The Ideal Super Bowl Matchup Debate – Favre Versus Manning…You Know You Want It!

January 22, 2010

Read the arguments from Bleacher Fan and Sports Geek.



For the past two weeks, I have stated my love of the NFL playoffs. Both the wild card weekend and the divisional round weekends really get me excited. But conference championship games are a whole new ball game. You can bet I will be glued to the TV from 3p until roughly 10p Sunday (the weather forecast is calling for a lot of rain in Georgia on Sunday, so that enhances my chances of being able to watch more football!) Both of the games should be very entertaining for different reasons, though being more of a fan of great offense than great defense, I am personally looking more forward to the Saints/Vikings game. But as far as what I think would be the ideal matchup for the Super Bowl in two weeks, I think it is a no-brainer that it would involve the Indianapolis Colts and the Minnesota Vikings.

We have done a lot of debates since our inception that have included Brett Favre in some sense. At the end of 2009, Bleacher Fan wrote that the Brett Favre saga was the story of the year. I wrote an argument awhile back about how I was sick and tired of hearing about that Favre guy!!! Months later, I must admit I have changed my tune a bit on number four. I find myself kind of rooting for the guy. Obviously I rooted for him last week against the hated Cowboys. But in general, it has been fascinating to watch a 40-year-old roughneck come back from retirement (AGAIN) and put a team up on his shoulders and lead them to great things. What this guy is doing is amazing! I think the Vikings have a real shot at closing this season out in style in South Florida. The Vikings are obviously a ratings draw with Favre and I do not think the NFL would have any opposition to Favre being in another Super Bowl, even if it still makes me turn my head sometimes to see him in something other than a Packer uniform.

The Colts, meanwhile, have another guy at quarterback that you may have heard of. Peyton Manning, along with Favre and Tom Brady, are in my mind the face of the NFL and have been for the past decade. With all the hoopla surrounding coach Jim Caldwell’s decision to rest his starters at the end of the regular season, I think it is quite awesome for Caldwell – by nature a quiet person – to be able to stick it to all of his critics. Manning, in my opinion, is one of the most likable guys in sports these days, and it is really hard to root against him. You get the feeling that he really needs another Super Bowl to add to his legacy also.

How awesome would it be to see a Favre versus Manning showdown in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami at newly named Sun Life Stadium? I think it would set records as far as ratings go and yeah, I know we would all probably get tired of the hype leading up to the game. But Manning and Favre, two future Hall of Fame gun slinging quarterbacks that would be trying to win their second Super Bowl each, would be a dream matchup. I sincerely hope it happens! You know you want it too!

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Posted by Loyal Homer

The Government Stance on the BCS Debate – The Tide Should Roll Alone

January 22, 2010

Read the debate intro and the arguments from Sports Geek and Loyal Homer about whether or not President Barack Obama should invite the Boise State Broncos to the White House Rose Garden.



There are times and situations when the sporting world may go astray. When those situations arise, it is the responsibility of the government to step in and ensure that the industry falls back in the lines of fair play and fair business.

In the argument of whether or not President Barack Obama should invite Boise State to the White House, I am awarding the verdict to Sports Geek, because this is NOT one of those situations.

I do not mean to stray into the world of political debate, but as Sports Geek points out, there are other MORE IMPORTANT things that the president should be spending his time and focus on. Even Loyal Homer acknowledges that this situation has absolutely nothing to do with politics.

President Obama is no longer on the campaign trail, where he has the luxury of trumpeting sensational promises and pledges. Instead, he is deeply entrenched in the role and responsibility of running this nation. The president’s job is not to play Bono with statements that feign political involvement when they are really nothing more than celebrity endorsements. Sure, it would send a message that the President does not like the BCS, but the President has already made that statement. There is simply nothing else to be gained if the President were to invite Boise State to the White House. Instead, it would only ADD controversy.

