I know it's taboo for a Pats' fan to say... I like that Peyton Manning. (Not so for the little Manning, but he's thankfully done for the year ... so who cares about him?)
I like Peyton. He makes really funny commercials. He seems like a genuinely good guy. His teammates seem to really like him. He often loses to the Patriots in huge games. He doesn't sell UGGs. Oh, and he's one of the three or four best quarterbacks I have ever seen play the toughest position in pro sports.
Montana. Brady. Bradshaw. Aikman. Marino. Elway. Kelly. Staubach. Manning. For me, those are the best of my generation. You can put them in any order that you want. I never thought a Patriot quarterback would be on that list. I grew up watching Bradshaw and Staubach build Hall of Fame careers. I later watched as Montana, Aikman, and Elway won titles. I may not have always been rooting for them but I always enjoyed watching them and loved the way they played.
Manning is the same way. I don't really want to see him win another Super Bowl -- mainly because he's a Bronco and Pats' fans have a special dislike of the Mile High team. But if he does win it all he will have earned it -- again.
Even after a career-threatening neck surgery took a year away from him just as he was entering the last few years of his career, Manning the elder has battled all the way back and still makes passes that boggle the mind. He may be better than ever.
And he's still pretty funny....
Showing posts with label Terry Bradshaw. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Terry Bradshaw. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Thursday, October 21, 2010
A very Brady special
As I said when the NFL season started... this is the golden age of football.
If you are a fan in 2010 you can get as much football as you can stand. And then some. We can thank the invention of cable television for that. We can thank ESPN. And mostly we can thank the NFL Network. The league has never been more competitive and for those of us who love it we can basically spend 24/7 watching nothing but previews, games, highlights, specials, tributes, you name it. I hate to think what my days would look like if I hadn't gotten married. It wouldn't be pretty. Thanks, Dev.
On those nights when Dev is out doing her thing, I turn on Channel 265 (the Network) and catch "Total Access," "NFL GameDay" (with my man Prime), "America's Game," "Playbook," or any number of great programs. This year the Network has added another classic show -- "The Top 100: The NFL's Greatest Players."
Like everything the NFL Network (in collaboration with legendary NFL Films) touches, it is great sports entertainment. Once a week ten players are unveiled, profiled in interviews and highlights in the way that only the NFL does. Thursday at 9 p.m. has been must-see-TV since the show debuted in early September with pick #100 -- Joe Willie Namath. Perfect choice to start the list.
Each pick has either been a "I loved that guy!" player (#97, the late great Derrick Brooks; #85, Marcus Allen) or a history lesson into players I have only heard about (#83, Norm Van Brocklin; #64 Herb Adderley, just to name a few). There have been players I can't stand (#61, LaDainian Tomlinson) and players that I named my fantasy football team after (#65, Randy Moss). I've been enjoying every minute of it.
Until this week.
My tailgating friends and I have kicked around which Patriots would make the list. We knew the great Mike Haynes would be there even though he is best known for his years as a champion Raider. He was (#49). Some thought Rodney might make it. He hasn't. Some thought Willie McGinnest would be there since he holds the NFL record for most post-season sacks. OK, just I thought Willie would be there. He should be!
We all knew two Patriots who would be there. Hall of Famer John Hannah. And Tom Brady. The only real debate concerning them was which one would be in the Top 10? The greatest offensive guard to ever play the game or one of the three or four greatest quarterbacks. Some were sure Hog Hannah would make it near the top. My money was on the QB.
We were all wrong.
As this week's list of numbers 30-21 was unveiled there were some all-time greats. Jack Lambert, Emmitt Smith, Dan Marino. Then came #24. John Hog Hannah. Sports Illustrated named him the greatest offensive lineman ever to play the game many years ago. He hasn't lost that honor as far as I know. But he didn't make the Top 20. Even if you figure that the best player at each position (minus kickers, of course) should be ranked high that would mean Hannah would have to be in the Top 20. Anyone who saw him lead block on a sweep play would certainly agree. But if you check out the up-to-date list of the rankings at NFL.com you will see, in the second column, that Hannah did not get any votes from fans when they were polled online. None. Zero. He did not rank in the Top 100 with fans. So much for my theory that most football fans are historians of the game.
