How can you do it? How can you say which team was the best of all-time or even ask who is the all-time greatest Quarterback? Questions we sports addicts love to ask, realizing we have no way of settling the debate. It's our way of socializing in many different circles. I have this one buddy of mine who,
for some unknown reason, has to throw himself into a conversation already in progress (often between complete strangers) and offer a contrary position.
Don't get me wrong I love the guy but man it is irritating as all hell to walk into a sports bar with him and then have to suffer the fact that people
see you as being the friend of  "Argue Man". It's almost George Costanzaesque as he'll over hear two guys well into their 16th round of beers and not so calmly debating some fun fact about football and all of a sudden my lifelong friend (OK it is you Sean) stops short as if someone just suggested they slept with his mother and he'll then crash himself into the conversation with a  'friendly' little line like "What are you, stupid? " He's not exactly physically imposing so most of the times the guys will just get caught off guard and stare at him in disbelief and then engage him as though he originated the conversation. It has to have happened to our little clique no less than thirty times over the years.

Guys love to debate sports. For a politically savvy area like Boston you'd be surprised to know that Sports Talk Radio WEEI is the #1 rated AM station in many time frames throughout the week.
It's listening audience is a vast collection of the ilk of my buddy Sean. Even the hosts have some Seanisms. "Montana was waaay better than Manning or Brady"!..FACT!!" Or how about the now proverbial local praise, "These Pat's would have kicked the crap out of the '85 Beahs." (I know Bears has an 'R' but not in Boston)

I used to partake in these kinds of conversations but I now realize how silly they are. I think I can say that most of the undefeated 1972 Dolphins
probably wouldn't have been drafted in todays NFL given their likely *Combine scores, but it isn't fair to say that because these guys were pioneers of the sport. Today's analysis of the draft choices come with so much data and scientific break downs of the abilities of the candidate. There are physical and intellectual tests and ways to train to excel for them today.


The '72 Dolphins set the benchmark for the future rosters to reach for. How can you, with a serious face, suggest that Mercury Morris could match up with Ladanian
Tomlinson or Bob Griese be compared to Peyton Manning?
 It would be like comparing the greatest explorers of all time. Imagine hanging out at a tavern
outside of Oxford University where two geeks are arguing over who was better, Galileo or NASA. Magellen or Google Earth?
One is a pioneer of the field which the other has had the advantage of observing, learning from and training to surpass.
C'mon one more for the slow. Can you really see two West Point graduates debating over who would have won, the Roman Empire or today's
 high tech US Military?

 
So at the end of the day who cares if Ken Pittman is sitting in a sports bar in New Bedford, MA saying that Brady is better than Roger Staubach or Bart Starr? As I wait for the Patriots 2007 16th regular season
game to begin (in about 2 and a half hours) against the 10-5 NY Giants, I can live with the fact that my Patriots can set the benchmark for the future. New England may go 16-0 and be the first to do so today but lofting them above teams of different eras makes no sense. Just enjoy the moment Pats fans, we will very likely go back to the 3-13 seasons we came from at some point. Just the fact that they can now be mentioned in the same breath as the other dominant dynasties is as satisfying as it gets.

Prediction 12/29/07 5:30 PM:
            NE 34 NYG 16.
Actual NE 38 NYG 35

AFC Divisional championships
NE 34- Jax 14

AFC Championship game
NE 35  Ind 23

Superbowl

NE 42  Dall 27

NE 19 Wins- 0 Losses....and my pal Sean will surely debate once again and crash conversations taking place in The End Zone, Charlie Horse, Barrett's Ale House, or Floyd's Place in Seattle ....sigh