H3:Top Ten Quaterbacks of All Time (10-6)

10. Roger Staubach- Roger was the head piece to America’s team. He led them to 2 Super Bowl championships. He captivated the nation like no other quarterback could. He led a team to the Super Bowl 4 times in his NFL career. Roger Staubach came out of Army as a Heisman Trophy. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys and he joined the war effort, and didn’t return until he was 29.  When Staubach retired he was the highest rated quarterback. At a time when defense dominated the NFL landscape, Roger could take chuck the rock up and down field like no one else could. Technically when he retired he would have been considered the greatest quarterback of all time.+

9. Dan Marino- Dan Marino was one of the most pure passers of all time. He was not the most agile, but he had the fancy feet to side step in the pocket from defenders. Out of Pittsburgh, Dan Marino was projected to go in the top ten, but he quickly slid down the board. Miami snatched him up and he transformed Miami for the next 16 seasons. In only his second year he had one of the greatest passing seasons of all time; passing for 5081 yards and 48 touchdowns. The record for touchdowns fell in 2003 and it wasn’t until 2011 that his record for 5081 yards was broken by Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Even after all of his accomplishments many view his career as incomplete because he didn’t win a Super Bowl.

8. John Elway- John Elway was viewed as the finest NFL draft prospect in NFL history, until Andrew Luck in 2012. Elway came out of Stanford in ’83 in the same class. During the 1980s John Elway was remembered for the “The Drive”, a 98 yard drive against the Cleveland Browns, but he was remembered also for losing 3 Super Bowls, all in blowouts to NFC super powers; the Redskins, Giants and the 49ers. Some thought that Elway would never win a Super Bowl, but in 1997 and 1998, he defied his critics, and won two Super Bowls. One was against favored Packers, where Elway led a game winning drive that was defined by his helicopter spin to the end zone. The next year he won it again, against the Atlanta Falcons, where he won NFL MVP. Elway was also remembered being a clutch quarterback and having the most NFL comebacks of all time, until that was broke by Peyton Manning.  

7. Bart Starr- No player in NFL history has been more overlooked than Bart Starr. He was selected in the 17^th round by the Green Bay Packers; it turned out to be the right choice. Bart Starr was overlooked merely because he played on a very dominant team and because of their scheme. The Packer of the 60’s weren’t going to spread you out and pass it up and down the field; they were a ground and pound team, only passing out of necessity. The Packers had a legendary team, ranging from; John Taylor to Paul Horning to Ray Nitchske to Forest Gregg, Herb Adderley, Willie Wood, Jim Ringo, and maybe the greatest head coach of all time, Vince Lombardi. While Starr was at quarterback the Packers only lost one Playoff game in his 15 year career. Starr won six divisional, five NFL, and the first two Super Bowl championships. The most famous was the “Ice Bowl” in ’66 the coldest game in NFL history. Starr on the one yard line QB snuck it to win the game. Even after all of the accolades and achievements, Starr still remains synonymous with the terms, underrated and overlooked. For whatever reason we don’t know, but he deserves more recognition.

6. Otto Graham- Not enough can be said about Otto Graham. This man was considered by many as not only one of the greatest NFL players of all time, but also one of the greatest players of all time. In ten years he won ten league titles, a feat to this day that has not been surpassed. Graham was a dual threat, running and passing his way to all league 9 of the 10 years. Many thought that Otto Graham and the Browns would get shown up in the NFL when they joined, but both Graham and the Browns proved more than equal to the occasion. In the Browns' 30-28 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the 1950 NFL Championship Game, Graham threw four touchdown passes. His finest title-game performance came four years later when he scored three touchdowns and threw for a trio of scores in a 56-10 beating of Detroit. Graham retired after that game but responded to Paul Brown's request to return in early in 1955. In the final game of his career, the NFL championship against the Los Angeles Rams, he ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more in a 38-14 victory.

            Tune in next time for quarterbacks 5-1 and see who tops my list as “Greatest Quarterback of all time.

H2: Who's In & Who's Out

Top Quarterbacks for Blog:

