Greatest NFL franchise of all time?
Blackborder
Posts: 2,797 ✭
in Sports Talk
In baseball, the question is easy - Yankees. No one disputes that.
In football, it's a harder question to answer.
So what's the greatest franchise of all time and how would you determine that? Championships won? Percentage of winning seasons? Number of HOFers?
I don't know but off the Top of my head, I'd say the franchises that have fielded good teams in almost every decade of their existence would be the Raiders and Cowboys. I think the Giants, 49ers and Colts would be contenders as well. Those five would be a good place to start the discussion anyway.
Thoughts?
In football, it's a harder question to answer.
So what's the greatest franchise of all time and how would you determine that? Championships won? Percentage of winning seasons? Number of HOFers?
I don't know but off the Top of my head, I'd say the franchises that have fielded good teams in almost every decade of their existence would be the Raiders and Cowboys. I think the Giants, 49ers and Colts would be contenders as well. Those five would be a good place to start the discussion anyway.
Thoughts?
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Comments
But I will say again that the 92-93 Cowboys were the BEST team EVER !!! Theirs not another team that can match them up and down the lineup.
Best O-line
Best D-line
Best running back
Best recieving core
Best TE
And one of the best QB's
What a shock! I'm absolutely stunned at your selection!
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Steve
Pre-Super Bowl Era: (1920 - 1965)
Super Bowl Era: (1966 - Present)
If you do that, the Packers are the best in the Pre-Super Bowl Era. They won championships in 1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1961, 1962 and 1965.
The Super Bowl Era would probably be between the Cowboys and the Steelers. The Cowboys have been to eight Super Bowls, winning five of them. The Steelers have been to seven Super Bowls, winning six.
Steve
<< <i>It would almost be easier to break it into two eras:
Pre-Super Bowl Era: (1920 - 1965)
Super Bowl Era: (1966 - Present)
If you do that, the Packers are the best in the Pre-Super Bowl Era. They won championships in 1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1961, 1962 and 1965.
The Super Bowl Era would probably be between the Cowboys and the Steelers. The Cowboys have been to eight Super Bowls, winning five of them. The Steelers have been to seven Super Bowls, winning six.
Steve >>
IF your criteria is championships. I would tend to rate winning seasons and playoff appearances a little higher overall, since that translates over time to the perception of a successful franchise.
Hey, I can't help it if I'm a fan of the best franchise in football!
And Those Packers that won all of those Championships couldn't play with the 90's Cowboys or the 70's Steelers. Actually they probably couldn't play with half of the current teams today.
Same goes for those great (NOT) 72 Dolphins! Yes, those are the same Dolphins that are the only team to go without a TD in a Super Bowl.
1971- Dallas 24...... Fish 3 !
I always find it interesting when people say players from older era's couldn't compete with modern athletes.
Sure modern athlete's are bigger and faster. However, they've had the benefit of modern nutrition, training, and medical care. Raise up the modern athletes with 1920's standards and I guarantee older era athletes could compete with them.
In fact, in many ways older era athletes are tougher, having to play under conditions that modern athletes would be calling their player rep and agents over.
Earlier era athletes would be mentally tougher as well, without the grade school to retirement coddling that modern athletes get.
Pound for pound, all things being equal, I'd take an earlier era athlete over a modern athlete any day.
Do you realize what you just said!? The old linemen would be giving up 100+ lbs. to stronger and faster lineman. It would be NO contest.
Do you think the old DB's could cove the faster, taller and stronger recievers!? NO WAY !!
I'm not putting the old guys down...it's just a fact!
You could take the worst current team in the NFL and they would beat the 20's 30's 40's 50's teams.
Do you realize what you just said!? The old linemen would be giving up 100+ lbs. to stronger and faster lineman. It would be NO contest.
Do you think the old DB's could cove the faster, taller and stronger recievers!? NO WAY !!
I'm not putting the old guys down...it's just a fact!
You could take the worst current team in the NFL and they would beat the 20's 30's 40's 50's teams.
Dime,
I don't think you understood blackborder's post. If the players from today were raised and brought up like their counterparts from earlier eras, they wouldn't be 100 lbs heavier, they wouldn't have all the benefits that players have today as far as conditioning goes, and they wouldn't be as big or as quick, either. The opposite is also true. Can you imagine what Dick Butkus would have been like if he had all the benefits of modern conditioning and training? Guys back then weren't using PEDs either, which I'd guess that about half the league uses in one form or another these days.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
In the Super Bowl era, it almost has to be either the Steelers or Cowboys.
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Steve
edited to add:
<< <i>>>>Pound for pound, all things being equal, I'd take an earlier era athlete over a modern athlete any day.<<<
Do you realize what you just said!? The old linemen would be giving up 100+ lbs. to stronger and faster lineman. It would be NO contest.
Do you think the old DB's could cove the faster, taller and stronger recievers!? NO WAY !!
I'm not putting the old guys down...it's just a fact!
You could take the worst current team in the NFL and they would beat the 20's 30's 40's 50's teams. >>
Clearly, you didn't understand my post.
This will probably open a can of worms. BUT I don't think there is PED's in football. They have to take test at any time. I think their size quickness and strenght has to do with the work habits and training. Weight lifting which wasn't used back then is used by all sports. Look at the difference in basketball players now and back in the 60's and 70's.
As far as Dick Buctus(sp) goes.. I would put him in the modern era AND he could play with anybody then AND now!
This will probably open a can of worms. BUT I don't think there is PED's in football.
Now, that is funny!
But I admire your uptopian perspective!
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
<< <i>
This will probably open a can of worms. BUT I don't think there is PED's in football.
Now, that is funny!
But I admire your uptopian perspective! >>
More Pollyanna than utopian i think.
<< <i>This will probably open a can of worms. BUT I don't think there is PED's in football. They have to take test at any time. I think their size quickness and strenght has to do with the work habits and training. Weight lifting which wasn't used back then is used by all sports. Look at the difference in basketball players now and back in the 60's and 70's.
As far as Dick Buctus(sp) goes.. I would put him in the modern era AND he could play with anybody then AND now! >>
Haha, I got a chuckle. I've been around these boards a long time and many know my stance and knowledge on PEDs. Sure, players have to take a test at any time, but it doesn't mean they take substances that cannot be detected or cycled properly to avoid detection. These are gazillionaires who have many different types of steroids/PEDs available to them, so they know the system - especially if they have an "expert" advising them. Kind of like the "natural" bodybuilding shows that drug test.
Personally, I don't have much of an issue with it (other than the message for kids), but PEDs are used in the NFL.
As far as the original question...good question.
As much as I hate to say it, Green Bay deserves to be in the discussion. So do the Giants, Bears, 49ers, and Cowboys.
How about the Cardinals?
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