Summer reading: The greatest game-changers

[JonCJG]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9544216

 

[burmafrd]

There were lots of RB's that caught a lot of passes before faulk. He changed nothing. ANd as usual they left out the Bullet, who forced the creation of the zone defense.

 

[ravidubey]

Nice list, of course there are others but that was cool.

 

[burmafrd]

And to put Gil Brandt in and leave out Tom Landry? He developed the first 4-3 while with the Giants, his offense was more innovative then anyone else's with the Boys, and of course the Flex defense was unique.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Horrible.

 

[Chief]

That is piss poor.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Forgive me if I'm wrong but if memory serves me correctly Dick LeBaeu did created the zone blitz, but it was Jimmy Johnson that popularized the scheme when he employed it building the Cowboys in the early 90s.

 

[THUMPER]

So how old is Kirwan anyway? Paul Brown isn't on this list? George Halas and Tom Landry aren't on the list? Sammy Baugh, Otto Graham, Bob Hayes, Johnny Unitas, Sid Gillman, Dick Butkus, Deacon Jones, Don Hutson, Larry Wilson, and a host of other players and coaches who drastically changed the game don't make his list but Marshall Faulk does?

What a waste of time. Kirwan should be forced to refund his paycheck.

Bill Walsh's contribution is a molecule compared with what true innovators like Brown, Landry, and Gillman brought to the game. He was a sharp guy and an excellent play caller but he wasn't really much of an innovator, he simply cobbled together what he learned from Gillman and others before him and gave it a fancy title.

Oh and long before Ronnie Lott came along there was a guy named Dick "Night Train" Lane who also made the switch from Corner to Safety and was the most feared hitter of his day.

I could go on and on...

 

[parchy]

And how is Red Hickey, the man who created and popularized the shotgun not considered? He is more influential than at least three people on Kirwan's crap list. I think I'm actually going to email him about this.

 

[Chief]

So how old is Kirwan anyway?

Age isn't his problem.

He's just not very astute.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Age isn't his problem.

He's just not very astute.

Quite dancing around the issue Chief. He's a *******U Alum. Simple as that.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

So how old is Kirwan anyway? Paul Brown isn't on this list? George Halas and Tom Landry aren't on the list? Sammy Baugh, Otto Graham, Bob Hayes, Johnny Unitas, Sid Gillman, Dick Butkus, Deacon Jones, Don Hutson, Larry Wilson, and a host of other players and coaches who drastically changed the game don't make his list but Marshall Faulk does?

What a waste of time. Kirwan should be forced to refund his paycheck.

Bill Walsh's contribution is a molecule compared with what true innovators like Brown, Landry, and Gillman brought to the game. He was a sharp guy and an excellent play caller but he wasn't really much of an innovator, he simply cobbled together what he learned from Gillman and others before him and gave it a fancy title.

Oh and long before Ronnie Lott came along there was a guy named Dick "Night Train" Lane who also made the switch from Corner to Safety and was the most feared hitter of his day.

I could go on and on...

Before the West Coast Offense was named the WCO, it was called the Ohio Offense. One guess as to why and from whom.

 

[nchhalada333]

He's a ******* U Alum.

what does that have to do with nething?

would u call Michael Irvin that?

 

[IndianaCowboyFan]

Oh and long before Ronnie Lott came along there was a guy named Dick "Night Train" Lane who also made the switch from Corner to Safety and was the most feared hitter of his day.

Haven't heard that name in a while but you are right on this one.

 

[THUMPER]

Age isn't his problem.

He's just not very astute.

Actually, he's probably in his 40s but from his selections you would think he was under 30 and never heard of anyone prior to about 1985.

I do agree though, he's not very astute.

 

[THUMPER]

Haven't heard that name in a while but you are right on this one.

I remember watching "Night Train" late in his career when he was with the Lions and he was still a guy receivers hated to play against. He would not even look for the ball sometimes and just wait for the receiver to reach for it so he could take the guy's head off.

His favorite thing was to let the guy catch the ball then hit him so hard that he would drop it. He said that he liked that more than intercepting it although he was pretty good at that too with 68 INTs to his credit.

 

[big dog cowboy]

OK that was weak. How some of these guys keep their jobs is beyond me.

 

[the kid 05]

Darren WOodson went from Linebacker to safety he did it before Urlacher.