It's been what? Three or four days since the last eruption of the slow-boiling feud between current and past Redskins running backs?
The latest chapter in the longest-running feud in D.C. roared (and at least grumbled) to life yesterday, when Clinton Portis took another shot at John Riggins in an interview with AP.
“I think he was a great running back, but, you know, think of who else was around him. 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.”
While Joe Washington (who?) might disagree with that last claim, be careful not to misconstrue the first part of that as a shot at his current team. At the end of the day, Portishead is right: his team has won zippo; Riggins' teams won a bunch.
Is CP's basic point that Riggo is a product of his environment fair? Probably not. Riggo certainly benefited from some solid offensive lines, and played in some great offenses, but very few running backs blended his combination of raw speed with power. He's in the Hall of Fame not because of the big lugs opening up holes in front of them; he's in the Hall because he was damn good.
Despite the cheap shot, there are signs that Portis is looking to end the beef.
Portis seems to indicate that the heart of the matter is Riggins being upset that CP could pass him as the Skins' all-time rusher. (He's 1,370 yards behind.)
"You know, it’s crazy. You did your thing. The people around here love you, and I’m not trying to replace you. I don’t want to be you," said Portis.
He continued, "I’m minding my business, and hopefully he’ll do the same. ... He deserves to be a legend. And I can see why the town appreciates him when you put in that kind of work for an organization and the fans are that crazy about you. You should be appreciated."
He should. Which is why CP's comments about Riggo being a product of a system were unfair. However, it appears an olive branch has been extended; let's see if this brings the now-tiresome feud closer to its end.
