The NFL Network listed the Top Ten Gutsiest Performances of All-Time. I am shocked that Bob Kuchenburg did not make the list. When I guy asks to have marrow taken out of his broken arm so that a steel rod can be put in its place to hold the bone together, that is gutsy in my book. Then he goes and dominates Hall of Famer, Alan Page in a Super Bowl victory. You can't beat that.

On a side note, I actually played a high school football game with a broken neck. On the 3rd play of the second half, I broke a 45 yard run down the left sideline. When I was pushed out of bounds, I tumbled and rolled. As I started to roll, a player fell on top of me while my head was tucked beneath my chest. This crushed C5, but I thought I had just pulled a muscle so I reentered the game. I carried the ball 12 more times for 111 yards. Later, I went to the hospital and found out that I broke my neck. I had to wear a halo brace for 4 months. I'm not sure if that is gutsie or just plain stupid.

> I'm not sure if that is gutsie or just plain stupid.

Fine line between gutsy and stupid ... would have to give you benefit of the doubt credit ... as the info stream would not not have allowed you to know what you knew later.

Nice performance and show of guts playing with pain. But would you have done it if you knew your neck was broken? Mute point I guess, I'll give you a big

The only way we will get some respect from the NFL Network is by going to the playoffs and actually winning the superbowl.

IMO there is no other way.

Any ways..............The HELL with the NFL Network.

They barely show any phins games...There is no phins games but 1 game ONDEMAND right now............Its that eagle game in the 1980's where the eagles were really bad but yet were giving the phins the game of their lives......Hey what did you expect from the NFL network..

I have that channel....Im thiking of taking it off.....Only thing is that they put every phins regular season game ONDEMAND. Everty week of the regular season they add a game and at the end of the year they have them all there....You can see them at any time you want.....They leave it there for a couple of months the entire offseason then there is nothing to see there.

Im sick of the thing but its only 5 bucks a month and it gives you a whole bunch of other channels including the NBA network.

Im in thirst of football the whole year and they show a whole lot of different games and info about every team during the offseason..............EDIT....But im getting sick of it since they barely show any phins footage.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/2009 08:33AM by samsam3738.

You played a game with a crushed C5?!!

Thank God yet? Luck doesn't even come close to covering it. Wow!

I've had players lose feeling and mobility from compression of vertabrae. My late father-in-law could barely walk with after a fracture.

You were blessed my friend. Sorry about the sermon. First thing that came to mind.

Posted by: Leon In Denver ()
Date: June 26, 2009 12:18PM

But would you have done it if you knew your neck was broken?

Answer: No I would not have continued to play. However, I already had a bad wrist going into the game and chose to tough it out. When I had my neck x-rayed, they also x-rayed my wrist and found that I had broken it two weeks earlier. Doing crabs in practice was a bitch.

Posted by: realist ()
Date: June 26, 2009 06:24PM

You played a game with a crushed C5?!! Thank God yet? Luck doesn't even come close to covering it. Wow!

Answer:
I know just how fortunate I was that it didn't end up more serious. After the game, I really struggled to get my shoulder pads and jersey off. A couple teammates had to help me out and boy did it hurt. My coach only told me to put some ice on it.

The next morning I struggled to get out of bed because of the pain. My parents had already left for work. I managed to get into the family room and park on the couch watching television all day. When my father came home and saw me laying on the couch in my underwear, he asked if I was alright. I said that I thought I had broken my neck. He helped me up and drove me to the hospital. After a long wait, they took me back for x-rays. I was told to get up on the table and lie down. It was a simple task, but it was very difficult. The idiots didn't seem to be taking it too seriously.

After they got the x-rays, a mad rush of people put me in a collar, packed sandbags or something all around me and I was told not to move, sneeze or cough. The doctor said, "Son what the hell took you so long to get here. You have a badly broken neck." So much for bedside manner. I was poked everywhere with needles to check for paralysis. Fortunately I didn't have any. After much debate, they transfered me to another hospital. There about 6 doctors discussed my options. Most of them recommened fusion and a couple months of traction. One doctor, William White, listened to my story about how I finished the game and walked into the emergency room. He said that apparently the neck was more stable than it appeared on the x-rays so he recommended the halo brace. That was in 1994. Considering the neck is doing well to this day, aside from a little pain and stiffness, I guess that was the right decision.

