I'll take Bradshaw over Brady any day.

BFT, AFan, you guys beat me to it.

On average, the players of today are bigger, faster, and stronger than the guys back in the 70's and earlier. Any perceived lack of toughness of today's players (QB's specifically) is generational, rather than individual. They would quickly adapt to the more liberal rules (toughness) and pick apart those 1970 secondaries with their accuracy and quick delivery. The successful QB's of today would enjoy success back then, as the great QB's from back then would enjoy success today. But I think more QB's from today would be successful back then rather than the opposite; I think most glory year QB's would struggle with the speed and small windows in today's game.

As for entire teams? The two Super Bowl contenders this year would annihilate the champs of the 70's under any rule system. It's just the generational differences, much like how today's military would destroy the Vietnam-era military.

 

I think a lot of folks underestimate how much larger players are now than in the 70s. The D-linemen of that era were the size of today's linebackers and O-linemen the size of today's tight ends. A modern team wouldn't have to throw the ball at all against a team from the 70s. They could just run it down their throats every play.

 

Athletes today are bigger, faster, stronger, etc. then athletes of past years. That's why you just can't compare. You need to compare a guy against his current peers, and only then can you compare the success of player A from today vs player B from 30 years ago. That's all you can compare, is the success each had vs the league during his career.

 

With that being said, There can be no "greatest of all time" then! Right?

 

Absolutely. Greatest of an era is the best you can do.

 

Not true. like I said, you compare a guys success vs his peers. For example, when McGwire broke the HR record, there were a handful of guys right up there with him, especially Sammy Sosa who also broke the record and was only 4 behind McGwire. Compare that with Babe Ruth, who hit 59 home runs in 1921. The closest person to him was at 24 home runs. Ruth was obviuosly so far ahead of his peers, moreso than McGwire. That's just one stat obviously and doesn't make Ruth a better player by itself, but it shows what I'm talking about.

 

Let's not forget that Bradshaw threw like 70 interceptions in those first 4 years. Noll announced in training camp that it was an open QB competition between Gilliam, Bradshaw, and Hanratty with Gilliam winning the job. Bradshaw even admits that Gilliam beat him out for the starting spot.

 

There clearly can be debate, the clearly can be the discussion whether player X was better than his competition more than Player Y. But really, that's the argument all along, as Bradshaw and Brady never met on the field.

There are things that transcend eras, and can be compared, especially for players that leave statistical trail, like RBs, WR and QBs.

for example:
Did you win? In the reg season? In the post season?
Was your offense effective? Did you lead in scoring? In yds? On a consistent basis?
What was more important to winning, offense or defense?
Were you ever considered the best at your position when you played? MVPs? 1st team All Pro? Pro Bowls?.
How long were you at the top level in yrs? Did you start late? Finish early?


The HOF voters struggle with this all the time. It's subjective, it's debatable, but it's not impossible.

 

The title of this thread 'I'll take Bradshaw over Brady any day'. Chuck Noll reckoned that for several months of days in Bradshaws 5th yr, he'd take Joe Gilliam over him. I suspect if the Emporer had Tom Brady on the roster then, he'd have started him over Gilliam.
But, I will allow that there might still be those who will 'take the heroin addict over Brady any day'

 

W0w some here just cant get off the TB, BB talk ...

 

Terry was 4-0 brady took his six shots to get there. Either way you dice it up rules, eras, etc... He's in the club. Just be thankful for the job Terry did and move along. We can debate it all day long, but the books are the books even though Terry did it without asterisk merit, and a lot of folks would argue that due to the old steroid era rumors from the 70s.

Im glad he hung in there and clutched up for us. I wished Johnny U could've done the same and that we would've drafted Marino and caused more chaos to the trophy case.

Didnt happen, doesn't matter, we're still top dog in the hardware category.

 

There can be no debate simply because Tom Brady is hands down the best. LOL!!! I really couldn't say that for sure but I just like to aggravate my friends. My wife tells people "if he's aggravating you that's how you know he likes you".

 

make all things equal. rules and current systems. which set of three are better?

70's bradshaw, staubach, stabler
80's marino, montana, moon
90's Elway, farve, Kelly
00's brady, manning, Roethlisberger

just curious. I will always think that the overall qb play in the 80's was the best I have ever seen. it is so watered down now. I mean half the teams have guys that couldn't play then

 

I would take the 00's because of the hardware on top of the individual accolades. Second would be the 70s for the same reason.

 

Not picking on you specifically, but this is a comment I've seen a lot. And I don't get it. It implies that Marino in B&G would have won championships in PGH that he never sniffed in Miami, (or at Pitt). I don't see why people think this, if he couldn't beat Kelly or Elway in Miami, why would he in Pgh?

 

I've always wondered if Noll would have let Marino sling it as much as he did in Miami. Do you think he would have had the same stat sheet if we had taken him? I've wondered that a lot about him.

 

BS,
Miami had a running game before Marino and they did after him. They didn't have one when Danny was there because he didn't wasn't one.
As often as not the Dolphins D was as good as Pghs during those yrs. It's not obvious to me that Pgh would have been a step up from Miami. At least not so much to make me think he'd had won a bunch of championships. If he'd have gotten to Chi in the mid '80s, you might be right. But they late Noll Steelers were just another team.

 

Yeah I think Marino to Kordell would have been awesome. Also Marino to Thigpen could have been cool. I really doubt Cowher would have let him sling it as much though and really think Noll might have let him sling it more than Cowher honestly.