OK. Hannah 24. I can accept that. That leaves Brady. Three Super Bowls. 50 touchdowns in one season (that's a record). A great leader. A model player (GQ covers aside). A fierce competitor. One of the all-time clutch QBs. His story isn't even finished yet. I figured it would be a few more weeks before #12 came on the screen. I was just finishing my beer as the profile of #22 Gayle Sayers wrapped up (yes, I was a little close to tears on that one). Up next, number 21.
Tom Brady.
Uh, excuse me?
Number 21. How is that possible? From what I've read there are 17 QBs in the ranking. Here are the ones unveiled before Brady... 100. Namath; 91. Fran Tarkenton; 90. Kurt Warner; 83. Van Brocklin; 82. Steve Young; 80. Troy Aikman; 51. Bart Starr; 50. Terry Bradshaw; 46. Roger Staubach; 33. Sid Luckman; 25. Marino; 23. John Elway. That's twelve. Brady makes thirteen. So, according to my math, that means there are four quarterbacks that are ahead of Brady. (I won't even get into the fact that Bradshaw and his four rings being ranked 50th is ridiculous).
Of course Joe Montana, the best QB ever, is ahead of Brady. I would put him at #1 overall. But if Elway isn't. And Marino isn't. And Bradshaw isn't. Who are the other three?
Manning (Peyton, not Eli) would have to be one of them. But he better be #20 because he and Brady are so close that they have to be side-by-side. If he's in the Top 10 and Brady isn't then people just haven't been paying attention. Johnny U would get the nod to represent the great QB not in the modern era. That leaves one signal caller on the list ahead of Brady. Who could that be? Oh no. Not him. You've got to be kidding.
Brett Favre. It has to be him. He of the most touchdowns in NFL history. But he also of the most interceptions, most fumbles, most stupid game-killing plays, and most unretirements in league history. He also of one -- one -- Super Bowl title. Brett Favre -- as great as he is and as much fun as he is to watch when he's not sending cellphone photos of his body parts to women -- should never be rated ahead of Tom Brady. Ever. Or Terry Bradshaw. Or Roger Staubach. Or Troy Aikman. But since his name hasn't surfaced yet, I guess it's safe to assume the icon of ESPN is ranked in the Top 20. Why am I surprised.
While I was still trying to digest Brady's ranking at 21, a familiar face came on the screen. New York Yankee Derek Jeter. Of the New York Yankees.
Did I mention that each player is profiled by another player or a celebrity or a coach or someone relevant to the guy being honored? Reggie Bush on LT. Aikman on Michael Irvin. Warner on Marshall Faulk.
So the video on Brady starts -- the video I'd been waiting weeks to watch. The video that came about two weeks too soon. And the guy the NFL picks to talk about the greatest New England Patriot is Derek Jeter? And he's wearing a Yankees cap?
OK, NFL. Are we even for Spygate yet?
If you are a fan in 2010 you can get as much football as you can stand. And then some. We can thank the invention of cable television for that. We can thank ESPN. And mostly we can thank the NFL Network. The league has never been more competitive and for those of us who love it we can basically spend 24/7 watching nothing but previews, games, highlights, specials, tributes, you name it. I hate to think what my days would look like if I hadn't gotten married. It wouldn't be pretty. Thanks, Dev.
On those nights when Dev is out doing her thing, I turn on Channel 265 (the Network) and catch "Total Access," "NFL GameDay" (with my man Prime), "America's Game," "Playbook," or any number of great programs. This year the Network has added another classic show -- "The Top 100: The NFL's Greatest Players."
 |
TOP 100: Who you got? |
Each pick has either been a "I loved that guy!" player (#97, the late great Derrick Brooks; #85, Marcus Allen) or a history lesson into players I have only heard about (#83, Norm Van Brocklin; #64 Herb Adderley, just to name a few). There have been players I can't stand (#61, LaDainian Tomlinson) and players that I named my fantasy football team after (#65, Randy Moss). I've been enjoying every minute of it.
Until this week.
