.....Buccaneers vs Rams
Catch called incomplete because ball hit ground during diving catch after he had already caught it and had control on the way to the ground.

4 - Mike Renfro Catch.....Oilers vs Steelers
Called incomplete even though replay showed both feet in.

3 - Music City Miracle.....Buffalo vs Titans
Lateral vs Forward Pass

2 - Tuck Rule.....Raiders vs Patriots
Fumble called incomplete pass.

1 - Immaculate Reception.....Raiders vs Steelers
Hit two offensive players in succession.

Sheesh, Oakland's in 4 of them, Lytle should've been the 5th, and we're in the Top-2. :tsk:

[BroncoTech]

I think they missed the one Dallas won the coin flip to begin overtime and the ref called it wrong, same ref as the music city miracle call.

[MOtorboat]

I think they missed the one Dallas won the coin flip to begin overtime and the ref called it wrong.

That was Pittsburgh and Jerome Bettis, but yes.

[broncofaninfla]

I hope that this wasn't talked about before-I couldn't find it-but Rick Upchurch came in at # 6 of the Top 10 Kick Return Aces on NFL Network the other night. When they asked Gale Sayers about him, he just sat there, shook his head, and mumbled "no"-no what? And Vai Sikahema who played for the Cardinals and is now a Philadelphia sportscaster said " I have to deduct 1 or 2 points from Upchurch because he played in Denver; the punts go farther, and he had about 15 yards to work with to get set up". I was glad to see him on that list as he should be, but I can't say that I agree with these two guys. But then again I'm biased because he was a BRONCO!!!

Upchurch was a STUD punt/kick returner and woud have been for any team he played on. He was also VERY good to his fans. As a child I mailed him three football cards with the hopes he would sign them. I got all three back signed as well as a care package full of autographed Broncos stuff. I still have every item and am still very proud of them.

[ManchesterBroncoLUHG]

Upchurch was a STUD punt/kick returner and woud have been for any team he played on. He was also VERY good to his fans. As a child I mailed him three football cards with the hopes he would sign them. I got all three back signed as well as a care package full of autographed Broncos stuff. I still have every item and am still very proud of them.

For me, actions like that can turn a fairweather fan into a hardcore fan just as much as the action on the field. The community is the backbone of every professional sporting organisation as far as I'm concerned and little actions like that go a long way in my book.

A perfect example of this is my friend's father lived (and still does) in between Sunderland and Newcastle, two cities in the North East of England about 20 or so miles apart. As a boy in the 60's he didn't know whether to support Newcastle United or Sunderland soccer teams. Both are big teams and as his family wasn't into soccer, there was no guidance/pressure that way so he decided to write a letter to both clubs to tell them he wanted to know their history so he could decide who to support. Newcastle United didn't get back to him but Sunderland sent him the history of the club and lots of memorabilia that has pride of place in his home. He has been a die hard Sunderland fan since that day and has also brought up his 2 daughters in the same manner who are now bringing up their children in the same way (well one of them is trying to except she married a Mancunian and lives in Manchester so I think that little girl is going to be a United fan like her father :beer: ). The point is though is that whoever opened that letter years ago at Sunderland and decided to send the little boy all that stuff actually earned the club thousands of pounds in future revenue through season tickets and merchandise purchases whilst the person at Newcastle who just binned the same letter could have ultimately cost the club thousands.

It's just a pity that nowadays clubs/franchises/leagues are more concerned with trying to promote their product to people on the other side of the globe that they forget about the very people who put in them in the position they find themselves in the first place.

[haroldthebarrel]

who was the other guys on the list and who won first place?

[tripleoption]

First place went to Devin Hester. There was a lot of debate over that one. They put him at number one based on his performance the first three years he was in the league, since no one else had ever done what he'd done. Others that I remember on the list were Billy White Shoes Johnson, Kevin Mitchell, Eric Metcalf, Desomond Howard, Gale Sayers, Deion Sanders, Dante Hall, Rick Upchurch, and I think Mel Gray. I don't remember the order they were in though.