·         Tom Brady***Yes

·         Peyton Manning***Yes

·         Joe Montana***Yes

·         Steve Young**

·         Terry Bradshaw**

·         Roger Staubach**Yes

·         Otto Graham**Yes

·         Warren Moon*

·         Johnny Unitas***Yes

·         John Elway**Yes

·         Dan Marino**Yes

·         Brett Favre**Yes

·         Kurt Warner*

·         Ken Stabler*

·         Troy Aikman**

·         Fran Tarkenton*

·         Jim Kelly*

·         Joe Namath*

·         Bart Starr**Yes

·         Norm Van Brocklin**

·         Bob Waterfield*

***Automatics                        **Maybe                     *Honorable Mentions

H1:Marcus Allen-The Model Raider

Marcus Allen came out of USC with a lot of publicity. In 1981 he had won the Heisman with one of the greatest college performances of all time.  In his senior season, Allen rushed for 2342 yards and 22 touchdowns. He would eventually be drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders. In his rookies season Marcus Allen won the Rookie of the Year, rushing for 697 yards and 11 touchdowns, while catching 3 touchdown passes. Allan was truly a double threat at the halfback position. At one point Al Davis wanted him switched to a wide receiver because he had such good hands. Allen could also drop back; during his career he threw six touchdowns. In 1982 Allen helped the Raiders win a super both over the favored Washington Redskins. That year Washington seemed unbeatable, they had broke the record for points scored in a season, that season the Redskins were plus 42 in the turn over differential.  Let’s just say that the Raider’s won in spectacular fashion. Allen scored a 74 yard touchdown that put the game out of reach, and the Raiders went on to win 38-9. Allen had one of the greatest Super Bowl rushing performances of all time; rushing for 191 yards and 2 touchdowns. Allen would go on to win the MVP in  1985, as he led the league with 1,759 rushing yards on 380 carries for a 4.6 yards per carry average and 11 touchdowns. He also caught 67 passes for 555 yards and scored an additional three touchdowns. There was still some dissension on the team between owner Al Davis and Marcus Allen. Davis drafted Bo Jackson, one of the finest backs to ever come from college. Allen played fullback for Bo Jackson for four years before Bo Jackson blew out his knee and never played football again. Allen would take back seat to other running backs that would come in, from Roger Craig to Erik Dickerson. At one point Allen was 4^th on the depth chart. There was a period of 4 years when Allen rarely ever saw the field. Al Davis didn’t want Allen to play because Davis said that Allen thought he was bigger than the Raiders. Allen was awarded the “Commitment to Excellence Award”, which is voted on by teammates.  At the end of the 1992 season Allen was released by the Los Angeles Raiders and he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Raider’s biggest rivals. Allen Played six season there before retiring 1997. He still had that greatness because he had not played a lot in the earlier seasons. Marcus Allen finished his NFL career with 121 rushing touchdowns most in NFL history at the time of his retirement. To this day Marcus Allen still doesn’t know why Al Davis began to hate him and Allen will probably never know. Marcus Allen may not have been the fastest person in NFL history, but on the field he looked so smooth and fluid.

G2:Luck for MVP? Why Not

As we approach the last part of the NFL Season, the decision on who wins the NFL MVP still looms at large. There are the usual’s who will be in the running for the award like Peyton Manning who is coming back from his 4^th neck surgery and Tom Brady who seems to get better every week. Adrian Peterson is also in the mix this year for the award because he is having one of his best season ever off a torn ACL and he seems to be super human because he is just picking up where he left off. This year I am throwing someone new into the mix, Andrew Luck. This man has basically turned the Colt’s fortunes this year. They have quadrupled their wins from last year, having already won 8 games before the season is over. If the season ended today the Colts would be in the 5^th seed. Last year without a quarterback of some talent they faltered and struggled only winning two games. The award MVP stands for Most Valuable Player, and Andrew Luck is the most valuable player to his team because he has helped become relevant again. Andrew Luck plays with really no run game, his main back Donald Brown can’t stay healthy. He has a very young receiving core consisting Dwayne Allen, T.Y. Hilton, and Coby Fleener who are all rookies. He also has a defense that is ranked 22^nd in the NFL. Andrew Luck does still manage to have the Colts as the 3^rd ranked offense in the NFL and luck is 4^th in passing yards as a rookie which is very stunning and proves his value. Not to mention that the offensive line is not the best in the NFL. There is no mystery that Luck is done more with less talent than his predecessor Peyton Manning. Tom Brady’s team and Peyton Manning’s team both are much more talented than Luck’s team. Peyton has a dominant pass rush, a good offensive line, and nice core of wide receivers. Tom Brady is playing with an embarrassment of riches on offense. I firmly believe that luck should win it because he is doing something that has never been done before with so much less talent.

G1: How the Colts Got Lucky

Jim Irsay must be one of the luckiest men in football considering when he started as general manager he had the first overall pick and drafted Peyton Manning; 14 years later he gets to draft Andrew Luck. The Indianapolis Colts were a powerhouse with Manning, considering they made the playoffs from 2002-2010, a total of 9 years in a row. Manning for a long time since 2006 has had issues with his neck and that was attributed to a vicious hit he took in 2006. Since then he has had 4 neck surgeries to repair some of the nerves in his neck. He had muscle atrophy, or basically the nerves in his neck had begun to deteriorate. Manning also had a bone fusion in his neck too. That combined with a 2-14 season Manning and the Andrew Luck era had begun.

