Michael Irvin impressed me on Saturday, and I have to admit some disappointment in myself for thinking so little of him for so long.
I've been waiting all day for Cowboys fans to submit a better feed of his speech, but this is the best I could find. This doesn't capture all of his poignant words, but it gives you a good impression of the emotion he poured into the moment.
Here's the full transcript of Michael Irvin's Hall of Fame Speech. I encourage any of you who have a substantially negative opinion of the Cowboys wide receiver to read the full speech and reconsider. He's still not my favorite, but I have a greater respect for Michael after understanding his passion for the game, his leadership, and his admission of many mistakes. It was truly one of the best Hall of Fame speeches I've listened to and it's changed my opinion of the man.
Like many, I've never been a big fan of Michael Irvin - for a lot of reasons, not just his jersey.
After reading that, I have to admit that my attitude has changed somewhat. That was a very powerful and impressive collection of thoughts. I'm ready to be converted to an Irvin fan. (but never a Cowboys fan)
Pffft. He was the greatest receiver of the 90s behind Jerry Rice, he certainly earned his way into the Hall. I don't always agree with his opinions, but he certainly laid it all out there in that speech the same way he did on the field. If a player like Randy Moss or TO had half the dedication to the game that the Playmaker did, they'd be unstoppable.