Joe Montana

[Superman]

Pretty OT, eh? Well, it's playoff time and I've been chatting with guys and, well, Mr. Montana came up and I've been reminiscing. Yeah, I'm old.

I admire superhuman athletic performances. Humans ordinarily cannot leap as high as I can or run as fast and then there's the bullet thing but occasionally somebody turns in a performance that puts goosebumps on even my steel skin. While there have been a number of astonishingly talented quarterbacks over the years my favorite' hands down, is Mr. Montana. Easily. Most of you know why.

I wonder if one of you guys could dredge up a stat for me that I could not find easily. I know that Mr. Montana appeared in four Superbowls. In those performances, he threw for something like 1100 yards, 11 TD's and no interceptions. He won all four. The comeback games are legend. Either you remember this guy, and understand what happened, or you missed it and.........nevermind. He was, without a doubt, the greatest quarterback of all time.

But I don't know what his playoff record was. Winning all four of his superbowl appearances suggests he won plenty of playoff games. And of course, there is the possibility that he may have lost one or two, but I just don't know the ratio of playoff games won versus playoff games played. Anybody know?

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Superman

Pretty OT, eh? Well, it's playoff time and I've been chatting with guys and, well, Mr. Montana came up and I've been reminiscing. Yeah, I'm old.

I admire superhuman athletic performances. Humans ordinarily cannot leap as high as I can or run as fast and then there's the bullet thing but occasionally somebody turns in a performance that puts goosebumps on even my steel skin. While there have been a number of astonishingly talented quarterbacks over the years my favorite' hands down, is Mr. Montana. Easily. Most of you know why.

I wonder if one of you guys could dredge up a stat for me that I could not find easily. I know that Mr. Montana appeared in four Superbowls. In those performances, he threw for something like 1100 yards, 11 TD's and no interceptions. He won all four. The comeback games are legend. Either you remember this guy, and understand what happened, or you missed it and.........nevermind. He was, without a doubt, the greatest quarterback of all time.

But I don't know what his playoff record was. Winning all four of his superbowl appearances suggests he won plenty of playoff games. And of course, there is the possibility that he may have lost one or two, but I just don't know the ratio of playoff games won versus playoff games played. Anybody know?

Thanks for the memory...I don't care much about the records, he was simply great in his time: 31 4th quarter comebacks! I saw him play many times and there was always a sense, with him, that it was never really over.

But I am a life-long 49'er fan (still), so what do I know

[mattdavis11]

He lost 5 for sure. Washington in 83, Giants in 86, 90, Minn. in 87 and Buffalo in 93. He was on the team, but didn't play against Dallas in 92. I don't think they made they playoffs in 82, but that was a strike year.

Edit: 16-7

Wash 83, Giants 85,86,90, Minn 87, Buff 93, Miami 94.

He's a guy that would scare you if you weren't a 49 fan.

[Scott at Pelican Parts]

He was my all-time favorite. Here is a page with his playoff stats

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MontJo01_playoffs.htm

There's that 1990 Conference Championship loss to the Giants when Roger Craig fumbled at the end of the game. Arrghhh.

[Superman]

Indeed. While Joe's stats are impressive enough, the reason why he is my all time favorite has little to do with stats. How can you "stat" what he had? He was the opposite of the player who chokes in the clutch. The bigger the game, the longer the odds.......the calmer he got and the better he played. Like Matt said, if you were not wearing a 49er jersey, Joe Montana scared the poop out of you.

No kidding, when the 49ers got the ball against Cincinnatti on their own ten yard line with something like three minutes left to play in the Superbowl, several points behind, I knew it was over. I KNEW it was over. I KNEW the 49ers would win. I KNEW it. According to reports, so did the rest of his team. And you know.......

I think the Bengals knew it too.

[ikarcuaso]

Originally Posted by Scott at Pelican Parts

There's that 1990 Conference Championship loss to the Giants when Roger Craig fumbled at the end of the game. Arrghhh.

Yep, the Niners definitely should have won that one. I'll argue, however, that had Air Coryell not been grounded by the elements in the 1981 Freezer Bowl in Cincy (AFC title game), Fouts and Co. probably would have lit up the Niners indoors at the Super Bowl that year.

The Niners also got robbed in Jan. 1983 vs. Washington. Phantom interference calls killed a chance for a Niners-Raiders SB.

And yes, Joe was awesome. For my money, the Niners of the late 80s were likely the greatest team ever.

