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The Gutless Chokers-An Unbeatable Dream Team

(I posted this mythical All-Star team in a Herald column once. It bears re-listing every year come NFL playoff time.)

Here's the depth chart for an imaginary team I made up some years ago. Check it out.

OFFENSE
QBs: Sonny Jurgensen, Dan Fouts, Warren Moon (3rd).
RBs: Earl Campbell, Gale Sayers, Barry Sanders
FB: Joe "the Jet" Perry
WRs: Charlie Joiner, Steve Largent, Bobby Mitchell
TEs: Kellen Winslow, Ozzie Newsome
OTs: Jackie Slater, Dan Dierdorf, Bob Brown
OGs: Joe deLamielleure, Mike Munchak, Tom Mack
C: Dwight Stephenson

DEFENSE
DEs: Deacon Jones, Elvin Bethea
DTs: Merlin Olsen, Leo Nomellini, Ernie Stautner
MLB: Dick Butkus
OLBs: Dave Wilcox, Bill George
CBs: Night Train Lane, Lem Barney, Jimmy Johnson
SS: Ken Houston
FS: Larry Wilson

SPECIALISTS:
PK: Morten Andersen
KR: Ollie Matson

COACH: George Allen

Pretty good, huh? It's fun being an imaginary GM. I got to cut O.J.Simpson for character issues.

Readers steeped in football history (and you've stopped by now if you aren't) will grasp how my team was shaped. None ever played on an NFL, AFL, or AAFC championship team. Only three-Andersen, George, and Stephenson even PLAYED in an NFL, AFL, or AAFC title game.

And, of course, my imaginary team is invincible. Every man on its roster is a member of the Hall of Fame, except Andersen, who would be if he'd ever stop kicking. We don't have a punter because they're aren't any in the Hall, but frankly, we wouldn't need one.

Here's a bet for the good people behind Madden 2007. Get to work on creating an imaginary all-time game. I'll play my team, and you can create a dream team out of all the other players in the history of professional footbal, from Jim Thorpe through Tom Brady. I wager my team wins 50 percent of the games between the two.

Championships are a very important measure of a player or coach's ability. But they're only one measure, and not the most important one at that. Any individual game is too random to assess lasting value from its results.

In homelier terms, if Peyton Manning and the Colts come up short again tonight, and we all know they will, it will be a bitter disappointment for Manning and another blot on his resume.

But Manning will remain a future Hall of Famer no matter what. And he can still play for me, any time, any game.

posted by Michael Gee @ 12:07 PM