Gabe Rivera has passed

[pittdan77]

I've seen it. I also don't think that it is true. Just because 30 for 30...30 years later does a show.
It wasn't just the Steelers who passed on Marino. Plus, it serves no purpose for the Steelers to admit they were influenced by rumors. I was 23 at the time and without a doubt, that was word on the street. I do recall Shula admitting concern..and btw....let's see the reports instead of taking someone s word for it. That is classic hearsay.

I know a guy that was a campus cop and he'd swear that Pitt football players ran wild all over campus and were all a pain back then. He also buys the "Marino was on drugs" narrative but didn't have an answer for why they never did anything to him if that were true.

That draft was the stuff of legend and the teams that "got it right" had a very nice ten year run. Super Bowl or not, they were all competitive.

 

[Pittx9]

You bring-up a good point. Chuck Noll practically hemorrhaged when "Jefferson Street Joe" Gilliam was winging the ball all over the field. If Danny would've been drafted by the Steelers, we might assume that he wouldn't have put-up the numbers that he did at Miami because the Steelers offense would've reeled him in.

That’s all valid, but I think Danny would’ve been ok throwing the ball 10-15 less times per game and instead winning Super Bowls. I’m not saying that it’s a guarantee Marino comes to Pittsburgh and is just so good the Steelers win title after title with ease. I’m just saying the Steelers only needed a legitimately above average qb to have another dynasty in the making.

The talent he would’ve had around him in Pittsburgh would’ve been absolutely worlds better than what surrounded him his entire career in Miami. How often does he actually got brought up when talking about the best qb of all time? I really think a less impressive career statistically and more team success has him looked at as a better all-time qb.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

Louis Lipps had about 2000 yards receiving his first two years (combined obviously) with Malone and company. Stallworth still had 75 catches by 1985. Marino could have increased those sort of numbers handily.

Also his OC would have been Tom Moore, who did a pretty great job with some kid named Peyton Manning too.

 

[Mikefln]

The talent he would’ve had around him in Pittsburgh would’ve been absolutely worlds better than what surrounded him his entire career in Miami. How often does he actually got brought up when talking about the best qb of all time? I really think a less impressive career statistically and more team success has him looked at as a better all-time qb.

All I know the closest I ever saw an individule player being the whole team in the sport of football was Barry Sanders and Dan Marino. Their team barley win 6 or 7 games without them. Even New England did fine when Brady wasn't in.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

The Stillers not taking Marino was the beginning of me rooting against the Stillers. They're idiots and could have won at least a few more Super Bowls if they had him.

 

[Black_Man_Panther]

I remember thinking the same thing: we had the best QB in college football, but his receivers repeatedly let him down.

All Pitt fans claim sherrill was some super genius yet he recruits a great QB and a bunch of converted RBs to play WR. Foge merely continued the standard practice and he’s considered an idiot.

 

[Pittx9]

All I know the closest I ever saw an individule player being the whole team in the sport of football was Barry Sanders and Dan Marino. Their team barley win 6 or 7 games without them. Even New England did fine when Brady wasn't in.

Couldn’t agree more.

 

[upj87]

Couldn’t agree more.

All I know the closest I ever saw an individule player being the whole team in the sport of football was Barry Sanders and Dan Marino. Their team barley win 6 or 7 games without them. Even New England did fine when Brady wasn't in.

had the Dolphins not gone to the Super Bowl the year before Marino arrived that may have actually made sense...

 

[Pittx9]

had the Dolphins not gone to the Super Bowl the year before Marino arrived that may have actually made sense...

The 1982 Miami Dolphins went to the Super Bowl.... with 2 Pro Bowl players. Just to play devil’s advocate a little I could argue Don Shula could win without a team loaded with talent.

Most of marino’s career was dominated by the 49ers and Cowboys dynasties though, probably not winning championships with those teams in the way while the dolphins had a fairly pedestrian supporting cast around Marino. Now if you wanna argue he should’ve made it to the super bowl more often in the weaker AFC, that’s probably valid. The 1985 championship game loss to the Pats was probably one of the biggest upsets of that era.

 

[upj87]

The 1982 Miami Dolphins went to the Super Bowl.... with 2 Pro Bowl players. Just to play devil’s advocate a little I could argue Don Shula could win without a team loaded with talent.

Most of marino’s career was dominated by the 49ers and Cowboys dynasties though, probably not winning championships with those teams in the way while the dolphins had a fairly pedestrian supporting cast around Marino. Now if you wanna argue he should’ve made it to the super bowl more often in the weaker AFC, that’s probably valid. The 1985 championship game loss to the Pats was probably one of the biggest upsets of that era.

The 1982 Miami Dolphins went to the Super Bowl....the supposition was that somehow this equated to the Detroit Lions and Barry Sanders being the mirror "one man show" image of Marino and the Dolphins which was simply not the case...

 

[Pittx9]

The 1982 Miami Dolphins went to the Super Bowl....the supposition was that somehow this equated to the Detroit Lions and Barry Sanders being the mirror "one man show" image of Marino and the Dolphins which was simply not the case...

Sanders was obviously more the one man show than Marino was, but it’s not like Marino didn’t play all the way until 1999, so we’re talking over a decade and a half of dolphins teams. I get what you’re saying but at the same time, he didn’t exactly have other stars surrounding him.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

The Dolphins lost the Super Bowl in 1982 then drafted Dan Marino with the 27th pick in the 1983 draft. They lost the Super Bowl in 1985. A bad defense is often blamed for the Dolphins inability to win a Super Bowl. Should they have passed on Marino and drafted Darrell Green, who went to the Redskins with the 28th pick in 1983, instead?

Goodness no! What are you talking about?!

Darrell Green was an amazing player, but no cornerback is the equal of a legitimate franchise quarterback. Marino was not only a legitimate franchise quarterback, he was a historically elite player at that position. It’s not even close.

What’s the theory there, that Darrell Green was going to lock down one side of the field and David Woodley or Don Strock would have led Miami to multiple Super Bowls?

No.

In other words, Miami definitely made the right decision to take Marino. He is the best player in Miami Dolphins history, for Pete’s sake!

However, they made several poor decisions in many of the drafts that followed – and they were a little bit unlucky at times as well (David Overstreet) - which is why he never won a ring.

 

[LeftCoastPanther]

Miami had a meal ticket with Marino and Shula did a very poor job of building a defense and finding a decent running back in the 1980s. The Miami teams from 1991-94 weren’t bad and could have made a Super Bowl or two but choked in 1992 to the Bills and in 1994 to the Chargers in the playoffs.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

All Pitt fans claim sherrill was some super genius yet he recruits a great QB and a bunch of converted RBs to play WR. Foge merely continued the standard practice and he’s considered an idiot.

Julius Dawkins was a Parade all-american at Monessen as a receiver and was a Sherrill recruit

 

[Mikefln]

had the Dolphins not gone to the Super Bowl the year before Marino arrived that may have actually made sense...

Ok when Marino got there the Dolphins had talent. By the late 80's they had Marino and not much else. Towards the end of his career they finally got a defense but it was too late by then.