Go Raiders!

[Mule]

With the Saints playing in the same division and playing some pretty good football at that time, I cursed that SOB more times than I can count. And he's the best quarterback I've ever seen!

[89911]

Montana grew up in Pittsburgh. I always thought of him highley until SuperBowl 40 where he refused to appear without being paid and appearance fee with all the other superbowl MVP's. Maybe its an ugly rumour?

[ikarcuaso]

Originally Posted by 89911

Montana grew up in Pittsburgh. I always thought of him highley until SuperBowl 40 where he refused to appear without being paid and appearance fee with all the other superbowl MVP's. Maybe its an ugly rumour?

FWIW, he was interviewed locally shortly after that game and said he declined the invitation to appear well in advance so he could attend his son's (basketball?) game that same weekend. He said he has missed enough of his kid's events, etc. as they've grown up due to his celebrity status, and said he's determined to be there for them while they're still in school. He denied ever asking for any appearance fee.

[TerryH]

Montana fan here too. From the late 70's I can remember watching weekly Notre Dame replays that came on around midnight here in Los Angeles on a fuzzy local UHF channel. Lindsey Nelson doing the play by play. Montana back to pass.....

Seems like only..... 30 freakin years ago!! Gawd, time flies.

[Red Baron]

He lost a few PO games in KC but I don't have stats. I'd say the 89 and 90 Superbowl winning Niners are the Greatest team in history. And unless the Patriots destroy teams in the Playoffs and in the Super Bowl and do it again next year that will remain true. The Pats Division this is the worse in the NFL so their 16-0 doesn't mean anymore than the consecutive 14-2 seasons and Super Bowl wins the 89-90 Niners produced.

[Don Plumley]

"The Catch"

'nuff said

[ZOA NOM]

A little trivia for you... Mr. Montana is now sitting in the stands watching his boys compete for the starting QB job at the greatest high school program in the country. De La Salle High School in Concord, Ca., the same school that set the all time consecutive wins record for any team sport at 151 victories over twelve consecutive seasons from 1992 - 2003. His oldest, a junior this past season, was third string, while his younger brother started for JV as a sophomore. Next season should be exciting for the Montanas.

[Sonic dB]

Joe was great.... maybe the best ever...so cool under pressure...
we always remember the past greats more fondly than the present...but
i believe that Tom Brady and Peyton rank right up there with the best of the best.

PS: Joe Montana also had Jody from the Fall Guy

[JCF]

THE GAME with Cincinnatti :
I was in a very crowded bar in Paris with a french girl and about every American in the city in one of a few large cafes that were showing the game .
Those years I could only follow the games in the papers and at the time I was a Giants fan and respected Montana a lot but I was kind of like Red Baron with Brady in that I just didn't follow close enough to appreciate how good he really was.
Just before the last drive began I asked the older American couple in full 49er fan gear that were sitting at the table with us (there were 2 people in every chair the place was so crowded) if they thought he could do it.
They answered together and very loudly over the noise with the crazed and yet blissful look of religious fanatics - I KNOW HE WILL, I KNOW HE WILL !!!
And of course he did.
And Montana became my favorite QB and "I know he will" became that mademoiselle's favorite American phrase .

Best ever ?
Too hard to say;
Otto Graham?
Johnny U ?(can't be better than him - only as good)
But he is right up there with them.
...And so is Tom Brady.

[Tim Hancock]

My favorites were Bob Griese (Dolphins) and Roger Staubach (Cowboys), but Montana was indeed one of the all time best.

[Eric 951]

Montana was one of the reasons the Chiefs became my 2nd favorite NFL team.

[Mule]

When (I believe it was) Too Tall Jones shoved Joe down on "The Catch," he told Joe, "You just beat America's team." Joe replied, "Well you can go home and watch the Super Bowl with the rest of America."

[sammyg2]

I heard one of joe's teammates tell this story, can't remember which one:
During "the drive" which was one of the greatest moments in football, there was a time out and they were standing around in the huddle. Evertyone was fired up and jawing about what they had to do etc.
Joe looked over and said "hey check it out. Isn't that John Candy in the stands right there?
Everyone else was so tight and nervous they could barely function and he was checking out the crowd, cool as a cucumber. Ice water in his veins.
Steve Young was a great quarterback but he was Joe's backup. that says volumes.

[Mule]

Joe Cool!