02-14-2024, 04:18 PM
(02-14-2024, 02:53 PM)BengalYankee Wrote: The Browns could have been in a league of 100 teams and they all folded. The issue that you are not including is that this "Expansion" eam DOMINATED the NFL defending reigning Champion day 1 of the 1950 season and later became the Champions of the NFL that same year and later had a dynasty in the 1950's, pretty good for an AAFC
team. So much the comissioner Bert Bell of the NFL stated that this AAFC team was "the greatest team of all time".
As for as indivudual stats does Babe Ruth stats still count?? If you say the Super Bowl era is the one that counts then you are saying the NFL started in 1966. Which means Bart Starr and the Packers did not three peat in 1965-1967. What you are saying his/their NFL 1965 Championship doesn't count. Ridiculous no other team sport relies on such foolishness. For instance the Montreal Canadiens won 24 Championships starting from a 6 team league started in 1915. The league has 32 teams now exactly the same as the NFL. Au contraire, the NFL/APFA started in 1920 with 10 teams, but because of the marketing smartness of the NFL some people started in 1966.
If they still called the World Championship the AFL-NFL Championship like they did in the beginning nobody, I repeat nobody would say the Pre-AFL-NFL Championship, but some people will say Super Bowl this or that. I disagree the NFL did not start in 1966. Again the NHL sarted well before the NFL and Montreal and the NHL players stats still count. The same for MLB, NBA, College Football, College Basketball etc.
Is it easier for the offense of the NFL these days or yesteryear? We all know that it is much easier for QB's today than the 1940-1970's, heck it is easier today then the early 2000's. Honestly, you can't even stare at a QB without getting a penalty so please spare me with what Brady has done in 22 years of plaiyng ball in the NFL.
I'm starting to lose sight of what you're trying to argue, so I am going to keep this fairly short.
I put zero weight into the AAFC championships. I do put weight into the NFL championships. The Browns were a very good team once they got into the NFL. I am not disputing that. I do dispute Otto Graham being arguably the GOAT with any reasoning including his AAFC championships.
Babe Ruth's stats still count, but it was also a different game. Comparisons are kind of pointless due to how different the game is.
Yes, the NFL started in 1920.
Is it easier for offenses today? Yes. Is it harder to consistently win today? Absolutely. Not even close. The success that Tom Brady's teams enjoyed over 22 years is significantly more impressive than what the Otto Graham led teams did. Patrick Mahomes may be on his way to surpassing that, though.
TL;DR - AAFC championships have no weight in an NFL discussion, Browns/Graham were all-time greats still, game is too different to make comparisons, much harder to win consistently in today's game.
