Sportsrant Community - View Single Post - Quarterfinal Match: Murphy's Law vs. Dave M.

Aveosmth · June 5th, 2005, 12:37 AM

The topic for this quarterfinal match was: Who is the greatest quarterback of all time?? Here are the contestants choices???

Murphy's Law picked: Bart Starr

A quiet seventh round draft pick to the Greenbay Packers is the
number one quarterback of all time. A bold statement this day in age
the greatest of all time in sports these days is tantamount to my dad
can beat up your dad,and you know that the verbal fists and in some
places the literal fists are sure to fly. But without a doubt Bart
Starr
is the best quarterback of all time. He wasn't the popular choice. He
isn't the household player that even your grandmother could recollect.
But the fact remains that he is by facts and facts alone the obvious
choice.
Starr churned through the passing stats in the 1960's. His career
interception percentage is the lowest of any passer in the decade, and
his yards-per-pass mark of ( 7.85) is better than that of a score of
quarterbacks who are generally regarded as among the best in history,
including Dan Marino (7.37), Joe Montana (7.52), Roger Staubach (7.67),
Dan Fouts (7.68), Sonny Jurgensen (7.56), Fran Tarkenton (7.27), Y.A.
Tittle (7.52), Terry Bradshaw (7.17) and Joe Namath (7.35). The only
equal to that mark goes by the name Johnny Unitas (7.8)

However even the closest comparison to Starrs' performance was
given
the old timey beat down. The Packers colts rivalry is at best lopsided,
the Packers beating the Colts out with ten wins to Colts five (out of
15
games) Couple that with the fact that Starr due to a dominating Packers
running game finished his career with 2,000 few passes than Unitas with
an equal yards percentage. Even the QB ratings gives the edge to Starr
over Unitas, with 80.5/ 78.2 respectively. Even though Unitas carried
the ball one hundred plus times more than Starr in his career which was
two years longer than Starr he gained only 469 more yards, with a lower
average of yards per carry as well as fewer touchdowns.

What about the big game you ask? Well when it was finally conceived
Starr won the first two and was the MVP of both with a combined 48
attempts 29 completions 1 interception and 290 yards. Unitas went to
one
Superbowl (5) had 25 attempts only 11 completions and had 3
interceptions for 260 yards. Before the Superbowl Lombardi's Packers
with Starr at the helm won five championships Unitas's Colts two. All
in
all close yes but Starr still has the edge. Bart Starr : Best
Quarterback ever.
I'm right your wrong and that's
Murphys' Law.

Dave M. picked: Joe Montana

Who is the greatest quarterback of all-time? That’s a question that avid football fans ask one another all the time. What makes a quarterback the best of all-time? Depending on who you ask, there can be a million different answers to that question. Every time I’m asked this question, however, my answer, without hesitation, is Joe Montana. There are several things that set Joe Montana apart from other quarterbacks, but for the sake of this piece, I’ll try to focus on only a few; his style and poise, his accomplishments and the fact that he got things done when it mattered most – in the Super Bowl. Joe Montana, to me, was an artist. His poise, his style in which he played the game of football is appreciated by football fans in the same fashion that an artist appreciates a masterpiece. His ability to read defenses is second to none. He also was the best at placing the ball where it needed to be. A few years ago, I attended a coach’s clinic at the 49ers facilities in Santa Clara, CA, where Bill Walsh, a man who knows a thing or two about quarterbacks, treated us to a presentation. He explained that in order to be successful in their offense, the quarterback had to be able to not only read the defense, but he had to be able to place the ball EXACTLY where it needed to be. Otherwise, the receivers would get blasted. For example, he explained, if the route called was a curl route and the defender was inside the player, the quarterback had to be able to place the ball on the outside shoulder of the WR. This told the WR which way to turn and run. If the defender were on the outside, he’d throw it inside. This, Walsh explained, is one of the biggest factors in the 49ers having so many “yards after the catch”, or YAC as it is commonly described today. Walsh went on to say that no quarterback had the ability to place the ball as accurately and consistently as Joe Montana did.

The example I just described is one of the contributing factors of Montana’s accomplishments. Montana enjoyed many successes and holds many NFL records. He masterfully engineered 31 4th quarter comebacks, 26 with San Francisco and 5 with Kansas City. He has the 3rd highest quarterback rating All-Time, behind Steve Young and Kurt Warner, which to me, is a joke in itself, since Montana entered the league in 1979, whereas Kurt “the bagger boy” Warner entered in 1998. Montana holds the record for the Most Consecutive Completed Passes (22), he’s 3rd on the list of All-Time completion percentage (63.24%), with only Steve Young (64.28) and the wanna-be QB Warner ahead of him. He amassed 400 yards passing 7 times in his career, second only to Dan Marino, and if anyone that watches football knows, Marino sometimes threw over 60 times per game. Montana was also named the NFL’s most Valuable Player two times during his career.

