NFL 1990’s vs. NFL Today
Many father-son relationships, particularly when the patriarch and Junior are curmudgeons, are enriched by seemingly meaningless similarities. This rings especially true for me and my father, who came from vastly different backgrounds. But, as much as I didn’t understand his love of motorcycles and Law and Order and he didn’t quite get my idolatry of David Bowie, we shared tastes in Literature, the Rolling Stones, alcohol1, and football. Football was a looming presence in my household from Saturday drives to Lexington to see the exquisitely awful VMI Keydets get Holyfield-ed by teams that only alumni could be familiar with, to the few movements on the Sunday couch, where getting up was only tolerated if one was cursing the team the Redskins was losing to, taking a bathroom break, or going up to adjust the volume2 on the TV set. Time has passed, and while much has changed in my life and in the game of football itself, I still find myself crippled on couches every Sunday, albeit usually a little more hungover and more financially interested in games than I was when I was twelve. Given that we are a quarter through the 2008-09 NFL Season, it seemed as good as time as any to discuss the substantial differences in the culture of the NFL from the 1990s to today. While Fantasy Football has lead to fans having a level of interest never before seen in the good-but-not-great NFL player, it has also taken away some of the panache of the NFL- people root for players now, not teams, which is a significant misstep. Now, before I start comparing the two, I need to acknowledge that a lot of the greats in both eras spent some time in the other- for instance, Jerry Rice played in the 2000s, but he is unquestionably a 90s player, and the vice versa goes for a Terrell Owens/ Ladainian Tomlinson type.
Part I: Best at Position
It is obvious that there will always be debate over who was the best at whatever position forever. So, for instance, when I say Brett Favre was the best quarterback of the 1990s, someone could easily rebutt with Steve Young, Troy Aikman, or Trent “The Dent” Dilfer3. I get that some of my opinion might differ from your’s- I suggest starting up your own blog.
Quarterback- Brett Favre/ Tom Brady- It is difficult to compare these two except for the fact that they are the kings of their respective eras. Brady is a stream-lined, model dating, beret/ scarf combo sporting mastermind of offense. His performance last year was unquestionably the best offensive performance in the history of the league- if he had won the Super Bowl, it would have been the best statistical season of a professional athlete ever. Favre is the most overliked athlete of the ESPN-era (besides maybe MJ), but it is for good reason. He’s a good ol’ boy from Mississippi with one of the biggest arms in NFL history. He has a playfulness that makes Madden-like types opine endlessly about his ‘boy-like passion for the game.’ He has won the MVP three times and has every major statistical quarterback record in football. While I stick by my point that he certainly isn’t as beyond reproach as some would make him out to be, Brady simply doesn’t have the little qualities that make Brett Favre what he is. And for those who argue, logically, that Brady has a good shot of taking all of those QB records I was referring to, he won’t have the most impressive one- 256 consecutive starts. Winner: Favre
Running Back- Emmitt Smith/ LaDainian Tomlinson- I’m already upset with myself for picking Emmitt over Barry Sanders, but Emmitt has those hypnotically huge Super Bowl rings and Barry just has faint memories of how sweet he was in the mid-90s Madden. Like Favre, Emmitt was the face of a dominant organization for much of the 1990s. He holds the record for all-time rushing yards… but it took him a lot longer than it took James Brown, the aforementioned Sanders, and Earl Campbell to get where they got. It can also be argued that Emmitt Smith had the best offensive line of all time, something that might come in handy when playing running back. Ladainian Tomlinson is the best football player of all time. While many could argue to me about his inconsistency, his lack of championships, or the fact he is still not that deep into his career, I’d say just shut up and watch him play. No one has a better combination of skill, form, desire, and class in the NFL. While Adrian Peterson might end up having me adjust this praise of LT, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Winner: LT
Wide Reciever- Jerry Rice/ Terrell Owens- I say Owens over Moss because Owens has been more consistent and been Pro Bowl caliber for every team he has been on, no matter the quarterback or offensive scheme. Terrell Owens is also what’s wrong with the NFL today, from his habit of throwing teammates under the bus, to his so-obnoxious-its-almost-disgusting self advertising4. But, I will give credit where credit is due and say he is an amazing talent, fun to watch, and as fierce a competitor as there ever has been. That’s cute and all, but Jerry Rice is Jerry Rice- if you don’t understand that logic, you don’t like football. Winner: Jerry Rice
Offensive Lineman- Larry Allen/ Jonathan Ogden- Once I actually tried to play football and got my unmotivated, unathletic ass relegated to playing Offensive Line, I started to watch the trenches a lot more. For those of you who still don’t appreciate the battle up front, specifically the paramount role a Left Tackle plays, I suggest reading The Blind Side by Michael Lewis. That being said, however, it is difficult to really compare these two OL-Gods, due to the less than flashy nature of the position. These two players were unmovable man-mountains, laughing at the idea of a sack and salivating at the sound of a running play. Hate to do this, but Draw.