Experts say that Andrew Luck is the greatest quarterback prospect since John Elway is ’83; I have to agree with that. Andrew Luck has helped reshape an organization that looked like at the end of the season last year that would not be successful for another 2-3 years. Luck must have had a time machine because the Colts right now are 7-4 and have 3 times as many wins as last year. Luck is very good mechanically because on the field Luck as the appearance of a 5 year veteran out there because he looks so calm and fluid out there. He is a lot more mobile than people think he ran the same 40 yard dash time as Cam Newton. Luck is a physical specimen weighing in at 234 pounds and he is 6 foot 3. In 2010 when Luck was at Stanford he ran over California defender that he probably can still see in his dreams. Andrew Luck that same season destroyed a USC defender who had picked the ball up and began to run with it. Luck is probably better than a good handful of the quarterbacks in the NFL. He has really helped the Colts become relevant after a year of not being relevant. The Colts are in the playoff race this year and can make the playoffs this year after no one gave them a chance. Their season really got a jump start when Andrew Luck led the Colts to a comeback when they were down 21-3 to at the half. They won the game in honor of their head coach Chuck Pagano who was in treatment for leukemia. The Colts have done very well after that and another huge win for the Colts came on Sunday in a last second touchdown against the Detroit Lions to move them to 8-4. Andrew Luck has the most wins in one season for a first overall pick; he also has the chance to get the Colts in the playoffs, which would be one of the most improbable things to happen in the NFL I have ever seen. Andrew Luck is really making his case for rookie of the year; he remains in a close race with Washington’s electric play maker Robert Griffin III (RGIII). Andre Luck has lived up to the hype and should be a force to reckon with years to come.

F2:Tim Tebow: How He took the Nation by Storm

When Tebow came out of high school he was a highly touted player. He had actually committed to Florida over Alabama that just makes one wonder how history might be different. Tim Tebow took the college scene by storm and it wasn’t before long that Tebow became a legend down in Florida. Tebow won the Heisman in 2007 and led the Florida Gators to a National Championship. That season Tebow had one of the greatest seasons in NFL history rushing for 23 touchdowns and 895 yards. He threw for 3286 yards and 32 touchdowns that season as well. Two years later Tebow would help lead Florida to another Championship title, this time over the potent offense of the Oklahoma Sooners. Tim Tebow would end up beating the Heisman winner Sam Bradford in that game. But it wasn’t the game that was in the spotlight it was Tim Tebow’s emotional halftime speech he gave that was really the rallying cry for the Gators. Tebow would up getting drafted by the Denver Broncos. Tebow sat for much of his rookie season. The next season Tebow was jolted into the spotlight when the Broncos started off 1-4. Tebow led the Broncos on a magic carpet ride; the ride included a game against the Chiefs where he was 2 for 8 and still won the game. Against the Jets on Thursday Tebow rushed for a touchdown that Jim Leonard can still see in his dreams has Tebow juked him to get into the end zone and win the game with about a minute to play. Against the Bears Tebow beat the Bears on a touchdown pass and three field goals by Matt Prater that were all longer than 50 yards. Tebow helped the Broncos win the AFC West at 8-8 and they even won a playoff game over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tebow played great against the vaunted Steelers defense. He helped the Broncos get to overtime, where history was made. On the first play of overtime form the 20 yard line Tebow threw a slant to Demaryuis Thomas who took it the distance to score a touchdown. The next week Tebow went into New England and the Patriots found the secret for Tebow’s college style offense. Many thought Tebow would have another shot in Denver, but it turns out that John Elway the VP of Player Personnel wanted a different style of quarterback. That off season the Broncos signed the former 4 time MVP Peyton Manning. That was followed by Tebow being traded to the New York Jets. There we have just about seen everything from Tebow, he has played quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, and is even the personal protector on punt. I believe that Tebow has the ability to be a great passer in the NFL because he has determination, the work ethic and the passion to make himself into a great passer. After last season I thought that Tebow might be the chosen one for the Broncos, but John Elway thought differently, one must wonder when Tebow will be the chosen one or if he ever will be.

