Harry Colon's Sportscity Blog

Former New England Patriot, Detroit Lion and Jacksonville Jaguar Corner Back, Harry Colon, has joined the Sportscity.com team. Each week, Colon will bring his own perspective on all things NFL, from current games and news, to past NFL experiences.

Let’s Wait Before We Name A Building after Brett Favre

Written by Harry Colon on March, 15th 2008

A short time ago Brett Favre retired from the game of football and left an impressive list of records for future stars to strive to attain. He has become the example for which NFL players should model themselves; a talented, fierce competitor whose durability lead him and the Green Bay Packers to the top of the game. Some of his records include: Most TD passes, 442, most passing yards, 61,655 and most wins by a starting quarterback, 166. Although these statistics are impressive and unprecedented, I have to view them with skepticism.

I’m not trying to diminish Favre’s records, (I don’t think the Favre faithful will allow that anyway), but I have always viewed records of longevity with less enthusiasm. While I value consistency, commitment and perseverance it is stability that plays a larger role. A team must display the willingness to remain loyal during the tough times. How many “superstars” have you heard of that were traded after a sub par season? With the team citing they want to “go in a different direction.” What about when that “superstar” is injured, decided to play through the pain, for the team knowing that their stats would take a hit consequently resulting in a trade or release? Again the team states a bogus reason for their decision, “we can’t afford the hit on the salary cap!” For Favre, the Packer Organization and the city provided that needed stability.

The implication is not to invalidate the substance of Favre’s records because they are truly phenomenal, but the point is that many of the records at the quarterback position are a direct result of stability with the same team. Look again at the Hall of Fame Quarterbacks who follow him in the record books. The very names of the teams are synonymous with the last names of the player himself - John Elway…, Dan Marino…., see the trend? Those athletes fortunate enough to break records of longevity enjoy stability with one team. Their respective teams invested in their talents, weathered the good and the bad…through the storms. That same stability is not afforded to all quarterbacks (just ask Jeff Garcia).

Favre’s accomplishment of having one losing season while leading the Green Bay Packers to 12 consecutive winning seasons is most impressive. However, watch out for another quarterback who is currently enjoying the same type of stability….Peyton Manning. By the way, what team does he play for………?

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The NFL Best

Written by Harry Colon on February, 12th 2008

As I was listening to the radio about the breaking news of Bobby Knight retiring from coaching, I heard a Winston Churchill quote that he used to address the media. It summed up my thoughts of the super bowl and the pre-game predictions. “Never have so many, thought they knew so much, but actually knew so little.”

This was the game of the decade, a chance to witness history, an opportunity for a team to match the great “1972 Miami Dolphins”. The pundits, commentators and beat writers went overboard reporting the New England Patriots and arguably the best quarterback in history, Tom Brady. This was the most watched game in history, 97 million (what were the other Americans doing?)

They all referred to how fast the track was and the advantage went to the most prolific offense in history; Brady, Moss and the mighty Belichick coached Patriots. They mentioned the undefeated regular season, the legendary coach and the records that were broken to validate their point. In doing so, they painted the Patriots as invincible and consequently overstated the 18-0 record. Las Vegas even joined the fracas by setting the line at an unprecedented 12 points! Little did we know...

Many of the beat writers never played or coached the game at the college level not to mention professional. They crunch the numbers, make note of the records and closely scrutinize every player actions and then report it with bias to the millions who read their column. I respect their view but they miss some of the nuances of the game.

As an ex-NFL player and someone who have been in the trenches, this is how I viewed the Patriots prior to the Super Bowl. The Patriots record was favorable for an undefeated season. Ten of the sixteen regular season opponents did not make it to the playoffs. The average margin of victory for the first 8 games was an amazing 22.3 points. The Patriots did not play a close game until week 9 when they visited the Indianapolis Colts.

All of these things benefited them tremendously! As we know, football is a game of attrition and injuries play a major role in the success of a season. Also, playing a high level week in and week out is very difficult and wear on a team’s mental state and focus. One slip and a defeat is staring you in the face by week 8. Fortunately, the Patriots drew a favorable schedule and took full advantage. They beat the teams they were supposed to beat and quite frankly several opponents allowed the talent of Moss and Brady to dominate.

