All Underrated Team: Three Packer Connections

[pbmax]

This is all-time, not current era. Early warning for KYPack, Patler, Shadow, oldbutnotdeadyet, Fritz and all posters who remember the 1974 Packers. There is some rare John Hadl praise in here (though not specifically for his Packer stint).

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2708920-nfl-nostalgia-ranking-the-most-underrated-players-in-nfl-history

Contains my favorite paragraph of the off-season so far:


No modern coach suppressed passing offenses quite like Fisher, and no team produces offensive stats that look like they come from the early 1930s quite like the Ravens. Derrick Mason's 95-catch, 1,200-yard seasons translate to 115-catch monsters in more pass-oriented schemes. Put him on the Tom Brady-led Patriots, and Mason might have invented a new branch of mathematics.

[Joemailman]

Nice to see Butler get his due. Only a shoulder injury cost him the Hall Of Fame.

One slight disagreement. This is pretty much a Super Bowl-era list, not an all-time list.

[pbmax]

Nice to see Butler get his due. Only a shoulder injury cost him the Hall Of Fame.

One slight disagreement. This is pretty much a Super Bowl-era list, not an all-time list.

Its got some good AFL stuff in there.

Its also 2017. Everyone before the AFL is underrated.

[smuggler]

Anyone who had a good understanding of pre-merger football talent is dead and has probably been dead for 15 years.

[Patler]

Anyone who had a good understanding of pre-merger football talent is dead and has probably been dead for 15 years.

I beg to differ! At least I don't think I am dead!

[oldbutnotdeadyet]

I beg to differ! At least I don't think I am dead!

I believe I am dead, but I do remember 1974 Packers! Hell, even the 60's packers, yet I did pedal bike from Minneapolis to Rhinelander last summer so I am truly OLD BUT NOT DEAD YET!

Yippee doo...

[Pugger]

I'm ancient too.

[Patler]

I believe I am dead, but I do remember 1974 Packers! Hell, even the 60's packers, yet I did pedal bike from Minneapolis to Rhinelander last summer so I am truly OLD BUT NOT DEAD YET!

Yippee doo...

I remember when Lombardi was hired, and I try to run at least 100 miles/month; so without claiming the name I guess I am old but not dead yet, too!

[Fritz]

Its got some good AFL stuff in there.

Its also 2017. Everyone before the AFL is underrated.



Where the hell is Bert Jones on that list? He was Brett Favre before there was a Brett Favre.

[Patler]

Where the hell is Bert Jones on that list? He was Brett Favre before there was a Brett Favre.

Bert Jones' career was actually worse than you remember, if you go back and look at it........:-)

[Fritz]

Bert Jones' career was actually worse than you remember, if you go back and look at it........:-)

The Colts had one really good year with Jones at QB; I recall they were coached by Ted Marchibroda (could be wrong) and were, other than that year, pretty dysfunctional. But I remember Jones as having a rocket arm and good accuracy, so don't mess with my memory by going back to actual facts and statistics.

[pbmax]

The Colts had one really good year with Jones at QB; I recall they were coached by Ted Marchibroda (could be wrong) and were, other than that year, pretty dysfunctional. But I remember Jones as having a rocket arm and good accuracy, so don't mess with my memory by going back to actual facts and statistics.

He actually covered the Bert omission:

Mike Tanier @MikeTanier May 29
Several of these guys were on my watch list. I'm also banned from the Internet from writing any more about Bert Jones.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/walkthrough/2007/every-stat-tells-story-1981-colts

[Patler]

Bert Jones' career was actually worse than you remember, if you go back and look at it........:-)The Colts had one really good year with Jones at QB; I recall they were coached by Ted Marchibroda (could be wrong) and were, other than that year, pretty dysfunctional. But I remember Jones as having a rocket arm and good accuracy, so don't mess with my memory by going back to actual facts and statistics.

Naw, wasn't going to do that. Just a play on your Quote of KYP in your signature.

Jones probably didn't play long enough to merit much consideration. He looked like a possible budding star early, but was hurt, traded and out of the league in relatively quick sequence when he should have been just hitting his stride as a QB.

[Patler]

He actually covered the Bert omission:

Mike Tanier @MikeTanier May 29
Several of these guys were on my watch list. I'm also banned from the Internet from writing any more about Bert Jones.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/walkthrough/2007/every-stat-tells-story-1981-colts

Guess I should have read farther before responding!

[smuggler]

Yeah I supposed I should have qualified it better. Not just understand of *some* pre-1970 ball, but a good first-hand account of the league for all of the period from 1920 to 1970. Anyone who was ten years old in 1920 is 107 this year. Haha.

[vince]

Good list. Let's hope Jahri Evans is still underrated.

[Fritz]

Yeah I supposed I should have qualified it better. Not just understand of *some* pre-1970 ball, but a good first-hand account of the league for all of the period from 1920 to 1970. Anyone who was ten years old in 1920 is 107 this year. Haha.

