Dwyane Wade’s recent golf analogy comparing LeBron James to Michael Jordan is by far the best I’ve heard. For those of you who haven’t heard the analogy, Wade used the holes on a golf course to describe the differences between Jordan and LeBron’s careers (Michael Jordan on the 18th hole and LeBron James on the 4th hole). By using the golf course to compare where each superstar is in their respective careers, Wade very clearly stated that LeBron James has a long way to go to catch Jordan. I find myself thinking maybe the analogy will cool off the constant LJ to MJ comparisons by analysts and sports writers every where. But probably not!

With that said there are two flaws with the analogy. First, since MJ’s career is over, he is more likely on the 19th hole with a Jack Daniels and Gatorade. Small flaw but I’m pretty sure that Wade does not have a prepared statement to compare Jordan and LeBron. The second flaw though is a little more significant. See, I believe that James will never be able to reach the 18th and fully catch up with Jordan because he skipped a hole!

Being a long time fan of the NBA, I remember the struggles that Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls went through to get that first championship. They had to work their way through the same team and for three straight years the Detroit Pistons knocked the Bulls out of the NBA playoffs. That made it much more special when the Bulls finally beat the Pistons in 1991 to earn their first trip to the finals.

By beating the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1991 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan has accomplished something that LeBron never will. That is taking an NBA team that had never won a championship through the trials and tribulations of earning a Finals win. This accomplishment is as much a part of the Michael Jordan legend as anything else because it adds a transcendent value that stands the test of time.

LeBron James jumping ship and joining forces with the Miami Heat means he has missed out on that opportunity. He is by far the most talented player in the NBA. He is also sure to win more championships. But he will never again get the opportunity to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA Finals win. Consequently, he not only cheated Cavaliers fans out of this, but the rest of us who wanted to see him earn a championship in Cleveland. Long term this will tarnish LeBron James legacy and hence he will never transcend the legend of Air Jordan.

Denver Sports Chat by Headline

The post Stuck on the 17th hole, LeBron James not transcendent like Jordan appeared first on Denver Sports Chat.

Denver, CO. The regular season is now in the books, and things now get ramped up several notches. The gold is on the line, and it’s now single elimination football! I finished the regular season with a record of 168-87-1, and my colleague “Headline” got better as the year went on, but still finished a distant 10 games back at 158-97-1. Maybe next year, buddy……then again, maybe not……on to the picks for wildcard weekend……

J Simp’s Picks:
Houston Texans 19, Cincinnati Bengals 17
Green Bay Packers 38, Minnesota Vikings 16
Baltimore Ravens 41, Indianapolis Colts 17
Seattle Seahawks 24, Washington Redskins 23

Headline’s Picks:
Houston Texans 35, Cincinnati Bengals 22
Minnesota Vikings 23, Green Bay Packers 20
Indianapolis Colts 24, Baltimore Ravens 18
Washington Redskins 27, Seattle Seahawks 21
 

The post J Simp: NFL Picks Wildcard Round appeared first on Denver Sports Chat.

Denver, CO. A couple of rough weeks have brought me back down to earth, as two weeks of 8-8 and 9-7 respectively will do that. For the year, I am now 156-83-1 and looking to finish out the campaign strong in week 17. My colleague, “Headline”, has made a little ground in recent weeks, but is still 13 games back at 143-96-1. On to the final week before the playoffs begin!

J Simp’s Picks:
Atlanta Falcons 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20
Buffalo Bills 34, New York Jets 14
Cincinnati Bengals 23, Baltimore Ravens 17
Chicago Bears 26, Detroit Lions 16
Houston Texans 30, Indianapolis Colts 24
New Orleans Saints 35, Carolina Panthers 28
New York Giants 19, Philadelphia Eagles 10
Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Cleveland Browns 7
Tennessee Titans 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 13
Denver Broncos 33, Kansas City Chiefs 12
Minnesota Vikings 27, Green Bay Packers 24
New England Patriots 34, Miami Dolphins 10
San Diego Chargers 31, Oakland Raiders 16
Seattle Seahawks 38, St. Louis Rams 14
San Francisco 49ers 30, Arizona Cardinals 6
Dallas Cowboys 29, Washington Redskins 23

