No fan can ever be sure how a game will end up, but at least going into it this year’s Super Bowl is perhaps the all-time classic matchup of hard core, old style, rock’em, sock’em National Football League play.
Two of the most storied franchises in the NFL will hit it off in Dallas—perhaps only the Chicago Bears and New York Giants have the same level of history as these two clubs.
The Steelers have won the most Super Bowls ever, while the Packers have the most overall championships in pro football history.
Both teams play hard, tough, physical football, and are symbolic of what postseason play has come to be.
They come from cities that are rock solid in terms of values and hard work, and in no way are suggestive of anything cool or chic.
People know that the Lombardi Trophy is what the winner of this game gets to claim, but sometimes one forgets that the trophy is actually named after a real person, in this case the legendary coach whose Packers teams won the first two Super Bowl games.
I remember watching how Green Bay dismantled the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I when the Chiefs were a dominant American Football League team, following it up the next year with a pasting of the Oakland Raiders.
But pro football is about constant adjustments and the AFL adjusted quickly with wins by the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings in the next two championship games, bringing parity to the Super Bowl and to the pro football merger itself.
The Steelers of course had a woeful pro history until the “Immaculate Reception” catch by Franco Harris to defeat the Raiders and advance to a championship game loss at Miami—but that catch established the foundation for Pittsburgh’s now illustrious pro football history.
When the Packers played their first season it was 1921 and the NFL was in its second year of play. They finished 3-2-1 in a ramshackle 21-team league that featured teams playing as many games as 12 and as few as one—the Tonawanda Kardex (I do not know where Tonawanda is, and I don’t know what a Kardex is, either), but they played one game and lost it in 1921.
There was no championship game played in those days, they just finished the season and moved on.
The Pittsburgh Steelers began play in 1933, when the NFL was actually taking shape as the league we would recognize today. That was the first year of two divisions, and Pittsburgh finished last in the five-team Eastern Division with a 3-6-2 record while the Packers finished third in the West with a 5-7-1 mark.
Gone by this time were teams such as the Louisville Colonels, Hammond Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Columbus Tigers, Racine Tornadoes, Dayton Triangles, Akron Indians, Milwaukee Badgers, and Hartford Blues, with just as many forgotten teams left off this list as actually noted. Suffice it to say early pro football was a very tough but rag tag assortment of teams and players that came and went as quickly as the day’s receipts were tallied and split out of the cigar box.
The great and legendary (he was both) Art Rooney, whom I am proud to say I had the great fortune to meet in the earliest years of my career, eventually purchased the Steelers after a particularly good day at the horse races.
The team that was purchased with racing winnings had very rough beginnings, failing to make the playoffs in the first 39 years of its existence—imagine, 39 straight years out of the playoffs, and now they are renowned as royalty, and there is no mosre respected ownership in the NFL. Art’s son Dan not only is the primary owner within the family structure bur serves as the American ambassador to Ireland.
The Packers had claimed 11 NFL championships before the Steelers ever made their first playoff appearance.
But the Steelers, as we all know, have been a dominant team since then.
No two franchises have a hold on any more history than do these two, and Super Bowl Sunday will be a legitimate, genuine throwback clash worthy of the NFL’s beginnings.
This year’s Super Bowl is a throwback to that era of legendary teams and legendary players as well.
Tags: Super Bowl XLV
If we are going back to the 4-3 and we are, I`d say Fairley or Dareus would be fine with me. No need to go after Bowers.
And it’s great to see Elway diving into the thick of it:
MOBILE, Ala. — You had to look close, had to scan the hundreds of faces seated in Ladd-Peebles Stadium from one end to another.
But there he was, tucked in the upper southwest corner of the old-school ballyard, with newly hired head coach John Fox at his side, one John Elway.
Sunglasses propped on his head, scouting notebook in hand as the skies threatened rain.
And with that, Elway, the legend, the Hall of Famer, one of the best players to ever grace the NFL, has now most certainly started his journey as a football executive in earnest.
Because figureheads just don’t do the Senior Bowl.
“I feel good about what we’ve gotten done already here,” Elway said Tuesday afternoon as the South team wrapped up its practice. “We’ve already seen a lot of people.”
That’s what you get with Elway, never too big to stay out of the grind, never afraid of rolling up his sleeves and go to work with the team, just what we need, an upper echelon guy who participates in every which way. The future is bright with that kind of leadership.
And not only the few of us here who always wanted a D minded HC like the Fox hire, this out of Mobile too:
Hiring Fox has certainly earned the Broncos some kudos around the league. The proof of that could be seen in the sheer number of people who approached Fox here Tuesday afternoon to offer both him and the team their congratulations.
