(from a posting from a couple yrs ago)
everybody has fond memories of yesteryear, when they were growing up and watching all these iconic teams and players, but football is about competition --- that's what makes for a great sport and a great team, competition, and the nfl is more about competition today than ever, which is why you don't see a handful of teams dominate, anymore, which basically prevents any single team from becoming iconic.
that's great that you might still be able to talk about the rosters of those great niners teams decades later, but I looked up some stuff for a post in another thread, recently, and found out that in one particular year in the early nineties (the random one I looked up), shortly before the advent of the salary cap, the final four teams that year were all in the top 7 in team payroll.
I think the best record that year belonged to the niners, with 14 wins, iirc, and not only were they among the top teams in payroll, their payroll actually exceeded those other 3 final 4 teams by 25%, by 50% over the nfl median, and actually 100% of another team in their own division.
that's greatness?
I don't think anyone would dispute the greatness and iconic identity of the original dream team, but is that what you'd really prefer the nfl to return to ---- a handful of haves rolling chumps all season?
people love some of those old dominant teams because people love winners, which is why there were so many people adopting the yankees all over the country, so many celtics and lakers fans, raiders, cowboys, etc --- because if you wanted to root for a winner you might have to adopt a team that plays home games 2000 miles away from you.
btw, that 14-2 niner team with the bloated payroll didn't make the superbowl that year.
this was right around the time montana was wrapping up his 13 year run, and handing off the legacy to steve young, who played 13 years of his own for the club.
we all recognize some of the fixtures from those rosters, years later --- roger craig - 8 year run, rice - 16 years, clark - 9 years, rathman - 8 yrs, lott - 10 yrs, haley - 6 yrs, taylor - 9 yrs, etc
maybe the closest thing we've had in the current nfl would be the patriots, with the tenured brady being the most recognizable name, of course.
but how many others on this 'dynasty' even last long enough to see a contract extension in a salary capped nfl -- mankins, wilfork, and......?
nobody, outside pats fans, is talking about a couple linemen, and the rest of the team is pretty much regularly turned over with lesser luminaries, and rookie contracts, because that's what you have to do when free agency exists, and you can't spend 100% more than a division 'rival', to use the term loosely.
welker might be one of the more easily identified with this current bunch, and he could be out the door after a spectacular 6 year run.
yeah, when you see the same faces over and over, year after year, on one of the 3 networks you have access to, it's a little easier to identify the players and build memories, but that's not competition, and it's not true greatness --- that's just comfortable familiarity.
- just to say FU to the NFL.