President Obama’s opinions are clear. As Loyal Homer discussed, President Obama is most certainly a fan of sports. Whether filling out brackets or sitting courtside for a Wizards’ game, he is undeniably entertained, as we all are, by the thrill of competition. Just like the “average” sports fan, President Obama would like to see sporting events play out in a way that enhances competition and maximizes the excitement of each play, and there is nothing wrong with that. He should not, however, use his position of power to promote his own personal wishes. Manufacturing a controversy just for the sake of trying to prove a point is a serious misuse of the presidency.

I know, inviting two teams to the White House is very minor on the scale of presidential infractions that could be (or have been) committed. Nonetheless, there are more important issues that President Obama should address right now, and he is right to honor tradition in this case.

By the way, has anyone thought about the potential insult this would be to the Crimson Tide? After finishing the season undefeated, INCLUDING victories over Florida and Texas (two of the best teams in the nation), it would be a slap in the face of that outstanding team, which IS recognized as the national champions (like it or not). They worked hard all year, beat the best that NCAA football had to offer, and now Senator Hatch is asking the President to treat them as though their championship is illegitimate, all for the purpose of furthering a political agenda item. It is not fair to the Crimson Tide, who did nothing more than excel at every task thrown their way.

There is a time to take a stand, but this is not it. While praise and congratulations are due to Boise State for successfully accomplishing a rare feat, the President is right to let the Crimson Tide enjoy the reward for their hard work, and their deserved recognition as the rightful national champion.

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Posted by Bleacher Fan

The Government Stance on the BCS Debate – Should Boise State Be Allowed to Crash the Rose Garden Party?

January 21, 2010

Read the arguments from Sports Geek and Loyal Homer about whether or not President Barack Obama should invite the Boise State Broncos to the White House Rose Garden.



The college football season is over, and a champion has been crowned. Only one thing remains before the curtain can officially fall on the 2009-2010 football season – the traditional invitation by the President of the United States for the national championship team to visit the Rose Garden. It is a time-honored tradition where the President of the United States takes the time to personally congratulate the top athletes of major sports, and it is a prestigious honor.

At the close of this season, however, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch wrote a letter to President Obama proposing something a little different. Once again in 2010 there were actually two teams who finished the season unbeaten, the recognized BCS National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide and the Boise State Broncos, victors of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Hatch’s recommendation is for President Obama to invite Boise State to the White House along with Alabama. According to Hatch, both deserve invitations because both finished the season unbeaten.

Obama has already made it known that he is not a fan of the BCS system, going so far as to publicly call for an eight-team playoff system in lieu of the current BCS format.

Senator Hatch, in the spirit of Obama’s comments, has essentially challenged the President to make a very bold statement. By inviting Boise State to the White House, President Obama would essentially be diminishing the legitimacy of the BCS system.

While the White House has released a statement which implies that Boise State will not be invited to the Rose Garden, the idea has not been completely ruled out.

In this time of healthcare reform, economic struggles, and international war, it is decisions like these that matter most. The President must weigh each option very seriously before acting, because the fate of the free world hangs in the balance. Fortunately, TSD is here to act as sage counsel in this period of national crisis!

Should President Obama invite both the Alabama Crimson Tide AND the Boise State Broncos to the White House?

Loyal Homer will argue that the President should indeed invite the Broncos to visit the White House, while Sports Geek will argue that the President should honor the tradition of inviting only the recognized national champions.

Tread carefully, brave debaters. The very course of human events swings with every word you write!

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Posted by Bleacher Fan

The Government Stance on the BCS Debate – Obama Just Say No To Boise State

January 21, 2010

Read the debate intro and the opposing argument from Loyal Homer about whether or not President Obama should invite Boise State and the BCS champions to the White House.



The more debate and press college football receives, the better. While professional football’s season and offseason are now a full time sporting event worthy of several full time staffers to cover the many goings on in the sport year ‘round, college football struggles to share the spotlight. While football is hands down the favored sport in the US, college football takes a backseat to the professional ranks. For this reason, any coverage and ongoing debate that can be created about college football is viewed as a positive thing. After all, any news is good news, right?

