Marino was great, but Sammy Baugh is the greatest QB of all time | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Marino was great, but Sammy Baugh is the greatest QB of all time

Vessel17

Vessel17

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Congratulations on Dan's Hall of Fame Day! It is well deserved, however all this talk about him being the "Greatest Ever" is misguided. Here's a history lesson.

http://www.collegefootballnews.com/Top_100_Players/Top_100_Players_3_Sammy_Baugh.htm
"All the great passing attacks in today's version of college football are functions of quarterbacks who've been groomed since a young age to be able to throw, coaches who are able to construct great formations and patterns and faster, better receivers. Back in 1934, the passing game in college football wasn't just in it's infancy, it was almost non-existent. Quarterbacks were merely advanced running backs and while many threw the ball, no one had ever done it with much skill and accuracy as Sammy Baugh... Baugh advanced college football by becoming the first real superstar passing quarterback and is widely considered the greatest passer in Southwest Conference history. As great a quarterback as Baugh was, he was equally skilled as a defensive back and is also considered one of the great punters in college football history..."
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http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Baugh_Sammy.html
He then helped revolutionize pro football, making the forward pass a routine play from scrimmage. His uncanny passing accuracy twice led Washington to NFL championships. All-Pro six times in his 16-year career, he completed 1,693 of 2,995 passes for 21,886 yards, leading the NFL in passing a record six times...


He then helped revolutionize pro football, making the forward pass a routine play from scrimmage. His uncanny passing accuracy twice led Washington to NFL championships. All-Pro six times in his 16-year career, he completed 1,693 of 2,995 passes for 21,886 yards, leading the NFL in passing a record six times.

He still holds the NFL punting record for highest average in a career (45.1 yards) and has the best (51.4 in 1940) and third best (48.7 in 1941) season marks. He was the first NFL player to intercept four passes in a game, a record he shares today. And he is the only player to lead the league in passing, punting and interceptions in the same season.
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http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=21
When Baugh first started with the Redskins pro football was largely a grind-it-out ground game. The forward pass was something to be used with caution, and never inside your 30-yard line, except in desperate situations. By the time Baugh was through, the forward pass was a primary offensive weapon. Obviously, such a change could not be totally brought about by one individual. But Baugh was the catalyst that changed the game. No one had seen a passer who could throw with such accuracy.
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Baugh defined the QB position in professional football. Marino might be the greatest QB of his era but Baugh is the greatest ever. No one will ever do as much for the game or master it as much as Baugh did.
 
Nahhhh he was not the best QB, but he was the 2nd best Punter, after Ray Guy.
 
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Alright so far everyone disagrees, but no one has said why! C'mon! Give insight!
 
You're 22, and you're trying to argue that a guy that played 70 years ago is the greatest of all time. Now prove me wrong here, and tell me that you've seen him play...just once...
 
Vessel17 said:
Alright so far everyone disagrees, but no one has said why! C'mon! Give insight!
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Why? Because no one on this board watched him play. If they did, I'm not sure they remember it.
 
I'll give you a big reason....compare the D-backs that Sammy played against those Dan faced....very slow guys....Dan had to throw against guys like Lester Hayes and Ronnie Lott....there is no comparison.
 
Vessel17 said:
Alright so far everyone disagrees, but no one has said why! C'mon! Give insight!
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Probably because they're all argued out from an entire week of defending why they think Dan's the best ever.

We get this all the time. Plus, it's all opinion anyway.
 
Minnphin said:
You're 22, and you're trying to argue that a guy that played 70 years ago is the greatest of all time. Now prove me wrong here, and tell me that you've seen him play...just once...
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Watched countless NFL Films Documentaries on the guy! Baugh changed the NFL forever, made the forward pass a weapon that was actually used. Without Baugh it's possible that Marino would have never had the chance to be great because the league would have always been running based.
 
Vessel17 said:
Alright so far everyone disagrees, but no one has said why! C'mon! Give insight!
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Because Baugh did it against a bunch of white guys who ran 6.0
forties and weighed 150 lbs.
 
Roman529 said:
I'll give you a big reason....compare the D-backs that Sammy played against those Dan faced....very slow guys....Dan had to throw against guys like Lester Hayes and Ronnie Lott....there is no comparison.
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Speed is pretty relative, Marino's recievers were faster. Baugh didn't even have receivers running out the T-formation. Marino also had the luxury of pass interference rules, complicated passing routes, and pass blocking. Heck, Marino even got the luxury of throwing a tapered football. The football that Baugh threw looked more like a rugby ball.
 
azfinfanmang said:
Well lets see. Did they even incorporate the forward pass before Sammy Baugh died? The guy could kick the ball, though
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Forward pass was legalized in 1916 if I remember right. Read the above and you'll see that he did in fact pass, thus it must have been implemented.
 
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