As Super Bowl XLIV approaches, there’s one specific player whose legacy will be most affected by the outcome.
Peyton Manning.
In our latest item for SportingNews.com, we look at the impact of a second ring on Manning’s ultimate legacy.
So will he be remembered as the best ever? Who currently holds that title now? Feel free to add your thoughts below.
Best Ever?
Sammy Baugh.
Couple of years ago it was Tom Brady, then Elway, Montana. In a couple of more years the media (ESPN ) will pick a new name. Every year there is a new “greatest ever.” And chances are it will be some current player. It’s ridiculous and applies to all sports. There are writers asking if Albert Pujols is the greatest baseball player ever. Somebody even called this years Pro Bowl as the greatest ever. It’s out of hand.
Otto Graham
Ray Lucas
Oh, it’s true….damn true. Even if he doesn’t win this game, he’ll still be regarded as the best ever.
Is it just me, or is all this talk getting a bit ridiculous?
I mean, judge the guy after he retires. He’s awesome and all, but, this is getting silly.
No disrespect to Manning, but let him retire before he becomes the best ever.
Right now, though, he is the best active QB imo. Brees is one of the Top 5 QBs right now, and doesn’t seem to get proper respect.
Brett Favre
Montana. Hands down. QB except possibly Otto Graham could come close. Graham played in an era wher passing wasn’t as big as it is now so his numbers pale in comparison to the numbers of today’s QB’s. However, playing in 10 title games in 10 years is a feat that no other quarterbac before or since can claim and they never will.
But back to Montana. He is the coolest QB I never saw. I am 33, so I missed his first two Super Bowl victories (but thanks to Steve Sabol I have had the pleasure to see since), but watching football from 1985 to present no other QB compares. On second thought, I would put Manning ahead of Graham. My list of the greatest signal callers of all time is Montana, Manning, Graham-1,2,3. Who can dispute that list?
Joe Montana currently holds the title due to his body of work in the regular as well as post seasons. He secured his place in history by displaying he could do it without his supporting staff by his time in Kansas City.
Peyton Manning can overtake him by showing the same long term productivity in the regular and post seasons. He has proven he can do it without the same supporting staff with his leadership of the Colts offense this season.
If Manning can secure a second Super Bowl proving repetition in accomplishment to go with his regular season success he will secure his legacy as the greatest quarterback of all time.
I think Manning is outstanding and is one if not the very best of his time. I say of his time because the game has changed so much since Bradshaw, Montana etc played, the passing game is wide open and the rules help the passing game. Is he the very best, everybody is allowed to to discuss this point but at least steriods are not part of this debate.
So far, it is Brady 3 – Manning family 2
With that being said, I do believe Peyton is the best of this generation. I just like to give him a hard time, as most fans like to give certain players a hard time. I will not go so far as to say best ever, simply because, thanks to people like Bill Polian, who shocker, works for the Colts) the rules have made the passing game far tougher to stop than it was 20 years ago.
What would Marino, or Elway, or Montana have accomplished if you couldnt breath on a receiver after 5 yards……? Can you imagine how many pass interference penalties would be called on whoever was trying to cover Jerry Rice if the played under today’s rules……
Peyton Manning is the best ever.
Montana is the “best ever”
arent we hatching our chickens before we count them??? This type of article is nothing more than celebrity worship. What do pee wee herman, payton Manning and brittney spears have in common. All three are in the entertainment bizz. Nothing more and so, so much less.
I think Unitas holds that title and it would be impossible to say who is better. Pretty amazing they are both Colts.
Best NFLer ever? Hard to beat Jerry Rice for that one.
Best NFL QB ever? My vote would go to Montana, with Peyton Manning a close second.
Best NFL pitchman? Manning, hands down.
Eli Manning
Most.Clutch.SBQB.Ever
Two categories.
Best retired QB and Best active QB.
Dan Marino is the best retired qb ever
Peyton Manning is the best active qb.
When Manning retires in 8 years or so, he will take over Marino’s title.
Manning is a much better QB than Ms. Brady.
Brady has not done a thing without cheating….or maybe it was just his fat ass OC that was cheating.
Either way………..
Peyton Manning may be the best ever but Joe Montana is the greatest. To me, “best” speaks to a QB’s overall record, skill level, yards, TD’s, ratings, etc – i.e. measurables (but even on that score Manning’s not there yet). Greatest speaks to a QB’s ability to win when it counts and win the big games. Clutch. Manning actually doesn’t have an amazing post-season record despite his stats and overall record. Can’t beat Joe Montana and his 4 rings for “greatest”.
Sorry Opie, you’re still at least 2 rings short. Montana rules all.
John Elway, 5 Super Bowls, 2 rings
Please dont say Brett Favre
Curtis Enis
Manning is the best ever. He was the best ever four years ago. Media perception does not change that.
