I Could Have Gone Pro: February 2010

Friday, February 26, 2010

Life Gone Crazy....

Sorry I've been away for a while. My life has gotten a little crazy over the past 2+ weeks. Somehow my desktop computer at home AND my work laptop both crashed. My laptop motherboard fried so I had to get a new one. Geek Squad is still trying to figure out what went wrong with my desktop, though they fear the Hard Drive or Motherboard is shot so that's just wonderful too. As far as everything else goes, work has gotten crazy busy, thanks in part to a calculation error on some reports. Been correcting and reissuing for about a week now with still plenty to do. Gotta love it. I also just found out I'll be heading back to Guam and Saipan in a couple weeks for some work. Can't say I'm looking forward to the 23 hour flight (each way....groan), but the 87 degree sunny weather will be a welcome change from the frigid start to 2010. Anyway just wanted to pop in with an update. Hope to have some more for you soon. Maybe I'll chime in on my thoughts on Tiger or the Olympics. I've been trying to the former settle in my mind a little and the latter to play out a little further. Plus the NFL Combine and Spring Training is firing up. Looks like there will be plenty to talk about in the coming weeks.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

My latest addiction....

I hate to pass up a good deal, when the opportunity to take advantage is there.

I know that's a little vague, but that's what blogs are about, right?

For those of you who don't know, I travel around the country (and sometimes beyond) studying soils and rock to help in the design of cell tower foundations. This may seem irrelevant, but it's one of the main reasons I developed this addiction. You see, with my job I have to travel to many remote locations, whether it be the deserts of Arizona, the snow covered plains of Wyoming, or the mountainous backwoods of West Virginia. All of these locations have drawn me into different climates and locales that can cause a need for a specific type of gear, whether it be trail shoes, waterproof jackets, or maybe a backpack to help carry everything. This draws me back to the point. I've become addicted to "gear deals" and I've found some of the best sites to find them at. With that in mind I felt the need to share with any of my fellow outdoorsmen or women who find yourself in dire need of a great deal on trail running shoes, downhill skis, mountain bikes, climbing rope, tents, pants, jackets, etc, etc, etc.

Enjoy!

http://www.steepandcheap.com/
http://www.tramdock.com/
http://www.bonktown.com/
http://www.whiskymilitia.com/
http://www.backcountryoutlet.com/
http://www.departmentofgoods.com/

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Who's The Greatest Quarterback of All Time? - Part 3

Having reviewed stats, awards, and other significant markers along the careers of these quarterbacks I've finally decided on my Top 3 of All Time. Here we go...

#3 - Johnny Unitas
His career stats are astounding for the time he played and are still impressive compared to QBs today. He was clearly the best of his era as seen by his Pro Bowls and Titles. The only reason I don't have him higher is because of how the QB position has evolved and how much more complicated defenses have become.

#2 - Joe Montana
This was where it really got tough for me. I was hard pressed to put Montana second to anyone. I'm not sure there is anyone in history who "knew how to win" better than Joe. He played in an era of fantastic quarterbacks. His 8 Pro Bowls and 4 Titles while playing against the likes of Elway, Marino, Kelly, and Moon shows how outstanding he truly was. Montana could easily be #1 in this argument. The only thing that held me back was the simple fact that he couldn't stay healthy. Who knows what might have been if he could have avoided some of the injuries that nagged him over the latter part of his career.

#1 - Peyton Manning
What can I say, the guy is a machine. I admit coming off the Super Bowl loss it's hard to say he's the best, but the fact is to win the Super Bowl one guy can't do it all himself. It doesn't take a great QB to win a Super Bowl it takes a great team, which is what the Saints were on Sunday. As far as Manning's legacy is concerned, he still has plenty of years left to get back and win another Super Bowl if you want to judge this argument on titles. The fact is the guy is the most dominant, hard working, and all-around best player the position has ever seen. No team wants to give him the ball with time left on the clock, because he has shown an innate ability to surgically dissect a defense without breaking a sweat. Some will question his 9-9 postseason record and say he can't win the big game, but I point to his stats, his 131-61 regular season record, and the fact that his passer rating for a season hasn't dropped below 95.0 over the past 7 seasons and I ask you.....what more can the man do?