The above is one of myriad reasons why the BCS is great for college football. But, this debate is not a referendum on the BCS. It is a discussion around potentially inviting two teams to the White House to reflect the spoils of winning the crown of college football after the 2009 season. One team earned it, and one did not. Alabama won the championship game, Boise State won a secondary bowl.

The question I propose to the esteemed judge of this debate – and to President Obama – why bother? Why invite Boise State to the White House? Here are some compelling reasons to avoid the insistence of Utah Senator Orrin Hatch in inviting Boise State and Alabama to the White House.

First, there is no precedent. Sure, in 2004 President George Bush invited both BCS champion LSU and Associated Press number one team Southern Cal to the White House in honor of their undefeated, championship seasons in college football. That circumstance qualified as a bonafide split national championship where legitimate arguments for the credentials of both teams can plausibly be made. This past season, Boise State did not finish number one in any of the polls to further the dispute. Boise State finished fourth. It is true the team went undefeated, but the competition it played is not deemed strong enough to vault them to a more respectable status in any significant – or insignificant – poll.

Second, there is not one valid political reason to extend an invite to the team from Idaho. Sure, President Obama has voiced displeasure with the current system, but with persistent economic instability, a necessary health care overall that gets increasingly complicated with each passing day, the escalating situation in Iran, the crisis management in Haiti (donate to help the situation in Haiti if you can, by the way), etc. no good political reason exists for President Obama to make the call. It is simply a distraction to what needs to be a routine ceremony that is part of our culture. Complicating it makes no sense, and probably makes the President look politically weaker with strange priorities. I know. Can you imagine that we live in a country where college football is not the most important part of society??

Plus, the White House already released a statement late last week declaring its intention to invite only Alabama. Under the current system in place – the BCS – Alabama is the winner. That is the team that deserves going because there is not legitimate, plausible reason or rationale to invite another team.

Proponents of inviting both teams argue that the dual invitation sends a message that both teams are excellent and both should be invited to the White House, thereby proving that the BCS national championship game – and the system in general – is incapable of determining the best program. Perhaps that argument is legitimate, but it is wasted on the wrong team. As good as Boise State was this season, they are not the example needed to bring the BCS system down. They simply did not play a difficult enough schedule and do not have momentum heading into the offseason on a national scale to move the needle on this topic.

The most damaging sentiment about this issue comes from Boise State head coach Chris Peterson who was quoted by the director of the BCS, Bill Hancock, that he does not wish for his team to go to the White House. Peterson is a smart guy. He does not want his team to enjoy the spoils of victory before they have earned it. He must continue to coach and teach that hard reward yields high reward, that the spoils of victory are sweeter when they are well-earned and widely accepted. Those are not the current conditions, therefore Peterson is wise to avoid even entertaining the idea of crashing the White House party that Alabama legitimately earned within the confines of the current system.

I respect the many sports writers and reporters (yes, there is a different) that have favored the idea, especially guys like Pete Thamel of the New York Times. But while this might be a noble idea, the Broncos are not the right team to base the argument around, and they are not even on board themselves.

I love college football and I love debating. But, in this case, there simply is no good reason for President Obama to invite Boise State to the White House right now. Perhaps when the wars are over, the economy is fixed, health care is affordable for all, and everyone is employed a discussion about the merits of the invite can happen. Until then, the champions earn the rewards of victory. Good or bad, the system picks, and the President and every other fan must respect that.

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Posted by Sports Geek

The Government Stance on the BCS Debate – Obama Needs To Show The BCS Who Is In Charge

January 21, 2010

Read the debate intro and the opposing argument from Sports Geek.