My tailgating friends and I have kicked around which Patriots would make the list. We knew the great Mike Haynes would be there even though he is best known for his years as a champion Raider. He was (#49). Some thought Rodney might make it. He hasn't. Some thought Willie McGinnest would be there since he holds the NFL record for most post-season sacks. OK, just I thought Willie would be there. He should be!
We all knew two Patriots who would be there. Hall of Famer John Hannah. And Tom Brady. The only real debate concerning them was which one would be in the Top 10? The greatest offensive guard to ever play the game or one of the three or four greatest quarterbacks. Some were sure Hog Hannah would make it near the top. My money was on the QB.
We were all wrong.
As this week's list of numbers 30-21 was unveiled there were some all-time greats. Jack Lambert, Emmitt Smith, Dan Marino. Then came #24. John Hog Hannah. Sports Illustrated named him the greatest offensive lineman ever to play the game many years ago. He hasn't lost that honor as far as I know. But he didn't make the Top 20. Even if you figure that the best player at each position (minus kickers, of course) should be ranked high that would mean Hannah would have to be in the Top 20. Anyone who saw him lead block on a sweep play would certainly agree. But if you check out the up-to-date list of the rankings at NFL.com you will see, in the second column, that Hannah did not get any votes from fans when they were polled online. None. Zero. He did not rank in the Top 100 with fans. So much for my theory that most football fans are historians of the game.
OK. Hannah 24. I can accept that. That leaves Brady. Three Super Bowls. 50 touchdowns in one season (that's a record). A great leader. A model player (GQ covers aside). A fierce competitor. One of the all-time clutch QBs. His story isn't even finished yet. I figured it would be a few more weeks before #12 came on the screen. I was just finishing my beer as the profile of #22 Gayle Sayers wrapped up (yes, I was a little close to tears on that one). Up next, number 21.
Tom Brady.
Uh, excuse me?
 |
BIG 3: Unitas, Montana, Brady. |
Of course Joe Montana, the best QB ever, is ahead of Brady. I would put him at #1 overall. But if Elway isn't. And Marino isn't. And Bradshaw isn't. Who are the other three?
Manning (Peyton, not Eli) would have to be one of them. But he better be #20 because he and Brady are so close that they have to be side-by-side. If he's in the Top 10 and Brady isn't then people just haven't been paying attention. Johnny U would get the nod to represent the great QB not in the modern era. That leaves one signal caller on the list ahead of Brady. Who could that be? Oh no. Not him. You've got to be kidding.
Brett Favre. It has to be him. He of the most touchdowns in NFL history. But he also of the most interceptions, most fumbles, most stupid game-killing plays, and most unretirements in league history. He also of one -- one -- Super Bowl title. Brett Favre -- as great as he is and as much fun as he is to watch when he's not sending cellphone photos of his body parts to women -- should never be rated ahead of Tom Brady. Ever. Or Terry Bradshaw. Or Roger Staubach. Or Troy Aikman. But since his name hasn't surfaced yet, I guess it's safe to assume the icon of ESPN is ranked in the Top 20. Why am I surprised.
While I was still trying to digest Brady's ranking at 21, a familiar face came on the screen. New York Yankee Derek Jeter. Of the New York Yankees.
Did I mention that each player is profiled by another player or a celebrity or a coach or someone relevant to the guy being honored? Reggie Bush on LT. Aikman on Michael Irvin. Warner on Marshall Faulk.
So the video on Brady starts -- the video I'd been waiting weeks to watch. The video that came about two weeks too soon. And the guy the NFL picks to talk about the greatest New England Patriot is Derek Jeter? And he's wearing a Yankees cap?
OK, NFL. Are we even for Spygate yet?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Pregame parade
Being a season-ticket holder, one of the things I don't get to do as often as I used to is settle into the couch on a Sunday morning and watch all the pregame coverage. So I brewed up some Peet's and decided to see if my remote control skills were still there. Just like riding a bike.
First stop: Fox. The network that turned the pregame show into a circus by adding comedians and cartoon graphics of robots. The starting lineup on the NFL Sunday morning shows change every year. Checking out the Fox desk I see former Giant Michael Strahan has joined Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long (is he still there?), and Jimmy Johnson. I guess JJ is really not coming back to coaching.
