49 replies to this topic

[Mike B]

Bill Russell is probably the most overrated athlete in history so a perfectly apt comparison.

Just curious, what are you basing that on?

[Pedro Cerrano]

Just curious, what are you basing that on?

How people rate athletes versus where they should be properly rated

[BSLChrisStoner]

Some old threads.... 

MBW Project: The best athletes of our lifetime

https://www.baltimor...f-our-lifetime/

 

Back Pick GOAT: The 40 Best Careers in NBA History

https://www.baltimor...in-nba-history/

[SportsGuy]

Current players who should be on this list:

Brady
Fitzgerald
AP


Guys who will eventually be on this list:

Donald
Nelson
Tucker

Borderline calls:

Rodgers
Brees
Yanda
Sherman
Ben


I’m sure I’m missing some guys.

[NewMarketSean]

Brees has the passing record, he should be on there. Better than Favre who I am guessing is on list.

[SportsGuy]

I’d be surprised if Favre was on it.

[Mike in STL]

Caught up on these episodes. Didn't realize they were unveiling some coaches on each one.

 

Gronk making the tight end list seems surprising. Also Kellen Winslow? Both over Shannon Sharpe? Ditka, Mackey, Tony G are no brainers. Then I'd say Sharpe, Gronk, even Witten before Winslow. 

 

I really think most of these lists are based on NFL films notoriety. (I didn't watch any of the other top-100 series after the abomination that was top-100 plays). Witten has no NFL Films moments and Winslow has the iconic clip of him being helped off the field. 

 

Also very glad that Troy Polomalu did not make it. And Ed Reed did of course. 

 

Baltimore Colts fans can probably speak more about Jim Parker. Wish Yanda (and other active) players could get on there. But can't argue against the other O-lineman one bit. 

[mdrunning]

Caught up on these episodes. Didn't realize they were unveiling some coaches on each one.

 

Gronk making the tight end list seems surprising. Also Kellen Winslow? Both over Shannon Sharpe? Ditka, Mackey, Tony G are no brainers. Then I'd say Sharpe, Gronk, even Witten before Winslow. 

 

I really think most of these lists are based on NFL films notoriety. (I didn't watch any of the other top-100 series after the abomination that was top-100 plays). Witten has no NFL Films moments and Winslow has the iconic clip of him being helped off the field. 

 

Also very glad that Troy Polomalu did not make it. And Ed Reed did of course. 

 

Baltimore Colts fans can probably speak more about Jim Parker. Wish Yanda (and other active) players could get on there. But can't argue against the other O-lineman one bit. 

Parker was the vanguard of the modern offensive tackle--a huge man (listed at 6-4 and 275 lbs. but he was likely bigger than that), but quick on his feet. I always thought of Jonathan Ogden as a modern-day Jim Parker. It was guys like Parker who helped put the smallish defensive ends out of business. 

 

It's no coincidence that the Colts were one of the first teams to utilize their tight ends as something more than just blockers. With Parker guarding the blind side, there was seldom any need to keep a tight end in to block; thus John Mackey became one of the first game-breakers from that position. It also should be noted that Parker was All-NFL at tackle and then at guard, which is something I don't think anyone else has ever done. He was also the first full-time offensive lineman inducted into Canton.

 

Like a lot of big guys, Parker struggled to keep his weight in check. Story is that before training camp would open, he'd put on an insulated skin diver's suit, throw a parka on over that, then get in his car and drive around town with the heat blasting in order to sweat off a few pounds. I don't know if that story is actually true or not, but it sounds like something players from that era would do. 

 

Glad to see Ogden make it as well. To me, he is the greatest Raven. And Roosevelt Brown of the Giants, who played his college ball locally at Morgan State.

[Mike B]

Parker was the vanguard of the modern offensive tackle--a huge man (listed at 6-4 and 275 lbs. but he was likely bigger than that), but quick on his feet. I always thought of Jonathan Ogden as a modern-day Jim Parker. It was guys like Parker who helped put the smallish defensive ends out of business. 

 

It's no coincidence that the Colts were one of the first teams to utilize their tight ends as something more than just blockers. With Parker guarding the blind side, there was seldom any need to keep a tight end in to block; thus John Mackey became one of the first game-breakers from that position. It also should be noted that Parker was All-NFL at tackle and then at guard, which is something I don't think anyone else has ever done. He was also the first full-time offensive lineman inducted into Canton.