Normally, the Commander in Chief of this great country takes little to no interest in sports, much less the BCS, other than the obligatory appearance by the championship winning teams at the White House several months after the championship is won. But President Barack Obama, whether you like him or not, must be given credit by us sports fans for taking an active interest in sports. He filled out a bracket during last year’s NCAA college basketball tournament and has publicly stated that he is not a big fan of the current BCS system. That leads us to today’s debate. What better way to stick it to the BCS than to invite both Alabama and Boise State to the White House!

Now, do I think that he will do that? I highly doubt it. He would irritate potential 2012 voters in the great state of Alabama if he does extend the invite, and it would probably bring too much controversy to himself regarding something that has absolutely nothing to do with politics.

But I think he should do it. He would be making a statement to the entire country that the BCS is flawed and something needs to CHANGE! Haven’t we heard that word from him a time or two?

It has been documented by me, both on this site and in public, that Alabama PROBABLY was the best team in college football. But as I discussed on The Sports Debates last week (and as Sports Geek agreed), we really do not know for sure if the Crimson Tide really was the best team because quite simply, it was not COMPLETELY settled on the field. That shadow of a doubt lingers on in the minds of many Broncos fans.

But since the Broncos cannot hoist the trophy on the shoulders for the whole world to see, Boise State players should be able to dress in their Sunday best and take the trip eastward to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It does not have to be on the same day that Alabama makes an appearance. That would make it a little crowded and give the Secret Service a little more work to do. I think Obama and his staff could squeeze in a bit of time to host the Broncos one afternoon, which will probably be this summer. He does not even have to address the BCS with any of his comments. He can congratulate the Broncos on having a great season and being one of the two undefeated teams. Inviting them, no matter what he does or does not publicly say regarding the BCS, would be an indirect smack to the FACE of the system. Maybe it would not change anything, but it would once again state President Obama’s true feelings on the BCS.

Do I think he would do this? Not likely. But it would definitely send a message to the college football powers that be that the system, as it is set up now, really is a joke and that even the President of the United States of America does not respect it.

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Posted by Loyal Homer

The Best Underclassman Going Pro Debate – Disrupting the Establishment

January 20, 2010

Read opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Sports Geek about who they believe is the best underclassman coming out of college in the NFL draft.

Today’s version of the NFL is clearly one that favors a strong passing offense. For proof, look no further than the four teams that will be competing for their respective conference championships this weekend. Of those four teams, three are led by arguably the best passers in the game today – Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints), Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts), and Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings). In fact, of the 12 teams who reached the playoffs this season, only two (the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets) did NOT feature a high-powered passing offense.

The undeniable fact is that success in the NFL today comes from prolific passing.

What, then, was so special about the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets that it enabled them to buck the trend? Neither possesses a “great” quarterback, and neither has an elite wide receiver (although Braylon Edwards likes to THINK he is).

The answer lies with the defense.

What Baltimore and New York have that enabled them to compete as two of the best teams in the NFL (with the Jets only 60 short minutes away from the Super Bowl) is the kryptonite to a prolific passing offense – a disruptive player in the secondary that can neutralize a passing threat. For the Jets, that player is Pro Bowl defensive back Darrelle Revis, and for the Ravens it is Pro Bowl free safety Ed Reed.

The Jets will be playing on Sunday instead of the Chargers for one simple reason – Revis intercepted a pass from another of the NFL’s passing stars, Philip Rivers, late in the game. The Jets were able to capitalize on Revis’ pick, turning it into seven points and swinging momentum into their favor. As for the Ravens, Ed Reed picked Peyton Manning off twice during their playoff game against the Colts, but neither turnover counted. On the first, Reed had the ball stripped from his hands as he attempted to gain return yards after intercepting the ball, and the second was overturned due to a Ravens’ penalty. Who knows what would have happened if those interceptions had not been overturned.

Revis and Reed are examples of how much impact one single player can have for a team on defense. It is not often that a player comes into the league with the potential to have game-changing impact for their team. But, when they do, that player deserves immediate attention. There just happens to be a player of that caliber who will be available in the 2010 NFL Draft – Tennessee free safety Eric Berry.