Headline’s Picks:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, Atlanta 10
Buffalo Bills 21, New York Jets 17
Cincinnati Bengals 28, Baltimore Ravens 14
Indianapolis Colts 28, Houston Texans 24
Chicago Bears 23, Detroit Lions 20
New Orleans Saints 38, Carolina Panthers 14
New York Giants 28, Philadelphia Eagles 10
Pittsburgh Steelers 22, Cleveland Browns 13
Tennessee Titans 17, Jacksonville Jaguars 10
Denver Broncos 23, Kansas City Chiefs 0
Minnesota Vikings 28, Green Bay Packers 27
New England Patriots 34, Miami Dolphins 13
San Diego Chargers 23, Oakland Raiders 20
Seattle Seahawks 24, St. Louis Rams 17
San Francisco 49ers 27, Arizona Cardinals 19
Washington Redskins 31, Dallas Cowboys 24

The post J Simp: NFL Picks Week 17 appeared first on Denver Sports Chat.

Denver, CO. The finish line to the regular season is almost here, and there are some truly fantastic games slated for week 15! Week 14 gave me a record of 10-6, as I am now 139-68-1. My colleague Headline went 9-7 last week, and is now a paltry 121-86-1 for the year. Lets get to what will happen in week 15……

J Simp’s Picks:
Cincinnati Bengals 23, Philadelphia Eagles 14
New York Giants 27, Atlanta Falcons 24
Baltimore Ravens 23, Denver Broncos 21
Green Bay Packers 26, Chicago Bears 19
Cleveland Browns 30, Washington Redskins 20
Houston Texans 38, Indianapolis Colts 17
Miami Dolphins 17, Jacksonville Jaguars 12
New Orleans Saints 41, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21
St. Louis Rams 20, Minnesota Vikings 19
Detroit Lions 28, Arizona Cardinals 23
Seattle Seahawks 27, Buffalo Bills 14
San Diego Chargers 31, Carolina Panthers 23
Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Dallas Cowboys 16
Oakland Raiders 16, Kansas City Chiefs 13
New England Patriots 31, San Francisco 49ers 17
Tennessee Titans 19, New York Jets 10

Headline’s Picks:
Philadelphia Eagles 22, Cincinnati Bengals 13
Green Bay Packers 26, Chicago Bears 17
St. Louis Rams 21, Minnesota Vikings 20
Denver Broncos 24, Baltimore Ravens 22
New York Giants 38, Atlanta Falcons 13
New Orleans Saints 42, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 36
Houston Texans 35, Indianapolis Colts 21
Miami Dolphins 21, Jacksonville Jaguars 10
Washington Redskins 35, Cleveland Browns 24
Detroit Lions 42, Arizona Cardinals 3
San Diego Chargers 31, Carolina Panthers 27
Seattle Seahawks 24, Buffalo Bills 7
Dallas Cowboys 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 21
Oakland Raiders 16, Kansas City Chiefs 13
San Francisco 49ers 24, New England Patriots 19
New York Jets 3, Tennessee Titans 2
 

The post J Simp: NFL Picks Week 15 appeared first on Denver Sports Chat.

Denver, CO. It’s now officially crunch time in the NFL, as wildcard berths are very much up in the air. 4 weeks remain, and those teams that have locked up division titles must find ways of staying sharp. Week 13 produced an 11-5 record of picks for both myself as well as my colleague, “Headline”. I am now 129-62-1 for the season. “Headline” is still 17 games back at 112-79-1. Here is the slate for week 14……

J Simp’s Picks:
Denver Broncos 27, Oakland Raiders 0
Indianapolis Colts 27, Tennessee Titans 23
New York Jets 16, Jacksonville Jaguars 14
Cincinnati Bengals 30, Dallas Cowboys 23
Washington Redskins 33, Baltimore Ravens 20
Pittsburgh Steelers 24, San Diego Chargers 7
Chicago Bears 19, Minnesota Vikings 17
Buffalo Bills 26, St. Louis Rams 24
Cleveland Browns 31, Kansas City Chiefs 13
Atlanta Falcons 23, Carolina Panthers 17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30, Philadelphia Eagles 10
San Francisco 49ers 28, Miami Dolphins 12
New York Giants 34, New Orleans Saints 24
Seattle Seahawks 26, Arizona Cardinals 9
Green Bay Packers 35, Detroit Lions 27
New England Patriots 31, Houston Texans 23