 

Like a lot of big guys, Parker struggled to keep his weight in check. Story is that before training camp would open, he'd put on an insulated skin diver's suit, throw a parka on over that, then get in his car and drive around town with the heat blasting in order to sweat off a few pounds. I don't know if that story is actually true or not, but it sounds like something players from that era would do. 

 

Glad to see Ogden make it as well. To me, he is the greatest Raven. And Roosevelt Brown of the Giants, who played his college ball locally at Morgan State.

My father did a little work with Jim Parker, many years back.  He always said what a great guy Parker was.  The weight stories were true.  Ewbank and Shula both fined players for pounds over their playing weight.  It was something like $10 per pound, which today would be laughed at, but then it was big $$.

Parker was the Colts enforcer.  I will never forget a game against the Bears, Dick Butkus, decked Unitas on a dirty hit.  The Colts were deep in Bears territyory and Parker, walked into the end zone, took off his helmet and begged Butkus, to come get him.  Butkus had the rep of being the toughest guy in the game, wanted no part of Parker.

BTW,  Unitas got up and hit Ray Berry in Orrsville on the very next play, for a TD.  If you are old enough, you will remember where Orrsville was and why it was called that.

[Mike B]

I really am enjoying the NFL 100.  There, IMO are some problems with guys missing, but it is very well done.

 

Hoodie is great on it

[SportsGuy]

I’d be surprised if Favre was on it.

Guess I’m surprised

[Pedro Cerrano]

Guess I’m surprised

How does it feel to be wrong

[SportsGuy]

How does it feel to be wrong

No different than it feels any other time I’m wrong.

[mdrunning]

Hard to argue with the QB list, although I might have taken Bart Starr or Steve Young over Roger Staubach.

[mweb08]

Steve Young probably should be on it. Brees and Rodgers certainly have cases, but they aren't putting many active guys on this list.

[SportsGuy]

Was Young on the list of guys who were eligible to be selected?

I feel he is terribly underrated. The beginning part of his career probably holds him back.

[Mike in STL]

Hard to argue with the QB list, although I might have taken Bart Starr or Steve Young over Roger Staubach.

Yeah, there is no way Staubach is one of the ten best QBs ever. In fact, it sounded like he was surprised to get the call. 

 

At least Bradshaw didn't make the cut. 

 

Brees should be on there. His numbers are ridiculous. 

[mdrunning]

Yeah, there is no way Staubach is one of the ten best QBs ever. In fact, it sounded like he was surprised to get the call. 

 

At least Bradshaw didn't make the cut. 

 

Brees should be on there. His numbers are ridiculous. 

Had Brees made it, quarterback would have been the only position with two active players. That wasn't going to happen.

 

Brees had numbers working against him. The four QBs named to the 75th anniversary team--Unitas, Montana, Otto Graham and Sammy Baugh--were going to make it again, so that took four spots. For this time around, it would have been impossible to ignore Brady's six Super Bowls or Manning's five MVPs, so they were in. Brett Favre is the only player in NFL history to win three consecutive MVPs, so that made him a virtual lock. Dan Marino never won a Super Bowl, but his passing numbers were sublime for the time, and they still hold up well.

 

That would have left Brees to compete with the likes of Steve Young, John Elway, Fran Tarkenton, Roger Staubach, Bart Starr, Sid Luckman, Terry Bradshaw and others to compete for two spots. He deserved to make it, but it was also understandable if he didn't.

 

One guy who didn't even make the finalist list and should have was Benny Friedman. Few fans today have probably ever heard of him. He played in the 1920s and '30s, at a time when the forward pass was not only uncommon, it was discouraged by the rules of the time. To throw a pass back then, the QB had to be at least five yards behind the line of scrimmage. Furthermore, two straight incompletions would result in a penalty, and an incompletion in the end zone was a turnover. Yet Friedman's record of 20 TD passes in a season, set in 1929 with the New York Giants, stood for well over a decade. 

[mdrunning]

Was Young on the list of guys who were eligible to be selected?

I feel he is terribly underrated. The beginning part of his career probably holds him back.

No, he wasn't. He should have been.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Young was one of the 20 finalists.

I do respect Brees a lot...(his numbers demand it)...but do think it has to be factored that his home games have always been in favorable conditions and the benefits of playing in this era (rules + proliferation of passing offenses).

If someone has him in their inner circle elite, I get it. Numbers back it. IMO he's in that next group.