Sid

[wvbucco]

I'm not at all into Hockey, but I'd just about convinced myself to check out a Penguins game just to see him in action.  *sigh*  I guess I'll have to wait 'till March.

[Max Power]

Actually I love Hockey.  I've been a Penguins fan since they wore the Blue Uni's.  That's a few years BM. (BM is before Mario)  Once I attended a game live, I was addicted.  There is something purely wonderful about the action and flow of a Hockey Game.  Baseball is and always will be my First Love, but I have a reall attraction to Hockey.  It's easy to understand how the Canadian's took to it first as Home Rinks and Pond Hockey used to be so much more available up there.  These days there are plenty of indoor rinks around the country to allow us the ability to grow some of our own talent.  We are catching up, but so far the stars are from the North or across the Oceans. 

Sid Crosby is Pittsburgh's second Ambassador to the game.  Mario set the bar really high. Sid seems almost capable of chasing after him.  Mario was almost a magician on ice.  He did things with the puck that no one else could.  Gretsky was good but not quite the talent of Mario.  The rest of the world just didn't understand that part.  So the debate goes on.  In my mind, there is none. 

Sidney Crosby is a one of a kind guy that just loves to play the game of Hockey and excels at it.  His head is on so straight it's scary.  He enjoys his responsibilty to the game and takes is seriously. 

The City of Pittsburgh should really make Sid's time there as enjoyable as possible.  Maybe he too will adopt Pittsburgh like Mario did.  It would be real boost to the City to have two of the games greatest players of all time calling the City of Pittsburgh Home.  Call it that, and Mean It!

[Animal]

You speak the truth.  I have said hundreds of times how lucky I am to be a Pittsburgh Sports fan in my mid 40's.  Do you realize how many truly great athletes we have had the fortune of watching?

We have been a fan of 9 World Champions....2 Penguin cups, 5 Super Bowl wins, and 2 World Series Winners, not to mention the 76 Pitt Panthers...and how many division winning and playoff teams?

How many Hall of Famers, and great players have we been fortunate enough to watch right here in our back yard?

From Mario to Sid....and everyone in between....Jagr in his heyday. Francis, Mullen, Murphy, Coffey, Trottier, Stevens, Recchi, Barrasso,

Bradshaw, Harris, Swann, Stallworth, Webster, Lambert, Ham, Blount, Greene, Greenwood, Dawson, Woodson, Bettis, Ward, Polomalu,

Clemente, Stargell, Bonds, Mazeroski,

The Penguins have improved over the past couple of years. Let's hope the Bucs can come back soon!

[Max Power]

Animal - I had no idea you were the same age as me.  I really feal privleged to have lived in Pittsburgh through all those years and to have seen all those truely great players.

In Baseball, we saw the 71 and 79 World Series, and both got to see Maz play before he retired, and saw Clemente play before his untimely death.  My first baseball game was at Forbes Field and I watched TRS being built - it seemed like it took forever, like the Bridge to nowhere.  How many here even know what that refered to.

In Hockey, well no real need to go into detail there as Mario provided perhaps the most entertaining Hockey I EVER wittnessed.  How many times did I see something I truely could not believe I'd seen?  Too many.  He was just super-human when his health was "On".  He was never second to Gretsky and I've seen them play against each other live.

And football - yoi we have "SEEN IT ALL".  The biggest and baddest Football Dynasty to ever grace the NFL, the Steelers of the 1070's.  Nothing needs to be said.

Even Pitt had some real displays etched in my memory.  Tony Dorsette - Hugh Greene - Dan Marino, but a few of the many.

My youth days were spent at TRS with the Youth GA tickets.  I'd sit out there and cheer on The Cobra.  I just loved the Pirates, they were my heros as a young kid.  My world revolved around the Buccos, either there at the Stadium or on TV.  I was glued to it.  I just wish we could be like we were before the 80's came got along in the years.  Yes I enjoyed Bonds Bonillia and Vanslyke in the outfield but that was too close to the end.  After those days it was all over. 

Oh I was lucky - Blessedly lucky and it didn't even end there.  I moved to Wisconsin to watch the Brett Favre show for 13 years.  What a career to be there for.  I was spoiled as a kid and given a little parting gift as an adult. 

All the World Series, Super Bowls, Stanley Cups and National Titles the City of Pittsburgh has wittnessed is just insane.  How very lucky we are to have lived through it. 