F1:Brett Favre-The Gunslinger

Brett Favre was one of the greatest players to ever step on the a NFL field. He wowed fans and spectators like no other player could. When Favre was drafted in the 1991 draft in the second round, they actually said that they drafted the wrong player. Favre’s first pass ever with the Falcons was an interception for a touchdown. After one year of with the Falcons, he was cut by the Falcons and he ended up signing with the Packers. The Packers starting quarterback, Don Majkowski, had the misfortune of being the stepping stone for Brett’s career. On one particular play Don ended up tearing his ankle, thus ending his season, and beginning Favre’s. In 1993 Reggie White signed with the Green Bay Packers, and together they propelled the Packers out of obscurity. Brett ended up leading the Packers to two Super Bowls and winning one of them against Drew Bledsoe’s Patriots. In 1995, 1996, 1997 Brett Favre had won 3 consecutive MVPs a feat that had never been achieved by any player. Favre was the face of the Packers for 11 more years. In the 2007 NFC Championship, in Green Bay, Favre had helped the Packers reach overtime in frigid temperatures. Favre ended up throwing an interception in overtime that ultimately coasted the Packers the game. Favre later retired in an emotional press conference. Favre later had the itch to play again. He wanted to come back, but the Packers had already chosen Rodgers as the starter, the Packers ended up trading him to New York. There Favre had achieved a feat that he had never achieved before, by throwing 6 touchdowns in a game. Favre had the Jets at an 8-3 record, but the Jest ended up going 1-4 down the stretch and failed to make the playoffs. One of the reasons for the failure down the stretch was due to the fact that Favre partially tore his rotator cuff and was not really capable to make all the throws. Favre then retired again, but wanted to play again, but the Jets had cut him and he ended up signing with the Minnesota Vikings. That season Favre and Vikings were fun to watch. The combination of him, Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, and Percy Harvin had the Vikings heading for the playoffs. That season on a when Favre had faced the Packers on Monday Night, it became the most watched Monday Night Football game ever. Favre got the better of Rodgers and Packers that night and later in the season when Favre beat his old team at Lambeau, where he was booed from the opening kickoff. Favre ended up leading the Vikings to a 12-4 record when they beat the Cowboys at home. The next game was against the Saints, in what I consider one of the most exciting games I had ever seen. Favre was beaten consistently by the Saint’s defense, but somehow he got the Vikings into a chance to win the game. In typical Favre fashion he rolled out and threw an interception, back across his body. The Vikings lost the game, and Favre retired again and decided to come back, but the Vikings never got back the same momentum from the season. Favre suffered injuries and his streak of 298 games came to an end when Arthur Moats hit him from behind, injuring Favre’s shoulder. Favre’s last game came against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night at Home, but because of the roof cave in the game had to be played outside in the cold at the University of Minnesota’s stadium. Favre took a hit from Corey Wootton of the Chicago Bears, who drilled him to the turf. Favre relied motionless, because Favre was knocked out with a concussion. Favre would retire at the end of the 2010 season. Favre finished his career with at the top of the list in Completions, Attempts, Yards, Touchdowns, Games Started, times sacked, and interceptions. When I look back at Brett Favre’s career, I think only he could do that, and he honestly was one of the most exciting players I have ever seen. He was so fun to watch because of the way he was on the field. Even at the age of 40 he was still jumping around, having laughs, and having fun even at 40 years old. There may be never another player like Brett ever again.

E1:Midseason Review

With the end of Week Eight of the NFL season coming to an end some notes should be made on the first half thoughts. The NFL every year is full of surprises and disappointments, this season is no subject. I have to say one of the teams that I am very surprised with is the Atlanta Falcons. I saw them as a good team already, but I didn’t see them as an undefeated 8-0 team. They have a very explosive team, with Matt Ryan leading the way at quarterback who is also an MVP candidate, Michael Turner leading the ground attack, and of course Julio Jones, Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, and the underrated Harry Douglas. Some other teams that are very surprising is the Minnesota Vikings who are 5-3 in the “Black and Blue” division, the NFC North. They led by second year quarterback Christian Ponder who has really come around this year, as well as a resurgence of Adrian Peterson who tore his ACL in week 16. AP is leading the NFL in rushing and is a NFL Comeback Player of the Year nominee. Percy Harvin is really taking the NFL by storm because he is Minnesota’s Swiss army knife, because he does it all, he catches passes, returns kicks and punts, and even runs the ball a little. Harvin is also a midseason MVP candidate. Two other teams that are helping their cause include the Indianapolis Colts, who have doubled their win total win total from last year, with the help of Andrew Luck and veteran receiver Reggie Wayne, with four, and are in the early playoff picture. The team that joins them in that category as most improved includes the Miami Dolphins who have four wins this year too, which come on the shoulders of Reggie Bush, rookie Ryan Tannehill, and a solid defense. With the many surprises come the disappointments of the season so far. One team that has disappointed me and many other people is the Carolina Panthers. Last year they were one of the leaders in explosive plays and were led by rookie phenom. Cam Newton, but this year they have a total of one win. Their defense has been not great to say the least, they lost one of their best players, Jon Beason to a season ending injury. Cam Newton has already thrown 8 ints on the season. Another team that has been disappointing to watch was the Buffalo Bills. They spent a lot of money on defense, which includes Mario Williams, Mark Anderson, and Stephan Gilmore, and their defense is ranked 31^st in the NFL, although they are 4^th in the NFL in rushing. The Bills are just 3-5 and are on the verge of not being in playoff contention. Maybe t6he most disappointing team from the first half is the Philadelphia Eagles. They are loaded on talent and speed. They have Mike Vick, Lesean McCoy, Desean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin. On defense they have Jason Babin, Trent Cole, Demeco Ryans, and Nnamdi Asomugha. They suffer from turnovers, and an offense that can’t score points. Their o-line has not protected well and their stats show it. The Eagles at the end of the season last year won 4 straight games and many thought they would be a favorite this year, but they have not lived up to expectations. My midseason awards go out to:

MVP: Peyton Manning-Not only has Peyton Manning came back from 4 neck surgeries; he has come back with a vengeance. He has one of the best passer ratings in the NFL, with 109.0 passer rating. He has 17 touchdowns and only 4 ints. He also has the Broncos in the top 5 for offense, which is new territory from last year because the Broncos ran a wildcat/option/spread system. At this rate Manning could pass for 39 touchdowns.

