Which NFL teams will always be considered iconic?

Kwyn said:

For me, the difference was when they won and when they were culturally relevant

1985 Patrtiots - Destroyed by the Bears. Does anyone even remember the Eason led teams? Raymond Berry was the coach

1998 Patriots - Beat by the Packers. This was Parcells. Does anyone really remember these teams for any reason other than Parcells coaches there between NY and Dallas? Drew Bledsoe threw a ton of interceptions

If you really want to argue for the Patriots you can stretch your position by trying to include these two also ran teams but they were simply “the other team” in other seasons and in both super bowls

The discussion wasnt which franchise had the beat dynasty or even which franchises have had the most success on the fields.

The discussion was about *Iconic* franchises.

that’s the point

let Belichick do it again without Brady and we can talk.

Better yet, let them become culturally relevant. Lots of people don’t even really recognize the Patriots as being a Boston team, and those who do, have the Pats as they third most iconic franchise in their own city, behind the Celtics and Red Sox.

I will never argue against Brady and Belichick. They are both, in my opinion, the greatest of all time in their respective roles.

The Patriots franchise? Meh, their franchise really amounts to little more than the one that had a single dynasty, even if it is arguably the greatest dynasty in NFL history.

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CPanther95 said:

I don't think anyone was trying to include the 85 and 98 Patriots into a case for iconic status.

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Kwyn said:

Both cpanther95 and calpolytechnique did and both are the ones I was responding to

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CalPolyTechnique said:

Yes, I would count a Super Bowl appearance as part of the overall analysis of a given franchise.

I don’t equate a Super Bowl loss with having a 1-15 season.

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Kwyn said:

A super bowl loss doesn’t necessarily contribute to a legacy of an iconic team.

I would argue that the Cowboys losses to the Steelers did because they also won two Super Bowls during that era and their AFC arch rival was also an iconic and dynastic team.

getting curbstomped by the bears doesn’t really make any type of lasting impression

Like I’ve said, repeatedly, the Patriots under Belichick and Brady are the greatest team ever and both are the GOAT in their roles.

I just think you have to do more to be in the top 5 most iconic franchises.

and your previous comment about Boston and the Pats completely missed the point

If you are the third most iconic franchise in your own city, can you make a legitimate claim to be one of the most iconic franchises in the biggest and most important sport in the country?

I think it’s certainly up for debate.

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Kwyn said:

Both cpanther95 and calpolytechnique did which is why I included it.

Im sure almost all of us had only the vaguest memories of those teams or their place in Super Bowl history.

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Shane612 said:

My list:
Cowboys.
Steelers.
Fourth Niners.
Bears.

All four of these teams have storied history.
In fact, when a reporter asked Bill Parcells why he wanted to coach the cowboys, that was the answer he gave, a "storied" history.

When I think of the NFL, these franchises come first into mind.

Until recent history, the Patriots were nothing. If they can maintain their winning streak for another 10 years, maybe they'll make my list....lol

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CPanther95 said:

I didn't.

You said 2 separate dynasties is more significant than the Patriots single dynasty. I said the Patriots single dynasty (2000-2019) is so long it encompasses about the same amount of time as both those Cowboys dynasties - including the big gap in between. Any pre-2000 Patriots success I put on par with the limited Bengals success in their history.

And really the Patriots have had 2 dynasties spread about the same distance as the Cowboys 2 dynasties. They won 3 of 4 from 2001-2004 then 3 of 5 from 2014-2018. The difference is during the 10 year gap between the 2 dynasties, they went to and lost 3 Super Bowls.

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Kwyn said:

If Landry and Staubach and Murchison had won all five Super Bowls is that one dynasty or two?

pats earlier two lost super bowls were with two different owners, two different coaches and two different QB’s

None of those people were even around when Kraft/Belichick/Brady came together

the earlier pats teams who went, I would contend, don’t contribute to their legacy as an “iconic” franchise

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ScipioCowboy said:

Browns.

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DFWJC said:

For the longest time, they really were one of the teams.
Got damaged when they up and moved to become the Ravens.

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