Re: Biggest NFL star ever
Joe Namath was a huge star until he wanted to kiss Susie Kolber on live TV. I think his star has fallen quite a bit since then.
Jim Brown was mentioned but the man has been a disaster for the better part of a decade and is pretty toxic right now.
Mike Ditka and Dick Butkus come to mind as two guys who saw their star shine well after their NFL playing careers had ended. Heck Ditka had a SNL skit about him.
I think Favre can be one of the biggest if he wants to be. The issue that arises with today's players is they have already made millions and have a pretty nice NFL pension to go along with it. But I do think Favre symbolizes the everyman with everything he has done. Tough as nails, married his HS sweat heart, overcame an addiction, his wife battled cancer, and he has stayed a hometown boy to two cities. I do think a few years after he retires you will see him sign a contract with the Packers to be a spokesman/mascot type of guy.
Re: Biggest NFL star ever
Peyton Manning and Bret Favre. You could ask anyone and they instantly would know who he is. They are both active players so maybe that helps.
Non active members, Jerry Rice is probably the most recognizable. Then again I dont really know what star means other than face recognition.
Re: Biggest NFL star ever
Johnny Unitas or Joe Montana. I'd probably go with Johnny U.
Re: Biggest NFL star ever
Maybe I'm just young, but the whole Joe Namath phenomenon is so strange to me. Was he really that different from Ocho/TO types today? He wore the fur coats, seemed to care more about off the field stuff than on, and his overall importance to the actual football product seems to be vastly overrated. To me, there is no more overrated athlete in the history of sports thn Joe Namath.
Re: Biggest NFL star ever
Re: Biggest NFL star ever
Quote:
Originally Posted by
KOBasinger
O.J. Simpson
Its amazing to me how famous O.J. was back in the day, I'm really to young to remember anything but the murder controversy and all his escapades afterward. But the murder thing has made him even MORE famous really.
Funny story, James Cameron the director(Terminator, Terminator 2, Aliens, Titanic, Avatar, etc.) was trying to decide who was going to be The Terminator in the original movie. Someone suggested O.J. Simpson, and Cameron basically said that O.J. was too nice and no one would really believe that he was a cold blooded killer. Obviously the role eventually went to teh Ahnuld.
Re: Biggest NFL star ever
Jerry Rice (or Joe Montana). Dick Butkus is a pretty big football star as well.
In fact if I were doing a Mt. Rushmore of sports (5 heads) it would go:
Babe Ruth
Michael Jordan
Wayne Gretzky
Jerry Rice
Muhammad Ali
Re: Biggest NFL star ever
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bucksfan2
Joe Namath was a huge star until he wanted to kiss Susie Kolber on live TV. I think his star has fallen quite a bit since then.
Jim Brown was mentioned but the man has been a disaster for the better part of a decade and is pretty toxic right now.
Mike Ditka and Dick Butkus come to mind as two guys who saw their star shine well after their NFL playing careers had ended. Heck Ditka had a SNL skit about him.
I think Favre can be one of the biggest if he wants to be. The issue that arises with today's players is they have already made millions and have a pretty nice NFL pension to go along with it. But I do think Favre symbolizes the everyman with everything he has done. Tough as nails, married his HS sweat heart, overcame an addiction, his wife battled cancer, and he has stayed a hometown boy to two cities. I do think a few years after he retires you will see him sign a contract with the Packers to be a spokesman/mascot type of guy.
I think Namath's star had faded LONG before the Kolber thing.
Just due to time...
Re: Biggest NFL star ever
Namath was the biggest AFL star ever.
Johnny Unitas was a bigggggggggg NFL star, as was Montana. Neither was as big as OJ though.
Re: Biggest NFL star ever
Joe Montana was the biggest star. Joe Namath had about 2-3 years of complete brilliance that have not been equalled, but Montana was a star for a longer time.
OJ - come on. No way is he up there with Montana, Namath, Unitas.
Re: Biggest NFL star ever
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mario-Rijo
Jerry Rice (or Joe Montana). Dick Butkus is a pretty big football star as well.
In fact if I were doing a Mt. Rushmore of sports (5 heads) it would go:
Babe Ruth
Michael Jordan
Wayne Gretzky
Jerry Rice
Muhammad Ali
I may be wrong, but I just don't think Jerry Rice has the name recognition that you must think he has. Yeah, he did DWTS, but go out on the street and I think more people know of Peyton Manning,Brett Farve,Joe Montana, et al. Can't knock him as a player, just questioning the awareness of him.
Re: Biggest NFL star ever
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mario-Rijo
Jerry Rice (or Joe Montana). Dick Butkus is a pretty big football star as well.
In fact if I were doing a Mt. Rushmore of sports (5 heads) it would go:
Babe Ruth
Michael Jordan
Wayne Gretzky
Jerry Rice
Muhammad Ali
If you include the rest of the world:
Ali
Jordan
Pele
Tiger Woods
Zinedine Zidane
Re: Biggest NFL star ever
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Betterread
If you include the rest of the world:
Ali
Jordan
Pele
Tiger Woods
Zinedine Zidane
Outside Europe, sub. Maradona for Zidane.
Re: Biggest NFL star ever
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Betterread
If you include the rest of the world:
Ali
Jordan
Pele
Tiger Woods
Zinedine Zidane
Zidane over Beckham?