Montana accomplished many things during his career. But one of the things that makes him stand out amongst the rest is the fact that when it came time to get the job done, he got it done, and in a big way. He has a lot of nicknames, such as Joe Cool and Cool Joe. He was also known as Super Joe because when it came to Super Bowls, he was able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Montana owns several Super Bowl records. He has the highest Super Bowl Passer Rating with a whopping 127.8. The only thing higher than that is the temperature in Arizona in the middle of summer. He’s holds the record for most completed passes, 83. He once completed 13 straight passes in a game, also a record. He’s 2nd on the list for completion percentage with 68%, second only to Troy Aikman at 70%. He’s gained more yards (1,142) than any other quarterback in Super Bowl history and has thrown the most TD passes (11).

The next two stats are even more amazing. He’s the only player in the history of the Super Bowl to be named Super Bowl MVP three times. I think that has something to do with the fact that in 122 pass attempts, NONE were intercepted. Take that, Rich Gannon.

Records aside, Joe Montana spearheaded arguably the best comeback in the history of the Super Bowl. So great this drive was, it was soon labeled “the drive”. In Super Bowl XXIII, down 16-13 with 1:30 on the clock and at the 49ers 8-yard line, Montana looked at his teammates in the huddle, told them, “Let’s go, be tough.” Then, living up to his name, Joe Cool, he points to the crowd and said, “Hey, isn’t that John Candy right there?” His teammates, amazed at how calm he was, knew then and there they had the best man for the job. They knew they could count on him to lead them to the promise land. And that he did.

On a beautifully executed, 92 yard drive, Montana got all his receivers involved, spreading the ball to Jerry Rice, John Frank, Roger Craig, setting up the stage for the infamous pass across the middle of the end zone to John Taylor for the touchdown, and victory. During “the drive”, a Cincinnati Bengal told teammate and now announcer, Cris Collinsworth, “I think we got them now”. And he replied, “Have you taken a look at who is quarterbacking the 49ers?” That, in itself, is a testament to how great Montana was and is.

There have been a lot of good quarterbacks in the NFL. There will be a lot of good quarterbacks in the years to come, too. There have only been a handful of truly “great” quarterbacks, none as great as Joe Montana. I get a kick out of the fact that when rookie quarterbacks are entering the league, the question always asked is, “Who will be the next Joe Montana?” To me, that’s as stupid as asking, “Who will be the next Michael Jordan?” The answer is that there will never be another Joe Montana. There can only be one All-Time Greatest Quarterback, there will only be one Joe Montana.