Elway was in the middle of that coaching search. And while wins and losses, as well as how the Broncos go about their business, will be the ultimate judge of Fox’s tenure with the Broncos, several personnel people in the league said Tuesday they believed Elway showed some business maturity in hiring Fox.
Instead of a former quarterback simply hiring an offensive coach with a playbook a former quarterback would like, Elway surveyed the Broncos’ needs and helped them hire Fox, a respected defensive coach who has won at least 11 games in three seasons as a head coach, including one Super Bowl trip.
Read more: Elway shows a proactive side with presence at Senior Bowl – The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_17198470#ixzz1C9XGC0RS
Read The Denver Post’s Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse
Sorry, didn’t mean to enclose the links, specially the terms of use one, LOL. Got me in moderation though, haha.
Well John lives and breathes the game of football. He`s in his element. I bet you he`s having a blast evaluating the players for this up coming game the Senior Bowl. Ahhh, the freedom in what you love to do.
And John has been dreaming of been a pro football executive for a long time, it must be super exciting for him, I would think his enthusiasm is gonna be infectious on everyone around him, just like it used to be on the field.
Plus he picked Fox for HC, so you know they are looking at a lot of D players… Exciting all around, kind of like an Anti-McD time I am having.
I`m so glad for him and what he`s going to do for the Bronco`s and for himself. Like we said, he`s completely in his element. Nothing but great things in the future for the Bronco`s and their fans.
LMAO
Looking forward to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis too.
I had a dream last night that we anounced are satrters for this season and good old Tim Tebow was our qb so thats good….But I also had a dream at the begining of the season that we would be in Dallas this year so hopefully this ones right
Keep your heads up Bronco Country
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/585144-joshin-around-rebuilding-the-broncos-through-free-agency
Interesting to see DenverOranges. Just as long as they are young and physical and know there craft. NO MORE OLD FREE AGENTS. I`m tired of the old beaten down old fogies. I don`t mean to be so critical but enough is enough.
Agreed strand,young proven FAs at a reasonable price is a good thing,but what McD did last year was a freaking joke.He signed Green,who he cut after giving him millions,J Williams,Dawk,Hill,Goody,Maroney,Berger,who he also cut,it was a terrible FA list,I think the only one I really liked was the Bannan signing,he is a good DL.Goody is a good Corner if he is healthy.
Overall he costed the Broncos a lot of money for old and useless players!
Just for fun.
Out of 43 draft mock websites predicting this last week who the Broncos will pick with #2, this is how they have it:
Bowers (18)
Petersen (16)
Fairley (7)
Dareus (1)
Green (1)
So, basically Fairley is considered a long shot because many have him gone with the #1 pick, and Dareus is a super long shot, with the clear runner ups being Bowers and Petersen. Not to me obviously since I would rather go Dareus if Fairley is unavailable, but the overwhelming majority doesn’t see it happen. In case we can’t get Fairley and it’s between Petersen or Bowers like they nearly all seem to think, it better be Bowers as far as I’m concerned.
Really we do need some free agents but at strategic positions. It`s gonna take a year or two to get where we need to be. Don`t get me wrong. We are heading in the right direction. Lets not kid ourselves. We are not going to the SuperBowl next year. So lets make some sound decisions in draft mostly defense. DT DE MLB S FB and TE. But we can fill some of those voids with free agents. YOUNG FREE AGENTS. We do have a few years to do this so lets relax in this hiring proccess.
Bay last year 90% of the mocks had us taking Dez Bryant.
If the Panthers draft Fairley and we are after a DT trade back a few spots and pick Dareus. But that is a big gamble I think. I`d only trade back for Dareus unless the Bronco`s think he`s worthy of the #2 over all.
If we resign Champ,no way we pick a CB with the #2 pick,that would be crazy,Bowers I could live with,but not Peterson.
Hopefully the powers that be will read this blog and agree with us on Fairley or Dareus.
Plus I would rather pick up a CB thru FA,one that is proven.
29 out of the 43 pick Fairley as the #1.
We’ll have to wait until after the combine and pro days and all the workouts,then I garuntee you the mocks will change.
I f we trade down and Buffalo picks Dareus,we lose out on both.
Bay I think a lot of those mocks have Champ walking,so if he signs they will change,I think.
Yeah, that and the Cox situation too.
Since we are for sure going back to a 4-3 and have Doom, Ayers and Hunter to fill those spots we don`t need to draft a DE with our #2 pick. We are good to go there, especially if we go after DE Charles Johnson which can very well be. I think we should target one position and one position only, and that is DT. Who ever Fairley, Dareus, or Nevis, who ever. We need that big stud to plug the middle. Number one top priority in my book.
