PFT, PFT Planet agree on Colts’ Mt. Rushmore

Posted by Mike Florio on June 17, 2013, 9:30 PM EDT
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Usually, the official Pro Football Talk Mt. Rushmore differs from the PFT Planet version in one of the four heads.  On Monday, the two outcomes agreed completely on the blended Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts version.

Two players from Baltimore, and two from Indy made it.  From each city, it was a quarterback and his favorite wideout.

John Unitas, Peyton Manning, Raymond Berry, Marvin Harrison.

New NBC analyst Scott Pioli offered up a strong case for Gino Marchetti.  You can hear what Pioli had to say if you click the link below.

You’ll also see how the voting broke down among the 12 finalists.

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30 responses to “PFT, PFT Planet agree on Colts’ Mt. Rushmore”

  5. xlichamps needs a drug test ASAP! Peyton is a great QB, but he’s no Golden Arm! Johnny U invented the 2-minute drill! He played in an era where the QB was actually a football player and not just a passer with rules designed for video game stats. You could crush a QB after the ball was gone & not see a flag. I suggest you do a little homework. The 1979 passing rules (and subsequent QB/WR protections rules) changed the game so much that comparison between eras is pretty difficult. Peyton played the bulk of his career indoors & on manicured fields while Johnny U played in horrible conditions. It’s not even close! Johnny U was the best ever!

    P.S. Once again Indy has to use Baltimore history…sad.

  6. Sorry folks, Harrison doesn’t belong here. Indy fans don’t know jack about the history of the BALTIMORE COLTS. If they did they’d realize that Marvin is about 6th or 7th on this list.

  8. this is really disrespectful to the baltimore colts. unitas wanted to be taken out of the hall of fame because he is in as a indy colt. he wanted nothing to do with the colts after they left and he fully supported the ravens.

  10. They may have the same name, but the Indianapolis Colts have no connection to history with the Baltimore Colts. None of the Baltimore Colts legends wanted anything to do with the Irsay Colts in Indy. Johnny U stayed with Baltimore when the Irsays left town and still is arguably the greatest of all time. Anyone who posts Peyton>Unitas probably is too young to make such an uniformed comment. Unitas redefined the position. Manning is just a beneficiary of that.

  12. First, I’ve never heard of the Harrison Award, but, there is a Mackey. So, leaving him off the Mt. is shameful.

    And, second, Harrison is, at best 6th after the aforementioned John Mackey and Gino Marchetti—some say the greatest Defensive End in the history of the game.

  14. Not that I have a problem with those four HOFers, but I really strained earlier to put Lenny Moore ahead of Edge, and then to figure out how I can leave John Freakin’ Mackey off (okay, quick quiz: Which two former Colts have major national awards named after them?) and then who gets screwed on D (Marchetti from the era just before my time, Mike Curtis from my early days). It hurt me to leave Edge and Freeney off, but that’s the nature of trimming these things down to just four. Jeff Saturday, in a lot of ways, was the heart and soul of the non superstar team members for 6-7 years. Plus he pancaked Willfork into the end zone in the AFCCG and recovered a fumble for a TD. I guess those three modern Colts will have to settle for the ring of honor.

  15. And with all due respect to the greatest of all time and my first football idol, who cares what Unitas wanted? I can separate the opinions and the talent/achievements of a player. If he was on the team at the time that the team moved, he would be legally obligated to move with them. Would that make him a filthy cartpetbagger? Would it make him a man who honored his contract? Both? Neither?

    And if he supported the Ravens (not sure if he was still alive at the time) he’d be a huge hypocrite, since they left Cleveland in much the same way as the Colts left Balt. Yes, part of the departure deal was that the business entity formerly known as Browns relinquish all history, the name, trademark, etc. and start off “new.” But it was still the same company, business, team. Just a different town and different name. As if the name is important….

  17. That’d not true edgarpoe3. When the franchise moved to Indianapolis some Baltimore Colts players such as Art Donovan didn’t get butthurt like Unitas did. Art specifically said that a franchise moving is no disaster, eventually it happens to some sports teams. So no, not every Baltimore Colt player was so heartbroken their precious football team left. That being said Marvin Harrison is arguably the 2nd greatest receiver of all time but Idk if him or berry deserve to be on this list.

  19. Anyone slamming Harrison is a moron. He’s #2 in most receiving categories behind Rice and even #1 in a few categories (look it up!). Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Edggerin James, Dwight Freeney, Reggie Wayne, Robert Mathis, Jeff Saturday, heck, even Marshall Faulk and Jim Harbaugh. Indy has enough for their own Mt. Rushmore.

