purpose.)
Let's continue. There are only nine quarterbacks to have won at least two Super Bowls. Aikman is one of them, along with Bradshaw, Montana, Brady, Jim Plunkett, Starr, Bob Griese, Roger Staubach and Elway. Oh, that's right, this Staubach guy won two Super Bowls, too - one more than Namath and Young, and as many as Starr and Elway. Hey, he even lost one less (two) than Elway. But that's a fish to fry on another day.
There are only six quarterbacks in what will be the 40-year history of the Super Bowl come Feb. 5, to have won at least two Super Bowls without losing nary a one. Aikman is one of those, along with Bradshaw, Montana, Brady, Plunkett and Starr.
Irritating, isn't it?
So here I go to the Super Bowl records section. Aikman has the highest completion percentage among quarterbacks with a minimum of 40 attempts. It's 70 percent. Think about that, 70 percent in the biggest game of the season. Heck, you complete 65 percent during the regular season, that's fantastic. But this was 70 in three games against the "best" the AFC had to offer. And his was two percentage points better than Montana, and get this, 12 better than Bradshaw.
How about quarterback rating? Aikman is fourth all-time at 111.9. The only guys better are Montana (127.8), Plunkett (122.8) and Bradshaw (112.8). By the way, are you starting to see Plunkett's name on all these best-ever lists, too?
OK, what you say average yards per pass? Aikman is sixth (8.61). Touchdown percentage? Aikman is seventh (6.25). Interception percentage? Aikman is fourth (1.25). Only Montana and Plunkett (yep, there he is again) among the qualifying quarterbacks were never intercepted in a Super Bowl game. Total touchdown passes? Aikman is tied for sixth with Brett Favre (five), and I'm guessing none of the other quarterbacks were playing with the NFL's all-time leading rusher.
Know what else? On all these categories mentioned? Staubach's name appears in every one of them. In fact, he's third on career SB touchdown passes with eight, and seventh in QB rating, and fourth in touchdown percentage. But again, let's fry just one fish at this time since Staubach, somehow, got himself in the Pro Football Hall of Fame a long time ago.
Now I've got nothing against the quarterbacks on this all-time list, however it was arrived at. Hey, there was no bigger Bart Starr fan than myself growing up. He the man.
But if Aikman isn't on this list, somehow, someway, then I've got a problem with Namath, Young and Elway. Any of them do something more Super than Aikman, other than Namath running his mouth? Nope. Any of them win more Super Bowls than Aikman? Heck, Namath and Young only won one. Oh, while we're at it, I think I remember Young going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Last year, right? How many "big" games did he win? Answer: One, the Niners beating the Cowboys in the 1994 NFC title game, but only after the Cowboys turned the ball over on their first three possessions to fall behind 21-0. After that, Aikman and the Cowboys beat the Niners, 28-17. Whoever won that game was going to destroy San Diego in the Super Bowl.
And Namath? He did complete 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards. But then how many touchdown passes did he throw in the Jets' Super Bowl III, 16-7 victory over Baltimore? That would be none, and he led the Jets to all of one touchdown in the game.
Elway? Hey, the guy lost three Super Bowls before he ever won his two. Which makes me wonder, when thinking of all the snide comments being made about Peyton Manning for not being able to win "the big one": Was that being said about Elway, another first-ballot Hall of Famer two years ago, until he finally won a Super Bowl in the 15th year of his 16-year career?
Oh - OK, straying a tad again - was Elway then a Super Bowl "noodle"? Because you know, not until Terrell Davis showed up, rushing for 1,750 yards and then 2,008 the next year, did Elway ever win his Super Bowls.
Bias? What bias? There's no bias. Naw.
Figment of all our imaginations.
Well, we'll see. Tune in Feb. 4. We'll see if the 39-member committee does the right thing. We already know about this All-Time Super Bowl quarterback stuff. We're
MICK SHOTS
