Umm. I was in front of the TV for 5 Packer championships... and no leather helmets in the bunch (though its true Don Chandler kicked straight on for three of them.) I also watched a couple of decades of really, really bad Steeler teams in there, too...
I got plenty of respect for the pre-SB NFL, but the merger increased the number of teams by 62.5% and added a whole different approach to hiring and play to what was already there. The Super Bowl era is different, largely thanks to teams like the Chargers, Chiefs and Raiders. Pittsburgh can't take credit for that, but it's during this era that they've made themselves the standard by which all franchises ought to be judged. In titles, in coaching continuity (three in the era- fewer than any other franchise), coaching success (EVERY SB era coach has a ring), in Hall members (I don't think we lead, but we're near the top) aaaaaand we're a pretty good jersey seller nationally. We are the NFL. I get teary-eyed just typing it
I was halfway kidding! You and Alberto just let me know when I can join the Order f Grizzled BSNFL Vets, and I'll lord it over all of cyberspace... It's a sign of self-made progress, my brotha. A slow (sloooow) climb to the top... Truth, I'd be crowing about the pre-SB titles myself if we had them, maybe even the ones in the 60s won while the AFL existed. But the SB era is what I know best, and I'm a bit glad that I can say I've seen all the championship seasons.
The Bears are 4-1 and top of the division along with the Vikings, heading into their bye week. Not terribly surprised by their record, but we were expecting the offense to carry an aging defense this year, but the D has been solid all season long. Lance Briggs and Peanut Tillman became the first set of teammates to return interceptions for touchdowns in consecutive weeks in NFL history. And with Major Wright's touchdown return in Week 3, that's 5 defensive touchdowns in the last three games while only allowing two touchdowns by the opposition. Not too shabby.
Having watched the careers of Dick Hoak, Bill Saul and Bill Nelsen go to waste, and Andy Russell shine like a diamond in a setting of cigarette butts and orange peels, I was thoroughly happy to see the Chuck Noll team develop in time to get Russell a taste of the peak of his profession... As for the 60's titles, they are legit IMNSHO-- I saw both leagues back then and won bets on the first three Superbowls-- that the Packers would beat KC by more than 20, that they'd beat Oakland by 10 plus; and then I won every loose dollar in my prep school offering to take the Jets even up over the Colts. (I was a Packers fan, but these were not sentimental bets.) The AFL got most of the young talent for three or four years there-- and in that '68 season the NFL got old and the AFL got good. The average NFL team was still a little better than the average AFL team, but the best AFL teams were better than the Colts or the Browns. The Colts won big because they stayed healthy (other than Unitas) in an old league-- but the only really good young player they had added from the year before was Rick Volk. Raiders would have eaten them up same as the Jets. Now the NFL titles during the AAFC-- those might bear some investigation...
Speaking of the non-soccer kick that was the norm before Jan Stenerud and others. Are you aware that some kickers in the late 1950's into the early 1960's had a steel plate inserted at the toe of the kicking cleat. If you ever watch old NFL film you can see it.
Yeah, but no one topped the kicking shoe of Tom Dempsey For those not old enough to remember, that was actually the result of a birth defect, and not surgery suggested by greedy owners. the only image for what Alberto is talking about is huge, so I'll just link it. http://prokicker.com/kicking-blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/IMG_0500.jpg
Texans @ Pats in December could be very yummy. We'll have to see how things pan out by then, but it could be a very important game. Texans-Packers this weekend will also be a litmus test for both teams.
Texans schedule is no cakewalk. go to the Jets, go to Denver, Packers and Ravens at home, go to Chicago, go to New England, go to Detroit. heck, even Minnesota and Indy aren't looking like easy games at this point.
I think we can take the pack and Detroit. Maaybe Chicago and Detroit, but ugh Baltimore and NE will be tough.
Baltimore is overrated. They're good, but they're not winning that game in Houston. I could see the Texans easily going 13-3 this year, with a tough loss to the Hatriots, and two other fluke losses along the way.
I knew the toes were squared off, but didn't know they were steel-reinforced. Yup. IIRC, he was missing half of one arm as well.
ugh. We're old and beat up and maybe done as a troo contenda. The next few years don't look much better, either, with Art II at the helm.
yeah, but in the NFL franchises rise and fall within a year or two. I mean look at Arizona and Minnesota. last year you probably had them buried for the next 3-5 years. I wouldn't be too worried about the Steelers. they still have Roethlisberger and decent receivers. a solid offensive line (once you get Decastro back), need a better running back though.
Pats go to Seattle and play the first top 10 defense they have seen this year and lose. Is there a bigger home field advantage than what they have in Seattle?