Sports Illustrated insults Jeff Feagles and Jim Marshall just to suck off Brett Favre

The BBQ Pit
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In their piece on the most difficult things to do in sports, SI lists “starting 253 consecutive regular-season games [in the NFL].” Then they go on to admit this is not even the record. The record is 320 starts by Jeff Feagles, but 253 starts in not even the second best streak. Jim Marshall started 282 consecutive games. He gets no mention.

It looks like SI subscribes to old prejudice that punters are not real football players. And now apparently they have added defensive ends to their bigoted view of fake football players. How do you think they feel about the view that sports-writers are not real writers?

Bad form, SI. Bad form.

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1139563/10/14/index.htm

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[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun]
It looks like SI subscribes to old prejudice that punters are not real football players.
[/QUOTE]

Punters may be a part of the football team, but they are not “Football Players.” And only idiots would argue otherwise.

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[QUOTE=Justin_Bailey]
Punters may be a part of the football team, but they are not “Football Players.” And only idiots would argue otherwise.
[/QUOTE]

Fuck you. They are just as much football players as quarterbacks.

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Thread title longer than any post I’ve made.

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[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun]
Fuck you. They are just as much football players as quarterbacks.
[/QUOTE]

Only if they’re named George Blanda.

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[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun]
Fuck you. They are just as much football players as quarterbacks.
[/QUOTE]
Except for the fact they’re only on the field for 5-10 plays per game (and even more rarely physically involved in the play).

While I agree their importance in under appreciated, I think comparing a QBs longevity to a punter’s is a bit disingenuous. That’s like saying, “Wow!!! Coach hasn’t missed a GAME!”

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Jim Marshall was no fucking punter.

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[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic]
Jim Marshall was no fucking punter.
[/QUOTE]

From the OP:

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The OP admits the article admits that it isn’t even the record. They acknowledge that Feagles has the record; what do you want, Feagles–who I imagine never took a hit in those 320 games–to be on the list of toughest sports achievements?

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Based on that, I’d say Marshall’s the man. I would think that a defensive linemen would hit or get hit on almost every play. Not the case with a QB.

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[QUOTE=An Arky]
Based on that, I’d say Marshall’s the man. I would think that a defensive linemen would hit or get hit on almost every play. Not the case with a QB.
[/QUOTE]

Exactly.

Irrespective of whether or not you think Feagles is a football player, SI screws up enormously here by implying Favre’s streak is in any way more impressive than Marshall’s. (Marshall isn’t even mentioned.) I can understand saying Favre’s streak is more impressive than Feagles’s, because it is. But if you think a QB takes more punishment than a frigging defensive end, you must never have watched a game of football.

To characterize Favre’s streak as “one of the hardest things” an athlete’s ever done and ignore Marshall’s substantially longer streak is pure media-hero-worship cocksucking and bad journalism. It would be precisely equal to me making a list of the most amazing baseball feats and including Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak while completely ignoring Cal Ripken’s.

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There is a distinct difference in playing Quaterback and Defensive line. Linemen do hit, and get hit, on virtually every single play they’re on the field, while quaterbacks probably only get hit on less than a quarter of the plays. That said, linemen are expecting the hits, they’re braced for the hits, and often they are delivering the hits, all of which are decidedly LESS brutal than often not expecting his, seldom being braced for them, and almost never delivering them. A blind-side hit on a quaterback by a guy that outweights him by at least 50 lbs is considerably more painful and career shortening than a number of hits linemen take.

The disparity in games, close to 2 seasons worth, is something that makes it a bit harder to judge which streak is more difficult. But I think it is fair to also consider that Brett Favre could easily go on to a number of other teams and start for another season or two.

In the end, yeah, it is poor form, they should have at least included his name in the article. I hardly think it’s worth a pitting though.

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Let me start off by saying for the record that I consider streaks nothing more than statistical anomalies that rarely tell you much about the player. Consecutive game streaks tell you the guy is tough AND was lucky enough to avoid injuries that would prohibit play. Lots of guys who play football are tough, who cares if someone is lucky?

