Josh Q. Public: I used to watch Dr. J, come through in the clutch. Remember New Zoo Review, and Starsky and Hutch. I remember lunchtime, we used to rhyme out loud. Peace to the Wop and the hip-hop crowd. -Coolio
Public Service Announcement: OK, here we go! Like my main Nas always says: “I’m takin’ y’all on a trip straight through memory lane.” Here comes the Super Bowl. It’s coming fast. It’s coming furious. Dominic Toretto has nothing on this game. Who’s gonna be the star? That’s what we want to know. Who’s gonna be the star? Who’s gets themselves the big cigar? Who gets all the cookies in the cookie jar? That’s what we want to to know. Everybody from here to Qatar. Is it going to be Devin Hester, the very bester? Are you planning on Peyton Manning? Who’s gonna come up big in the big game? Who’s gonna stand tall in the superest of them all. I’ll tell you one guy who came up biggo. A man they called Riggo. What you don’t like that rhyme? Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You’re too tight.
You remember John Riggins. You remember him at Kansas. Breaking all kinds of rushing records at Kansas. Breaking all kinds of Gale Sayers’ rushing records at Kansas. You remember he played for the Jets. J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. Had that Mohawk with the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. That Travis Bickle Mohawk with the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. You remember he signed with the Skins. Signed with the Skins and then voluntarily sat out one year. Came back. Came back with a vengeance. The 6-2, 230-pound Riggins was not a spectacular running back. Not a flashy running back. Think lunchpail. No Barry Sanders, he. But he was a classic workhorse ball carrier. A Clydesdale. A beast. One of the the toughest summama####es to ever put on cleats. He carried 2,916 times for 11,352 yards and 104 touchdowns during his career. He also caught 250 passes for 2,090 yards and 12 TDs. His 13,435 combined net yards are among the best ever. So are his 116 total touchdowns. He was the second player ever to run to the hizzy over 100 times in NFL histizzy. The first to do it since Jim Brown All American did it in 1965. But where he excelled. Where he excelled where others have failed, was gaining the tough yardage in the big games.
The original Diesel came up big in 1982. Yesterday was the anniversary. Today's the day I talk about it. Came up super. Came up super in Super Bowl XVII. Came up super in Super Bowl XVII versus the Dolphins. He had 38 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown. He had 38 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown along with a 15-yard reception. A record breaking 38 carries. Against the Miami’s vaunted No. 1-rated defense. And that’s such a small part of the story.
Fourth quarter. Ten Minutes to go. Skins down four. Fourth and a Lilliputian. Theisman. (Used to be pronounced Thees-man.) Theisman hands off to Riggo. Riggo heads left. Here comes cornerback Don McNeal. Steamroller baby, steamroller. There goes Riggo. There goes Riggo down the sideline. You've seen the highlights. Riggo at the thirty. Riggo at the 20. Glenn Blackwood in hot pursuit. Not to be confused with brother, Lyle. Yes, I’m running down the railway track. Could you help me? Police on my back. They will catch me, if I dare drop back. Wont you give me all the speed I lack? He…could…go… He does. Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown! Redskins win! It was longest touchdown run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history. If you were from DC, it was the biggest touchdown run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history. No other back had ever run for 100 yards or more in four straight playoff games. No other back has gained more than 158 yards in a Super Bowl. No other back had ever run for 610 yards in four playoff games. Nobody came up as biggo. As biggo as Riggo.
Any mention of the Riggo has to include the fact that he lived outta his van down by the [Potomac] river…Random sightings of the Diesel, face down on the bar at Nathan’s in G-town in the middle of the day.…Yep, they don’t make em “old-school” like dat anymore…
John Riggins was one of my heroes. When we used to play tackle football in some vacant lot in NYC that's who the kids in the neighborhood called me. I was "thick" for my age and hard to bring down. Kinda makes you identify with the guy.
You have a cool, unique style. It's like cha, cha, cha, BAM. I'll try and catch more of your stuff.
josh q. public. For the public, by The Public. Irreverent sports opinion from a Bostonian in New York. The one blog to read, when you’re reading more than one. Good to the last drop!
bester? Are you planning on Peyton Manning? Who’s gonna come up big in the big game? Who’s gonna stand tall in the superest of them all. I’ll tell you one guy who came up biggo. A man they called Riggo. What you don’t like that rhyme? Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You’re too tight.
rushing records at Kansas. Breaking all kinds of Gale Sayers’ rushing records at Kansas. You remember he played for the Jets. J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. Had that Mohawk with the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. That Travis Bickle Mohawk with the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. You remember he signed with the Skins. Signed with the Skins and then voluntarily sat out one year. Came back. Came back with a vengeance. The 6-2, 230-pound Riggins was not a spectacular running back. Not a flashy running back. Think lunchpail. No Barry Sanders, he. But he was a classic workhorse ball carrier. A Clydesdale. A beast. One of the the toughest summama
times for 11,352 yards and 104 touchdowns during his career. He also caught 250 passes for 2,090 yards and 12 TDs. His 13,435 combined net yards are among the best ever. So are his 116 total touchdowns. He was the second player ever to run to the hizzy over 100 times in NFL histizzy. The first to do it since Jim Brown All American did it in 1965. But where he excelled. Where he excelled where others have failed, was gaining the tough yardage in the big games.
Bowl XVII. Came up super in Super Bowl XVII versus the Dolphins. He had 38 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown. He had 38 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown along with a 15-yard reception. A record breaking 38 carries. Against the Miami’s vaunted No. 1-rated defense. And that’s such a small part of the story. 
Fourth quarter. Ten Minutes to go. Skins down four. Fourth and a Lilliputian. Theisman. (Used to be pronounced Thees-man.) Theisman hands off to Riggo. Riggo heads left. Here comes cornerback Don McNeal. Steamroller baby, steamroller. There goes Riggo. There goes Riggo down the sideline. You've seen the highlights. Riggo at the thirty. Riggo at the 20. Glenn Blackwood in hot pursuit. Not to be confused with brother, Lyle. Yes, I’m running down the railway track. Could you help me? Police on my back. They will catch me, if I dare drop back. Wont you give me all the speed I lack? He…could…go… He does. Touchdown! 
Touchdown! Touchdown! Redskins win! It was longest touchdown run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history. If you were from DC, it was the biggest touchdown run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history. No other back had ever run for 100 yards or more in four straight playoff games. No other back has gained more than 158 yards in a Super Bowl. No other back had ever run for 610 yards in four playoff games. Nobody came up as biggo. As biggo as Riggo.