[Animal]

To see all that, then go on and get to see Favre.

And I did forget a few.  We got to see THE GOOSE........albeit for only one year. And yes, Parker...the was no more dominating player than him in the late 70's. He belongs in the hall along with Mad Dog.

I feel bad for these kids that are Pirate fans...and by kids, I mean those 30 or less...they really don't know what it was to have successful Pirate teams.

So give me a first hand viewpoint Max Power.... Favre, or Bradshaw?  Can Big Ben be as good?

[Max Power]

Terry Bradshaw was a Football God.  An Icon for the years.  At the time I though no one could ever better him and was truely crushed when he retired. 

But even Terry himself will say it, he was not and never would be the most talented QB around. Terry benefitted by playing with probably the best team in the History of the Game.  The Steelers of the 70's are it.  He was a perfect fit for them.  He matured in to one of the games best yet he credits everyone involved in the process, right down to his Line. 

Brett Favre is, on the other hand The most talented QB going.  His heart is in the very right place it should be to make an effective player.  He flat out loves playing the game and THAT is how he plays it.  When Favre and the Packers were dominating and won thier Super Bowl, they were not the most talented team going.  They couldn't have held a match to the Steelers of the 70's.  Yet when Faver was on the field with them, there simply was no stopping them.  Together as a unit they were fabulous - and thier leader, Faver, was fearless.  He was why they were there. 

Comparing Favre and Bradshaw is tough to do. There are similarities and differences.  The very back ground where they came from is similar enough to make both of them strong individuals.  Favre though was clearly the more talented of the two.

[Max Power]

This here is the tricky part.  Ben as a rookie went what 13 - 0 after being thrown in to the starting roll after the injury bug bit us, and we have NEVER looked back.

Success came early for Ben Roethlisburger.  The second year brought us yet another fine season by Ben, and what a Super Bowl trophy?  In just his second year he ran with the "big dogs" and brought the Steelers into the Playoffs on a run that would not be stopped.

Then the Wheels came off the Bus.  Ben's Motorcycle accident nearly killed him - and would have killed most anyone else.  Then before the season an emergency appendectomy.  Ben was behind the 8-ball right from the get go.  Put there by a coach that thought he gave us the best chance to defend our Championship.  It wasn't the case - as Ben could have really used additional time in getting back to complete health.  Charlie Batch was playing well and needed not be replaced.  *coaching error here

The season we just completed, we won our division with two other teams having been favored to finish above us.  We had a fairly successful season with Ben playing at his best level yet.  He was given more responisbility and he helped re-write the playbook.  Defenses were pounding the crap out of Ben far more often than in the past.  By season's end the injury bug had bitten us all over the place.  Pretty much we went as far as we were going to go with the depth we had left. 

Q: So in the Favre vs Bradshaw debate the question - Can Ben also succeed at that level? 

A: Are you kidding me?  Absolutely yes I'd say he can - and has shown he can and will.  He has had early success where the other two did not.  Ben is WAY A HEAD of those two Hall of Famers.  He has all the talent and tools.  He has the desire.  He has the mentality.  In my opinion, Ben has a leg up on it already and could possibly end up with as much personal success as Favre and as many rings, well maybe, as Bradshaw.    Ben is right there in the same sentence as Favre and Bradshaw, no questions asked!

[Dogknot3]

Q: So in the Favre vs Bradshaw debate the question - Can Ben also succeed at that level? 

A: Are you kidding me?  Absolutely yes I'd say he can - and has shown he can and will.  He has had early success where the other two did not.  Ben is WAY A HEAD of those two Hall of Famers.  He has all the talent and tools.  He has the desire.  He has the mentality.  In my opinion, Ben has a leg up on it already and could possibly end up with as much personal success as Favre and as many rings, well maybe, as Bradshaw.    Ben is right there in the same sentence as Favre and Bradshaw, no questions asked!

Is this just based on Super Bowls? 

I like Big Ben and think he is the real deal, but he still needs to improve a lot to be in the same category as Favre and Bradshaw.  It will be exciting to watch.

It is always fun to compare QB's.  I think if Peyton manning continues his tear, he could go down as the greatest of all time.  But then again, his brother Eli Manning has won just as many Super Bowls in half the amount of years played.