Offensive Player of the Year: Percy Harvin-Harvin has done everything for the Minnesota Vikings. This year he leads the Vikings as well as the NFL in receptions. He will sometimes go into the game as a running back and carry the ball. Percy Harvin is also a deadly kick returner with a touchdown on the season for the Vikings. Harvin may be the next installment of “Slash”, (a.k.a Kordell Stewart), who played running back, wide receiver, quarterback, and returned kicks for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Defensive Player of the Year: Tim Jennings-Many people believe that J.J. Watt would win the Defensive Player of the Year because of how many pass deflections he has and that he has 9.5 sacks, but I believe that the award will go to Tim Jennings. Tim Jennings, cornerback for the Chicago Bears has picked off 6 passes and has returned one of them for a touchdown. He has helped solidify a good Chicago defense.

Head Coach of the Year: Bruce Arians/Chuck Pagano-At the end of last year the Colts were regarded as one of the worst teams ever. They had no defense, and really no offense. It really showed how Manning was the glue to the team. The team cut Peyton Manning and started over by drafting Andrew Luck. The Colts were seen as a team that would not be very good this year. It was later known that Chuck Pagano had leukemia. An emotional Week 7 win against the Packers really got them going. The Colts overcame a 21-3 halftime deficit to win the game. Bruce Arians/Chuck Pagano has the Colts sitting at 5-3.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Andrew Luck-The Colts rookie quarterback has helped the Colts get to a 5-3 record. In a week 9 game against the Dolphins, Andrew Luck broke a rookie record of 432 yards in a game that was previously set by Cam Newton. Luck has demonstrated a pocket presence and has showed the tools to win in this league. He also has made Colts fans forget that the Colts cut Peyton Manning in the offseason. If Luck can get the Colts into the playoffs you can guarantee Luck that award.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Chandler Jones-This Syracuse Alumni has given the Patriots a pass rusher that they have missed since the departure of Richard Seymour. Jones has 6 sacks on the season and his far and ahead of all rookies in this category and his a favorite for the award.

D3: The Life and Times of "Iron Mike" Ditka

                There are few players that embodied the attitude that Mike Ditka had. He was one of the greatest tight ends of all time because he revolutionized the position. Aside from being an amazing blocker Ditka astounded defenses with his hands and his route running. Mike blazed past defenses in his rookie year in 1961 by catching 56 passes for 1076 yards in the Dark Age of passing, when a linebacker or cornerback could take your head off and get away with it. Three years later he caught 75 passes in a season, a record that was not broken until 1980. He wound up his 12-year career with 427 receptions for 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns. For two seasons he was in Philadelphia. At that point the Eagles were not a very good team, and Mike Ditka didn’t want to be there. He was considering retirement before Tom Landry came along and whisked out of retirement. He spent four years in Dallas and his best year was 1971 when he helped the Dallas Cowboys reach the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. Mike Ditka caught the final touchdown in a 24-3 in over the Dolphins. During his time in the NFL, Mike Ditka earned the name “Iron Mike” for his grittiness and the attitude he showed on the field. After several years with the Cowboys as an assistant he was hired as the Head Coach of his first team, the Chicago Bears. Many thought at that time that he was not head coaching material. The Bears had trouble getting good at first, but it very apparent that Ditka’s edge had made an impression on the Bears. They soon rose in the ranks among the great teams. They were led by one of the most fearsome defenses of all time. The defense was led by Mike Singaltery, Otis Wilson, and Wilber Marshall at the linebackers, while Richard Dent, William “The Fridge” Perry, Steve McMichael, and Dan Hampton, and the Secondary was full of no slouches either because they were led by Garry Fencik and Dave Duerson. Ditka had made a phenom out of “The Fridge” who was put in on goal line situations and one game the legend rose to a height that had never been seen before. Against the Green Bay Packers “The Fridge” led the way for Walter on a touchdown, and even caught one. Ditka led the Bears to a 15-1 record. In the playoffs there was no competition the Bears held the New York Giants scoreless and defeated Eric Dickerson and the Los Angeles Rams 24-0. During the week of the game he emphasized that they(Bears) were the Grabowski, a hardworking,  blue collared team, and the Rams were the Smiths. In Super bowl XX the Bears blew out the Patriots in the Super Dome. It really was no contest at all, and by half time the Bears had the game won. Maybe the highlight of the game was “the Fridge” running over the defenders to score a touchdown. That was maybe the pinnacle of Ditka’s career; he had a lot of great seasons with Bears, before he was fired in 1992. He had 3 lack luster seasons with the Saints. Ditka was notorious for trading his whole entire draft for Ricky Williams. Ditka’s career as a player and a coach was filled with many highs and lows, but many people remember him for the intensity and his attitude he showed as a player and as a coach.