Berry has made the decision to take forgo his final year as a safety for the Tennessee Volunteers and instead try his hand at the NFL, which is bad news for a lot of quarterbacks! Not only is Berry going to be the best underclassman of the 2010 NFL Draft, but he might be the best out of the entire Draft pool!

Berry has already drawn comparisons to Ed Reed, and Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Troy Polamalu, for his game changing capability. A two-time unanimous All-American, and winner of the 2009 Jim Thorpe and Jack Tatum Awards (both in recognition as the nation’s top defensive back), Berry quickly earned a reputation as the best defensive back in the NCAA.

Like Polamalu and Reed, Berry can play anywhere within the secondary, which makes him exceptionally dangerous in pass coverage. What makes Berry so special is that his combination of lightning speed with very hard hitting makes him just as dangerous in defending the run as he is against the pass. He seems to be everywhere on the field at the same time. In fact, six of his 83 tackles on the 2009 season were for a loss – not bad for a guy who’s supposed to be in the secondary!

He has an uncanny nose for the ball, and he possesses the ability to do very bad things to his opponents when he gets his hands on the ball. His career total of 494 interception return yards is second in NCAA history, and is only seven yards shy of the all-time mark (a number he would have surely passed if he were to return for his final season of college eligibility).

Adding to his resume comes the support of his former college defensive coach, Lane Kiffin, who knows a thing or two about NFL talent himself. Kiffin praised Berry for his versatility on the field, and agrees that Berry will likely be a top-five pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

In a league where pass-happy offenses and elite quarterbacks get all the headlines, Eric Berry will be an invaluable addition to one lucky team on defense. My only hope is that he falls to the seventh pick. Berry has already proven that he looks good in orange, and my Browns could sure use the help!

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Posted by Bleacher Fan

The Best Underclassman Going Pro Debate – The Golden NFL Draft of 2010

January 20, 2010

Read opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan about who they believe is the best underclassman coming out of college in the NFL draft.



The deadline for underclassman to declare for the NFL draft has now passed and the list is impressive. I recommend fans of both pro and college football review it. There are some excellent players in the junior class entering the NFL this season.

In some ways underclassman have a much more difficult pathway toward stardom in the NFL. The threshold for success is high – unfair or not – because the talent is so enormous that a senior season is unnecessary. The already high expectations are increased even further because of the need for rookies to contribute right away. Very few players can rise to high expectations like the conditions outlined in my example. The ideal player must have played on a big stage, performed well, and made plays when it counted. When all of those considerations are balanced against the equal importance of physical talent, one player stands out more than the others – Notre Dame junior wide receiver Golden Tate.

Tate may seem on the small side. He is 5-11 and a stout 195 pounds. But he is the prototypical slot receiver in the NFL because he is tough, has great hands, and excellent body control in traffic. He is the type of physical specimen scouts crave, and has the hands quarterbacks covet.

Tate was the recipient of many postseason awards, achievements he earned through performance… not because of where he played or who his quarterback was. Tate was named first team All-American by the Associated Press and was a Walter Camp first team All-American. He of course won the 2009 Biletnikoff Trophy, too.

What earned him the hardware? A season of 93 catches, 1,496 yards receiving, 15 receiving touchdowns, and two rushing touchdowns. He also returned a punt for a touchdown. Few players in college football made the type of impact Tate did, and he will earn his way onto an NFL team as a result. The pick will be high, and the road to success may be tricky depending on which team gets to draft Tate. But Tate will impact the game in a good way early and often.

The pro game is different, and scouts have a good handle on Tate’s potential impact. Receivers must be strong to fight through bump coverage at the line. Since Tate does not yet possess the recovery speed to stretch routes after fighting through a bump, he is an inside receiver. He can use his strength to break through defensive backs and operate within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage. Once he catches the ball the former running back showed many skills in turning small plays into big plays. Tate compares favorably to a player like Hines Ward. Tough, smart, and great after the catch.

