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NO COACHES, OWNERS OR OTHER TEAM PERSONNEL. PLAYERS ONLY!
With the annual Super Bowl Championship in the books and no football until October, I thought now would be a suitable time to look into the history of the NFL. I'm a huge football fan, I love everything about the game from the bone-crunching tackles to the ecstasy of a game winning touchdown to the strategy and formations of each specific play. I love the branding, the team rivalries, equipment and I even have love for special teams when they do their jobs properly. There's a lot that's entertaining about the sport and it's pure Americana ingrained into the minds of people all over the US of A. And it's not surprising as the National Football League is the most profitable league in America trailed only by Major League Baseball in terms of revenue and support base.
With so many football fans on NeoGAF, I wanted to see people's selections of teams and favourite players. You can choose four players from any of the 32 active teams in the NFL, but coaches, general managers, owners are excluded from selection. The players put forth must have spent at least one whole season with the team, but I can imagine many people selecting those who spent their careers with a single franchise. Justification must also be given and it can either be for their individual dominance, team success or contributions within the organisation or community, all or any reasons can be chosen.
Mine:
New York Giants
I'm a Giants fan and even though we're an absolute train wreck right now with a garbage wide receiver corps, overpaying players ($39 million for Adoree' Jackson?!) and multiple injuries, I'm still a fan of the team and want to see them be giants again and not midgets. Since we've been around since 1925 I'm spoilt for choice, but these would be my selections.
1 - Lawrence Taylor - Outside Linebacker (1981-1993)
When it comes to defensive players it's not even close who deserves the top spot. LT however isn't on my list for changing the game, but for also changing the team's fortunes in the 1980s. He turned the team around and lead them to the playoffs, he lead the defence which blew out a 49ers team whom many considered the greatest, he won the Giants first Super Bowl in 1986 alongside DPOY and league MVP as well as delivering another Lombardi in 1990. There's no ignoring his substance abuse and off the field problems, but the dominance of Lawrence Taylor on a football field has occasionally been replicated but never outmatched.
2 - Eli Manning - Quarterback (2004-2019)
I'm going to get some heat for this one and while I can understand many of the criticisms towards Eli Manning, those 2 Super Bowl rings over Tom Brady with accompanying MVPs sure look good on the mantle piece. Yes he's not the most accurate quarterback nor the most serious and he throws lots of interceptions whilst looking silly, but he's accomplished a hell of a lot with no number one receiver, a running back who talked himself out of town and an inconsistent defence. Eli Manning deserves to be on this list.
3 - Mel Hein - Center/Linebacker (1931-1945)
Mel who? Yes we're going back with this one to the 1930s and 40s. Mel Hein was one of the league best two way players at a time when football didn't have the numbers. A stalwart at center on offense and reliable tackler at linebacker on defense. Hein played 15 seasons for Big Blue, brought 2 NFL Championships to the team and is the only center (or offensive lineman for that fact) to be honoured NFL MVP, a feat we'll probably never see matched.
4 - Frank Gifford - Running Back/Wide Reciever/Kicker (1952-1960, 1962-1964)
Final selection goes to Frank Gifford, another player who could do it all for the G-Men. Could run the ball, catch and even make field goals, brought one NFL Championship to the team in 1956 and played in several more during that decade.
Your turn...
With the annual Super Bowl Championship in the books and no football until October, I thought now would be a suitable time to look into the history of the NFL. I'm a huge football fan, I love everything about the game from the bone-crunching tackles to the ecstasy of a game winning touchdown to the strategy and formations of each specific play. I love the branding, the team rivalries, equipment and I even have love for special teams when they do their jobs properly. There's a lot that's entertaining about the sport and it's pure Americana ingrained into the minds of people all over the US of A. And it's not surprising as the National Football League is the most profitable league in America trailed only by Major League Baseball in terms of revenue and support base.
With so many football fans on NeoGAF, I wanted to see people's selections of teams and favourite players. You can choose four players from any of the 32 active teams in the NFL, but coaches, general managers, owners are excluded from selection. The players put forth must have spent at least one whole season with the team, but I can imagine many people selecting those who spent their careers with a single franchise. Justification must also be given and it can either be for their individual dominance, team success or contributions within the organisation or community, all or any reasons can be chosen.
Mine:
New York Giants
I'm a Giants fan and even though we're an absolute train wreck right now with a garbage wide receiver corps, overpaying players ($39 million for Adoree' Jackson?!) and multiple injuries, I'm still a fan of the team and want to see them be giants again and not midgets. Since we've been around since 1925 I'm spoilt for choice, but these would be my selections.
1 - Lawrence Taylor - Outside Linebacker (1981-1993)
When it comes to defensive players it's not even close who deserves the top spot. LT however isn't on my list for changing the game, but for also changing the team's fortunes in the 1980s. He turned the team around and lead them to the playoffs, he lead the defence which blew out a 49ers team whom many considered the greatest, he won the Giants first Super Bowl in 1986 alongside DPOY and league MVP as well as delivering another Lombardi in 1990. There's no ignoring his substance abuse and off the field problems, but the dominance of Lawrence Taylor on a football field has occasionally been replicated but never outmatched.
2 - Eli Manning - Quarterback (2004-2019)
I'm going to get some heat for this one and while I can understand many of the criticisms towards Eli Manning, those 2 Super Bowl rings over Tom Brady with accompanying MVPs sure look good on the mantle piece. Yes he's not the most accurate quarterback nor the most serious and he throws lots of interceptions whilst looking silly, but he's accomplished a hell of a lot with no number one receiver, a running back who talked himself out of town and an inconsistent defence. Eli Manning deserves to be on this list.
3 - Mel Hein - Center/Linebacker (1931-1945)
Mel who? Yes we're going back with this one to the 1930s and 40s. Mel Hein was one of the league best two way players at a time when football didn't have the numbers. A stalwart at center on offense and reliable tackler at linebacker on defense. Hein played 15 seasons for Big Blue, brought 2 NFL Championships to the team and is the only center (or offensive lineman for that fact) to be honoured NFL MVP, a feat we'll probably never see matched.
4 - Frank Gifford - Running Back/Wide Reciever/Kicker (1952-1960, 1962-1964)
Final selection goes to Frank Gifford, another player who could do it all for the G-Men. Could run the ball, catch and even make field goals, brought one NFL Championship to the team in 1956 and played in several more during that decade.
Your turn...
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. You can't really put Reggie White on your list though, he's a Philadelphia Eagle in heart but to each their own.
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