D2: Steroids in Sports

                When many people think of steroids they think of sports because sports and steroids/performance enhancing drugs coincide perfectly with sports. The names that mainly pop up in this topic are the big hitters, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sam Sosa. These men have been convicted and have been proven to have used steroids in baseball. The one question that people ask is, do PEDs make sports more interesting. The answer usually is, no because they want everyone on an equal playing field, but there is that small group of people that find that when people use steroids it creates a certain sense of entertainment in a sport because there is that hidden fact. To me personally I find that steroids don’t make the game interesting, that they ruin the sport that they are being used. A guy may get a higher signing bonus than another person because they used steroids and the other person didn’t. Many current and former NFL players have used steroids or some form of a Performance Enhancing Drugs, Shawne Merriman, Deacon Jones (HOF), Deion Sanders (HOF), Julius Peppers, Jimbo Covert, Steve McMichael, Shaun Rogers, Tony Mandarich, Dan Pastorini, Marcus Stroud, Tim Couch, Ron Yary (HOF), Ricky Williams, David Boston, Ray Edwards, Rodney Harrison, Joe Klecko, Bill Romanowski, John Matuszak, Mike Webster (HOF), Rocky Bleier, Mike Golic, Shawn Springs, Brian Bosworth, etc., these were not the only NFL players to use steroids, but these former and current players are the most interesting because some of them had star studded careers. Other well-known athletes that may have used PEDs include Ben Johnson former Olympic Sprinter for the Canadian Track and Field Team, Alex Rodriguez who signed the largest contract in MLB history at an astonishing 275 million dollars, Lance Armstrong, Marion Jones, the governator Arnold Schwarzenegger, etc. There is always a common theme with many athletes that use some form of PEDs, their body always seems to break down later in their career, I don’t know much about the after effects of the PEDs, but I think it is just bad karma for them cheating. In the words of the late Johnny Cash, “God gonna cut them down”. I guess he did.

D1:Madden Moments

                Throughout my time playing video games one game has always been my favorite, Madden. Me and my brother Leyton have had some crazy games in the past 8 years in playing Madden. One game that really sticks out in my mind was really the first game that I actually made it close against Leyton because up until that point he used to destroy me. This time was different and it was a matchup between two super powers in Madden 06, the Patriots and the Colts. The Colts were offensive juggernaut with Peyton Manning at quarterback (99 overall), Edggerin James at running back, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokley at wide receiver, and Dallas Clark at Tight end. The Patriots had a rock solid defense. That was highlighted by Tedy Brushci, Mike Vrabel, Richard Seymour, Asante Samuel, Ty Law, and Rodney Harrison. Of course they had Tom Brady. The game went until the final seconds and it came down to a two point conversion. I was 65 to 67 and I threw a screen pass to Marvin Harrison that had worked all game, but Leyton tackled me on the one yard line. Another game that was memorable to me was the offensive shootout between the Vikings and the Bears that went down to overtime. Tavaris Jackson had over 700 yards passing and 8 touchdowns. Adrian Peterson added over 300 yards of rushing and a bunch of touchdowns. The game really was one team scored and then another team scored. The final score 106-103.  It ended on an overtime field goal by me. We also had another epic game between the Colts and the Chargers when I was down 49 to 14 with about 5 minutes left in the quarter. I started to put up some points and started to create turnovers, and suddenly it ended up being a 1 point game that literally went down to the final seconds. I had the ball and I threw a pass over the middle where it was in field goal territory, but I got up the ball, and I was spiking it time had expired, thus ending the game. There were many other games that did  not make the cut, but in many other games it ends up being me that chokes or blows the game in the end, but these games always turn out to be interesting.

C2: The 1995 Cleveland Browns-A Cruel Joke

          I recently watched a documentary on NFL Network on the 1995 Cleveland Browns and it was pretty eye opening. When many people think of the Cleveland Browns, the first image that pops into their head is loser, but did you know that at one point they were picked to go to the Super Bowl, yeah that’s right the Cleveland Browns! At the beginning of the 1995 Season they were picked to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl that year. Something along the way happened to the chance of that ever happening. In 1995 the Cleveland Browns were also not the only Cleveland team to be gunning for a championship title; the Cleveland Indians were in their first World Series in more than 40 years. The Browns had started off 3-1 when Art Modell announced that the Browns would move at the end of the season. This news reverberated around the NFL and may have ruined their chances at a possible Super bowl run, because they finished 5-11. Cleveland fans were in at outrage and many people thought that it looked like scene from a war torn country in the Middle East. The Browns in their final game in Cleveland may be one of the most memorable games in Cleveland. The Browns fans had brought hack saws and ratchets to the stadium to take away any possible mementos form the Browns Stadium. At the beginning of every new drive the opposing offense would have to drive away from the “Dog Pound” because of the fact that Browns fans were throwing benches over on to the field. The Browns won their last game in Cleveland and at the end there was a very emotional moment. The Browns players walked over to the “Dog Pound” and they hugged the Browns fans for possibly the last time. Steve Everett, (the Browns Center), walked over and he was grabbed by them and they wouldn’t let go. They tried to grab on to anything that they possibly could grab onto. The Browns ended up moving to Baltimore to become the Ravens. What many people don’t know is the number of current coaches and GMs they had on their staff. They Bill Belichick now with the Patriots as their head coach, Nick Saban: Alabama’s head coach, Jim Swartz: Lions head coach, Kirk Ferentz: Iowa’s head coach, Eric Mangini, Scott Pioli: Kansas City’s GM, and Thomas Dimitroff: Atlanta Falcon’s GM. The most painful thing for Browns fans to watch was when the Ravens won the Super bowl in 2000, due to that Art Modell their former owner was the owner of the Ravens and that Ozzie Newsome was the general manager, (long time Brown’s tight end and general manager). The Browns felt like that was their Super Bowl. It must have been painful to see Bill Belichick win three Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots. That must eat away at the very soul of the Browns fans to know that they had a Championship owner and coach on their team. The fans of Cleveland have been waiting for a title for so long and it seems like the football gods didn’t want them to have that chance. One must wonder, what if the Browns had never moved, maybe they would have a Super Bowl title or two. One thing that you can say if you are a Cleveland fan, it was fun while it lasted.