While Tate has the receiving skills and physicality to make an impact quickly in the NFL catching the ball, to earn playing time on a good team he must be multi-dimensional as a receiver. In short, Tate must learn to block. His hands are good, he runs sharp patterns, sits in zones, understands how to get open, runs effectively after the catch, etc. But, he has to block.

Tate is not the fastest receiver in the draft. He is not the tallest receiver in the draft. He is likely not the most complete receiver in the draft, either. But, he is one of the best players, and without a doubt the best underclassman. Tate will have an impact early in the season and provide the type of inside receiving talent that complements big play outside threats.

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Posted by Sports Geek

The Best Underclassman Going Pro Debate – Don’t Take a Pass on Dez Bryant

January 20, 2010

Read opposing arguments from Sports Geek and Bleacher Fan about who they believe is the best underclassman coming out of college in the NFL draft.



These days it seems like most all of the quality juniors in college football bypass their senior season and head for the NFL. Obviously, this is not true, with Cameron Heyward and Ryan Mallet, among others, returning. But when folks like Jevan Snead announce their intention to declare for the draft, it is easy to see why I have the opinion I do. However, only 53 young men declared for the draft early, and here is the final list. Give it a look because there are plenty of recognizable names. Two of those guys, Golden Tate and Eric Berry, are being spotlighted by Sports Geek and Bleacher Fan. However, after looking over the list, I believe that former Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant is the best of the group.

Now, I am sure by now every reader knows what happened to Bryant this season. He was declared ineligible after three games for lying to an NCAA investigator about his offseason “meeting” with former NFL cornerback Deion Sanders. But that certainly does not diminish what he accomplished on the field.

In his three games this season for the Cowboys, the junior totaled 17 catches for 323 yards and four touchdowns. In 2008, his sophomore year, Bryant had 87 catches for 1,480 yards and an astonishing 19 touchdowns. It was his production that helped Oklahoma State, long an overlooked fixture in the state of Oklahoma due to their Bedlam rivals, become preseason top ten this past season.

Obviously, Tate is more known by the casual fan because he played a lot of his games on national TV. In fact, the casual fans only know about Bryant because of the ineligible situation. But I had the chance to watch Bryant a fair amount over the past couple of years and I think he will be not only the best wide receiver in this group but one of the best players. He has the size (6-2 and 210 pounds) to succeed, something Tate does not necessarily have (5-11, 195 pounds). Bryant has a tremendous punt return capability, and you can bet that he will see some action returning punts at the next level. He also has great hands. Chad Ochocinco is an NFL player that comes to mind immediately when thinking of Bryant, minus the gimmicks. For Bryant’s sake, I hope he ends up mirroring Ochocinco’s career versus a guy like former Southern Cal wide receiver and NFL draft bust Mike Williams, who also had to sit out some time due to eligibility issues.

It appears to be a thin crop at wide receiver in this draft, with Bryant slightly ahead of guys like Tate and Georgia Tech receiver Demaryius Thomas. But Bryant has a chance to really do something at the next level. After all the drama the guy has been through in the past several months, it will be interesting to see if he is able to take advantage of the opportunity.

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Posted by Loyal Homer

The Is Kurt Warner a Hall of Famer Debate – The Great Unknown for Kurt Warner

January 20, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Sports Geek and Loyal Homer about whether or not Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner is a hall of famer.



