Archive for March, 2010
Joe Cool To The Rescue
Joe Montana became the 49ers number 1 quarterback in December 1980 after winning a game against the New Orleans Saints which had a 35-7 lead at halftime. Still behind in the 4th quarter Joe Montana managed to tie the game and send it into overtime then win with a field goal. This would be the first in a total of 31 times in Joe Montana’s career when his team overcame a fourth quarter deficit to win.
In 1981 Joe Montana won his first Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals and the first of three Most Valuable Player Awards before he retired. The Super Bowl win also made him one of only three quarterbacks, (with Ken Stabler and Joe Namath), to win a college national championship and a Super Bowl. Therefore San Francisco 49ers jerseys are a excellent way to show support and enthusiasm for one of the greatest players to ever play professional football.
Baseball Season is Here
Much to the chagrin of sports fans around the country, the NFL season is now behind us. I, for one, am bracing for the dark period of summer sports, when the premier professional sport on TV is baseball. Don’t get me wrong, I love America’s Pastime as much as the next guy, but it doesn’t compare to football.
That being said, the marathon that is the MLB season is now upon us and fans are dusting off their authentic MLB jerseys in anticipation. Spring Training is well underway, and in less than a month, we will be celebrating Opening Day. So, although you may still be grieving over the end of the NFL season, there is a silver lining.
Pioneer Of The Passing Game
Because of this reason the game’s first true media superstar and the first quarterback to throw for 4000 yards in a 14 game season in 1967 that Joe Namath was inducted in the Professional Football Hall of Fame. His 4000 yard record held up until Dan Fouts defeated the record in a 16 game season in 1979. Joe Namath’s unlimited mobility helped evolve the quarterback position from the standard run style of play in the NFL to today’s open passing style of football. Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh said it best when stating that Joe Namath was “the most beautiful, accurate, and stylish passer with the quickest release.
Despite suffering a serious knee injury in college, Namath was drafted by both the National Football League’s St. Louis Cardinals in a 12th round pick, and the upstart American Football League’s New York Jets in their first round overall pick. He signed with the Jets for a salary of $427,000 which was a pro football record at that time. It is for these reasons I wear my authentic throwback New York Jets jerseys in remembering one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
The Sweetness Of Football
He was one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game. Walter Payton was well known simply by all his fans as “Sweetness”. His entire professional career was played for the NFL’s Chicago Bears. He is known as the most creative running back in the history of American Football having broken many records of the time including most career rushing yards, touchdowns, carries, and many other categories. A nine-time Pro Bowl selection Walter Payton was described by Coach Mike Ditka as the greatest player he had ever seen.
On November 1, 1999, Payton died of complications from a rare autoimmune liver disease known as “primary sclerosing cholangitis”. In memory of who I believe is the best versatile running back that ever played in the National Football League I will be wearing my Walter Payton throwback Chicago Bears jerseys as much as possible.
March Madness is Upon Us
March is here, and to sports fans that only means one thing: March Madness. Even if you haven’t watched a game the whole season, it is difficult not to get caught up in the lore and mystique that the NCAA’s culminating tournament provides. We are already starting to get a bit of a March Madness appetizer with the various conference tournaments taking place.
Despite the pageantry and spectacle inherent in the tournament, selection Sunday will undoubtedly leave many teams left asking questions and fans throwing down their college basketball jerseys in disgust. Some have suggested expanding the field or altering the selection process, but no matter what you do, there will always be people on the wrong side of the bubble.
Aikman’s Rookie Year Woes
In the 1989 draft Troy Aikman was the number 1 pick by the Dallas Cowboys. Aikman’s NFL career started with a 29-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints, and then the following week, Aikman threw his first touchdown pass, a 65 yard completion to Michael Irvin. In a game against the Phoenix Cardinals he threw for 379 yards to set an NFL rookie record. He finished 1989 with a 0-11 record as a starter. Following his rookie season, Dallas selected Florida Gators running back Emmitt Smith in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft. With Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin, Aikman nearly led the Cowboys to the playoffs in the 1990 season.
In Super Bowl XXVII against the Buffalo Bills, Aikman got his first test of the NFL’s most watched game and I think he passed with flying colors winning in a blowout victory of 52-17. This is why throwback Dallas Cowboys jerseys of Troy Aikman are very popular and still one of the best ways we all can show our support for one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
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