I love all this media navel-gazing. Basically they are writing opinion pieces about their own opinions.
And about their opinions on their opinions.
I think everyone in the media has the same dream every night:
They see a large white onion with their face on it. They peel the outside layer off and the next layer has their face on it.
They peel the next layer off and it also has their face on it.
Hey, I didn’t say it was and *interesting* dream, except to them apparently.
Does everyone have to agree? He’ll have to win a lot more SBs and hold every record to get a consensus.
For my money the top 5 QB’s are Unitas – Graham – Montana – Manning – Marino in an order that is to hard to determine.
I did like how they broke the groups up depending on rings and stats and when they played.
Manning with 2 more rings would be better then most and equal with Montana in my mind.
I do not put Brady up there and I am sure to get flack for it only because I think he is a system QB who played on a great DEF team that got caught cheating.
Need some ideas to write about?… Seems like this may be a slow day, you know, with the ‘debate’ and all… Besides, it’s Joe Montana. Elway is overrated. And he looks like Gary Busey’s brother.
Elway CARRIED on his back 3 11-5 teams to Super Bowls, then won 2, at age 37 walked away as Superbowl MVP.
Retired with most Wins as a QB, and only behind Marino and Tarkenton in career TDs with 300 even.
Name another QB to play in 5 Superbowls…
Can’t, there isn’t another.
In a game where any team can win on any given Sunday, Elway was the most consistent winner, great in the clutch, #1 in 4th qtr comebacks, and a back to back Super Bowl Champion.
If Manning wins this weekend I’d put him next to John as best ever. Elway 1a because he could scramble when Manning 1b would have smartly thrown the ball into the stands in Superbowl 32, Elway ran for what is one of the greatest plays in NFL History.
Don’t be too quick on that second ring crap. The colts are not playing against Sexy Rexy this time. The Saints have a pretty good quaterback, have you heard of him? He only set the record for completion percentage for a season this year, came within 16 yards of passing Dan Marino for most passing yards in a season. Under-estimate us, I dare you!!!!
Peyton Manning. In all seriousness, he is the QB and Off Coordinator, spent a lot of his tenure with no significant Defense, and a decent running game. He has made players like Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, and Jerome Pathon relevant.
It wasn’t that long ago that people were saying Marino was the greatest. Now he’s not even in the discussion. What happened?
Bearsrule hit it on the head – 2 years ago the same articles were being written about Brady. “If he wins the next Super Bowl he is the greatest”. Actually the year before Manning was said to have sealed his status as “greatest” with his first SB. Did Brady’s brush with perfection somehow shake Manning’s distinction? In 2 years it could be Drew Brees or Brady again. Let their careers play themselves out before attaching “greatest ever” labels, because it is odd for the “greatest QB ever” to go out and have a lousy game (and that will happen to any QB at some point).
Manning and Unitas are the two best ever. These guys are/were big time leaders and great competitors. I’ve seen them both. I would love to see Unitas play with todays rule and the same goes for Manning with yesterdays rules.
It is a shame these two guys didn’t play in the same city – what a great, great thing that would have been.
Drew Rosenhaus errr I mean, Pearson, no, no, Bledsoe….
Akili Smith
Cade McNown…
Bobby Hebert…
Here’s just my personal opinions of the top 5 players at each offensive position.
Top 5 Qbs: 1.) Joe Montana 2.) Otto Graham 3.) Sammy Baugh 4.) Peyton Manning 5.) Dan Marino
Top 5 Receivers: 1.) Jerry Rice 2.) Randy Moss 3.) Lynn Swann 4.) Chris Carter 5.) Steve Largent
Top 5 RBs: 1.) Walter Payton 2.) Barry Sanders 3.) Jim Brown 4.) O.J. Simpson 5.) Gale Sayers
Chris Chandler…
rings should only be a secondary gauge for QB greatness, since guys like dilfer and mcmahon won them but their defense did all the work for them. Montana is an all-time elite, and probably best til manning retires, but even his rings can be argued down since steve young won one with almost the same team. not to knock young though he’s a fine QB as well. if anyone ever watched full colts games (not just highlights), the visual evidence is clear for peyton to be the best ever, barring career-shortening injury. he still needs to play til he’s 38-40
Even as a loyal, blue-bleeding Colts fan for 45 years, I have to go with Joe Montana – regular season and postseason, he got it done whenever it needed to be done. After, that Johnny U, Slingin’ Sammy Baugh, Otto Graham and sneaking into the top 5 – Peyton (can I get a royalty on the use of my name?) Manning. If the Colts should somehow manage to beat the sainted Saints on Sunday (which I doubt unless Freeney does at day at Lourdes and his ankle heals), then Manning jumps to No. 2, ahead of even my boyhood hero Johnny U. Should he get another ring after that, then we talk about him moving in to Mr. Montana’s neighborhood.