C1:Going For Broke

            Many would think that when you are an athlete that the money you make can last you a life time. That is a common misperception because many athletes go broke after retiring. In a 2009 “Sports Illustrated” they claimed that an astonishing 78% of NFL players go broke three years after retiring. And 60% of NBA players go broke five years after retiring. Many of these athletes when they are young make bad choices and bad investments. On Tuesday, October 2, ESPN will release another 30 for 30 Film called “Broke”. This film is based on how athletes blow off so much money and end up broke after they retire. Another bunch of reasons that they go broke is because they make bad investments, giving out money to inflated networks of friends and family, and wasting money on unnecessary things such as double bowling alleys. When many athletes are young they don’t know the importance of money and how much you can do with it.  Phil Hanson former Buffalo Bills defensive end once said to his teammates,   "A dollar saved today is 10 dollars tomorrow." Many of his teammates at the time such as Marcellus Wiley, ESPN Analyst, said that they didn’t know the true value of the dollar and many of them were more obsessed with having more expensive things than the next guy. Many times these young kids think that they are invincible and that they will never go broke, but when reality sets in its too late. Another ESPN Analyst Hugh Douglas said that he lived cheap because he knew that if he lived that luxurious life he would be broke. Maybe this will change something, but until then many athletes will have to figure out how to make good investments and learn how to budget their money. Someone once that this lifestyle is a blessing, but also a curse because you live a lifestyle that not many other people can live it, but you have to know how to budget your money.

B2:Peyton Manning vs Johnny Unitas

When people thought of the Colts there were two names that people think of Johnny Unitas and Peyton Manning. These two players took two different paths to glory. Peyton was a heralded 1^st overall pick in the 1998 draft out of Tennessee, while Johnny Unitas was an unheralded 9^th round draft pick that was cut by his home town team the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the end both traveled down the same path of immortality. There has always been a debate of which quarterback was actually the better player. Now I’m not here to take sides on which player was better because I am not bias to either player because they were both great players. “Johnny U” was a Pittsburgh native who was drafted by the Steelers in the 9^th round in 1955, but was soon cut. Just a side note, Raymond Berry Johnny Unitas’ longtime friend, go-to wide receiver, and Hall of Famer was a 20^th round pick who was selected by the Colts the next year in 56. Johnny was known as “Mr. Clutch” because he patented what many quarterbacks call today as the two minute drill. Three years after he was draft and cut by the Steelers Johnny Unitas had the colts in the NFL Championship against the New York giants in what would be called the greatest game ever played. Johnny Unitas led the Colts down the field, on a textbook drive, near the goaline in the first “Sudden Death” Overtime game in NFL history where Alan Ameche punched it in for the winning touchdown. The game itself featured 17 Hall of Famers. Unitas led the Colts to two more NFL Championships over the Giants again, and then the Browns. One of the things that he regrets the most was losing to the New York Jets in the Super Bowl III. Two years later he had them back in the Super Bowl against the Dallas Cowboys in what would become known as the Blunder Bowl. Johnny could not end his career with the Baltimore Colts, rather with the San Diego Chargers in 1973. In 1979 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now time for a household name, Peyton Manning, and in 1998 when the NFL Draft was coming up the Peyton manning and Ryan Leaf were paired hip to hip. They were considered 1 and 1A, many thought that Manning was more pro-ready, but Leaf was thought of to have a higher sealing than Manning. The Chargers tried to trade up and take Manning, but the Colts refused and we all know how this turned out, Manning becomes a perennial all pro and Leaf implodes and becomes possibly the biggest bust in NFL History. Manning ended up winning 4 NFL MVPS as the Colts quarterback, in 2003-2004 and in 2008-2009. He holds the record for the most NFL MVPs, he holds the record for the most 300 yard games in NFL history, is 3^rd all-time in touchdowns, and 3^rd all-time in yards. Many thought that Peyton Manning would never win the Super Bowl and he would turn out just like Dan Marino, but in 2006 he won his first and only Super Bowl, for now. Manning is a surgeon on the field and there are very few times that a defense can disguise their attack. He always seems a step ahead of the opponent. Manning is one of the few quarterbacks that can