Lem Barney was a pretty good cornerback for the Lions for a number of years.

[Patler]

Lem Barney was a pretty good cornerback for the Lions for a number of years.

He's in the NFL Hall of Fame, isn't he?

[bobblehead]

I beg to differ! At least I don't think I am dead!

Shut up, you'll be stone dead in a moment (little monty python humor)

[bobblehead]

Bert Jones' career was actually worse than you remember, if you go back and look at it........:-)

So was Favre's....oh damn, here we go.

We'll never forget you bert!

[Fritz]

He's in the NFL Hall of Fame, isn't he?

Oops.

[KYPack]

Anyone who had a good understanding of pre-merger football talent is dead and has probably been dead for 15 years.

Smug, I'd nail you harder, but I know you are a great poster.

I'm 68 and also undead. Went to my first Packer game in 1957. I hardly believe that myself. I was 8 years old. Joe posted that he took his son to a game when his son was 8. Loved that comment. At 8 years old, I had no clue what was going on. There were adult men in suits and shit, smoking cigars and getting hammered.

The game was at County stadium in Milwaukee. Packers vs the 49ers. Both teams had gold helmets and the guys looked like super heroes. The Packers had gold helmets with a red stripe, greenish/blue jerseys with gold numerals and gold pants. Very sharp unis. I said to my dad, "I thought the Green Bay Packers wore green" He said, "so did I".

In 1960, I finally made to a game at City Stadium. Pack vs the NFL Champs, the Baltimore Colts. A beautiful sunny day in Green Bay. The Pack killed the defending champs. In the second quarter, I gazed around the stadium, smelling the cigar smoke and seeing the happy fans, I thought "this must be what heaven is like".

There are a lot of old time, alive fans who remember football from the long ago time. It was great and still is now.

[RashanGary]

Good stuff, ky....

[ThunderDan]

Yup, my favorite picture and my computer wallpaper is the first game I took my son to. He was 7 at the time.

My in-laws, who are in their mid-80s, bought Packer tickets the first year the Packers played in Milwaukee. He still loves to talk about the old time Packers.

[KYPack]

Hey, how about a post that ties it all together in one game. John Hadl, County Stadium, & the worst trade of all time?

Because as per usual, KY was there.

In October of '74, I went to Milwaukee with my crew of buddies to see the Pack play the LA rams. We all basically thought the Pack was gonna lose. The Rams were 12-2 the year before. One of their players I wanted to check-out was their QB, John Hadl. Hadl had been the NFC Most Valuable Player in '73. Hadl had also been a real big deal in the AFL for all those years, zinging long passes to Lance Alworth and those great Charger receivers. This shaped up to be a good ball game. It was a great game, but for the G&G, not the Lambs.

Hadl was impressive all right. He impressed me as a guy who was totally washed up. He looked shorter than he appeared in many highlight films of the past. He was stubby looking, short arms and legs. His passes were gross, his arm had apparently lost whatever zip it had once had. The Packer D was on fire, making 4 interceptions (3 by OLB Ted Hendricks). They added another TD on a punt return. The Rams benched Hadl in the 3rd quarter. He slumped on the bench and took off his Rams Horn blue helmet. He got lots of static for displaying his bald head while he was hunkered down on the Pine. The last pass he tossed would be the last ball he ever threw for the LA Rams. How Devine could make the trade he would pull 10 days later is beyond me. Five high draft picks over the next 3 years. 2 #1's, 2 # 2s, and a third. Ridiculous price for a has-been QB.


But Devine did have to do something. Packer QB Jerry Tagge was even worse. Tagge completed all of TWO passes. For a net yardage -1 yard. It remains today as the most pathetic display of QBing a team that I have ever seen. Tagge matched Hadl in another category. His last pass was the last one he ever threw for GB.

Tagge's trade value was zero. but so was Hadl. LA had one thing in it's favor. They had a pigeon in Dan Devine. And pluck their pigeon they did. Devine didn't care.

After the last game with Atlanta, pigeon Devine flew the coop for South Bend. He got the ND college job and never paid any attention to the carnage he caused in GB.

DD was a fool and an asshole.

[swede]

DD was a fool and an asshole.

...and his dog agrees.

[George Cumby]

Holy Shit but you are old, KY.

[KYPack]

Holy Shit but you are old, KY.

So was Hadl

I've never seen a guy deteriorate that quickly in one season.

It would have been a lot cooler if we didn't get him.

[QBME]

Hey, how about a post that ties it all together in one game. John Hadl, County Stadium, & the worst trade of all time?

Because as per usual, KY was there.