The crazy thing is that during the game, I actually got knocked out briefly. I ran left off tackle and a linebacker knocked me off balance and backwards. I was back pedaling trying to stay up, when the pursuit drove me into the ground. The back of my helmet slammed on the ground. The next thing I remember was our trainer kneeling overtop of me. He asked me how many fingers he was holding up and I correctly replied two. He then asked me his name. Although I knew his face, I couldn't think of his name to save my life. Finding this rather odd, I just started to laugh. He laughed as well and said I was okay. He grabbed me by what turned out to be my broken wrist, yanked me up which didn't feel to great on my neck and then patted me on the butt as I went to the sideline. A play later I was sent back in. So I was actually running the football with a concusion and broken wrist and neck.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2009 07:22PM by Jonathan Twilley.

I was a linebacker, I never thought too much about what I was inflicting on opposing running backs. I'm glad I didn't read this then, I might not have been as effective.

I was pretty astounded that the NFL Network voted the '72 Dolphins as the top Super Bowl-winning team. It should have been a no-brainer at 17-0, but we all know how "objective" the NFL Network usually is.

Rick



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2009 07:23PM by dolphan4545.

dolphan4545 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ....
>
> I was pretty astounded that the NFL Network voted
> the '72 Dolphins as the top Super Bowl-winning
> team. It should have been a no-brainer at 17-0,
> but we all know how "objective" the NFL Network
> usually is.


Given that I honestly don't care that much about "respect" issues re the NFL and top-10 lists, I find this amusing. Firstly as you said that a national media outlet recognizes the Phins as the greatest at anything, but also because they actually got it wrong: The '73 team--despite the imperfect record in the standings, was a much better team than '72, especially in the Super Bowl game vs. the Vikings. The famous "purple people eaters" were completely castrated by our offensive line, we ran right over them, and Fran Tarkenton was also made ineffective by our defense.

I'm not complaining (because I don't care either way--it wouldn't bother me if they chose the winless Detroit team as the best of all time) but I just think it's funny that they finally give the Phins some credit, but still get it wrong

JC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> it wouldn't bother me if they chose the
> winless Detroit team as the best of all time

Perhaps on the Comedy channel, but not the NFL network

You certainly sound as if you do - but I agree with you, the '73 team was better.

Rick

JC, Dolphan4545, and Twilley,

Quite the story Johnathan. Glad you're still with us to tell it.

JC and 4545, a few years ago I wrote a little blog about the Phins 17-0 and the following years team. You guys are absolutly right. To this day we have never seen a team walk through the playoffs and SB with such dominance. They were truly the best ever. Forget about what THAT team could do in todays NFL. They played some of the best teams the NFL has seen in Oakland and the Vikings. Those two were truly great teams and the Phins made them look...Well let's just say silly.

It is often said that todays teams have bigger and better players. I wonder what would happen if todays teams had to play under the rules of 1972. That would be interesting.

You guys might remember when the rule (in the grasp) came about. Reporter was interviewing Bradshaw about it. Then he turned to Jack Hamm. Jack said, "I think they (QBs) should all where skirts." Reporter then turned to Terry, he said "what ever Jack says..."
That was a great team also.

Christ, let the season begin!

Leon In Denver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> It is often said that todays teams have bigger and
> better players. I wonder what would happen if
> todays teams had to play under the rules of 1972.
> That would be interesting.
>

This is a good point. The two biggest rule changes since then that made it easier on the offense were with blocking and bump-and-run.

It used to be that a DB wasn't restricted to one bump only within 5 yards of the LOS. IIRC the rule used to be that he could bump the receiver as long as the ball wasn't in the air headed in that direction. Whatever it exactly was, it was much easier on the cornerbacks back then.

Also, the offensive lineman basically had to "chickenfight" while blocking. They couldn't even extend their arms while blocking or else they got called for Illegal Use of the Hands.


> Christ, let the season begin!

Amen to that!

The rules back then required the OL to be quicker and much more athletic. The DBs, as is said, could disrupt the receivers all the way down the field.

The great play of the Dolphins during that 73 playoff season caused those rules to be changed. The Phins played against the Bengals and dominated them. Cincy had a guy named Ken Anderson who led the league in completion percentage, and a guy named Isaac Curtis. He was a big fast receiver that was a coming star. The Phins hit him from every angle and he was held to very little receptions and yardage.
The corner would hit him, then a linebacker, then a safety. Ball would go in the air and the Dolphin zone D would react to it.
That game was brought up many times and the rules changed. Shula was on the rules committee and agreed with the changes.
Interesting how much the game has changed sense then.

The biggest change in personell in my opinion, are the linebackers. They are bigger and faster than ever before. The linemen are bigger, but very few have the type of athletic ability that once was there.

Football is a sport that changes every year. That is why we really can't accurately compare teams of the past with teams of today.