Best # 74
Michael Phelps is The Joker said 04/13, 10:44 PM
Rules: Best player/driver that has wore/drove the number 74, and has to be retired.
My pick.......
Bruce Matthews.
thehemogoblin: home again said 04/13, 10:50 PM
I'm going to pick...
Merlin Olsen.
Michael Phelps is The Joker said 04/13, 11:01 PM
Good pick Hemo!
Matthews was the 9th pick overall in the 1983 National Football League Draft for the Houston Oilers/ Tennessee Oilers/ Tennessee Titans. He played for this franchise his entire 19 year career.
Matthews began his pro career as a guard and earned a starting role on the team's offensive line in just his second game. He was so valuable to the team's offensethat he eventually played every position along the Oilers/Titans offensive line during his career. He made his most starts at guard (99 on the left side, and 67 as the right guard), center (87), right tackle (22), and left tackle (17).
Matthews was selected to fourteen Pro Bowls in all, tying a league record held by, your pick, Merlin Olson. Matthews was also named first team All Pro nine times, and All AFC 12 seasons. He was selected as a guard on the NFL's All Decade Team of the 1990s.
Oh, and Hemo, good luck, this is going to be a good one. (I think)
thehemogoblin: home again said 04/13, 11:17 PM
Merlin Olsen spent 15 years in the NFL, and made the Pro Bowl 14 times. He's made the same amount of them in 4 less seasons (that's 27% more time that Matthews took).
Olsen was a member of the 75th Anniversary team, the 1960's and 1970's All-Decade teams, had three defensive player of the week awards, and singlehandedly managed to carry the moribund Utah State University football team to a top 10 ranking in the 1961 final UPI and AP polls. He was even an Academic All-American in 1961.
One thing that's more impressive to me than anything else though is that Merlin Olsen never missed a game in his career at the defensive tackle position, at a time when cut blocks and chop blocks to the knees were more prevalent then they are today.
Hell, Merlin Olsen even won the Bert Bell award, not the AP MVP, but an award that is parallel to it, it's also a most valuable player award which is voted on by these people, as reported by the internet's beacon of truth, Wikipedia:
"[Voters] are NFL owners, football personnel, head and assistant coaches as well as members of the Maxwell Football Club, national media, both electronic and print, and local media."
He's one of only 3 defenders to win it
Michael Phelps is The Joker said 04/14, 12:05 AM
At USC, Matthews was named an All American in his senior year and won the Morris Trophy. ( I hate going to college stats because it really doesn't prove what a player accomplished)
Matthews also was named to the 1983 All Rookie Team, and was named Offensive Lineman of the Year three times (1992, 1993, 2000)
Matthews recorded the longest playing longevity at any position. He holds the league for most games (296) and seasons (19) played by an offensive lineman. No other full time positional player in NFL history had competed in more games. In fact, he played so long that his former Trojan teammate, Jeff Fisher, became his NFL coach. Matthews was a three-time Offensive Lineman of the Year.
I beilive that if Matthews and the Oilers/Titans did not have a contract disputes in 1983 and 1987, that Matthews would not have missed a game either. However, even with those contract disputes, Matthew started 292 of his 296 games played in the regular season and started all 15 playoff games in which he played. *(Matthews did not miss any games because of injuries)*
- Member of the Football Hall of Fame (2007 - first year of eligibility)
- Tennessee Titans #74 retired
thehemogoblin: home again said 04/14, 12:17 AM
Olsen also has his #74 retired, and had it retired first, and is also a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Alright, Bruce Matthews may have been playing longer, but that doesn't make him better. Just because Tom Watson golfed longer, does that make him better than Jack Nicklaus? Is Ken Dryden diminished for only playing 9 seasons as a goalie?
Matthews missed the Pro Bowl in his first five seasons. It's not like it was because his career tailed off. He wasn't the best as long, and it took him a long time to get acclimated. Olsen only missed the Pro Bowl in the final year of his career.
Olsen never missed any games due to selfishness OR injury, so he was less of a "me me me" type, and more of a team player.
And as the finishing touch, Merlin Olsen has something that Bruce Matthews doesn't...
A TOUCHDOWN!
Alright, I was being petty right there, but honestly, Olsen does have a touchdown.
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Comments (7)
ARE U KIDDDING ME I CLICKED THAT ACCEPT BUTTON!!
and i would have said Olsen
Baghdatis IS BACK!!! | 04/13/08, 10:50 PM
Report Offensive CommentNice picks by both.
LoveItHateIt | 04/13/08, 10:52 PM
Report Offensive CommentGood luck Jokeface.
thehemogoblin: home again | 04/13/08, 11:03 PM
Report Offensive CommentGood arguments from both. I don't think its fair to say Mathews was selfish. Olsen played in a different time when challenging managment was just not a popular move.
Baun-ded | 04/14/08, 03:20 AM
Report Offensive CommentHemo's arguments are just plain better.
dudeman. | 04/14/08, 11:23 PM
Report Offensive CommentSorry Hemo, it's Matthews, easy.
Cowboys-Celtics-Chisox | 04/15/08, 12:08 AM
Report Offensive CommentGood Job.......
Hemo!
Michael Phelps is The Joker | 04/15/08, 12:18 AM
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