Anyone who played the game knows that by midseason those nagging injuries are distracting, the meetings become longer and you begin to welcome an “easy” game. (That is if you have difficult schedule) The Patriots got exactly what the doctor would recommend….the 1-15 Dolphins, 4-12 Jets and the 7-9 Bills, all in the division whom they had to play twice. A total of six games!

The commentators ignored these facts and continued to be enamored with the New England Patriots pursuit of the 1972 Dolphins and history. So when it was time to promote the Super Bowl everything was a go and the Giants were just a by product of the inevitable…19-0 and never stood a chance of winning.

When evaluating the Super Bowl, I thought that the Giants could win if three things happened. Two were rational and one irrational, at least I thought so. One the Giants had to run the ball effectively (run Forest run), two get pressure on Brady with the four down linemen. There’s a saying that states “offense may win games by defense win championships”. Lastly, the irrational…Brady and the Patriots had to come out flat and not play well.

We now know the answer; the front four of the Giants were unbelievable and dominated the invincible Patriots. But who knew it would come from the inside, the defensive tackles when the defensive ends were garnering all the attention! We all thought that the fast track would favor the athletes on the offensive side but not the athletic defensive line of the Giants. They made the three pro bowl offensive linemen of the Patriots look like college players.

Give the Patriots some credit, they should be considered as one of the greatest teams in history. After all no other team has gone 18-0; not even the 1972 Dolphins who by the way, did not play a single winning team during the regular season. Tom Brady broke the single season record for touchdown passes with 50 and Randy Moss broke the record for touchdown receptions with 23.

I wanted the New England Patriots to win so I could witness history. I also thought that the Patriots were the better team. Consequently, I fell in the category of. “Never have so many, thought they knew so much, but actually knew so little.” The Giants proved this statement to be true.

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The Ultimate Misnomer in Sports

Written by Harry Colon on February, 2nd 2008

The prevailing thought in sports is that talent is the most valued commodity. It is known to bring fame, money and championships; talent is believed to overwhelm the best coaching, the most cohesive units and even the deepest traditions. We often hear coaches say “I am a better coach when I have talent.” That concept is a misnomer and leads many potentially good teams down the wrong path. Now don’t get me wrong, talent is a luxury and I would want it on my team. But I can’t discount those things called “intangibles”? Such as focus, dedication, intensity, commitment, character and integrity. These things directly impact winning and competing at the highest level (ask the Dallas Cowboys who were obviously more talented than anyone else in the NFC but found themselves on the losing end).

Having competed at the highest level and being able to witness the best talent the world has to offer…many athletes possess far more than just talent. It is true every player in the NFL has talent, but the ones who are able to combine talent and “intangibles” are the superstars. Simply put, talent is overrated.

We all have talent to some extent, in some area; but it does not guarantee that we will succeed. I have seen an enormous amount of athletes who were talented but failed. Why? Because they did not embrace the “intangibles” related to their talent.

If I could gather all the young athletes and give them one piece of advice, it would be, wipe from your mind any thoughts of talent. It is not your most important asset and has little bearing on the satisfaction you will take in your own sport. Far more important is passion, persistence, intensity and a clear vision. Work on those, and the talent will take care of itself.

When I speak to athletes in the inner city, they all believe that if they can run fast, jump high or become quicker than their opponent they will win. Never do they take into account the “intangibles” or the necessary teamwork. It’s unfortunate that many young athletes miss out on the lessons that sports have to offer.

This weekend while you are watching the Super Bowl, try to take a mental note of the “intangibles” that are being displayed by both teams. The intensity, focus, determination and the passion will amaze you. They are saying the Patriots could be the best team in history…I ask you how many of the most talented players in history are on that team? Maybe….one and that’s a huge maybe! Talent maybe God-given but success must be earned. Ultimately, talent is overrated and is often one of the biggest misnomers in sports.

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