Headline’s Picks:
Denver Broncos 38, Oakland Raiders 13
Indianapolis Colts 24, Tennessee Titans 10
New York Jets 19, Jacksonville Jaguars 17
Cincinnati Bengals 31, Dallas Cowboys 28
Washington Redskins 27, Baltimore Ravens 14
Pittsburgh Steelers 18, San Diego Chargers 10
Chicago Bears 21, Minnesota Vikings 17
Buffalo Bills 31, St. Louis Rams 24
Cleveland Browns 10, Kansas City Chiefs 9
Atlanta Falcons 28, Carolina Panthers 21
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38, Philadelphia Eagles 9
San Francisco 49ers 21, Miami Dolphins 17
New York Giants 28, New Orleans Saints 21
Seattle Seahawks 17, Arizona Cardinals 14
Green Bay Packers 38, Detroit Lions 24
Houston Texans 28, New England Patriots 27
 

The post J Simp: NFL Picks Week 14 appeared first on Denver Sports Chat.

Denver, CO. 5 weeks left in the regular season, and things are getting very interesting around the NFL. No really great teams currently, but several very good teams that could become great in December and January. Week 12 produced a 9-7 record of picks for myself, and an 8-8 record for my colleague, “Headline”. I am now 118-57-1 for the year, and he is 101-74-1. Apparently this is a “learning” year for him, as this friendly competition in 2012 was over many weeks ago. On to picks for week 13……

J Simp’s Picks:
Atlanta Falcons 26, New Orleans Saints 21
Buffalo Bills 28, Jacksonville Jaguars 16
Chicago Bears 23, Seattle Seahawks 19
Detroit Lions 38, Indianapolis Colts 24
Green Bay Packers 27, Minnesota Vikings 13
Carolina Panthers 30, Kansas City Chiefs 17
New England Patriots 41, Miami Dolphins 23
New York Jets 19, Arizona Cardinals 12
San Francisco 49ers 26, St. Louis Rams 16
Houston Texans 33, Tennessee Titans 10
Denver Broncos 37, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24
Baltimore Ravens 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 16
Cleveland Browns 13, Oakland Raiders 10
Cincinnati Bengals 31, San Diego Chargers 27
Dallas Cowboys 30, Philadelphia Eagles 13
Washington Redskins 35, New York Giants 31

Headline’s Picks:
Atlanta Falcons 31, New Orleans Saints 28
Indianapolis Colts 24, Detroit Lions 20
New England Patriots 31, Miami Dolphins 20
Chicago Bears 27, Seattle Seahawks 13
Buffalo Bills 28, Jacksonville Jaguars 26
St. Louis Rams 29, San Francisco 49ers 24
Houston Texans 35, Tennessee Titans 16
Green Bay Packers 24, Minnesota Vikings 10
New York Jets 24, Arizona Cardinals 17
Kansas City Chiefs 21, Carolina Panthers 16
Denver Broncos 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24
Oakland Raiders 34, Cleveland Browns 21
San Diego Chargers 24, Cincinnati Bengals 21
Baltimore Ravens 16, Pittsburgh Steelers 13
Dallas Cowboys 22, Philadelphia Eagles 6
New York Giants 38, Washington Redskins 27
 

The post J Simp: NFL Picks Week 13 appeared first on Denver Sports Chat.

Denver, CO. A 13-1 week of picking NFL games is rare, but it did happen in week 11. Not only did I achieve that, but my colleague did as well, as there were not many upsets at all. I am now 109-50-1 for the year, and “Headline” is still a distant 16 games behind, at 93-66-1. On to week 12……

J Simp’s Picks:
Houston Texans 34, Detroit Lions 24
Washington Redskins 27, Dallas Cowboys 24
New England Patriots 28, New York Jets 19
Chicago Bears 17, Minnesota Vikings 13
Cincinnati Bengals 31, Oakland Raiders 20
Pittsburgh Steelers 23, Cleveland Browns 14
Indianapolis Colts 35, Buffalo Bills 27
Tennessee Titans 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 23
Denver Broncos 34, Kansas City Chiefs 16
Seattle Seahawks 20, Miami Dolphins 7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30, Atlanta Falcons 24
Baltimore Ravens 19, San Diego Chargers 16
Arizona Cardinals 26, St. Louis Rams 17
San Francisco 49ers 24, New Orleans Saints 22
Green Bay Packers 27, New York Giants 23
Philadelphia Eagles 16, Carolina Panthers 14

