The New (non)Diva Wide-Receiver

In case you haven’t noticed, wide receiver divas are becoming a rarity.

Players like Gregg Jennings, Andre Johnson, Roddy White, and Steve Johnson are changing the way the wide receiver position is being played. While divas like Chad Ochocinco still get some of the headlines, Calvin Johnson, a.k.a. Megatron, has become the best receiver in the league.

Remember when Michael Irvin used to point for the first down after a big catch? It seemed kind of cool then. Now, Terrell Owens has become but a vague memory and Randy Moss is all but forgotten.

For years, the “cool” thing for wide receivers to do was to run their collective mouths. Pointing for first downs, Sharpies in socks, cell phones hidden in padding, and “look-at-me” personalities dominated the landscape.

Maybe they were the minority then and got attention because their bite matched their bark. Perhaps the media payed more attention to the divas during the past 5-10 years because the divas demanded it.

Whatever the reason, it seems that the league is becoming a place where it’s OK for a wide receiver to keep his mouth shut.

Like Calvin Johnson says here: he’s the quietest guy on the team.

Sometimes we still see divas in the league, but more respect seems to be going toward quiet or tough guys in today’s NFL. That’s a change, I think, we can all get behind.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBT6MygnKKw