Hard To Compare

I think it's very difficult to compare players from different eras. To say that one particular player is the best ever at his position if often a huge leap. One New York writer has crowned Eli Manning as the best quarterback in New York Giants history.

That is a huge statement because the names include Phil Simms, Fran Tarkenton, Y.A. Tittle and Charlie Conerly. All of these players are from a different era. They all had their own degree of success. They didn't have Sports Center and 24x7 media coverage to highlight their plays.

Manning seems to get this coronation because he could win his second Super Bowl next Sunday. He would be part of an elite group, but I don't feel success can only be defined by wining titles. Some would scoff at this because isn't the game really all about who wins the championship?

It's difficult for fans to go back in time to compare players. I have a point of reference for the Pats as 1966. That was my first year following the team. I didn't see the team in its early years, but there are players from, those teams who were as good as the ones on today's roster. The size of today's players, speed of the game and rule changes have made comparisons a moot point.