B1: What If Norwood makes the Kick

People all the time ask what if questions, like what if JFK was not assassinated or what if 9/11 never happened. These questions are very apparent in the NFL. Now this is all in theory. I am going to start off asking right now, what if Scott Norwood’s kick didn’t go wide right. Here we go, there are seconds left in Super bowl 25 and the Bills are lined up for a 48 yard field goal. If Norwood makes this the Bills go from a long time loser to a Super Bowl Champion. Instead of the kick going wide right it is right down the middle and the Bills beat the Giants 22-20 to win the Super Bowl. Bill Parcels legacy isn’t look at the same anymore Then the Bills go on to win the Super Bowl the next year and they defeat the Washington Redskins, the year after that they face the Dallas Cowboys and lose this game because they are hungry for a title and the Triplets (a.k.a Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, and Emmitt Smith) prove to be too much for the Holy Trinity (a.k.a Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Andre Reed).The Bills start looking for the final piece to stop the Cowboys and there is a certain former Eagle on the market. Yeah, that’s right it’s Reggie White. The Bills end up signing the perennial hall of famer over the Green Bay Packers. The Bills have put together one of the most fearsome d-lines of all time. Finally in 1993 the Bills beat the Cowboys in a rematch and win their 3rd Super Bowl in 4 years. The Bills are looked at as one of the greatest teams of all time and Marv Levy goes done as one of the top three coaches of all time. Fresh off there Super Bowl win the Bills are looked at as a prime free agent destination for players like Deion Sanders and Rich Gannon. The Raiders don’t end up signing Rich Gannon and don’t end up making the Super Bowl.  The Packers don’t get Reggie White and they don’t make it to the Super Bowl. Brett Favre never wins a Super Bowl and is looked at as quarterback like Dan Marino, a player who puts up great stats, but could never win a Super Bowl. Instead of the Packers in the Super Bowl it’s the Panthers. Kerry Collins leads the Panthers to a Super Bowl victory over the heavily favored Broncos in one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl History. John Elway retires with only one ring, and I’ll go even farther to say that the Giant would not make the Super Bowl versus the Ravens. Instead the Minnesota Vikings reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 1976. It is a match of polar opposites the Vikings with the aerial assault of Dante Culpepper, Chris Carter, and Randy Moss, and the Ravens with the defense. The Vikings get the first Super Bowl ring and Chris Carter can retire happy with a Super Bowl ring and maybe the Vikings don’t trade Randy Moss to the Raiders. I’ll go one step farther to say that Tom Brady doesn’t get Randy Moss and he doesn’t break Peyton Manning’s touchdown record. This all goes back to the one point in history of Scott Norwood making a field goal.

A3: Roger Staubach: Captain America

                In an era such as the 1970’s that was highlighted by Star Wars: A New Hope, the Brady Bunch, the Water Gate Scandal, the invention of the Floppy Disk, and Apollo 17 the last manned craft to the moon, one athlete shined in the spot light, Roger Staubach. It all started when Roger won the Heisman in 1963 for Navy and he spent 4 years in the Navy before he joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1969. It then took another two seasons for him to win the starting job from Ken Morton, but their story didn’t end there. The QB controversy took an interesting turn when Ken Morton and Roger Staubach were subbed in and out during a game. Roger would end winning the Super Bowl VI and was the NFL MVP of it. Roger was known as “Captain America” because he was the quarterback of “America’s Team”, the Dallas Cowboys. He was the most well-known quarterback in the entire league and became very popular when the NFL started to come on the TV. His ability to make plays with his legs and run around in the pocket highlighted his career. Three years later Roger had the Cowboys back in the Super Bowl, but they lost to one of the greatest dynasties of sporting history, the Pittsburgh Steelers. This game was highlighted with two Hall of Fame coaches; Tom Landry and Chuck Noll, two Hall of Fame quarterbacks; Roger Staubach, Lynn Swann, “Mean” Joe Green, John Stallworth, Mel Blount, Randy White, L.C. Greenwood, Franco Harris, “Too Tall” Jones, Rocky Bleir, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Mike Webster, and Golden Richards. Another two years passed before the Cowboys were back in the big game. This time it featured two former Cowboy’s quarterbacks, Ken Morton and Roger Staubach. Roger gave the Cowboys an offensive spark and it propelled them to victory. The Cowboys “Dooms Day” Defense got much of the credit, but Roger was a champion once again. When Roger Staubach retired after the 1979 season he had the highest career passing rating in NFL history. So technically he was the greatest quarterback of all time because he had such a good passer rating at a time when defense dominated. The NFL may never see a player of stature ever again.