The comparison must die
02/08/2008
Stalter Home / Sports Channel / Bullz-Eye Home
Eli Manning hadn’t even unbuckled his chinstrap following Super Bowl XLII and media publications everywhere were already asking, “Now that he’s won a Super Bowl, how does he compare to his brother?”
Eli just completed his fourth season, has a career QB rating of 73.4 and has never played in a Pro Bowl. Peyton is a two-time MVP, a Super Bowl MVP, has been voted to eight Pro Bowls and has led the Colts to six-straight postseason appearances. He also holds countless individual records, including most seasons with 4,000-plus passing yards (8) and most games with a perfect passing rating in a career (4).
How does Eli compare? Outside of having the same last name and, now, a Super Bowl ring, he doesn’t.
Comparisons in sports are played out. I understand that some fans think comparing players or moments in games are what sports are all about. But we’re just taking them too far.
Before this year’s Super Bowl, everyone was wondering if the Patriots were to win, how would they compare to previous dynasties? Would they be the greatest team ever? Would they be better than the 1972 Dolphins?
After the game, some asked, “Was Eli Manning and the Giants’ final drive better than Joe Montana and the 49ers’ final drive in Super Bowl XXIII?”
Does it freaking matter? The Giants’ final drive to win Super Bowl XLII was magnificent, as was Manning’s Houdini impersonation while escaping three would-be sacks and David Tyree’s spectacular reception.
Highlights of Montana’s 11-play, 92-yard drive to beat the Bengals are still shown on ESPN Classic and the NFL Network. It was an outstanding moment.
Do we really need to go through and rank where each one of those moments/plays falls in the annals of Super Bowl history? What if we just appreciated that we were alive to see those plays and get to look forward to similar moments in the future?
We’ve all been there – chatting with friends or family about great sport moments of “our time.” And then someone mutters, “Well, today’s athletes aren’t what they were in my time.”
What often ensues is an hour-long discussion about how Jim Brown was the best running back to have ever played the game. Then someone argues that Barry Sanders was better than Emmitt Smith because the Cowboys always had better offensive lines than the Lions.
By the time you move on to quarterback comparisons, you’ve already raised your voice and been cut off so many times you’re ready for a bottle of rum and a couple shots of whiskey.
My generation will never match my father’s generation. And my child’s generation will never match my generation. We all want to hold on to that moment in time when we saw “The Catch” or “The Drive.” We want to cherish the moment we witnessed Tom Brady and the Patriots upset “The Greatest Show on Turf” in Super Bowl XXXVI and believe no other game will top it.
But it’s not fair to make comparisons to other games in other times. It’s not fair to compare any present day running back to Jim Brown’s era, because those players didn’t have the opportunity to play in Brown’s era. The players were different, the coaching was different, even the equipment was different. It just doesn’t make sense to embark on these mad quests to determine which teams or players were better or worse than the ones in previous years.
In truth, it’s not fair to Brown and the players, either. It’s not fair that every time a young running back comes into the league, the media or fans try to draw comparisons to his game.
Can’t Jim Brown be one of the best of his time? Can’t the Cowboys of the early ‘90s be the best team during that era? Can’t we just say that the Giants pulled off one of the greatest upsets in the history of the NFL? Do we actually need to determine where their upset falls in comparison to other great upsets? Sure it can be fun, but it’s gone way too far and it almost seems like nobody enjoys the moments anymore.
It may sound like I’m trying to suck the fun out of comparisons, but I’m not. I’m just sick of the generation-to-generation comparisons that run rampant before and after each Super Bowl. I’ll be the first one to admit that I love looking at power rankings, but at least those are done on a level playing field. We can definitively say that 2007 Giants were better than the 2007 Dolphins. We don’t need to figure out where they rank all-time.
Here’s another problem: people who love comparisons are the first ones to diminish accomplishments when things go south.
For example, the 2006 Chicago Bears defense drew comparisons to the ’85 Bears and ’01 Baltimore Ravens when they were holding opponents to fewer than 16 points a game. This year, they had trouble stopping the run due to injuries along the interior of their line and now all of a sudden the ’06 defense was a mirage.
In 1998, the Atlanta Falcons pulled off one of the greatest upsets, knocking off the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game. The following year, running back Jamal Anderson suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second game of the year and suddenly the ’98 team was called a colossal fluke.
This happens with individual players too.
Remember how dumb the Houston Texans were for making Mario Williams their number one pick instead of Reggie Bush? Williams was regarded as a top prospect, but many claimed he wouldn’t have the same impact as Bush would. Williams went on to have a decent rookie year, but Bush was a difference-maker for a Saints team that made the NFC Championship Game.
This season, Williams was a monster and Bush struggled carrying the full-time rushing load after Deuce McAllister suffered a season-ending injury. Now some are saying how smart the Texans were for passing on a running that “can’t run between the tackles.”
See where I’m going with this? Eli Manning is drawing comparisons to Montana this week, but if the Giants start 1-6 next year and he compiles a QB rating of 58.7, some will utter that the final drive in Super Bowl XLII was a fluke. And that’s not fair to Eli, the Giants, or football fans for that matter. Everyone should enjoy what they saw last Sunday and if Eli’s production dips next year, then so be it. But don’t touch his moment this year, because he was great in the playoffs and the Super Bowl.
Enjoy these historical moments, these plays, these athletes – but let’s cool it with the all-time comparisons. The Giants’ final drive will go down as one of the most exciting moments in Super Bowl history. Let’s just leave it at that.
Questions or comments? Send them to astalter@bullz-eye.com.