  21. To all you Baltimore cry babies… GET OVER IT. It’s been nearly 30 years! FACT: teams move. In Baseball the Dodgers, Giants, Athletics, Expos/Nationals, Senators/Rangers and Browns/Orioles all moved. In Football the Cardinals, Raiders, Rams, Oilers, Chargers, Texans/Chiefs and COLTS moved, in Basketball the Royals/Kings, Sonics/Thunder, Braves/Clippers, Grizzlies, Lakers etc. etc. etc. TEAMS MOVE CRY BABIES!

  22. Like I said, there should be NO Baltimore Colts on this Mt Rushmore. Indy has the colts, I get it. Baltimore has a place for the old Colts. It’s along with the old Ravens.

  23. You’re right Rockets GM. Teams do move. Make sure you keep that thought if your Colts ever move. I’ll be you won’t like the owner.

  24. I’d consider removing Harrison – or even Berry – for Marchetti or Mackey – but not both. And I said “consider” because the argument can be made that this is a deserving four.

    I love listening to the puppies slight players like Unitas. It’s cute and all that – the kind of “informed” fans that have no idea what happened in the NFL before 1980. But hey – that’s OK – like I said, they’re cute.

    Now this comment by istheranyusernamesleft:

    “Unitas won ONE big game. He is on there for “having a big mouth? He was just the first Rasheed Wallace. Average at best!”

    OK – either he’s the least informed football fan on the planet – or he’s a jokester looking for a rise – but that may be the silliest comment I’ve ever read on any bulletin board anywhere.

  25. Good points elvoid. My guess is “istheranyusernamesleft” is either 14 or just stopped playing video games for 30 sec. to comment, or both. Unitas won the ’58 & ’59 NFLCG. He played in 2 SB’s also. Indy fans have their Colts. There is no need to include ANY Baltimore Colts on this Mt. Rushmore. The Baltimore Colts are part of The Baltimore Ravens family. That’s enough for them and the fans.

  26. jacktheraven –

    I can see it both ways, and I certainly see your point. I guess it depends on what people see the “key” point being: The “city” part, or the “Colts” part. It’s just real hard to picture a “Colts” Mt. Rushmore without Johnny U. By the same token, it’s hard to see a “Baltimore” Mt. Rushmore without his mug up there as well.

    Ah well – it’s eternal questions like this that make the sports world go ’round for all of us fans, ain’t it?

  27. To those that say Baltimore players don’t belong. First, I was a fan of the team when they were in Baltimore and followed the team to Indy. They are the same team. The Raiders don’t make exceptions for Oakland vs LA? Should they hand their 83 super bowl back to LA? LA Rams vs St Louis Rams? There were some great LA Rams Players.. Does Jackie Slater and Merlin Olsen get left out of Rams record books? Chicago/St Louis, Cardinals Don’t make exceptions for Chicago/St Louis/Arizona, even the Titans keep the old Houston Oiler records as part of their franchise. Earl Campbell is still on their Rushmore right? To suggest that the Baltimore Colts don’t belong on the same wall as the Indy Colts would be like saying I disown my sister for moving to Cleveland.. oh… great example. The Browns history SHOULD be with Baltimore.. because the Ravens ARE the browns. The present Cleveland team is and expansion, like getting a new dog to replace your childhood pet and naming/pretending it’s the same dog. Cleveland and Baltimore should honor heir old players but not ‘pretend’ that they are part o the same franchise because they aren’t, they ARE players who played for the same city, but that’s all it is. The teams themselves moved on a long time ago and sooner or later people have the grasp reality. That being said, while Peyton deserves to be on Mr Rushmore for the Colts, I think Harrison loses out over Macke or Moore, but but he certainly earned the right to be there, he was one of the best. Choosing just 4 from either era would be difficult.

  28. Baltimore Colts 1953-1984…Indianapolis Colts 1984-??? Baltimore had the Colts for 31 years….Indy has had the Colts for 29 years and counting….In a couple of years Indy will have had the Colts longer than Baltimore…Baltimore will need to finally give this argument a rest!!!

  29. Indy/Irsay ensured that the Baltimore fans would never get over it by refusing to change the name when they moved . The colts are named after the horses that run in the Preakness. It is not a random nickname

  30. As always, arguments are created by the small parameters set by the host.
    Especially in football, it is not wise to compare eras as they (obviuosly) are not the same.
    Trying to compare #18 to #19 is like apples/oranges because of that difference in eras. Unitas played in 5 championships/SB winning 3, while Manning is .500. Unitas could have been in 6 but lost to the 1965 Packers in OT on a controversial FG.
    There are many positive athletes to consider. Many had brought edge/moore/faulk but what about lydell mitchell. There is berry/mackey/harrison/wayne but what about roger carr.
    There are so many to be named that they should just carve out the whole rocky mountain range and rename Mt. Colts

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