June 5th, 2005, 12:37 AM	#1
Aveosmth Loyalist Join Date: 01-28-2005 Posts: 241 Tournaments Joined: 0 Tournament Wins: 0	Quarterfinal Match: Murphy's Law vs. Dave M. The topic for this quarterfinal match was: Who is the greatest quarterback of all time?? Here are the contestants choices??? Murphy's Law picked: Bart Starr A quiet seventh round draft pick to the Greenbay Packers is the number one quarterback of all time. A bold statement this day in age the greatest of all time in sports these days is tantamount to my dad can beat up your dad,and you know that the verbal fists and in some places the literal fists are sure to fly. But without a doubt Bart Starr is the best quarterback of all time. He wasn't the popular choice. He isn't the household player that even your grandmother could recollect. But the fact remains that he is by facts and facts alone the obvious choice. Starr churned through the passing stats in the 1960's. His career interception percentage is the lowest of any passer in the decade, and his yards-per-pass mark of ( 7.85) is better than that of a score of quarterbacks who are generally regarded as among the best in history, including Dan Marino (7.37), Joe Montana (7.52), Roger Staubach (7.67), Dan Fouts (7.68), Sonny Jurgensen (7.56), Fran Tarkenton (7.27), Y.A. Tittle (7.52), Terry Bradshaw (7.17) and Joe Namath (7.35). The only equal to that mark goes by the name Johnny Unitas (7.8) However even the closest comparison to Starrs' performance was given the old timey beat down. The Packers colts rivalry is at best lopsided, the Packers beating the Colts out with ten wins to Colts five (out of 15 games) Couple that with the fact that Starr due to a dominating Packers running game finished his career with 2,000 few passes than Unitas with an equal yards percentage. Even the QB ratings gives the edge to Starr over Unitas, with 80.5/ 78.2 respectively. Even though Unitas carried the ball one hundred plus times more than Starr in his career which was two years longer than Starr he gained only 469 more yards, with a lower average of yards per carry as well as fewer touchdowns. What about the big game you ask? Well when it was finally conceived Starr won the first two and was the MVP of both with a combined 48 attempts 29 completions 1 interception and 290 yards. Unitas went to one Superbowl (5) had 25 attempts only 11 completions and had 3 interceptions for 260 yards. Before the Superbowl Lombardi's Packers with Starr at the helm won five championships Unitas's Colts two. All in all close yes but Starr still has the edge. Bart Starr : Best Quarterback ever. I'm right your wrong and that's Murphys' Law. Dave M. picked: Joe Montana Who is the greatest quarterback of all-time? That’s a question that avid football fans ask one another all the time. What makes a quarterback the best of all-time? Depending on who you ask, there can be a million different answers to that question. Every time I’m asked this question, however, my answer, without hesitation, is Joe Montana. There are several things that set Joe Montana apart from other quarterbacks, but for the sake of this piece, I’ll try to focus on only a few; his style and poise, his accomplishments and the fact that he got things done when it mattered most – in the Super Bowl. Joe Montana, to me, was an artist. His poise, his style in which he played the game of football is appreciated by football fans in the same fashion that an artist appreciates a masterpiece. His ability to read defenses is second to none. He also was the best at placing the ball where it needed to be. A few years ago, I attended a coach’s clinic at the 49ers facilities in Santa Clara, CA, where Bill Walsh, a man who knows a thing or two about quarterbacks, treated us to a presentation. He explained that in order to be successful in their offense, the quarterback had to be able to not only read the defense, but he had to be able to place the ball EXACTLY where it needed to be. Otherwise, the receivers would get blasted. For example, he explained, if the route called was a curl route and the defender was inside the player, the quarterback had to be able to place the ball on the outside shoulder of the WR. This told the WR which way to turn and run. If the defender were on the outside, he’d throw it inside. This, Walsh explained, is one of the biggest factors in the 49ers having so many “yards after the catch”, or YAC as it is commonly described today. Walsh went on to say that no quarterback had the ability to place the ball as accurately and consistently as Joe Montana did. The example I just described is one of the contributing factors of Montana’s accomplishments. Montana enjoyed many successes and holds many NFL records. He masterfully engineered 31 4th quarter comebacks, 26 with San Francisco and 5 with Kansas City. He has the 3rd highest quarterback rating All-Time, behind Steve Young and Kurt Warner, which to me, is a joke in itself, since Montana entered the league in 1979, whereas Kurt “the bagger boy” Warner entered in 1998. Montana holds the record for the Most Consecutive Completed Passes (22), he’s 3rd on the list of All-Time completion percentage (63.24%), with only Steve Young (64.28) and the wanna-be QB Warner ahead of him. He amassed 400 yards passing 7 times in his career, second only to Dan Marino, and if anyone that watches football knows, Marino sometimes threw over 60 times per game. Montana was also named the NFL’s most Valuable Player two times during his career. Montana accomplished many things during his career. But one of the things that makes him stand out amongst the rest is the fact that when it came time to get the job done, he got it done, and in a big way. He has a lot of nicknames, such as Joe Cool and Cool Joe. He was also known as Super Joe because when it came to Super Bowls, he was able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Montana owns several Super Bowl records. He has the highest Super Bowl Passer Rating with a whopping 127.8. The only thing higher than that is the temperature in Arizona in the middle of summer. He’s holds the record for most completed passes, 83. He once completed 13 straight passes in a game, also a record. He’s 2nd on the list for completion percentage with 68%, second only to Troy Aikman at 70%. He’s gained more yards (1,142) than any other quarterback in Super Bowl history and has thrown the most TD passes (11). The next two stats are even more amazing. He’s the only player in the history of the Super Bowl to be named Super Bowl MVP three times. I think that has something to do with the fact that in 122 pass attempts, NONE were intercepted. Take that, Rich Gannon. Records aside, Joe Montana spearheaded arguably the best comeback in the history of the Super Bowl. So great this drive was, it was soon labeled “the drive”. In Super Bowl XXIII, down 16-13 with 1:30 on the clock and at the 49ers 8-yard line, Montana looked at his teammates in the huddle, told them, “Let’s go, be tough.” Then, living up to his name, Joe Cool, he points to the crowd and said, “Hey, isn’t that John Candy right there?” His teammates, amazed at how calm he was, knew then and there they had the best man for the job. They knew they could count on him to lead them to the promise land. And that he did. On a beautifully executed, 92 yard drive, Montana got all his receivers involved, spreading the ball to Jerry Rice, John Frank, Roger Craig, setting up the stage for the infamous pass across the middle of the end zone to John Taylor for the touchdown, and victory. During “the drive”, a Cincinnati Bengal told teammate and now announcer, Cris Collinsworth, “I think we got them now”. And he replied, “Have you taken a look at who is quarterbacking the 49ers?” That, in itself, is a testament to how great Montana was and is. There have been a lot of good quarterbacks in the NFL. There will be a lot of good quarterbacks in the years to come, too. There have only been a handful of truly “great” quarterbacks, none as great as Joe Montana. I get a kick out of the fact that when rookie quarterbacks are entering the league, the question always asked is, “Who will be the next Joe Montana?” To me, that’s as stupid as asking, “Who will be the next Michael Jordan?” The answer is that there will never be another Joe Montana. There can only be one All-Time Greatest Quarterback, there will only be one Joe Montana.