The camera cuts to Strahan awarding a hideous red Ford Taurus to a woman who won a contest. "It's all voice activated. You can just talk and tell it to do things," says Strahan. "Really. I drove this thing around for a few weeks." Not sure what this has to do with football. Then the anchors start talking about the Steelers-Vikings clash. Good. That's a big game. What insight can they give me? Bradshaw says the Steelers should be careful what they wish for in playing Brett Favre (who came into the league the same time as Bradshaw I think). "Caveat emptor" Bradshaw says to Strahan who looks at him as if he was speaking Latin. "I speak English," Strahan says. It's not good when Bradshaw looks smarter than you.
Switch to the NFL Network and Michael Lombardi is breaking down the Colts-Texans game. Finally! Some actual football talk. Love the NFL Network. The new NFL RedZone channel shows that American ingenuity is st
ill alive and well. Lombardi talks excitedly about the Colts offense and their "explosive aerosol passing attack." Click.
No pregame viewing would be complete without checking in on ESPN's "NFL Countdown" hosted by the Boomer Chris Berman. I don't know anyone who hasn't grown a little tired of the Boomer's act. He's lost his fastball when it comes to his rapid-fire delivery. But he's the Boomer. Like Johnny Carson, it's just comforting to see him. What isn't comforting is watching Tom Jackson and Keyshawn Johnson standing on a green floor that is supposed to simulate a football field. Jackson's holding a ball. He's explaining something about how you stop the wildcat offense. He and Keyshawn, wearing some darn sharp suits, start acting out the plays. I'm too distracted by Keyshawn's tie to follow what they are saying. It's never a good idea when an anchor or analyst leaves his or her desk. Never. Just show me some game film. Don't act it out.
Commercial. Time to go to the ... wait. There's David Spade in one of those Direct TV commercials where they take an actor in a movie scene and then record the actor looking like he's still in the scene but talking about Direct TV while the rest of the scene continues as usual. Only he's reenacting the classic "fat guy in little coat" scene from "Tommy Boy." Spade is spliced into the original scene with his old pal Chris Farley. Who's dead. Spade must have told himself as he cashed the check that it would make a great homage. It's just ghoulish.
Back to ESPN. The feature is "Ditka's Doghouse." Snoop Dog made the theme song. Snoop and Ditka. Makes sense. Ditka goes into Iron Mike ramble mode and rips on the Chargers for their being all mouth and no game. Have to agree with him there even though I only understood about half of what he said. Next feature is a special report on the old "Superstars" TV show of the early '70s. The episode pitted the Steelers against the Vikings in a Super Bowl rematch featuring one of the greatest tug-of-war battles in the history of sports involving rope.
Back to the NFL Network and the talk focuses on the Pats vs. the Bucs in London. Warren Sapp, former Buc, sums it up for his Tampa team: "That's a long way to go for a bum whipping." Click.
Time for "The NFL Today" on CBS. There's Dan Marino, Boomer (Esiason, not Berman), Shannon Sharpe, and former Steeler coach Bill Cowher. They are making their predictions for the games and Sharpe is holding a wrestling championship belt which I think means he won picking games last season. We have one of those for the loser in our family fantasy league.
Cut to a feature on the NFL's future in London. There's Bob Kraft looking dapper standing outside what could be 10 Downing Street. What's that he's saying? "If we expand the schedule to 18 games I think within a decade we could have an NFL franchise in London." He says the game is catching on in the land of rugby and soccer. Cut to a couple of English guys who were just asked what they know about the NFL. "I don't watch American football," said one gent. "There was a player called the Fridge right?" Looks like it's really catching on. A franchise in London? An 18-game schedule? Well, I'll enjoy the NFL for now ... till they destroy it. It's just right the way it is. Bigger is not always better. Except in nose tackles.
1 p.m. approaches and it's time to make a sandwich and pour a beer. I'm ready to watch some football. But I can't say I know anymore about the games than I did before a morning of watching television.
I'm looking forward to the Miami tailgate in two weeks.