Friday, February 5, 2010

Who's The Greatest Quarterback of All Time? - Part 2

In Part 2 of this three part series I will discuss the "candidates" and provide additional qualifiers and dis-qualifiers for each one. Based on the qualifying statistics and awards from Part 1 and the dis-qualifiers in Part 2, I will then compile my Top 3 list in Part 3.

What should qualify and disqualify each candidate from consideration?

90's-current

Peyton Manning (1998-2010)

10 of 12 years with 4000+ yds
Numerous single-season records
On pace to set all significant career passing records
Heady quarterback, but with limited physical abilities

Brett Favre (1991-2010)

309 consecutive starts (including playoffs) which is 100 more than Peyton Manning (2nd all-time)
Numerous career passing records
Most Pro Bowl appearances in a career
317 Ints
Threw an Int on the last pass he threw with Packers, Jets, and Vikings. With Packers and Vikings Ints leading to a loss in the NFC Championship both times.

Kurt Warner (1998-2010)

12 seasons - played all 16 games 3 seasons
5 great seasons - 5 average seasons - 2 seasons of 2 games or less

Tom Brady (2000-2010)

14-3 career playoff record
8 full seasons played - 7 average to above average seasons - 1 record breaking season
Very good TD/Int ratio
Some consider him a system QB (see Matt Cassel's success)

Troy Aikman (1989-2000)

Poor TD/Int ratio for his career
12 seasons - played all 16 games 3 seasons
7 seasons with less than 3000 yds and 7 seasons with less than 15 TDs

80's-90's

Joe Montana (1979-1994)

Played his best in the biggest games
31 career 4th qtr comebacks
Propensity for injury

Steve Young (1985-1999)

Career QB rating of 96.8 is best all-time
8-6 career postseason record
6 NFL passing crowns
Small sample size with only 7.5 seasons as full time starter
Elite running QB - averaged 5.9 yds/car for career

Dan Marino (1983-1999)

Couldn't win the big game
1 of 2 QBs to throw for 5000+yds in a season
When he retired he held the majority of all the significant career passing records

John Elway (1983-1998)

Couldn't win the big game until he had the help of an elite running game
Average Completion %
All Time leader in 4th quarter game winning or tying drives with 47
12 seasons of 3000+yds

Warren Moon (1984-2000)

Couldn't win the big game in the NFL
Completion % and TD/Int ratio dropped from CFL to NFL
Combining his NFL and CFL stats, Moon's numbers are nearly unmatched in professional football history

Jim Kelly (1986-1996)

Couldn't win the big game
Very bad numbers in Super Bowls
Ran a no-huddle offense that was so successful that the NFL changed the rules to allow defenses time to change formations in a no-huddle situation.

70's-80's

Roger Staubach (1969-1979)

Average completion %
Highest QB rating of all-time at time of retirement
Reputation for making the big play
"Creator" of the "Hail Mary" pass
Small sample size with only 8 seasons as full-time starter

Terry Bradshaw (1970-1983)

Won 4 Super Bowls in 6 seasons
TD to Int ratio nearly 1:1
Strong, but erratic arm
Played his best in the playoffs and in big games

Ken Stabler (1970-1984)

More Ints than TDs for his career
Threw for more Ints than TDs in 5 seasons as full-time starter
Uncanny ability to make the big play or lead the come from behind drive
At the time was the quickest player to win 100 games, since surpassed by only Montana and Brady

60's-70's

Fran Tarkenton (1961-1978)

Good playoff QB, but couldn't win the big game
Career passing yards leader at time of retirement (currently 6th)
Elite running QB - averaged 5.4 yds/car for career

Joe Namath (1965-1977)

Threw nearly 50 more Ints than TDs for his career
Threw more TDs than Ints in a season only twice in his career
Average to Below Average Completion %
Only QB to throw for 4000 yds in a 14 game season
Credited with helping to evolve the NFL from a run oriented league to the open passing style league seen today

50's-60's

Len Dawson (1957-1975)

Career passer rating of 82.6 was the best all-time at time of retirement
7 above average to great seasons during 19 year career
Excelled in the AFL, but struggled in the NFL
Lead Chiefs to a surprise victory in Super Bowl IV

