Following Favre: The Game’s Next Iconic QBs
Whenever a player of Brett Favre’s stature retires, it sends shockwaves through the league. For much of his career, Favre was one of the most (if not the most) widely liked and respected players in the league. Simply put, #4 is a legend; an icon, if you will. Of course, Favre wasn’t the NFL’s first iconic quarterback — far from it, actually — and he won’t be the last. But which current signal callers could follow in Favre’s footsteps and become iconic figures themselves? Ah, excellent question.
Bullz-Eye.com gathered two quarterbacks that are already icons, two that are on their way and one wild card that definitely has the potential to be one someday. BE also lists four signal callers that just missed the cut and reasons why they were omitted.
Tony Romo?? Guys…at least put a guy on the list who has more game than celebrity, not the other way around. Favre, Brady, Manning, and Roethlisberger are all better known for their play than what they do off the field. Romo is a celebrity off the field because Jessica Simpson’s father wanted it that way.
Whether fans like it or not T-Bone, celebrity and likeability go into being an icon. It’s more than stats and Super Bowl rings - it’s the “it” factor and Romo has it. And besides, we listed Eli Manning as our Wild Card so one would think you would be satisfied.
What other QBs in the league are on their way to being icons if you don’t list Romo? Look around the league and tell me who has more of a shot to be an icon than Romo - Carson Palmer in Cincinnati? Tough market and he’s buried by Chad Johnson. Drew Brees? Nobody talked about him last year when the Saints took a step back. Marc Bulger? Chad Pennington? Jeff Garcia?
There’s not much out there my friend.
The fact of the matter is, a lot of guys love to hate on Romo because he’s become so popular so quickly. But he’s set up beautifully to have one of those iconic careers that people will remember decades from now. If he continues piling up the stats and the notches on his bed post while ALSO winning a Super Bowl or two, look out.
I’m going to commit a little heresy here, so keep your hats on tight. I will go so far as to say that, purely as quarterback, I think both Manning and Brady are superior to Favre.
Unless they get hurt, they should both surpass Favre. They have better physical skills, are more accurate passers and play on better teams. There. I said it. The mob is now forming outside my office door with torches and pitchforks. Don’t worry. I have the firepower to hold them off.
That said, I don’t like those guys - Even after all of his success, Manning has a sometimes whining note that just bugs me. Brady just leaves me cold for reasons I can’t quite understand. I just can’t warm up to the guy. Maybe it’s that I just don’t see him sitting at a BBQ drinking beer out of a bucket. Maybe it’s the almost metrosexual good looks. I don’t know. Part of what made Favre an icon was his humility - that country boy “aw shucks” thing he just wore so well.
I haven’t seen enough of Romo to say anything - he’s awful young yet. Give him 4-5 more seasons.
Jeff - Godspeed to you in holding off that mob…
Any place you think I’m in error there, Anthony. Feel free to take issue. I’m a humble enough man to admit it when I’m wrong. I just don’t think I am in this case.
Like you said, being an icon is more than just QB skills and Super Bowl wins. You have to touch something in people, and none of those guys have done that for me in anything like the way Favre did.
He is far and away my all time favorite quarterback.
No, I don’t think you’re wrong at all Jeff. In fact, I loved your comment about Brady and not having a brew with you at BBQ.
It’s hard to define “it”, but anyone who has watched a fair amount of sports knows exactly what “it” is. To me, Romo is on his way and like JEC said earlier, wait and see what Dallas and the media does if he wins a SB or two.
Romo is very likeable (he can deal with T.O. for football sake) and Peyton is, too. I think everyone feel in love with Brady because he was a sixth-round pick that came out of nowhere to win Super Bowls. Now he’s a celebrity and if you watched any interviews last year, appears very bitter at times. He’s still an icon though…he has “it”.
It took me a while to figure out what it was about Manning that just bothers me so much - he’s the big brother we could never live up to. He’s tough, studious, big, strong, accurate, handsome, intelligent and now a Super Bowl Champion, and I hate his guts.
Favre was everybody’s messed up cousin - kinda half-assing everything, partying, wise-cracking. There was the drinking and the pain killers and his wife nearly tossing his ass into the street. There were the occasional bone-head, what the hell were you thinking game moments. There was the drama of his father’s death played out on national TV - Irv was an icon in his own right.
Maybe if I was a long suffering Colts fan before his arrival, I’d think differently about Manning, but I’m not. I’ve always been a Packer fan, and I’ve just enjoyed the hell out of the last 16 years up here with Brett.
I think saying that Romo is likable is quite subjective. I find him quite irritating, and not because he has become so good so fast.
Jeff - Manning and Brady have superior physical skills? Please. Have you been drinking since the news broke? Neither Brady nor Manning have the arm strength that Favre has (now) nor do they have the mobility he has (now), forget about his prime. I do agree that they are more accurate, but that may have to do more with their supporting cast than it does with their actual throwing ability. Look at Favre - he finally has a good WR corps this season and he sets a career high in completion percentage. It really helps when you have WRs that can create some separation.
Argh!!! I typed a beautiful answer for you, John. And lost it when I miskeyed the code. ACH!!!!! I’m not doing it again.
I’ll just say this - from a traditional viewpoint, I think Manning and Brady are both superior QBs. It is to Favre’s tremendous credit that he is among the best ever while being very unorthodox through most of his career.
