tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post320885508493749135..comments2024-03-11T15:46:13.155-04:00Comments on In The Arena: Ruminations About Competition: Past Versus Present: Comparing Brett Favre and Dan MarinoDavid Friedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08444347475303187373noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post-2479432403011047322008-03-10T18:59:00.000-04:002008-03-10T18:59:00.000-04:00This argument has been beaten to death. Bottom li...This argument has been beaten to death. Bottom line is that if you saw Marino play, he was mesmerizing (sorry for spelling). Everyone on the field, in the stadium, or at home watching the Dolphins on TV, kenw that it was Marino or bust. No other QB in recent history has been as important to the success of their team, than Dan Marino. <BR/><BR/>Favre - not evn close.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post-26982091206064689582008-02-25T01:01:00.000-05:002008-02-25T01:01:00.000-05:00I am an Australian so you could say I am impartial...I am an Australian so you could say I am impartial in my judgement. The truth is, I can't choose between these two players because they are beyond any reasonable doubt great in their environment. They both produced what appeared to be magic and they inspired us to look for greatness within ourselves. No, I can't choose between them. Therefore the greater man is the one who tended his fellow humans better. The one who cares for the poor and fights for the weak. Ultimately, that is how every great man or woman is measured.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post-35899121134678861582007-10-03T17:43:00.000-04:002007-10-03T17:43:00.000-04:00So you think that Marino couldn't have QB'd that '...So you think that Marino couldn't have QB'd that '96 Packer squad to a title? Look at Marino's '96 numbers: His yards per attempt was higher than Favre's, his completion % was nearly the same. He threw an INT every 41.4 attempts (to Favre’s 41.7). Statistically, they were nearly identical, except Favre threw TDs at a higher rate. Why? Because Favre had the #1 ranked defense in the NFL providing him with short fields and didn’t have a RB vulturing TDs. The Dolphins had twice as many rushing TDs as the Pack. Also, keep in mind that in ’96 Marino was on the downside of his career and Favre was at his best.<BR/><BR/>Now, could Favre have QB’d any of the Dolphins squads to titles? I don’t think so because statistically speaking, his peak years were inferior to Marino’s peak years. That’s why rings are irrelevant to me in this argument.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post-25164017778720940372007-10-02T15:47:00.000-04:002007-10-02T15:47:00.000-04:00I understand that Favre has an edge over Marino in...I understand that Favre has an edge over Marino in terms of longevity (particularly regarding late career productivity; Marino played just as long as Favre has so far but was not nearly as productive at the end) and in terms of winning a title. I said as much in the article. However, neither of those factors changes my assessment that I would take the peak value years of Marino over the peak value years of Favre. Also, if Marino had not gotten hurt and maintained a career passer rating over 90 then I would be inclined to take his body of work over Favre's even without a Super Bowl title.<BR/><BR/>The answer to the question of which QB is greater really depends on what one means by the question. Your answer is valid based on one interpretation of the question. Also, another thing to consider is that a single football player has less impact on the outcome of a game than does a single basketball player, if for no other reason than the sheer number of players on the field/court in each sport; I'd be more apt to hold a lack of a championship against a basketball player than a football player. Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers are not lesser players because they were stuck on lousy Chicago teams. <BR/><BR/>The difference between Manning prior to last year and Marino is that Manning had not even gotten to the big game. Bonds, Elgin Baylor, Barkley and Marino are all great players who made it to the championship round but did not win there.David Friedmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08444347475303187373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post-39921116042022079922007-10-02T14:13:00.000-04:002007-10-02T14:13:00.000-04:00There is no reason to bring up Johnson, Dilfer and...There is no reason to bring up Johnson, Dilfer and especially Rex because they arent elite. The three aformentioned quarterbacks had great defenses. You could of quarterbacked thoses teams to a title. <BR/><BR/>Its understood that Favre and Marino are elite. So between them, which was the question, the ring puts Favre over the top. They both have similiar stats. Plus Favre played in another Super Bowl. Just like you have to put Manning ahead of Marino now for the same reasons. No one says Manning is Marino anymore because he got that ring.<BR/> <BR/>Injuries are a part of the game. Thats like saying if Dantley didnt get a concussion in game 7 vs. the Celts in 87 that they would of beat Boston and won the title. Maybe....but it didnt happen. Things happen.madnicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07496277691175179159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post-84399904710324398872007-10-01T22:22:00.000-04:002007-10-01T22:22:00.000-04:00Great points. I think the one thing that always ge...Great points. I think the one thing that always gets overlooked in this debate is the Achilles injury. It's an injury that stops football careers dead. It's worse than an ACL tear, in my opinion. If Marino doesn't suffer that injury, he has much better numbers and Favre isn't even close to him.<BR/><BR/>The only area in which Favre is better than Marino is longevity. He didn't suffer the catastrophic injury that Marino suffered and it allowed him to put up better numbers at the tail end of his career.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post-64639810602756977292007-10-01T15:49:00.000-04:002007-10-01T15:49:00.000-04:00It's not that simple because the quarterback is ju...It's not that simple because the quarterback is just one of 11 players on the field. Yes, the quarterback is arguably the most important position but he cannot win the game by himself. Marino led the Dolphins all the way to the Super Bowl in 1984 with a record setting season. Is he really a lesser QB than Favre just because the Dolphins ran into a juggernaut 49ers team? Or, to put it another way, are Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson greater than Marino because they won Super Bowls? Is Rex Grossman just as good as Marino because he also led a team to a Super Bowl?David Friedmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08444347475303187373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post-1054308822418226362007-10-01T13:22:00.000-04:002007-10-01T13:22:00.000-04:00its an easy decision. they both have numbers. but ...its an easy decision. they both have numbers. but who has the ring which is what the elite quarterbacks are judged? favre.madnicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07496277691175179159noreply@blogger.com