Headline’s Picks:
Detroit Lions 24, Houston Texans 21
Dallas Cowboys 22, Washington Redskins 17
New England Patriots 45, New York Jets 7
Pittsburgh Steelers 14, Cleveland Browns 12
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Atlanta Falcons 27
Cincinnati Bengals 26, Oakland Raiders 10
Chicago Bears 19, Minnesota Vikings 14
Seattle Seahawks 23, Miami Dolphins 17
Indianapolis Colts 24, Buffalo Bills 16
Denver Broncos 38, Kansas City Chiefs 13
Jacksonville Jaguars 23, Tennessee Titans 21
Baltimore Ravens 29, San Diego Chargers 21
New Orleans Saints 31, San Francisco 49ers 24
Arizona Cardinals 17, St. Louis Rams 14
New York Giants 42, Green Bay Packers 37
Philadelphia Eagles 24, Carolina Panthers 17

The post J Simp: NFL Picks Week 12 appeared first on Denver Sports Chat.

Denver, CO. A hearty congratulations goes out to my colleague, Headline, who after ten weeks of mediocrity and failing to predict NFL games better than yours truly, finally got it done. Headline went 9-4-1, while I went 8-5-1. It is a monumental achievement for my colleague, as I was wondering if he would go winless for the entire year. Headline is now 80-65-1, while I am 96-49-1. On to week 11……

J Simp’s Picks:
Buffalo Bills 23, Miami Dolphins 17
Atlanta Falcons 26, Arizona Cardinals 14
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Carolina Panthers 24
Dallas Cowboys 28, Cleveland Browns 16
Green Bay Packers 27, Detroit Lions 23
Houston Texans 35, Jacksonville Jaguars 6
Cincinnati Bengals 19, Kansas City Chiefs 17
St. Louis Rams 20, New York Jets 13
Washington Redskins 33, Philadelphia Eagles 14
New Orleans Saints 34, Oakland Raiders 31
Denver Broncos 38, San Diego Chargers 20
New England Patriots 42, Indianapolis Colts 24
Baltimore Ravens 23, Pittsburgh Steelers 20
San Francisco 49ers 16, Chicago Bears 12

Headline’s Picks:
Buffalo Bills 28, Miami Dolphins 21
Houston Texans 34, Jacksonville Jaguars 17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Carolina Panthers 16
Atlanta Falcons 24, Arizona Cardinals 17
St. Louis Rams 27, New York Jets 3
New England Patriots 38, Indianapolis Colts 19
Cincinnati Bengals 34, Kansas City Chiefs 3
Green Bay Packers 28, Detroit Lions 26
Washington Redskins 31, Philadelphia Eagles 17
Dallas Cowboys 27, Cleveland Browns 5
New Orleans Saints 38, Oakland Raiders 29
Denver Broncos 34, San Diego Chargers 13
Baltimore Ravens 41, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
San Francisco 49ers 21, Chicago Bears 14

The post J Simp: NFL Picks Week 11 appeared first on Denver Sports Chat.

Denver, CO. Now more than halfway through the season, things are starting to take shape as we see who the playoff teams may be. A lot of mediocrity, as there really aren’t any great teams right now. Even though Atlanta is 8-0, I aint quite buyin it just yet….Those Broncos are hot, and may be coming together at just the right time. Yours truly went 12-2 last week, as I am now 88-44 for the year. My colleague, Headline, is struggling in 2012 when it comes to the NFL apparently. He had a decent week, going 10-4, but is just 71-61 so far……not much better than most 4th graders would do……on to week 10……

J Simp’s Picks:
Indianapolis Colts 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 21
Baltimore Ravens 34, Oakland Raiders 13
Denver Broncos 29, Carolina Panthers 16
New York Giants 28, Cincinnati Bengals 27
Miami Dolphins 23, Tennessee Titans 14
Minnesota Vikings 20, Detroit Lions 17
New England Patriots 38, Buffalo Bills 17
Atlanta Falcons 35, New Orleans Saints 34
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26, San Diego Chargers 24
Seattle Seahawks 27, New York Jets 12
Philadelphia Eagles 23, Dallas Cowboys 20
San Francisco 49ers 30, St. Louis Rams 10
Chicago Bears 24, Houston Texans 16
Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Kansas City Chiefs 6