In October of '74, I went to Milwaukee with my crew of buddies to see the Pack play the LA rams. We all basically thought the Pack was gonna lose. The Rams were 12-2 the year before. One of their players I wanted to check-out was their QB, John Hadl. Hadl had been the NFC Most Valuable Player in '73. Hadl had also been a real big deal in the AFL for all those years, zinging long passes to Lance Alworth and those great Charger receivers. This shaped up to be a good ball game. It was a great game, but for the G&G, not the Lambs.

Hadl was impressive all right. He impressed me as a guy who was totally washed up. He looked shorter than he appeared in many highlight films of the past. He was stubby looking, short arms and legs. His passes were gross, his arm had apparently lost whatever zip it had once had. The Packer D was on fire, making 4 interceptions (3 by OLB Ted Hendricks). They added another TD on a punt return. The Rams benched Hadl in the 3rd quarter. He slumped on the bench and took off his Rams Horn blue helmet. He got lots of static for displaying his bald head while he was hunkered down on the Pine. The last pass he tossed would be the last ball he ever threw for the LA Rams. How Devine could make the trade he would pull 10 days later is beyond me. Five high draft picks over the next 3 years. 2 #1's, 2 # 2s, and a third. Ridiculous price for a has-been QB.


But Devine did have to do something. Packer QB Jerry Tagge was even worse. Tagge completed all of TWO passes. For a net yardage -1 yard. It remains today as the most pathetic display of QBing a team that I have ever seen. Tagge matched Hadl in another category. His last pass was the last one he ever threw for GB.

Tagge's trade value was zero. but so was Hadl. LA had one thing in it's favor. They had a pigeon in Dan Devine. And pluck their pigeon they did. Devine didn't care.

After the last game with Atlanta, pigeon Devine flew the coop for South Bend. He got the ND college job and never paid any attention to the carnage he caused in GB.

DD was a fool and an asshole.

Hey KY, no shit, I was at that game. My first Packer game. Please let me know if my memory serves me correct - on one of the first snap's of the game the Rams quarterback bobbled the ball, picked it up and ran something like 44 yards for the TD. Either that or Hadl fumbled, the Rams picked it up and ran it back. Either way, the rout was on, but I held out hope, still being sealed in my plastic bag of innocence.

It was a nice, sunny, warm day. We were sitting along the first base line.

[KYPack]

Hey KY, no shit, I was at that game. My first Packer game. Please let me know if my memory serves me correct - on one of the first snap's of the game the Rams quarterback bobbled the ball, picked it up and ran something like 44 yards for the TD. Either that or Hadl fumbled, the Rams picked it up and ran it back. Either way, the rout was on, but I held out hope, still being sealed in my plastic bag of innocence.

It was a nice, sunny, warm day. We were sitting along the first base line.

Man, We were behind the Rams bench, that was way down the right field (1st base I guess). At the County, both teams benches were on the same side of the field. No Ram scored a TD that day. They were limited to 2 FG's. Some goofy shit happened in the Rams last drive, when James Harris took over for Hadl. I don't remember a QB fumble, but hell, it could've happened.

That was a weird game in several respects. Bad blood developed btw both teams. The Rams thought they had the game in the bag and weren't ready for the ferocity displayed by both Packer lines. The crowd got into it and the Rams got frustrated and pissed. Neither team could pass the ball. Hadl complete 6 passes and Tagge completed 2. Early on, Tagge threw a ridiculous pass that was underthrown by 10 yards or more. A Ram DB picked it up on the bounce and made a mock return with the ball, to the laughter of the Rams on the sideline. Hendricks, Freddy Carr and other Packers were up and screaming at the Rams. it was on. Both teams had to rely on running the ball bc of the inept play at QB. it was like a game from the 1920's.

I had a great time, it was probably the best game of a shit year for the Pack.

[esoxx]

Man, We were behind the Rams bench, that was way down the right field (1st base I guess). At the County, both teams benches were on the same side of the field. No Ram scored a TD that day. They were limited to 2 FG's. Some goofy shit happened in the Rams last drive, when James Harris took over for Hadl. I don't remember a QB fumble, but hell, it could've happened.

That was a weird game in several respects. Bad blood developed btw both teams. The Rams thought they had the game in the bag and weren't ready for the ferocity displayed by both Packer lines. The crowd got into it and the Rams got frustrated and pissed. Neither team could pass the ball. Hadl complete 6 passes and Tagge completed 2. Early on, Tagge threw a ridiculous pass that was underthrown by 10 yards or more. A Ram DB picked it up on the bounce and made a mock return with the ball, to the laughter of the Rams on the sideline. Hendricks, Freddy Carr and other Packers were up and screaming at the Rams. it was on. Both teams had to rely on running the ball bc of the inept play at QB. it was like a game from the 1920's.
I had a great time, it was probably the best game of a shit year for the Pack.

Good stuff KY. Go to about the 16:15 mark to check out the game highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6xvLMkG4kM&t=2068s