Defensive Line- Reggie White/ Jason Taylor- I feel bad I’m not putting a Defensive tackle in the running for this, because it is the most underrated position in football (look how much better a Albert Haynesworth or Tommie Harris makes their respective defenses), but these two guys are pretty spectacular. Reggie White was more of your traditional pass-rushing Defensive End who would laugh at the suggestion of someone running on him. Jason Taylor is much more of a general playmaker- he gets his sacks, the occasional pick, and has a good nose for the ball. But, due to his under-sized frame, he was also a target for many offensive coordinators running the football. In my experience, you stop the run, you have a much better chance of winning the game- Winner: The Minister of Defense
Linebacker- Junior Seau/ Ray Lewis- While Seau has been reasonably productive in the 2000s, his decade was clearly the 1990s (he was a seven- time, yes seven, First team All Pro) when he was the dominate defensive force in football. His controlled recklessness, quickness, strength, and decision making made him on of the most complete football players on either side of the field. His passion made him an irreplaceable team leader, and his gheri-curl made even Ice Cube in sheer jealousy. But Ray Lewis is Ray Lewis- probably the most focused and ferocious player in the last decade, Lewis is always making plays and also orchestrating the Ravens Defense, typically in the NFL’s top five. The only surprise to me about Ray Lewis is that he killed somebody off the field before he killed somebody on it. Winner: Ray Ray
Defensive Back- Deion Sanders/ Ed Reed- First things first, I really wanted to put “Darrel Green/ Sean Taylor” but that would have been half-inaccurate (Sean Taylor was awesome but not ‘best of the 00s awesome’) and wholly showing of my Redskins bias. Deion Sanders effected the game of football like few have before or since. His “primetime” attitude coupled with his Bolt-esque speed5 lead him to be the most feared cover corner in the league for a long time. His punt return skills were not to shabby either- until he came to the Redskins, where he made it pretty clear that he would rather live in Arizona6 than contribute to the team. Deion will probably be better remembered, however, for his constantly running mouth and ludicrous lifestyle which far too many athletes have idolized in the last decade- if you think trouble magnet like Pac Man Jones would be allowed to suit up in this league without Deion Sanders, you’d be mistaken. On the other side, you have Mr. Ed Reed. My man from the U reminds me a lot of a Ronnie Lot type, except he doesn’t hit quite as hard but makes twice as many plays. I realize this is a once in a lifetime thing, but I was at FedEx when Ed Reed sacked whatever ghost was playing QB for the Skins, forced a fumble, picked up the fumble and returned it I think fifty yards for a touchdown. For reference, I think that is like seventeen points in my fantasy league- you simply can not have a bigger game changing play than that. I also know very little about Ed Reed the person, which makes me like Ed Reed the person a lot more. For Christ’s sake, I still read about Deion mentoring NFL players; I guess he has a hook in the media much like they were the game of one of his ESPN hunting shows. Regardless, Ed Reed is a defensive back that people can build a defense around, Deion seems more like a luxury.