I think, in total, his impact on the NFL will be greater than either Brady or Manning because he was much more than a QB. Brady and Manning are both superb QBs, but I don’t think they’re much more really. That’s why I disagree that they are icons in the same league as Favre was regardless of their skills as quarterbacks or Super Bowl victories.
And now it’s time to go crack my 18th six pack of Spotted Cow since the news broke. Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, Gemütilchkeit! I’ll mix in a six of Totally Naked now and then as well.
You know me Anthony, I’m old school. I actually think a guy has to be a GREAT player to be an icon, not just bang hot women and be featured on ESPN’s “Who’s Now” segment. My point is the “it” factor has become more important in a lot of the media’s eyes than the level of play. If Romo didn’t play for the Cowboys and Jessica Simpson’s father didn’t arrange a dozen or so photo ops during every game, he’d be Derek Anderson. I know it’s a list of potentials but I don’t see any of these guys being that good…definitely not Favre, Brady, and Manning good.
I’m with T-Bone on this one. These new guys aren’t “IT” yet. They might be IT for a week or a month or a big game - but “IT” needs years of great service and identity - not the flavor of the week or if you are surrounded by good players. You need to make your team better - play on sucky teams, etc and still be the man. These guys need a few years before I mention them with those other three.
That’s why guys like Big Ben and Romo were placed in our “On Their Way” section.
Manning and Brady definitely have a purer throwing motion than Favre, I’ll grant you that.
Mmmm….New Glarus Totally Naked….too bad it’s so tough to find out here in CA.
Let’s put this in perspective, shall we?
Favre - 1 ring, 2 SB appearances, and as Mike Lupica put it on the Sports Reporters, “Favre retired as the equivalent of Cal Ripken and the all-time home run leader”. “It” appeal: He’s a guy every man can relate to. Has there ever been an athlete this great and this likeable?
Brady - 3 rings, 4 appearances, single season TD record, and still improving. “It” appeal: He’s always the coolest guy in the room, impregnating supermodels
.
Manning - 1 ring, has never thrown for fewer than 3700 yards in a season, former single season TD record holder, master technician at his position. “It” appeal: His commercials are hilarious and most of the ideas come from him.
Roethlisberger - 1 ring, worst qb rating in a superbowl, his best season is comparable to Manning’s worst. “It” appeal: Every fan feels like Einstein compared to him.
Romo - 0 rings, 0-2 in the playoffs, 1 fumbled game winning field goal snap. “It” appeal: His Q-rating rises with every shake of his girlfriends rack.
I don’t see the bottom 2 on their way to becoming true icons of the game.
So Super Bowl rings, yards, QB ratings in Super Bowls and playoff wins = icons. Got it.
So Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson are more icon than Big Ben and Romo. Love it.
Hey why don’t we just say that there aren’t any more icons after Manning and Brady? All the icons most have played “back in the day.”
I don’t think that’s what we’re saying at all. We’re acknowledging the “it” factor. But other than proving he’s a dope by crashing his motorcycle without a helmet, pictures of Big Ben hammered at some parties all over the internet, and the Jessica Simpson saga, what “it’ factor do these two have? Romo could be a good story but Simpson sucks the life out of it. Big Ben is a frat party animal. I hope they’ve got more.
Look at the icons…class is the “it” they’ve got. The other two are jokes at this point.
I think we’re just going to have to agree to disagree on this one. I think Big Ben captivated Pittsburgh after they won and if he can win consistently, they’ll lift him to icon status. Sure, he made a mistake with the crash - he’s young. Maybe he’ll develop into a class act…
And if Romo starts winning in Dallas, watch out.
If Romo wins a championship in Dallas, god help us all. The internet and all aspects of the media will actually explode.
I’m trying to ignore the Jessica aspects of the “Pride of Burlington” story. As a Packer fan, it pains me to hold good will for him whilst he’s playing for Dallas.
I think part of definition of icon is wrapped up in transcending your town, and you can make a good case for Brady and Manning doing something like that. I think Romo has a chance.
Ben . . . boy, I just don’t see it, but I’ve been wrong about more important things than this. You certainly stirred it up with this topic - good job.
Ben made the Pro Bowl this season…32 TD, 11 INT. He has cheated death and has already won a Super Bowl. And he’s just 26. I don’t know that his current career trajectory puts him in icon status, but with another SB win or two and a few more seasons like 2007, he has a chance. I think the hard partying adds to his legacy. (Remember, Favre wasn’t always a choir boy when it came to that.)
I think it hurts Ben that he’s stuck over there with Manning and Brady. I mean really . . . how much rock the house quarterbacking should one conference be allowed? There certainly is a timing aspect to icon-dom.
That’s true about Favre. I also recall hearing it said in taverns after he quit, “Damn it, Brett! Somebody get Favre a drink!”
To be an icon, I think the ‘It ‘ factor also needs longevity,and can they carry a poor team. Manning is an Icon, Brady is on his way, the others have a long ways to go. I say Brady is on his way because he is still young and he has not been on a bad team yet and still have fans wanting to he him play. Farve ahd the appeal to have many fans want to watch him play even when his 2-10 team is playing a 10-2 team, he always had a great play you ahd to see in most games. Brady I don’t think has reached that point yet but he is close.