Headline’s Picks:
Indianapolis Colts 21, Jacksonville Jaguars 19
New Orleans Saints 26, Atlanta Falcons 20
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27, San Diego Chargers 18
Detroit Lions 21, Minnesota Vikings 19
Denver Broncos 31, Carolina Panthers 17
New England Patriots 44, Buffalo Bills 10
Miami Dolphins 24, Tennessee Titans 13
New York Giants 29, Cincinnati Bengals 11
Seattle Seahawks 17, New York Jets 6
San Francisco 49ers 20, St. Louis Rams 10
Dallas Cowboys 27, Philadelphia Eagles 24
Chicago Bears 31, Houston Texans 16
Baltimore Ravens 24, Oakland Raiders 3
Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Kansas City Chiefs 0

The post J Simp: NFL Picks Week 10 appeared first on Denver Sports Chat.

Denver, CO. The NFL continues to be a crazy league where upsets pop up just about every week. Week 8 was no exception, and we are now roughly halfway through the regular season. Yours truly went 8-6 in week 8 (76-42 for the year), as my colleague Headline went just 6-8 (61-57 for the year). A 15 game difference….this thing may be over, folks…..on to week #9……

J Simp’s Picks:
San Diego Chargers 31, Kansas City Chiefs 17
Denver Broncos 30, Cincinnati Bengals 21
Baltimore Ravens 23, Cleveland Browns 16
Green Bay Packers 24, Arizona Cardinals 10
Houston Texans 38, Buffalo Bills 14
Miami Dolphins 20, Indianapolis Colts 19
Detroit Lions 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 24
Chicago Bears 16, Tennessee Titans 14
Washington Redskins 34, Carolina Panthers 28
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26, Oakland Raiders 17
Seattle Seahawks 20, Minnesota Vikings 16
Pittsburgh Steelers 27, New York Giants 23
Atlanta Falcons 28, Dallas Cowboys 20
New Orleans Saints 35, Philadelphia Eagles 23

Headline’s Picks:
San Diego Chargers 27, Kansas City Chiefs 17
Chicago Bears 24, Tennessee Titans 20
Green Bay Packers 28, Arizona Cardinals 14
Denver Broncos 28, Cincinnati Bengals 20
Miami Dolphins 23, Indianapolis Colts 17
Baltimore Ravens 28, Cleveland Browns 16
Washington Redskins 26, Carolina Panthers 24
Jacksonville Jaguars 24, Detroit Lions 20
Houston Texans 38, Buffalo Bills 10
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23, Oakland Raiders 22
Seattle Seahawks 27, Minnesota Vikings 13
New York Giants 29, Pittsburgh Steelers 20
Atlanta Falcons 44, Dallas Cowboys 3
New Orleans Saints 34, Philadelphia Eagles 10

The post J Simp: NFL Picks Week 9 appeared first on Denver Sports Chat.

Denver, CO. As we inch closer to the midway point of the regular season, things are beginning to shake out as we can all begin to see who might be the teams that will contend later in the year. 11-2 was my record for picks in week 7, which puts me at 68-36 for the year (65%). My colleague, “Headline”, continues to struggle as he doesn’t seem to have a grasp of what is going on quite yet. He went 7-6, and is now 55-49 for the year (53%). Maybe the second half of the year will bring him better success…..probably not…..on to week #8……

J Simp’s Picks:
Minnesota Vikings 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21
Chicago Bears 31, Carolina Panthers 16
San Diego Chargers 34, Cleveland Browns 20
Detroit Lions 24, Seattle Seahawks 23
Green Bay Packers 38, Jacksonville Jaguars 14
New York Jets 23, Miami Dolphins 14
Philadelphia Eagles 26, Atlanta Falcons 20
Pittsburgh Steelers 30, Washington Redskins 21
New England Patriots 35, St. Louis Rams 21
Tennessee Titans 20, Indianapolis Colts 17
Kansas City Chiefs 17, Oakland Raiders 16
New York Giants 31, Dallas Cowboys 27
Denver Broncos 45, New Orleans Saints 24
San Francisco 49ers 16, Arizona Cardinals 13

