Saints WR Michael Thomas is Elite; Parker and Tweets are not
"A Lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of sheep." Tywin Lannister (Game of Thrones)
Since the beginning of sports, players from opposing teams had disdain for their opponents. When I was growing up in New Orleans, it did not matter if we had a neighborhood or school rivalry, dislike was dislike. But, also, respect was respect. You may have had better players, a football or basketball team, or even a marching band, but all that mattered was the head-to-head competition. Those battles were all the proof you needed. Afterward, you either had bragging rights or shame until the next meeting.
In our sports scene today, the only thing that matters is who can tweet or post the best slams or comebacks. The irony is, some of the social media spats trivial and ended before a fan, player, or supporter touches their keyboards. Most of all, sometimes its because you are being "suckered" into a fight by someone who is going to sit back, watch, and never take sides.
I never read about the GOAT of WRs, Jerry Rice, having to defend himself against his greatest rivals in Michael Irvin, Chris Carter, or Randy Moss. He just played football. Michael Thomas is the reigning King of Wide Receivers. Every King has enemies, but every enemy knows if he can attack and take down the King. Some try and are never heard from again. After 5 NFL seasons, DaVante Parker has not proven his "game" can take down Michael Thomas by the numbers.
Saints WR Michael Thomas and Dolphins WR Devante Parker took the bait and got caught-up on Monday afternoon. The NFL on Fox tweeted, "Which is Tougher?" A. Make a catch while guarded by Stephon Gilmore, or B. Break up a pass while guarding Michael Thomas. DeVante Parker tweeted his answer, A. Then Michael Thomas took offense and began his breakdown of DeVante Parker on open Twitter.
I am not going to chronicle who said what, when, and how; but, let us consider the why?
Why did DeVante Parker believe "Making a Catch while guarded by Stephon Gilmore" was the correct answer?
My Sports Illustrated colleague Alain Poupart, who covers the Dolphins with AllDolphins stated in his article, "Parker goes One-on-One with Michael Thomas," Poupart writes:
Parker believes his one-game performance against Stephon Gilmore in 2019 gave him the credibility to select A as his final answer. Parker had eight catches for 137 yards in the season finale when Stephon Gilmore covered him a majority of the contest. Parker seems to have forgotten his dismal game in the Dolphins' first meeting against the Patriots. He was targeted 7 times and failed to catch a football in a match-up where the Phins were soundly defeated 43-0 by Tom Brady.
2019 was DeVante Parker's best professional season since his arrival in the NFL. Last year, he notched 72 catches for 1,202 yards and 9 touchdowns. On December 13, 2019, Parker agreed to a 4-year, $40M contract extension with Miami.
In comparison to Michael Thomas' 149 catches for 1,725 yards and 9 touchdowns, Parker's year was above-average, but not great. So why was it necessary for Thomas to respond in the manner he did against Parker? Do they have bad blood between the two wide receivers? Was it a slap in the face from Parker? Did Thomas overreact to a slight?
| MICHAEL THOMAS | DEVANTE PARKER |
|---|---|
63 GAMES/57 STARTS | 70 GAMES/45 STARTS |
470 RECEPTIONS | 235 RECEPTION |
602 TARGETS | 408 TARGETS |
5,512 YARDS | 3,419 YARDS |
78.1 % CATCH RATE | 57.6 % CATCH RATE |
32 TD | 18 TOUCHDOWNS |
There will always be animosity among NFL players. The Dolphins drafted DeVante Parker out of Louisville in 2015, and New Orleans drafted Michael Thomas in the 2nd round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Parker has played in 7 more professional games than Thomas, yet Thomas (470) has twice as many receptions as Parker (235). Another staggering stat is Thomas' 78.1% reception rate versus a mere 57.6% rate for Parker. The Dolphins receiver pales in a head-to-head comparison to Thomas. The one logical reason Parker's tweet was in favor of Gilmore could have been his last game numbers against the Patriot CB.
Michael Thomas is confident in his talent and ability. He should be confident. Whether or not he began a "Twitter Spat" with Parker or not, he sits alone on the NFL's Wide Receivers' Throne. Michael Thomas does not need tweets and posts to support his claim. The historic 2019 performance was enough proof for the Saints All-Pro Wide Receiver. Yet, Thomas should take heed to the popular Game of Thrones quote from the character, Tywin Lannister, "A lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of sheep." For Michael Thomas to continue his rule as the top WR in the NFL, his focus should be on destroying more sheep in 2020.
