Namath's stats would've been better in today's pass happy era. I think he's definitely a HOFer. Not up there with Montana, Elway, Mannings, Brady, etc. but def a champion gunslinger who belongs in Canton.
Saying Namath wouldn't be Namath without the Guarantee is like saying Pink Floyd isn't Pink Floyd without the Wall.
"Derek Jeeta wouldn't be Derek Jeeta if he played for the Pirates." -Mike Francesser "Joe DiMaggio's Joe DiMaggio." -Mike Francesser
So U were 9 when SB3 was played so kudos to U for remembering about it. But the key thing is U see only 1 or 2 others admitted to seeing JWN play but there they are bashing away that JWN was a bum. How funny is that? :sad:
By over rated what does that even mean? Namath shouldn't be in the HOF because guys today under new rules, playing in domes with 3 WR sets and basketball players with great hands recruited to play TE are pushing passing stats through the roof every year? In his era there were 2 QB's who threw the ball with the skill Namath had Namath and Jurgensen. In his era before his second set of knee injuries he was not just great he was the biggest thing in sports with the exception of Ali. Nobody is saying Namath is one of the top 10 QB's of all time. He belongs in the HOF and he was without question the best Jets QB of all time with a tip of the hat to the single best season a Jets QB ever had going to Vinnie T. Gale Sayers in the HOF not for a great career, he flased a brilliance that nobody had seen before. Namath flashed that kind of brilliance the voters who saw him knew it.
I watched SB3 at my girlfriend's house on a black and white TV when I was 17. Had been following the Jets since 1965. You guys who are focusing on statistics don't understand what was going on back then. Namath dragged the entire NFL kicking and screaming into the future.
I disagree, I think Phil was better. Both QBs relied on great defense to win but phil was leading the Giants to much better overall seasons and never ahd the weapons inthe pss game Eli has had. in this era the 11-3 Jets would not have hosted a championship game and needed just one win to reach the SB so it goes both ways. so it's ok for you to narrow a window but not for me? how come? he didn't retire and it made already mediore #s look worse. Physical ability wise he's one of the best of all time but his body failed him and durability counts. if he stays healthy I think he would have had a career as great as you guys think he had but he wasn't healthy and that ruined what could have been a top 5-10 career. who is sitting out w/ a hangnail? QBs are being hit by players MUCH bigger, stronger and faster something Joe didn't have to deal with All we can do is compare players to peers of their eras and Joe comes up short against his. yet lost to a team w/ a BETTER record that BEAT the Jets in the reg season. The '68 Jets did NOT earn homefield. They hit the lottery w/ the rotation of the title game. He was vital to the growth of the league and for that he belongs in the HOF but as strictly a player he did not have a great career.
This is ridiculous. The #1 passing offense in the NFL in 1971 passed for 223 yards per game, and they were the only team in the NFL to pass for more than 200 yards per game that season. The league average passer rating was 59.3. This year, the #1 passing offense averages 307 yards per game. Only 3 NFL teams average fewer than 200 yards passing per game. The league average passer rating is 85.0. Namath had a career passer rating of 65 over 12 years in an era when 59 was average. He averaged 197 yards per game passing for his career in an era when 200 yards per game equated to one of the most prolific passing attacks in the NFL. You might as well talk about how stupid Leonardo Da Vinci was -- the guy didn't even know how to text!
The original post? The point is that looking at his numbers in comparison to modern numbers is silly. He was statistically awesome for his era.
I didn't see that, my mistake. I agree, you cannot compare stats of modern day QBs w/ those from Joe's era.
You cannot compare stats in football at all to determine who is better. There are way too many variables.
Just kidding Junc, we've been having this argument for 10 years, I respect your opinion, you know that...