Headline’s Picks:
Minnesota Vikings 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17
Tennessee Titans 38, Indianapolis Colts 22
Chicago Bears 24, Carolina Panthers 13
New York Jets 17, Miami Dolphins 10
St. Louis Rams 31, New England Patriots 27
San Diego Chargers 28, Cleveland Browns 10
Washington Redskins 34, Pittsburgh Steelers 28
Philadelphia Eagles 38, Atlanta Falcons 13
Green Bay Packers 44, Jacksonville Jaguars 13
Detroit Lions 18, Seattle Seahawks 13
Kansas City Chiefs 24, Oakland Raiders 23
New York Giants 38, Dallas Cowboys 21
Denver Broncos 42, New Orleans Saints 27
San Francisco 49ers 13, Arizona Cardinals 10
 

The post J Simp: NFL Picks Week 8 appeared first on Denver Sports Chat.

Robert Kraft recently stated that he thought, with all due respect to Joe Montana, that Tom Brady might already be the greatest QB of all-time. In part, I agree with him, Tom Brady is better than Joe Montana. And it’s really not even close.

One of the common arguments on Denver Sports Chat has revolved around two guys, Manning and Brady. Arguing the merits of these two future HOF quarterbacks has been by far one of our most discussed subjects. And with the constant banter, I have found that some of my opinions have recently changed. I used to think without a doubt that Joe Montana was the best ever. That has changed.

One of the reasons I’ve started to change my opinion is due in large part to the Manning/Brady argument. See, J Simp argues that playoff accomplishments carry more value than regular season accomplishments and therefore, Brady is better than Manning. I on the other hand believe that both playoffs and regular season can carry the same value depending on the team, era, and individual accomplishments. The problem lies in the fact that both arguments create a conundrum.

This is because both opinions still place X amount of value on the playoffs and X amount of value on the regular season. Therefore,  when I think of 4-0 Super Bowl champions like Montana and Bradshaw, I think of stellar playoff careers with 4 Super Bowls each. And when I imagine either without 4 Super Bowls, there are new questions. What accomplishments do either QBs bring to the best ever argument? Is Montana really that much better than Bradshaw when you consider just regular season stats? Would Montana be as good in Bradshaw’s era as he was in his own? (the rules and offensive styles were a lot different) Is Montana really that much better than, Elway, Marino, and Favre? It’s just not as clear to me anymore.

Thus, these questions have led me to ten reasons why I don’t think that Joe Montana is the greatest ever anymore.

 #10. Terry Bradshaw:

So one of the main reasons Montana is considered the best ever is because of his 4 Super Bowl wins. The problem with this is that Terry Bradshaw is also 4-0 in Super Bowl appearances. So why the difference? Well, the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 70’s were regarded as a defensive team. In the 70’s defenses were what won championships. The rules were such that today’s type of spread offenses wouldn’t be as effective. Because a defender was able to abuse a receiver, a guy like Bradshaw wasn’t able to really show off his talent very much. I highly doubt that Montana would have had the success that Bradshaw had, had he played in the same era, under the same rules.

So what was more important, the Steel Curtain for Bradshaw, or the Walsh West Coast for Montana?

#9. The West Coast Offense:

Just because you’re one of the first guys to master a new style of offense doesn’t automatically mean you’re the best ever. Just think for a moment… What if Aaron Rodgers was the first guy to run that style of offense? How about Drew Brees? Or better yet, what if Bill Walsh had a guy like RG3 to run that offense in its infancy? I know this is speculation, but I find it hard to believe that any of these guys would have trouble running Bill Walsh’s offense in the 80’s. Can you imagine RG3 to Rice for 80 yards?

#8. Jerry Rice:

It doesn’t suck having this guy to throw to.

#7. John Elway:

John Elway had 5 Super Bowl appearances to Montana’s 4. Under Dan Reeves, John Elway would lose three Super Bowls with teams that shouldn’t have even been in the Super Bowl. Elway being the only reason they were in the big game. See, Reeves was schooled in the old way to run an NFL offense. Run Sammy Winder up the middle on first down. Run Sammy Winder around the right side on second down. Throw the ball on third a twelve. Therefore, Elway had only one down to show his stuff during the 80’s. Under Mike Shanahan and a Walsh inspired west coast style, John Elway went 50-18, including the playoffs, and won two Super Bowls. He finished his career with more wins, more Super Bowl appearances, more yards, more TD passes, and more comebacks than Joe Montana.