@ reformed (or should I say retard)
Your supposed to hatch chickens before you count them…tool! Hence the phrase, “Don’t count your chickens BEFORE they hatch”! What a tard!
Back to the subject….Payton is definitley one of the greatest ever to play. The greatest, I’m not sure yet. There was another Colts QB that was pretty damn good as well, enter John Unitas. But if Payton wins the big show on Sunday it will be damn hard for me not to call him the greatest! The man never quits! Plays to very last tic of the clock!
let us take Montana and his (i know at least 2 of them were) absolutely awesome teams.
put manning on those teams and what would have been the results?
i ask old timers all the time – how good was Montana? they all say he was the coolest dude on the field, always. i was only 8 or 9 when he was winning bowls, but off the top of my head i can name at least 7 players on those teams.
manning may not be as cool as Joe, but no question in my mind he wouldnt have needed to be. those bowls (which i think were blowouts anyway) surely would have been blowouts with Manning at the helm.
seems pretty funny how you are singing manning’s praises now seeing as how you were all over him as being a fake and a phony just a few years ago.and don’t forget your attacks on him for being selfish when he signed his last contract.I believe you said that the colts could never win because they were paying him so much money.so how’s that working out so far Mike?haven’t heard you say you were wrong on that or did I miss it?can’t wait to hear what you have to say when he signs his next one.
Montana – way more clutch than Manning. Manning has a history of choking in big games (other than the superbowl win against one of the weakest sb teams ever in the bears). Manning will need 3 or 4 sb titles to become the best ever imo.
People always seem to forget that Manning is both a QB AND an offensive coordinator all rolled into one. No other player in history has had the brain and the skills wrapped up in one package like this. Even Rivers, one of the top QBs currently playing, has been quoted as saying there’s no way he’d be able to call the plays for himself like Manning does. Peyton’s not simply a stat-generating machine.
Mike Florio is the GREATEST!
i just did about 5 minutes worth of research on joe montana. it seems i may have recalled some of his super bowl blowouts incorrectly.
i really remembered them butchering the bengals. i guess i’m getting old.
if he won 4 – ranging from 1981 to 1989 or 1990, that’s pretty impressive.
those would essentially be different teams over a long period of time. the guy must have been special, even if he never threw for 4k yards in a season.
Lets stop with this best ever non-sense. Impossible to compare across eras since the league undergoes such dramatic changes in style of play. FOR THIS GENERATION, Manning is hands-down the best. His surgeon-like dissection of a defense is unparalleled. The guy is winning with 2 scrub rookie receivers. Bills have Evans and TO as their top 2 and their numbers were schooled by Indy’s 2 and 3 – Collie and Garcon!!! It’s all about Manning, he clearly makes everyone else better. Brady lovers points to his rings, but if Peyton wins a 2nd this year, there’s no doubt he’s the best of this era.
Stetson, you are taking Marino over Montana as the best retired QB? Every person who has made a comment has as many superbowl rings as Marino. In my opinion, as much as I hate Elway being from Cleveland, Elway, Steve Young, even Kurt Warner is better than Marino. Marino had all that time in the pocket (I remember checking the stats in Street & Smiths where he was sacked 8 and 10 times on a yearly basis) and he could only muster one Super bowl appearance and no rings? If Kurt Warner had played behind such lines he’d have at least 3.
Manning may take the #1 spot away from Montana eventually (1. Montana, 1a. Manning) but calling Marino the best retired QB is ridiculous. You may as well have said Rich Gannon. Marino has the stats, but his stats compare to Fran Tarkenton and they have equal rings.
he’s no Joe Montana
Montana had a GREAT TEAM!!!!!
Somebody try and argue this, please.
Joe Montana
4 Super Bowl appearances, 4 Super Bowl wins.
3 Super Bowl MVP’s
11 Tds 0 Ints
Doesn’t the late Terry Bradshaw have four super bowl rings? (and I am a cowboy fan and also had to endure seeing his neekid ass in that movie!)
Montana, (yet again I will mention I am a Cowboy fan, and just the sight of the guy watching his kids from the stands makes me want to puke!)
Unitas, Baugh, Graham, Tittle. (I was very young when I saw Unitas and not the skilled talent evaluator I am now! But the film is out there on the others if you guys want to actually know what the hell you’re talking about. Never mind, this is PFT! No training required to be an expert!)
There can be by definition no greatest qb ever. Try doing them by decade…then decide.
Otto Graham,easy answer.Ten straight championship-game appearances and a 105-17-4 10-year record are legacies unmatched by any other quarterback.
You won’t count players that far back? Then Packer fans should STFU about titles a million years ago!