As the Super Bowl approaches, I’m hearing a lot of talk centering around the question of which franchise is the NFL’s greatest. In some cases it takes the form of “who is really America’s team?” Whatever the heck that gets you.
This year I think we’re hearing more of it because the Super Bowl features two of the primary candidates, Green Bay and Pittsburgh, and they’re playing in the home stadium of a popular third candidate, the Dallas Cowboys.
The problem with these conversations, though, is that many of the most passionate participants believe the NFL was founded in 1966-67. That’s the season the Super Bowl was first played, and bajillions of fans like to base their arguments on criteria like “who won the most Super Bowls?” The thing to understand, folks, is that NFL has been around since 1920, not 1966, and if we’re going to have opinions on the greatest franchise ever, we need to pay attention to the early days, too. With this in mind, let’s have a look at how many championships the top teams have won. This list includes Super Bowl wins from 1966 to the present and NFL championships from 1920-1965.
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
The thing to understand, folks, is that NFL has been around since 1920, not 1966, and if we’re going to have opinions on the greatest franchise ever, we need to pay attention to the early days, too. With this in mind, let’s have a look at how many championships the top teams have won. This list includes Super Bowl wins from 1966 to the present and NFL championships from 1920-1965.
Hmm. I don't recall those emoticons being in the original article...
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
For all time, you would have to pick the NFC powerhouses of the Bears, Packers, & Giants, but if you want to talk about the best NFL organization in the Super Bowl era, I think the Steelers deserve the title. They change out players and coaches and just maintian a solid organization. Very rarely do they not make the playoffs.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
A loaded question. Todays game is not the game of the 20's or 60's. In my opinion, todays players would not have lasted a year in the 20's or 60's. Any comparision is bogus.
Opus007 wrote: A loaded question. Todays game is not the game of the 20's or 60's. In my opinion, todays players would not have lasted a year in the 20's or 60's. Any comparision is bogus.
Disagree completely. Back then, players were part time and actually needed training camp to get into playing shape. Today's modern, sculpted, engineered athletes would run riot over the players back then.
I know a guy who played college football back in the 40's and was All American material, his son who was a head taller and 50 pounds heavier couldn't even get a walk on.
I will agree that the game is played very differently with many of the rules changed to create more offense and passing.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
I don't know about intensity but it does seem like too many modern players have bad fundamentals, especially when it comes to tackling, but I am seeing that in all professional sports, especially basketball and baseball.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