Every professional sport has a number of great players who, in spite of their accolades, never receive an invitation to the sport’s hall of fame. Baseball, for example, is full of them. Some players are seemingly disqualified from serious contention because of their connection to allegations of cheating (Mark McGwire). Others players may have infamous incidents that overshadow their career accomplishments (Roberto Alomar and the loogie heard ‘round the world). Others are ignored because they failed to reach certain benchmark achievements, like hitting 500 homeruns (Fred McGriff). Whatever their reason for exclusion, a number of great players who fail to make it into the hall of fame spawn debates about their worthiness, and football has more than its fair share of such debates. This debate examines NFL quarterback Kurt Warner’s qualifications for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Sports Geek lived up to his reputation as more than just a scholar with a mind for statistics but as a knowledgeable sports intellectual, who provides unique fact-based insight. Sports Geek’s argument began by highlighting Kurt Warner’s pedigree as one of the most prolific passers of his day, citing his huge success in St. Louis from 1999-2001, a 9-3 career playoff record, and his Super Bowl MVP. Perhaps the Sports Geek’s most compelling argument was his comparison to other quarterbacks with similar histories, quarterbacks who are actually inducted into the Pro Hall of Fame.

Loyal Homer fired back with an equally stirring argument that pointed to the monumental collapse of Warner’s career during his post-Greatest-Show-On-Turf days. Loyal Homer reminded Warner supporters that the embattled quarterback was unseated twice in as many years because of his failures to control the ball. Loyal Homer made significant advances for the argument by pointing out that in 2005 Warner was brought to Arizona where he promptly split time with the likes of Josh McCown.

Both Sports Geek and Loyal Homer brought up the fact that most of Kurt Warner’s successes were accomplished during a relatively short career in a short burst of greatness offset by periods of struggles and ineffectiveness. Whether the short timeframe of Warner’s success should be viewed as a positive or negative is truly a matter of personal opinion.

For me, the arguments boiled down to one central question: Is the debate whether Kurt Warner will be inducted into the Hall of Fame or whether Kurt Warner should be inducted into the hall of fame? Sports Geek makes it abundantly clear that Warner boasts career numbers that probably will send him to Canton… eventually. But Loyal Homer convinced me that Warner should not be remembered among the greats of the game. Therefore I am awarding the victory to Loyal Homer.

When I think of the greatest names in professional football history names like Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Brett Favre, and Peyton Manning come to mind. Kurt Warner will be remembered as a very good quarterback, but I agree with Loyal Homer that the NFL should not dilute the memory and legacy of those who are truly the best by allowing anything less to enter enshrinement in the living memory of the sport, which is the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Posted by Babe Ruthless

The Is Kurt Warner a Hall of Famer Debate – A Tale of Two Kurts

January 19, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Sports Geek and Loyal Homer about whether or not Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner is a hall of famer.



The past decade fans have been privy to one of the greatest generations of football players in history. The NFL is currently littered with living legends. Gridiron goliaths, like Peyton Manning and Brett Favre stand head and shoulders above the competition and will no doubt go down in professional football history as some of the greatest players to ever take the field. In this era of elite play, there are great players who will ultimately not make the cut as one of the greats in history. This is great news for fans, and more importantly to the TSD crew, because it allows us to argue about the place in history of our favorite players. One player that elicits such controversy, is a star in the twilight of his career – Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner.

Kurt Warner’s career is best summed up in the immortal words of Charles Dickens: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

The current Arizona Cardinals quarterback has built an up-and-down career marked by periods of incredible success and phases of mediocrity and epic failures. With a resume that includes two league MVPs, multiple Super Bowl appearances, and a Super Bowl MVP it is easy to establish that Warner is a talented quarterback. But his physical frailty and failures between the 2002-2004 seasons call his hall of fame qualifications into doubt.

Is Kurt Warner a hall of fame quarterback?

Sports Geek is sure to construct a cerebral argument, supported by empirical evidence, stating that Kurt Warner is a deserving candidate for enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And we can count on Loyal Homer to issue a passionate rebuttal, explaining the reasons why Kurt Warner should have no place among the greatest players of all time.
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Whose intellectual offense will prevail? Should Kurt start packing his bags for Canton, Ohio, or will he have to buy a ticket if he wants to get into the Hall of Fame?

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