I've been around a bit, but cannot recall how Montana, Namath and Unitas acted after they left their long-time teams. Was there this much drama? Did they just accept it and move on? Was there any acrimony when they left their first teams? As I recall (unfortunately, that dates me!), none of the above with the exception of one year in KC for Montana did well with their new teams.

Frankly, Favre seems to be taking the cake for acting like a flip-flopper and an egotistical schmuck, but I was wondering how the aforementioned legends acted?

I am too young to remember Unitas and only vaguely remember Namath with the Rams. I do seem to remember that there was some controversy with Montana but there wasnt nearly the coverage because the internet (blogs etc) werent that wide spread.

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Originally posted by Fandame:
I've been around a bit, but cannot recall how Montana, Namath and Unitas acted after they left their long-time teams. Was there this much drama?

No there wasn't. We also didn't have the internet back then.

montana was pissed that the nines committed to young, and he was traded. there was not 24-hour sports coverage in those days, so the details that came out were few.

unitas going to the chargers was financial desperation. he needed the money, pure and simple. it was sad to see. he was a broken man.

Namath and Johnny U were not even shells of their former selves. Montana was not happy at all about Young taking his job. However, there was no flip flop from Walsh. Pretty Boy Stevie was his new guy and he granted Joe his wish and traded him to KC. True professionals through and through. Unlike number 4.

There was a fair share of drama when Joe left the 49ers. I don't recall either side looking real good in that one, but my memory may be a little taxed after all this time since that one.

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Originally posted by Boris:

quote:

Originally posted by Fandame:
I've been around a bit, but cannot recall how Montana, Namath and Unitas acted after they left their long-time teams. Was there this much drama?

No there wasn't. We also didn't have the internet back then.

Or a million 24/7 sports news channels and sports talk radio shows.

The media does have a lot to do with the hysteria, but I hope the media also sheds some light on how those guys were cut, let go, traded, etc., and how they felt about it.

Montana playing for the Chiefs, no one really remembers any more. Well, they know, but they don't care.

There are plenty of Favre Cultists to welcome Favre back with open arms for a good ol' fashion jersey retirement ceremony at Lambeau Field, whenever that day comes.

At this rate, he'll be lucky if he's invited back in five years for his jersey retirement! A poorly handled situation all the way around...

I do remember Montana being really pissed, but I also remember that Montana had missed a lot of time prior to the trade with injury, and the Whiners had gotten a good, long look at Young before making the move. Montana actually served as Young's backup for a short time before the trade, but it was extremely acrimonious, and the Whiner fans absolutely killed Young until he won the SB.

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Originally posted by JJSD:
the Whiner fans absolutely killed Young until he won the SB.

They put their wine and cheese down and gave a polite boo?

there is a reason why montana and young still don't get along...

AR faces a very tough road. Interesting to see if he does a Young and takes the Pack to the SB soon, or leaves when his contract is up. If he leaves, he just might be a better player once he gets away from this BF mess...

If it turns out that he's good, AR isn't going anywhere.

I think he would have to be great to want to stay. And even if he turned out to be a great one, he's still the guy after "you-know-who."

I for the life of me can't figure out why anyone would worry about Rodgers being upset with the team over all of this. The guy has been nothing but professional the whole times he's been here. He's never once complained about being stuck behind Favre and has been a good team guy since day one. I think he understands why Favre wants to play, why the Packers want to move on and is mostly concentrating too hard on preparing to start to give a second thought to anything else. The team itself is, by all accounts, behind him right now. If he plays well the fans will get behind him. If he doesn't he'll be more worried about having any job than which one he wants.

Quarterbacks with any talent are never allowed to leave. I can't remember the last time a QB developed on any team, was the lead guy and wanted to leave. Quarterbacks are always the first guy taken care of on any team.

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Originally posted by chickenboy:
Montana was not happy at all about Young taking his job. However, there was no flip flop from Walsh. Pretty Boy Stevie was his new guy and he granted Joe his wish and traded him to KC. True professionals through and through. Unlike number 4.

You mean Walsh & Co. didn't try to prevent Montana from wearing another uniform by bribing Montana to retire? True professionals through and through. Unlike Thompson and Murphy.

This situation was mishandled by both sides. Let's not forget that.

BTW, Montana was hurt for the majority of the season before he retired. The 49ers were able to evaluate Young over the course of that season. He led them to the NFC Championship. The 49ers knew what they had in Young. The same cannot be said for the Packers and Rodgers.

quote:

Originally posted by Fandame:
At this rate, he'll be lucky if he's invited back in five years for his jersey retirement! A poorly handled situation all the way around...

I've mentioned it before, but I heard an interview with Peter King about a week and a half ago in which, when he was asked about Favre's legacy, brought up Jerry Rice. King was at a function with a couple hundred people, and asked them which was the last team Rice played for. Nobody there knew.

King also mentioned in that interview that he was out of the country when Favre announced his retirement back in March, and received a lengthy voice mail from Brett. He saved the voice mail, and listening to it, King said it was obvious that this was a man who was completely spent.

Still the Monday Night game between Montana's Chiefs and Elway's Broncos was a thing of beauty.

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Originally posted by TimthePackerFan:
Still the Monday Night game between Montana's Chiefs and Elway's Broncos was a thing of beauty.

Nice little write up to that game.

quote:

Originally posted by Fandame:
I've been around a bit, but cannot recall how Montana, Namath and Unitas acted after they left their long-time teams. Was there this much drama? Did they just accept it and move on? Was there any acrimony when they left their first teams?

During his last few seasons in New York, Namath was a crippled QB on a bad team. Jets fans still loved him, but there was no great clamor for him to stay because it was clear he wasn't going to help them win.

With Unitas, the Colts were itching to get their hot new quarterback Marty Domres into the starting slot, so they pretty much gave Unitas the cold shoulder (sound familiar?). Actually, Unitas was beat to hell by that point and was in no shape to play week in and week out.

(Inceidentlly, Unitas's last pass as a Colt went for a touchdown -- a 63-yarder to Eddie Hinton in week 12 of the 1972 season. It was in the late moments of a 35-7 win over Buffalo, when Unitas was given mop-up duty in place of Domres. It was well-known that this was probably the last time Colts fans would see Unitas play, so the crowd went bat-$hit when he hit Hinton. It would've been a great way to go out, but Unitas insisted he could still play. He demonstrated otherwise after he was traded to San Diego.)