[QUOTE=An Arky]
Based on that, I’d say Marshall’s the man. I would think that a defensive linemen would hit or get hit on almost every play. Not the case with a QB.
[/QUOTE]
OTOH, defensive linemen aren’t asked to stand motionless looking 20-30 yards downfield while 4 guys 50+lbs heavier than he is are trying to knock the stuffing out of him. How often to you think Marshall was standing upright and got clobbered from behind by a bigger guy who had 4 full strides to get up to speed? QBs are targets.

Linemen also don’t get sidelined by things like broken fingers, which would put a QB completely out of action, even if he’s more than healthy enough to run around on the field.

Honestly, the best way to look at is is by position, or type of position, and see how the leader stacks up against other guys who play there. I don’t know how each guy stacks up to others at his position, but that’s how I’d compare the “greatness” of the achievement.

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[QUOTE=Cyberhwk]
Except for the fact they’re only on the field for 5-10 plays per game (and even more rarely physically involved in the play).

While I agree their importance in under appreciated, I think comparing a QBs longevity to a punter’s is a bit disingenuous. That’s like saying, “Wow!!! Coach hasn’t missed a GAME!”
[/QUOTE]

I guess a third string quarterback whos in the game for 0 plays isnt a football player either?

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[QUOTE=Cheesesteak]
Let me start off by saying for the record that I consider streaks nothing more than statistical anomalies that rarely tell you much about the player. Consecutive game streaks tell you the guy is tough AND was lucky enough to avoid injuries that would prohibit play. Lots of guys who play football are tough, who cares if someone is lucky?

OTOH, defensive linemen aren’t asked to stand motionless looking 20-30 yards downfield while 4 guys 50+lbs heavier than he is are trying to knock the stuffing out of him. How often to you think Marshall was standing upright and got clobbered from behind by a bigger guy who had 4 full strides to get up to speed? QBs are targets.

Linemen also don’t get sidelined by things like broken fingers, which would put a QB completely out of action, even if he’s more than healthy enough to run around on the field.

Honestly, the best way to look at is is by position, or type of position, and see how the leader stacks up against other guys who play there. I don’t know how each guy stacks up to others at his position, but that’s how I’d compare the “greatness” of the achievement.
[/QUOTE]

I can agree with that…I was replying to a previous post regarding Feagles almost never getting hit.

Anyway, I believe all three deserve tremendous respect for their accomplishments.

Feagles survived and thrived in a league where punters aren’t highly regarded; they’ll cut you if your average falls off by less than a yard or they think they can save a bit of money. And Feagles got cut/traded many times, and still landed on his feet every time…That he was able to keep the streak going with all of that is remarkable, indeed.

Farve not only started all those games, but played his ass off and played hurt in a position where most guys don’t go more than a couple of seasons without missing games due to injuries.

Marshall, as I said, played a high-contact position, but also during an era where play was dirtier and riskier than today.

So yeah, all three are great in my book.

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Favre’s streak is bullshit regardless. He’s started games that he had no business playing in just to extend the streak. You can be in for one play and extend your streak, that’s crap.

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[QUOTE=DigitalC]
I guess a third string quarterback whos in the game for 0 plays isnt a football player either?
[/QUOTE]

Your analogy doesn’t make sense. Riding a bench every single game is not part of the quarterback’s job when he is the starter. In the case of the punter, he is going to see extremely limited physical contact even if he is the starter.

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[QUOTE=Snarky_Kong]
Favre’s streak is bullshit regardless. He’s started games that he had no business playing in just to extend the streak. You can be in for one play and extend your streak, that’s crap.
[/QUOTE]

Which games would that be?

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[QUOTE=Snarky_Kong]
Favre’s streak is bullshit regardless. He’s started games that he had no business playing in just to extend the streak. You can be in for one play and extend your streak, that’s crap.
[/QUOTE]

I don’t remember Favre ever making any symbolic starts, though, or sitting significant portions of games. Maybe a few plays here and there, maybe even a quarter, but even that was rare.

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Marshall never played hopped up on Vicodin.