Peyton Manning and Willie Mays

[TUM301]

Jordan, Ruth, Orr, with Montana a step above Johnny U as best all-time QB. Win or lose Sunday, Manning is more "Wilt Chamberlain " than Jordan IMO.

[Runscott]

I lean toward Montana as well. If you ever had to watch your team play against him in a critical game, you knew he was the best. But Elway and Staubach were kind of that way also - ask Cleveland and San Francisco.

Right or wrong, I end up judging quarterbacks largely by what they can do in that last drive of a huge game, especially when it's for a TD rather than 3 points. And if they can't do it when their fingers get cold, that's kind of big. I'd like to see Manning down 6 with 1:45 and no time-outs, from his own 20, against Seattle's defense (and 20 degrees). That would be the end of the discussion, if he could do it.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Heresy, but I would take Magic over Jordan. Who else could play point guard, center, and every position in between?

[Cardboard Junkie]

I love stuff like this.

Cobb

Unitas

Russell

Howe

[Runscott]

Pete Maravich was probably the best player I ever saw, outside of Magic and Jordan. Maravich would score 40 and you never knew it. He played offense the way Dimaggio played defense - he was always in the right spot, so never looked too flashy. RIP

[Jim65]

I'm not sure who is the QB best ever, but I just can't give it to a guy with a losing playoff record.

[Runscott]

Just to put things in proper perspective,

John Elway was the same quarterback when he won two Superbowls, as he was when he lost three, but now he's great, and before the first win, we were hearing the exact same stuff we are hearing now about Manning. Anyone remember the comeback Elway led against the Browns in the AFC Championship game? Possibly the most incredible ever. That was clutch, and his team still got slaughtered that year in the Superbowl, by the Giants. Does anyone think Elway was somehow able to get it together for the 'unimportant' AFC Championship and be as great a quarterback as he was, but then 'choked' in the Superbowl? You have to deal with the guys around you, and the match-up you are given - the Broncos have not matched up well in most of their Superbowls, but except for Craig Morton, it wasn't for lack of having a great quarterback.

[t206trader]

It's silly to look at playoff record as the end all and be all of a "great" quarterback. Was Jim Kelly just mediocre for reaching the Super Bowl four times? Or how about Dan Marino who never won a Super Bowl? Even if Manning made the Super Bowl every year and lost, he would still have a winning playoff record yet people would complain about how he isn't the greatest because he never won "the big one" (this is of course speculative because as we all know Manning DID win the big one). I don't believe the playoff record hogwash as an indicator of an "elite" quarterback. Based on this logic is Trent Dilfer better than Manning because he went 5-1 in his career in the playoffs?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Pete Maravich was probably the best player I ever saw, outside of Magic and Jordan. Maravich would score 40 and you never knew it. He played offense the way Dimaggio played defense - he was always in the right spot, so never looked too flashy. RIP

Scott have you ever seen some of the Maravich highlight reels? He was as spectacularly flashy a player as ever played. Not that he wasn't also sound fundamentally and was certainly capable of the type of game you described, but he was also a human highlight film.

[Peter_Spaeth]

This is a very interesting list.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packe...243155121.html

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Scott have you ever seen some of the Maravich highlight reels? He was as spectacularly flashy a player as ever played. Not that he wasn't also sound fundamentally and was certainly capable of the type of game you described, but he was also a human highlight film.

That's interesting - no, I was never much of a basketball fan, but my Dad took me to see the New Orleans Jazz any time they were in Denver, just because he loved Maravich. What impressed me was that Maravich was never flashy, and always scored tons of points. He just glided around the court and always seemed to be open. I'll have to take a look at him again.

[MyGuyTy]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Heresy, but I would take Magic over Jordan. Who else could play point guard, center, and every position in between?

I concur, I'm taking Magic over Michael every time if I'm starting a team.

Top 4 of all time in each sport:

Baseball - Ruth
Football - Rice
Hockey - Gretzky
Basketball - Magic

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by MyGuyTy

I concur, I'm taking Magic over Michael every time if I'm starting a team.

Top 4 of all time in each sport:

Baseball - Ruth
Football - Rice
Hockey - Gretzky
Basketball - Magic

Hard to argue with that list, although I will LOL
Baseball - Ruth
Football - Brown
Hockey - Orr
Basketball _ Magic

[Peter_Spaeth]

"A compilation of no-look passes, behind-the-back moves, and circus shots. A reminder of what made him so mind blowing in the first place." SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (March 2007) on this highlight mix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8qUZILi8IM

Some great footage here too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHmgWeY7heM

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

"A compilation of no-look passes, behind-the-back moves, and circus shots. A reminder of what made him so mind blowing in the first place." SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (March 2007) on this highlight mix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8qUZILi8IM

Some great footage here too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHmgWeY7heM

That second video was incredible.

[MyGuyTy]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Hard to argue with that list, although I will LOL
Baseball - Ruth
Football - Brown
Hockey - Orr
Basketball _ Magic

I'll definitely give you Orr, the man redefined the defense position. It's really a toss up between Gretzky and Orr. Brown though, not so sure about that one. Great runner for his time and certainly the best RB of his era, but he's not even the best at his position of all time, so it's hard for me to put him best player in the entire NFL all time.

*Edited to add* I have Brown #3 on the all time best behind Rice and Sanders.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by MyGuyTy

I'll definitely give you Orr, the man redefined the defense position. It's really a toss up between Gretzky and Orr. Brown though, not so sure about that one. Great runner for his time and certainly the best RB of his era, but he's not even the best at his position of all time, so it's hard for me to put him best player in the entire NFL all time.

*Edited to add* I have Brown #3 on the all time best behind Rice and Sanders.

It wasn't hard for the Sporting News:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4786953