American Sports Thread

[Club Rossa]

I don't think the number of superbowl rings is an accurate judgement on who the greatest QB is/was.
Terry Bradshaw has 4 while Dan Marino has none,yet in my opinion Marino is one of the greatest players to play the game at any position,while Bradshaw would be well down the list.

[Minder]

I don't know why people even give the argument such credence. Mark Rypien and Manning both have one ring, was Rypien a better QB? Of course not. Of course it is an important position but a team can get by with an average one (Trent Dilfer) if other aspects of the team are strong, running game, defense etc. 

[stew]

I don't think the number of superbowl rings is an accurate judgement on who the greatest QB is/was.
Terry Bradshaw has 4 while Dan Marino has none,yet in my opinion Marino is one of the greatest players to play the game at any position,while Bradshaw would be well down the list.

In fairness Bradshaw would tell you that he was just blessed to hand the ball off to some unbelievable talent, add to that the fact that he had the best defense in history and that sums up why he has so many rings.

Marino was a stat hound, great stats throwing the ball around the place but could never get it done when it mattered most, the fins didnt help him as they couldnt defend a high school team but the great ones find a way, he never did and for me he is about sixth on the all time qb list.

Montana.
Manning.
Brady.
Starr.
Bradshaw.
Elway.

Then Marino.

[Minder]

I don't think the number of superbowl rings is an accurate judgement on who the greatest QB is/was.
Terry Bradshaw has 4 while Dan Marino has none,yet in my opinion Marino is one of the greatest players to play the game at any position,while Bradshaw would be well down the list.

In fairness Bradshaw would tell you that he was just blessed to hand the ball off to some unbelievable talent, add to that the fact that he had the best defense in history and that sums up why he has so many rings.

Marino was a stat hound, great stats throwing the ball around the place but could never get it done when it mattered most, the fins didnt help him as they couldnt defend a high school team but the great ones find a way, he never did and for me he is about sixth on the all time qb list.

Montana.
Manning.
Brady.
Starr.
Bradshaw.
Elway.

Then Marino.

Marino also never had a running game.

[stew]

I don't think the number of superbowl rings is an accurate judgement on who the greatest QB is/was.
Terry Bradshaw has 4 while Dan Marino has none,yet in my opinion Marino is one of the greatest players to play the game at any position,while Bradshaw would be well down the list.

In fairness Bradshaw would tell you that he was just blessed to hand the ball off to some unbelievable talent, add to that the fact that he had the best defense in history and that sums up why he has so many rings.

Marino was a stat hound, great stats throwing the ball around the place but could never get it done when it mattered most, the fins didnt help him as they couldnt defend a high school team but the great ones find a way, he never did and for me he is about sixth on the all time qb list.

Montana.
Manning.
Brady.
Starr.
Bradshaw.
Elway.

Then Marino.

Marino also never had a running game.

True, they were very poor in that regard als, his stats however would not look so good if he had a good running back, his throwing stats would suffer, that said they would probably have won a superbowl.

[Minder]

But that is the thing Stew, he had to throw the ball so much because he didnt have a running game.

[AZOffaly]

I think the reason why people place much more emphasis on the rings for QBs is that the QB is seen to be the leader of the team, the on field general. He gets the plaudits for the wins, and a lot of stick if they lose. I can see the rationale somewhat, but there's obviously more to it than just winning Superbowls.

Having said that, I suppose one of the true marks of greatness is the ability to perform in the big game, and the acknowledged greats have generally speaking good games in the big one. Terry Bradshaw, for example, has 2 Superbowl MVP games. He threw for four TDs in Superbowl XIII and 2 more in XIV, as well as 1 in IX and another 2 in X. They weren't quite as one dimensional as all that, otherwise Lynn Swann wouldn't be a HOFer either. John Stallworth, another Steelers HOFer is a WR as well.

[AZOffaly]

I started watching the NFL in 1985, so the likes of Staubach, Starr, Bradshaw and co were before my time, as well as the lad a lot of old timers reckon was king, Johnny Unitas.

In my era, the top QBs in my opinion are

1. Montana
2. Brady
3. Elway
4. Manning
5. Marino

(6. Warner, 7. Favre, 8. Aikman, 9. Young, 10. McNabb (early days))

[Minder]

I started watching the NFL in 1985, so the likes of Staubach, Starr, Bradshaw and co were before my time, as well as the lad a lot of old timers reckon was king, Johnny Unitas.

In my era, the top QBs in my opinion are

1. Montana
2. Brady
3. Elway
4. Manning
5. Marino

(6. Warner, 7. Favre, 8. Aikman, 9. Young, 10. McNabb (early days))

Would probably put Steve Young in there instead of McNabb.

[AZOffaly]

Steve Young is my number 9. I didn't mean Vince

[Club Rossa]

Stew,you have Manning ahead of Brady,yet you don't seem so keen as Marino as he couldn't get it done when it mattered most.Surely then,on that basis,Brady is a better QB than Manning.
Manning is 9-9 in playoff football,Brady i think is 14-4.

[stew]

Stew,you have Manning ahead of Brady,yet you don't seem so keen as Marino as he couldn't get it done when it mattered most.Surely then,on that basis,Brady is a better QB than Manning.
Manning is 9-9 in playoff football,Brady i think is 14-4.

Good points all, the reason why I have Manning ahead of Brady is that Brady has played on amazing teams wheras Manning did the majority, the vast majority of the offensive work for the Colts this season, to me they are no more than an average NFL team without him.

Manning came into the league and the team were brutal  in his first two seasons, they have built success around him, in cotrast the Pats were on the rise and Brady got in just because of an injuty to the starting qb.

Last and by no means least, I asked myself that if I had to choose the man I trusted most to make a game winning play other than Montana who would it be, it boiled down to Manning or Brady with Manning getting the nod, and I am a die hard Pats fan.

[magickingdom]

Steve Young is my number 9. I didn't mean Vince

i never rated young (maybe i wasnt fair on him because he took over from montana), if he said 'i learnt from those 4 interceptions' once he said it a thousand times. never learnt a thing imo, nice guy tho. .

[AZOffaly]

Ah I thought Young was a very good QB. He had a tendency for inopportune interceptions, but I can't remember too many 4 INT games. He has the highest Career Quarterback rating (96. and also has the most rushing TDs by a QB with 43. His TD to INT ratio is 232 to 107.

[Shrek]

Bit late on posting but really enjoyed the Superbowl this year.

It did help i had a few pound on the Saints, although i did feel for the guy sat next to me who had 2 million  on the Colts, needless to say he didnt finish his dinner.