I think after all is said and done Fairley and Dareus will be like Suh and McCoy was last year,depends on which one fits your system the best,Fairley can get to the QB better,but Dareus is a better run stuffer.
Either one would be great to build a Defense around for years to come.
Your both right in Champ and Cox with draft situations. It`ll change for sure.
For what it’s worth, MHR senior bowl updates:
**UPDATE–Reports out of Mobile are saying the Broncos are talking to Oregon linebacker Casey Matthews. Read into it what you will, but we can add him to the “official” target list as of now**
**UPDATE II–Broncos are also sitting down with TCU QB Andy Dalton. Can never have too many good, inexpensive QB’s, and Dalton fits our character mold**
Remember as well, if we do trade back a few spots and Dareus does get taken, and Peterson is gone as well, we could still take Amukamura or Quinn. Amukamura and Peterson have both been debated about for a while now with who’s the best one. I know all of us want DL, just saying if we get screwed in moving back, like we did last year, then we could make a move for one of these guys.
If Fairley is gone, I think it would be wise to trade back to the 3-6th position so that we could maybe pick up an extra 2nd round pick. With Orton likely leaving for a 2nd round pick, that would give us 4 2nd round picks!
Honostly, I`ll be happy with either one.
Awesome baby! I would love Matthews on our team! He has extreme potential and is extremely fast as a LB!
OMG, in other news in the NFL, off topic from the Broncos, Ocho is changing back to Chad Johnson and authorities believe that they have found the dead body of Ed Reeds brother!
I would take Peterson before Bowers. I just don’t have a good feeling about Bowers- the same un-good feeling I had about Moreno. Not that he’ll be terrible, but he won’t be great. Plus, imagine having Champ and Peterson. And Peterson after Champ is gone.
Unfortunately we can all about forget about getting any additional draft picks for this year like trading Orton because no trading for draft picks will be allowed until there is a new cba in place.
Bay, I love it, I love it. Orton will be gone. Quinn will be traded or cut. We do need another QB. As for Casy Mathews all I have to say about that is HELL YA!! Awesome!! I love it. Thats the kind of news that gets my blood going.
Bay, well hopefully they hurry the hell up and get it going. It would be extremely disappointing to not get draft picks for Orton for this years draft. We need as many picks as possible as this is a VERY heavy defense filled draft!
Bay Matthews is a great LB,I would be stoked to get him!
thanks for the info!
IDK about the QB Andy Dalton,he is projected 2nd round I think,I hope we don’t use a 2nd round pick on another QB,just me.If we could get him in later rounds,I like it,he is a great college QB.
That’s the harsh reality of the matter in this year where we need to rebuild through the draft as bad as any team and we won’t have but only 6 picks, thanks to McD.
Here is Matthews college stats just for anyone wanting to look at them!
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=238451
Who I would love to get as ILB is Martez Wilson he is 6-4 250lbs and runs a 4.59 40. He is projected first overall for ILB but late first to early second overall!
The only way, as of right now, to acquire more picks, is to move down in the draft!
Andy Dalton QB TCU projected 4-5 round,I like it:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CEcQFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nfldraftscout.com%2Fratings%2Fdsprofile.php%3Fpyid%3D66871%26draftyear%3D2011%26genpos%3Dqb&rct=j&q=Andy%20Dalton%20qb&ei=WVRATbiuJ4P-8AaE-sGgBA&usg=AFQjCNHbgmZrvalO2bnLiTBf-tYq2Ubi7g&cad=rja
So if that is the case, than we do need to build with young free agents if we want depth. It`s the only way if we only have six draft picks. Like Fox says, IT IS WHAT IT IS!
Hoping that the cba is in place before the draft is just wishful thinking at this point, like Klis said it will most likely happen just before the first regular game of the season or maybe even a week after that, it is what it is as Fox would say.
Matthews 40 time is only a 4.78. That is really bad for being only 232 pounds!!!
Here are those numbers if you’d like to see for yourself!
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=70823&draftyear=2011&genpos=ILB
LMAO@Fox
I don’t like moving down in the draft,just to get more picks while we watch other teams draft the players we want,I hated it last year!
Here is a complete list of all ILB in the draft with side by side comparisons on height weight and 40 time.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/TSX/2011_ILB
Hey Fox is our kinda guy,he even says our slogan,IT IS WHAT IT IS!
We`re on the same page Bay.
I agree BFE, no way I want to trade the #2 pick, we may never have that again. I think we just have to resign ourselves that it will take a minimum of two years to address all our positions issues.