Does two more Super Bowls wins with Walsh, Seifert, Rice, Taylor, and Lott make Joe Montana a better QB than John Elway?

#6. Joe Montana’s career stats:

He is not ranked higher than 10^th in any of the major career passing stats. I know that the rules have changed a lot over the years, but have you ever heard of any of Joe Montana’s records being broken? That’s because he hasn’t set any. Recently Johnny Unitas had his record of 47 consecutive games with a TD pass broken by Drew Brees. That is a record that stood for 52 years! Dan Marino’s record of 5084 yards passing stood for 27 years. I don’t think Montana has ever held a major passing record. If he did, it wasn’t for very long.

Can you name one record that Joe Montana owns?

#5. Brett Favre:

Uhh… He has every record in the record book when it comes to major career passing stats. He also has two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl championship. He won one with a Bill Walsh pupil by the name of Mike Holmgren. Under a similar system to the one Montana was in, Favre tore up the record books! He also has one more playoff appearance than Joe Montana and he is simply one of the most durable players to ever play in the NFL.

So was Bill Walsh better than Mike Holmgren, or was Joe Montana better than Brett Favre?

#4. Bill Walsh:

The west coast style spread that Bill Walsh developed in the 70’s changed the NFL. He had the single biggest impact on offensive philosophy in NFL history. Before Walsh, most teams would run in order to establish the pass. With the West Coast the pass establishes the run. This is a staple in today’s NFL type spread offenses. The Walsh coaching tree includes guys like Holmgren, Seifert, and Shanahan. Three guys that all won Super Bowls.

So who made who? Did Walsh make Montana or did Montana make Walsh?

 #3. Johnny Unitas:

You are really, really, really good if you set an NFL passing record that stands for 52 years. In addition, you can add to that fact that the passing game was much more difficult during the time you played. In addition to that, you are a two time NFL champion and a one time Super Bowl champion.

Montana vs Unitas is one that can be argued only as long as it takes to put all of the accomplishments of each player on the table. If the NFL championship had not been renamed the Super Bowl, the Vince Lombardi trophy would be named the Unitas trophy!

#1-2 Tie – Peyton Manning and Tom Brady:

This is real simple… When these guys are done with their careers one of them will be considered the best ever. The other will be considered the second best ever! They both already have more wins, yards, touchdowns, and completions than Montana. They both have broken incredible single season passing records. Brady has five Super Bowl appearances with three wins. Manning has only two Super Bowl appearances with one win but is the only 4 time NFL MVP. Brady was the fastest QB in history to win 100 games where as Manning is the fastest to throw 400 career touchdowns. Manning owns the record for most 4^th quarter come backs whereas Brady has passed for over 5000 yards in a season. Manning has 11 seasons over 4000 yards passing whereas Brady has the most single season touchdowns with 50. For comparison, Montana never threw for 4000 yards in a season. And the most touchdowns he ever threw in single season was 31.

So tell me why Joe Montana is better than Peyton Manning or Tom Brady? Is the only reason you can come up with 4 Super Bowls?

Final Thoughts:

I’m not saying that Joe Montana doesn’t belong in the top 5. But it is hard for me to say anymore that he is the best ever just because of 4 Super Bowl victories. Just take a look at what the quarterbacks of today are doing in similar pass first offenses. The record book is constantly being assaulted by the likes of Brady, Manning, Brees, and Rodgers. Montana’s regular season stats just don’t support the best ever argument anymore. I hate to say it but Brady probably has the slight edge in the best ever argument right now. With that said, the 2012 NFL playoffs could totally change that assessment again. We will just have to sit back, enjoy, and watch NFL history as it unfolds.

Awesome!

By Robbie Dean

And one last note… In case you haven’t noticed, Drew Brees is re-writing the record book at a pace that is faster than any other QB in NFL history. This year alone he is already on pace to break his own single season passing record. More on that later…

The post Ten reasons why Joe Montana is not the greatest ever appeared first on Denver Sports Chat.