Dan Marino and Joe Montana Essay Example for Free

Dan Marino and Joe Montana Essay There I was, a three-year-old little girl watching a football game on TV with my grandfather. The game on TV was the 1985 super bowl, and the teams playing are the San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins. My grandfather was a big 49ers fan and Joe Montana was the big time star quarterback at the time. My grandfather asked me, â€Å"Well little girl, what team do you want to win? † The response he got was not expected, â€Å"The Dolphins, Papa! † His response was, â€Å"why? † I said, â€Å"They have pretty colors and dolphins on their helmets. My love for the Dolphins grew from that day more than anyone in my family could have expected. As the years passed my love for the game and Dan Marino grew deep. Growing up in the era of big time quarterbacks with Joe Montana considered the king with four super bowl rings, being a Marino fan was hard. At the time Marino entered the league in 1983, Montana had already played for four years, and Marino was a rookie in this game. Marino entered the super bowl in 1985, his second year in the NFL to take on Montana who had already won a super bowl. Marino had a lack of rings and a loss in the super bowl to Montana. Even though Marino lost this super bowl, the battle of who the better quarterback was began because Marino’s talent could not be ignored. Dan Marino was the better quarterback on and off the field than Joe Montana, despite the fact that Montana won more super bowls. Sure, Joe Montana had the super bowl rings but, Dan Marino held the record for touchdown passes, completions and yards. Marino is classified to me as the better quarter back because he held more records in his career than Montana did as an individual. Marino held 49 team records with the Miami Dolphins, and broke 24 NFL records (2). Marino also won the NFL MVP once before retiring in 1999 (2). To Marino’s credit he held this title and had never won a super bowl. Montana did win the NFL MVP three times and also won four super bowls in his career, but he only broke a handful of records as an individual (1). While researching Montana, the only supporting information given is pertaining to his career in super bowl wins. Out of all four of his super bowl wins he was crowned MVP three times which is a huge accomplishment. Montana also held 14 team records with the 49ers, which he left in 1992 to play for the Chiefs, but only held 2 NFL records (1). Now, if Marino had a chance at 4 super bowls instead of one, in my opinion he would have broken more records than Montana ever did in the super bowls he played in. A major question asked by NFL experts is, if Marino had played for a better team would he have won a super bowl? Montana had a record breaking and fellow hall of famer Jerry Rice on his team as his wide receiver, and a superior defense. Montana was a part of a great team and organization. Montana also was a great clutch winner and could win a game in the last two minutes of a game. It took the coach of the 49ers at the time to put faith in to his capabilities for him to shine. The Dolphins’ organization failed to supply Marino with the teammates he needed to win the big game. Marino had a great wide receiver, Mark Clayton, at his side to help assist him with achieving his records, and Don Shula as a coach. The Dolphins’ organization lacked a strong defense and this was ultimately the weakness on why they could not clinch the big wins in the playoffs. In the midst of Marino’s career, the Dolphins’ organization changed coaches, and the Dolphins as a team struggled toward the end of his career. If Marino had played with the 49ers, there is no doubt he would have gone to the super bowl multiple times and achieved his individual greatness as well. Marino’s greatness not only reflected on the field but also off-the-field as well. Off-the-field, Marino and Montana always have been family men first but Marino and his family are very supportive of charity. Marino is married to his wife, Claire, and they have six children. Three of these children, all boys, are biological and the other three children are adopted girls (2). Montana is married to his wife, Jennifer, and they have four children three girls and one boy (1). Montana’s son currently is playing college football as a quarter back (1). Since retiring in 1994, Montana and his family live in northern California wine country and are raising horses (1). Marino, on the other hand since retiring is working as a sports analysis for the show â€Å"Inside NFL. † Marino and his wife also created The Dan Marino Foundation prior to retirement, after their son Michael was diagnosed with autism (2). Even after Dan retired, they are still actively involved with their charity. The charity has donated more than 22 million to research (2). Both men are great role models for people to look up to, but Marino, in my eye’s, has the edge. Dan Marino and Joe Montana were both great athletes and accomplished a great amount of goals as athletes. There were records broken, trophies won and titles given, but as an individual quarterback, Marino is the best. Marino broke more records and even without winning the big game, took his team into the playoffs 10 times in his career (2). Montana as a team player went to the playoffs 16 times and won the super bowl four times (1). This in people’s eyes classifies him as the best quarter back in history. Montana did lead his team into victory four times but this makes him a great team player and a great leader. When it comes to being better than Marino at the quarterback position he is not. When concerning life after football it depends on how you view it but Marino is more successful as well. Marino is still involved with the sport and leads a charity in his own name. While Montana leads a life of solitude with his family out of the spot light which is a respectable life. Like I have stated before, both men are great role models and were both among the greats in football but Marino is still the better quarter back, both on and off the field.