First stop: Fox. The network that turned the pregame show into a circus by adding comedians and cartoon graphics of robots. The starting lineup on the NFL Sunday morning shows change every year. Checking out the Fox desk I see former Giant Michael Strahan has joined Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long (is he still there?), and Jimmy Johnson. I guess JJ is really not coming back to coaching.
The camera cuts to Strahan awarding a hideous red Ford Taurus to a woman who won a contest. "It's all voice activated. You can just talk and tell it to do things," says Strahan. "Really. I drove this thing around for a few weeks." Not sure what this has to do with football. Then the anchors start talking about the Steelers-Vikings clash. Good. That's a big game. What insight can they give me? Bradshaw says the Steelers should be careful what they wish for in playing Brett Favre (who came into the league the same time as Bradshaw I think). "Caveat emptor" Bradshaw says to Strahan who looks at him as if he was speaking Latin. "I speak English," Strahan says. It's not good when Bradshaw looks smarter than you.
Switch to the NFL Network and Michael Lombardi is breaking down the Colts-Texans game. Finally! Some actual football talk. Love the NFL Network. The new NFL RedZone channel shows that American ingenuity is st
ill alive and well. Lombardi talks excitedly about the Colts offense and their "explosive aerosol passing attack." Click.No pregame viewing would be complete without checking in on ESPN's "NFL Countdown" hosted by the Boomer Chris Berman. I don't know anyone who hasn't grown a little tired of the Boomer's act. He's lost his fastball when it comes to his rapid-fire delivery. But he's the Boomer. Like Johnny Carson, it's just comforting to see him. What isn't comforting is watching Tom Jackson and Keyshawn Johnson standing on a green floor that is supposed to simulate a football field. Jackson's holding a ball. He's explaining something about how you stop the wildcat offense. He and Keyshawn, wearing some darn sharp suits, start acting out the plays. I'm too distracted by Keyshawn's tie to follow what they are saying. It's never a good idea when an anchor or analyst leaves his or her desk. Never. Just show me some game film. Don't act it out.
Commercial. Time to go to the ... wait. There's David Spade in one of those Direct TV commercials where they take an actor in a movie scene and then record the actor looking like he's still in the scene but talking about Direct TV while the rest of the scene continues as usual. Only he's reenacting the classic "fat guy in little coat" scene from "Tommy Boy." Spade is spliced into the original scene with his old pal Chris Farley. Who's dead. Spade must have told himself as he cashed the check that it would make a great homage. It's just ghoulish.
Back to ESPN. The feature is "Ditka's Doghouse." Snoop Dog made the theme song. Snoop and Ditka. Makes sense. Ditka goes into Iron Mike ramble mode and rips on the Chargers for their being all mouth and no game. Have to agree with him there even though I only understood about half of what he said. Next feature is a special report on the old "Superstars" TV show of the early '70s. The episode pitted the Steelers against the Vikings in a Super Bowl rematch featuring one of the greatest tug-of-war battles in the history of sports involving rope.
Back to the NFL Network and the talk focuses on the Pats vs. the Bucs in London. Warren Sapp, former Buc, sums it up for his Tampa team: "That's a long way to go for a bum whipping." Click.
Time for "The NFL Today" on CBS. There's Dan Marino, Boomer (Esiason, not Berman), Shannon Sharpe, and former Steeler coach Bill Cowher. They are making their predictions for the games and Sharpe is holding a wrestling championship belt which I think means he won picking games last season. We have one of those for the loser in our family fantasy league.
Cut to a feature on the NFL's future in London. There's Bob Kraft looking dapper standing outside what could be 10 Downing Street. What's that he's saying? "If we expand the schedule to 18 games I think within a decade we could have an NFL franchise in London." He says the game is catching on in the land of rugby and soccer. Cut to a couple of English guys who were just asked what they know about the NFL. "I don't watch American football," said one gent. "There was a player called the Fridge right?" Looks like it's really catching on. A franchise in London? An 18-game schedule? Well, I'll enjoy the NFL for now ... till they destroy it. It's just right the way it is. Bigger is not always better. Except in nose tackles.
1 p.m. approaches and it's time to make a sandwich and pour a beer. I'm ready to watch some football. But I can't say I know anymore about the games than I did before a morning of watching television.
I'm looking forward to the Miami tailgate in two weeks.
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