FRISCO, Texas – Anyone and everyone who is remotely a fan of sports has an opinion on this one particular sports topic. It doesn't matter your age, gender or knowledge of the sport – everyone seems to have an opinion on the Michael Jordan – LeBron James debate.
Who's the greatest of all-time? Is it Michael? Is it now LeBron? And some might even want to argue for Kobe, but it's usually a Michael vs. LeBron battle. You know I'm also one that believes that everyone's opinion is right, so there's no wrong answers here.
I do feel like I'm a little more qualified than others on this particular one because I can see that I've watched the entire careers of both players.
Sooo…. where am I going with you might ask?
Well, I do believe there are now some similarities with this debate when it comes to the Cowboys offensive linemen.
It's rare to compare anyone to the greatness of Jordan or Lebron. But in terms of the Cowboys' best blockers of all time, I don't think it's a stretch at all.
One way or another, it starts with Larry Allen and Zack Martin.
And who would've ever dreamt that, especially when the Cowboys drafted a quiet kid from Indianapolis, who played tackle at Notre Dame but converted him to play guard. Did anyone realistically think we'd be sitting here at the Zack Martin retirement press conference having a real debate on the best lineman in team history?
I know I didn't think that at the time. But as the years have gone by with Zack Martin, and the Pro Bowls and All-Pro honors stacked up, and the holding penalties did not, it became clearer by the day, month and year that Martin is starting to get into Larry Allen's neighborhood.
And on Wednesday, the day the Cowboys officially honored Martin with a retirement press conference at The Star, it was Jerry Jones who called Martin and Allen "twins" for their dominant play on the field that have made them the best the Cowboys have ever seen.
Jones went so far to call it a "debate," which prompted me to ask Martin about the comparison.
Martin said he made sure to take a selfie next to Allen's bust when he first visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. And he was honored to meet him early in his career when Allen would visit training camp in California.
Yes, Larry Allen was and is the standard for elite offensive lineman. And now, Zack Martin is as well.
The best part about it, they did it differently. Sure, they both played guard, but had the ability to play tackle if needed. I think Allen and Martin would've been great tackles in the NFL. But at guard, they're among the best of all time.
One of them bench-pressed 700 pounds. The other was a master technician of fundamentals, evident by the mind-blowing stat that he committed just seven holding penalties, equal to the amount of All-Pro selections.
Don't get me wrong, Allen was a technician as well. Martin was also strong as an ox. That fact that both of them are great at both, among other things, has put them in a rare category that just won't have a lot of company.
So who's the best? Honestly, it's like the Jordan-LeBron debate. I always somewhat laugh at the people that make a big deal about it, especially the LeBron haters because they act like being No. 2 – behind Michael Jordan – is the worst spot to be. Let's not forget, LeBron James was tabbed as the "Next Michael Jordan" when he was 18 years old. And guess what … he was! He was the next Michael Jordan. Like I've said many times, I think I would take Michael over him because he just knew how to get it done at those crucial moments and he does have more championships. But it's pretty close for me because I see the all-around game for LeBron and his longevity to not only play for so long, but to be elite the entire time is incredible.
Still, I think I'd take Jordan over James, but barely.
And that's my point here. If you think Zack Martin is now the greatest lineman of all time, that's not a bad take at all. There's a lot of proof to suggest that is certainly the case.
If you're one that thinks Larry Allen still has the edge, but Zack Martin is right there in a true … 1A and 1B situation, that's fair as well.
I think Zack Martin would take that, being considered the second-best lineman to ever play behind Larry Allen.
There's been thousands of players before them, and thousands of players in the future that won't ever sniff that kind of status. The fact Zack Martin is in the conversation is proof enough how special, rare and dominant he was.
And with any player like that, the Cowboys are going to miss him.