Johnny Unitas (1956-1973)

Held the record for most Pro Bowl appearances at time of retirement (since tied by Peyton Manning and passed by Brett Favre)
At time of retirement his 118 wins was the standard and still remains 6th all-time
Holds the NFL record for consecutive games with a TD pass at 47 games
Career passing yards leader at time of retirment (currently 11th)
Thrived under pressure, exceptional leader

Bart Starr (1956-1971)

Won 5 NFL Championships in 7 seasons
Career record of 9-1 in playoffs, 2-0 in Super Bowl
Career Completion % leader at time of retirement
Did not play in a pass first offense, so statistical comparisons can be difficult
May have been a "system quarterback" as his success came almost exclusively under Lombardi

40's-50's

Otto Graham (1946-1955)

Career record as starter an astounding 105-17-4
Played 10 seasons of Pro Football and led his team to 10 Championship games, winning 7 of them
Played QB out of the T-formation, which is obsolete in today's NFL making comparisons difficult

Y.A. Tittle (1948-1964)

Couldn't win the big game, losing 3 consecutive Championships
The first and one of only 8 QBs to have consecutive 30+ TD passing seasons
Threw more Ints than TDs in his career
In 15 year career had only 4 great seasons

Pre-Modern Era

Sammy Baugh (1937-1952)

Turned the forward pass from something to be used with caution, into a primary offensive weapon
One of the key influences to the offensive revolution
Played Offense, Defense, and Special Teams throughout his career
At the time of his retirement held the record for most career NFL passing titles, with 6
More of a "Football Player" than a "Quarterback"
Threw more Ints than TDs in his career

That is the conclusion of Part 2. Based on the stats, awards, "qualifiers", and "dis-qualifiers" I will unveil my list of my Top 3 QBs of All-Time in my third and final installment. I will post the third installment after the Super Bowl to see if Peyton Manning's performance can influence my opinion one way or another.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Who's the Greatest Quarterback of All Time? - Part 1

With the upcoming Super Bowl nearly here, one of the hot topics this week has involved the two QBs playing. Many have started to wonder if a Super Bowl victory for Peyton Manning could catapult him into the #1 spot on the "All-Time Greatest Quarterback" list. Obviously the list is fictional and opinionated based on many different influences, but I've decided to give it a shot and come up with my list. This will be a tough one for me to tackle considering I'm only 28, so I've obviously missed out on the careers of many of these players, but I've been an avid football fan my entire life and with help, from everything from my dad to the NFL Network, I've managed to catch a glimpse into the players of yester-year. Now without further ado lets start with the question:

Who deserves to be in consideration?

90's-current

Peyton Manning (1998-2010)

Career: 50,128 yds, 64.8%, 366 TDs, 181 Ints
10 Pro Bowls, 5 All-Pro Selections, 4 MVPs, 1 Super Bowl MVP, 3 AFC Championship appearances, 2 Super Bowl appearances, 1 Super Bowl Championship

Brett Favre (1991-2010)

Career: 69,329 yds, 62.0%, 497 TDs, 317 Ints
11 Pro Bowls, 3 All-Pro Selections, 3 MVPs, 5 NFC Championship appearances, 2 Super Bowl appearances, 1 Super Bowl Championship

Kurt Warner (1998-2010)

Career: 32,344 yds, 65.5%, 208 TDs, 128 Ints
5 Pro Bowls, 3 All-Pro Selections, 3 MVPs, 3 NFC Championship appearances, 3 Super Bowl appearances, 1 Super Bowl Championship

Tom Brady (2000-2010)

Career: 30,844 yds, 63.3%, 225 TDs, 99 Ints
5 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro Selections, 2 MVPs, 2 Super Bowl MVPs, 5 AFC Championship appearances, 4 Super Bowl appearances, 3 Super Bowl Championship

Troy Aikman (1989-2000)

Career: 32,942 yds, 61.5%, 165 TDs, 141 Ints
6 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro Selections, 1 Super Bowl MVP, 4 NFC Championship appearances, 3 Super Bowl appearances, 3 Super Bowl Championships