I picked up this book on a whim recently and read through it pretty quickly. Sal examines some of the most overrated and underrated players, teams, and moments in NFL history. It was interesting to read his arguments and perspectives. He even went so far as to call some of the players that the media absolutely loves. . . overrated. Even Brett Favre. Even Barry Sanders. Even. . . the '85 Chicago Bears. Gasp! Blasphemy!
The author, Sal Paolantonio, obvioulsy touched a nerve with some folks. Go and read the reviews page for this book at Amazon.com and you can see that some people did not appreciate what he had to say about their football heroes. His whole point was that he wasn't saying that they weren't some of the best players and teams of all-time, he was just simply pointing out that maybe they received a little bit more credit than was warranted given what they actually did on the field.
Of course, he didn't call any Broncos overrated - so maybe I don't understand. I can't imagine what former Denver Bronco could possibly be overrated, since it is likely the most underrated franchise in NFL history. I was pleased to see a couple of former Denver Broncos listed as "underrated" - Lionel Taylor as one of the most underrated wide receivers and Shannon Sharpe as one of the most underrated tight ends.
I had more than a few "amen" moments in reading this book, as he asked some of the questions I have pondered for some time now, such as "Why exactly are Dan Fouts and Warren Moon in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?"
What is underrated is the use of a good editor. Paolantonio made some major factual blunders in this book that were easy for even a casual fan like myself to pick out. He asserted several times that the New England Patriots were the first franchise ever to win three Super Bowls in four seasons. . . although the Dallas Cowboys also accomplished the feat in the 1990s. Also, part of his argument that Marv Levy was the most overrated Hall of Famer of all time was that Levy was outcoached by Barry Switzer in Super Bowl 28. However, Jimmy Johnson was still the coach of the Cowboys at that time. Switzer was the coach of the Cowboys two years later when they beat the Steelers in Super Bowl 30. I don't know how a book goes to press with major errors like this. I'd think that you would have at least a person or two read through it before you hand it in - like the high school term paper. But I guess not!
The author, Sal Paolantonio, obvioulsy touched a nerve with some folks. Go and read the reviews page for this book at Amazon.com and you can see that some people did not appreciate what he had to say about their football heroes. His whole point was that he wasn't saying that they weren't some of the best players and teams of all-time, he was just simply pointing out that maybe they received a little bit more credit than was warranted given what they actually did on the field.
Of course, he didn't call any Broncos overrated - so maybe I don't understand. I can't imagine what former Denver Bronco could possibly be overrated, since it is likely the most underrated franchise in NFL history. I was pleased to see a couple of former Denver Broncos listed as "underrated" - Lionel Taylor as one of the most underrated wide receivers and Shannon Sharpe as one of the most underrated tight ends.
I had more than a few "amen" moments in reading this book, as he asked some of the questions I have pondered for some time now, such as "Why exactly are Dan Fouts and Warren Moon in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?"
What is underrated is the use of a good editor. Paolantonio made some major factual blunders in this book that were easy for even a casual fan like myself to pick out. He asserted several times that the New England Patriots were the first franchise ever to win three Super Bowls in four seasons. . . although the Dallas Cowboys also accomplished the feat in the 1990s. Also, part of his argument that Marv Levy was the most overrated Hall of Famer of all time was that Levy was outcoached by Barry Switzer in Super Bowl 28. However, Jimmy Johnson was still the coach of the Cowboys at that time. Switzer was the coach of the Cowboys two years later when they beat the Steelers in Super Bowl 30. I don't know how a book goes to press with major errors like this. I'd think that you would have at least a person or two read through it before you hand it in - like the high school term paper. But I guess not!
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