So Peyton Manning decided to hang ’em up after 18 seasons. He threw for nearly 41 MILES (72,000 yards), tossed 539 TD’s, and won 2 Super Bowls. Great numbers, right? But where does he stand among the greatest QB’s in the history of the game? Here’s my Top 5:
- Johnny Unitas
- Otto Graham
- Joe Montana
- Bart Starr
- Tom Brady
Who is yours?
Random Acts of Sports 
This is good stuff! I love the topic but I’ll need to do more research. So, while I don’t claim to be an expert on the history of quarterbacks, I will tell you I DO know food. And, my favorite food? Manning ham.
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Steve, I think there have been so many great QB’s…I will wait to see the lists of other fans. In the meantime, I will put together a list of my all-time favorite LEFT-HANDED quarterbacks: 1. Kenny “The Snake” Stabler
2. Michael Vick (aka: Ron Mexico)
3. Jim Zorn
4. “Boomer” Esiason
5. Steve Young
*I know, I know…Where’s David Humm & Tyler Palko?!?!?
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Thanks for the list, Jerry. What about Scott Mitchell? Another lefty, now a hefty lefty. Biggest loser?
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I love that you included Otto Graham. He was amazing statistically (highest per attempt) and at winning (7 titles).
I would also include Elway because he got his team to the Super Bowl 5 times, 3 of them almost by himself. And Bret Favre for breaking all the records while not missing a start in 300 games.
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Elway and Favre definitely in the argument. So is Peyton. Some may also include Bradshaw or Aikman or Marino. Would it be any easier to make a Top 10?
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Why aren’t football stadiums built in outer space?
Because there is no atmosphere!
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It’s one thing to deflate A BALL.
But, a STADIUM?!?!? New home of the Pats?
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I like the less heralded like Kenny “Snake” Stabler, Billy Kilmer, Earl Morral, Darryle “Mad Bomber” Lamonica and Jim Plunkett!
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You are old school, Gerry. I like that! How about Bert Jones, Steve Grogan, and Joe Ferguson?
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Gerry definitely knows his sports, Steve. He can also knock down a spot up ‘3’ in crunch time if it’s needed! Plus, give him a little time and he will deliver ‘walk off’ puns with regularity! Gerry, you D’man!
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RIP Kenny Stabler. Oilers fans hated to seen Pastorini go, but you were solid in the powder “luv ya” blue.
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I loved it when a few of the QB’s were also the punters or kickers! Back in the day, right?
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Like Danny White, Bob Lee, and Gary Keithley. Some of them were pretty good at it. Dan Pastorini was 3rd in the NFL in punting in 1972. And what about players at other positions who punted. Like Donny Anderson, a running back. Or Bill Bradley, a safety. Or Pat Studstill, a wide receiver/punter. Don’t see that anymore.
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How ’bout the guy who appeared in an episode of Gilligan’s Island? – Roman Ildonzo Gabriel, Jr.
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Ha! You must be an old LA Rams fan. Gabe played a tribal warrior that was after Gilligan if I recall correctly. Remembering him in this role makes me think about other athletes appearing on TV. Who was better Gabe as the warrior, or Don Drysdale playing himself in The Brady Bunch?
Or maybe Joe Namath in The Brady Bunch?
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Gonna go with Gabe. Don was good but AstroTurf (and crying) does not belong in baseball(The Brady’s backyard). Joe? Not bad, but his coolness dropped a notch in my book when he appeared on Brady Bunch. Plus, my theory is that Mr. Brady actually wrote Joe the letter re Bobby being ill – deep down Mr. Brady was always the sneaky one.
How about Rosey Grier in the classic “Thing with Two Heads?” Or Kareem in “Airplane?” Not to mention renown Harvard School alum Wes Parker, who made an appearance in Greg Brady’s classroom.
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Wes Parker was outstanding! The question is, with all the big leaguers around Greg Brady, how come he always needed so much help with the game? Another Harvard School alum, Mark Harmon, turned a guest appearance into a 40 year acting career. All of the above may have been better than Keith Hernandez in Seinfeld.
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Good point re Greg. Perhaps Greg was just too distracted by personal issues at home – specifically…why his architect dad built a dream house for 6 kids…with only 3 bedrooms.
…and Parker and Harmon excelled without the help of Coach Roman Brysha.
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Yes, I’m sure there were many issues in the Brady home. Brysha, Roger Pacheco – just think what could have happened had Parker and Harmon been able to glean from them. Coulda been another Sandy Volpert.
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I don’t know Sandy Volpert, but I wonder if he relied on chronic, between-innings doses of Icy-Hot.
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Likely. Most use it, especially when they feel like their arm is about to fall off. The problem is the smell lingers…in your clothes, your bed, everywhere. 30 years later and I can still smell it.
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In 1977 massive applications of Icy-Hot was our poor-man’s alternative to what likely was
necessary T.J. Surgery. Filled a need in the low-rent Van Nuys Babe Ruth summer league (and Lax- adjacent H.S. Pioneer League) when a long post-op rehab was not an option.
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Yep, and now most of us can’t lift our arms above our shoulder. But we endured it all for the love of the game, eh? Same with the knuckleballs we took in the thigh in warmups.
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