Best Team- Cowboy Era vs. Patriots Era- If these two played on the moon when they were both in their prime and the instant-replay option was not enforced but Bellichik could still watch signals but….. It is pointless to compare football teams as though there was a time vacuum in which you could get all of these guys in their prime- if there was such a thing, you’d hope we would get an Einstein or Jefferson in there over Michael Irvin, but I digress. Since I have been watching football with a fervor that few others do things on Sundays7, these have been the two teams that have jumped out and been suffocating the competition. Needless to say, I hate them both for different reasons. The Cowboys, well, because they are the Cowboys, and they were feeding me things to dislike about them during the 90s like Columbia was feeding stock brokers the motivation to stay up for those hundred hour weeks. Arrogant, overrated receiver? Check. Quarterback who always seemed to annoyingly make the right play at the right time? Check. Obnoxiously aggressive defensive lineman (bonus points: he went to JMU)? Check. But as much as I could try to justify disliking the separate pieces of the Cowboys, the reason my hatred was in full check during this era was because the Cowboys were good, like amazingly good. While their record may not suggest the Patriots-era dominance of last year, the Cowboys put fear in the hearts of their opponents- they were mean, fast, talented, and most importantly, hungry. The Patriots took a completely different approach to their dominance by enforcing team-work, role playing, and a secretiveness that teeters on CIA-level (in other words, pointlessness). Tom Brady had the ability to pick apart defenses using an ever-dwindling supply of nobodies (I think their best receiver when they lost to the Colts in the 2007 AFC Championship was Jabar Gaffney- that is pathetic/impressive) and the defense, who annually seems to lose a huge role player, continues to dominate because of their emphasis of strategy over individual players. Now that Brady has the offensive weapons, I’d predict this era is merely taking a break for a year8 before it’s a bloodbath next year. But, their questionable approach, particularly Spygate, leaves a pretty crappy taste in my mouth. Also, while the Patriots certainly have the all-stars, Belichick’s focus of team over person leads them to come across flatly. With Randy Moss having been so muzzled in his time in New England, it is clear that Bob Kraft wants to run an organization far differently from the Jerry Jones I-don’t-give-two-shits-about-character-let-him-run-fast-and-sell-jerseys Cowboys teams (of old and new- Tank Johnson + Pac Man + TO= something bad will happen. How did Jerry Jones get so much money with this kind of risk taking?). While it has been somewhat boring that the Patriots era has been defined by secrecy, efficiency, and teamwork, it also speaks well to the game itself- you don’t have to be obnoxious to be dominant. But, that being said, I can’t tell you how much fun I have had watching old Cowboy players get arrested, puzzle me with their career choices9, and flat-out embarrass themselves trying to commentate on ESPN. Still though, I think the Patriots of last year, which wasn’t one of their three Super Bowl teams, would have destroyed any Cowboys team ever.
So overall, I think when it comes down to it I acknowledge that the 00s is the best era in football. While the bigger-than-life personalities have become a little sickening, they have also made the game a 24-hour drama. Add the internet, the NFL Network, and the full realization of ESPN as a sports powerhouse, and its amazing to be a current NFL fan. Sure, I will probably always say Brett Favre was the best QB of all time, but my old man used to go on and on about Johnny Unitas, so I guess ignorance in sports fans is here to stay. Its good to be sentimental and defensive about players of old- other wise, how could I get in a near fist-fight over who was better the 1990 Giants or 1991 Redskins?
1 Except I stopped drinking bourbon when I was twenty- last time I had a drink with the old man he was sucking down Crown Royal- this might explain the diabetes…
2 My father was a big dude who usually sat in a leather recliner during games- him trying to wiggle his way into finding a remote was humorous, but usually just to awkward/ painful too watch
3 Actually, I was just looking at statistics, and there is no way Trent Dilfer could be considered the best QB of anything (he wasn’t even the best gunslinger named ‘Trent’ while he was in the league), besides the Super Bowl he won with the Ravens
4 His Line of “i’ shirts on Hard Knocks was hilarious because of the poorness of the idea and the desperation of the spokes-person. “iPractice?” More like “iInfringe” on Apple’s copyright.
5 Or does Usain Bolt have Deion Sanders-esque type speed? You decide
6 See Boys Will be Boys
7 Religion?
8 God knows Brady has some nice things to go home to
9 Remember when E. Smith went to the Cardinals?
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