Bart Starr: Best Quarterback Ever

When I saw this sure-to-be-controversial list of the top 10 best ever quarterbacks from Cold Hard Football Facts (http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.co...definitive_list:_Top_10_NFL_quarterbacks.html)

I was surprised, but pleased, to find that at last someone out there actually knew something about football and football history.

Bart Starr the best quarterback of all time? Well, as they say in their section on him, "History has done a grave disservice to the legacy of Starr..."

For those of you who were either not around in the 60's, or didn't follow the NFL back then, let me tell you something about the Lombardi Packers. Never before, or ever since, have I ever experienced anything like what they acheived. Perhaps the 1950's New York Yankees are the only similar "dynasty" I can come up with, but I haven't really thought about this enough.

You see, the thing with Bart Starr and the Packers during those years is that whenever a big game came around, you just knew that they were going to win. You knew that Bart Starr would come through and you knew that, whatever happened, no matter how bad things may have looked at certain points in a game, that Bart and the Packers would find a way.

Bart Starr may not have the glitzy statistics of other quarterbacks, and even during his era it is possible that Johnny Unitas was a better athlete in some respects, but the bottom line is that Bart Starr won. He is hands down the best big game quarterback who has ever played the game.

Some of the younger sports talkers on the radio these days like to argue about where Brett Favre should be ranked among all time great quarterbacks. Many of them put him anywhere from 1 to 5 all time. Now don't get me wrong, because I love Brett Favre and am amazed by all that he has accomplished. My problem with him, though, is that you can't count on him to have an outstanding performance in big games. In fact, arguably, he has performed badly more often than he has performed well in big games.

You can't say that about Bart Starr. Green Bay lost to Philadelphia in the championship game in 1960 in Lombardi's second year as Green Bay head coach. I have heard anyone blame Bart Starr for that loss. Following that game, he went 9-0 in postseason games. Not only that, but in other big games during the regular season, Starr could always be counted on to come through. (He got knocked out of a huge game in 1965 against the Colts, but the Packers still won).

Bart Starr was simply the best. You just knew he was going to win-- and he did-- every time.

I totally agree with the list, although not every placement. Can't really argue Starr in 1st place though...

No offense, but I wouldn't expect any type of rebuttal of this claim from a Packers fan who lives in WI - unless their rebuttal claims that Brett Favre is the best QB of all time.

IMHO, Starr is certainly worthy of being in the top 10-15 all time, but it far from #1.

Quarterbacks get way too much credit when their team is winning, and they get way too much of the blame when their team is losing. Starr was involved in a lot of very clutch games, but he was not the only player on the field leading the Packers to those wins.

Unitas, Staubach, Marino, Elway, Montana, Young, Manning, Brady and Favre ( I have not looked at the link above yet, but that's my short list. I'm guessing that Otto Graham and a couple of players from long before him may be included in this list as well) would all be higher on my list. Starr may have had a propensity to get the Packers through big games, but that's not the only criteria by which QB's are measured. Granted it's a very important quality to have, but all of the others that I've listed here (except Marino) also possessed that quality and have shown to have greater athletic ability and better career stats.

I think that list is pretty out to lunch.

Bart Starr? WTF?

Okay, he was a proven winner. Cool under pressure, a true leader. But the best QB...EVER?

And...Staubach shouldn't even be on that list. Where is Elway?

Might as well add Grossman and Billy Joe Tolliver to the fine fifteen then.

They should really do this era or decade. Back then they just didn't chuck it around as much, and there were less games in a season, so it's tough to compare.

I think that list is pretty dead on for the veterans, but it's still too soon for the current players, Favre included. My vote would be Starr or Unitas for #1. I think I'd replace the current players with Marino, Elway and Terry Bradshaw.

Where the hell is Bradshaw? WTF!

No way in hell Brady is better than Favre. Brady has had 1 good season where the offense was centered around him (and even then it was centered more around Moss who can make a mediocre QG look great, see: Culpepper, Daunte and Cunningham, Randy). Before then (including all 3 SB wins), the NE offense lived off of WR screens and no passes over 10 yards and waited for the defense and special teams to make the big plays. Brady is a product of the system, where favre has always BEEN the system.

Parker36 said:

the NE offense lived off of WR screens and no passes over 10 yards and waited for the defense and special teams to make the big plays. Brady is a product of the system, where favre has always BEEN the system.

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I won't say that Brady is better than Favre, but the statement above also very accurately describes the West Coast Offense, which Brett Favre has run his entire career.

I don't see how this can be used as ammunition against Brady when the same type of offense is what Favre has run his entire career.

It should be duly noted that I despise, but respect, both of these QB's so I have no vested interest in defending either of them.

You also got to remember that Bart Starr called the plays for that team. It wasn't phoned in from a booth upstairs. He called the plays and executed them the whole time he was at the helm. I have no qualms about Starr being #1.

The problem with stuff like this is that it's almost impossible to separate the QB from the system he plays in. Joe Montana has crazy stats, and whilst I would never deny how awesome he was as a guy who would just get the game won, he was also fortunate to play for a team where he could throw a six-yard slant to Jerry Rice, and it would end up going 80 yards for a score.

I did not see Bart Starr play, but I think Montana should get the nod for the best..IMO..Where's Bradshaw??Is he not in the top ten?

Bulls Beers said:

but I think Montana should get the nod for the best..IMO..

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+1, Montana was it.

Wow, Starr #1??? Dunno about that, but it was nice of them to say so........

I think # 1 should have been Montana. And while Brady my be an excellent QB, I think he needs to be in the NFL a few more years to be eligible. Still an interesting list, though.

Bulls Beers said:

I did not see Bart Starr play

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I did. I watched him play every Sunday for 9 plus years. I saw Bart Starr set an NFL record for most complete passes without an interception. I saw him lead the Packers to 5 NFL championships, including three in a row and two Super Bowls. I also saw at the end of his career trying to come back from rotator cuff surgery that failed. I witnessed his coaching career with Green Bay that was less than successful. To me there was no greater man to ever play quarterback in the NFL. That is why there is an NFL award named after him, given to a player with outstanding character. As far as the article goes, the author sets out compelling arguments based on his criteria to rank Starr as number one. To have two Green Bay quarterbacks in the authors top ten is indeed nice to see. But I'm smart enough to know that if you change the criteria for the bases of the ranking any one of the last 26 Chicago Bear quarterbacks could show up. I said in another post on this forum as much as I love and respect Bart Starr I think talent wise Unitas was a better quarterback. And as a packer fan that was a hard realization to come to.