Top 5 active NFL QB's

With NFL training camps opening up this past week, I figure now is a better time than ever to discuss my Top 5 Quarterbacks of All-Time. Now to be fair to all players past and present, I decided to go with two lists, one for active and one for retired players, because comparing players from different eras in NFL history is unfair and unreasonable.

Now when ranking these players I thought about a few key factors, stature, team success, individual statistics and of course Super Bowl wins. Let's begin with the active players. 

1. Tom Brady 

Brady is number one in my book for a few specific reasons, even though there are many to defend his placement as king of the mountain. One, Brady is a winner. He has lead the New England Patriots to 10 straight 10 win seasons. Two, Brady has brought three Lombardi trophies to New England. Although at least one may be tarnished (Spygate) nevertheless, Brady still outshines any other QB in the NFL. Three, Brady compiled one of the greatest seasons ever for a QB. In 2007, Brady threw for 4,806 yards and 50 touchdowns while only throwing 8 interceptions. He took an aging receiver in Randy Moss and made him look like he was still in his prime. Not to mention how many different no name receivers Brady has turned into superstars. To add icing on the cake Brady is the only QB on this list that was not drafted in the first or second round. In fact Brady's selection as the 199th pick in the 6th round of the 1999 NFL Draft continues to be the reason why Brady strives to be the best. Brady is the ultimate QB. 

2. Aaron Rodgers 

The Future of the NFL sits on the arm of this man. After waiting his turn behind Brett Favre, Rodgers took over the reigns as the leader of the Packers and hasn't looked back. Rodgers is the prototype for a QB for reading through his progressions and being efficient with the ball. He has a career passer rating of 104.9, putting him as the highest rated player ever. Rodgers is a Superbowl champion, Superbowl MVP and league MVP and he is only halfway in to his career. If he can stay healthy, I believe Rodgers may become the best the league has ever seen. The Packers and their fans should be ecstatic to have one of the leagues best players under contract for the long-term. 

3. Peyton Manning 

What's not to say about Peyton. He truly is one of the Icons of the NFL. He was the face of the Indianapolis Colts for 13 seasons and now has become the Broncos lone hope for another Superbowl. His presence on the field is unmatched, he is a true field general. His ability to read defense pre-snap, and make audibles gives offenses a huge advantage every game. Manning has won one Superbowl, which is the reason why I placed him at 3. So many winning seasons only producing one title thus far is quite frankly a disappointment. Manning is coming to the end of his career withing the next few seasons but has the chance to end up as one of the most prolific passers in history. He has passed for 59,487 yards in his career which should leave him close to Favre's record of 71,838 when all is said and done for the leagues only 4-time NFL MVP.  

4. Drew Brees 

Class act. One of the true role models for young NFL fans and one hell of competitor as well. Brees has always been an underdog, from the time he was replaced by Phillip Rivers in San Diego, the New Orleans Saints QB has done nothing but rack up yards, touchdowns and wins. Brees brought a Superbowl trophy home with a timeless victory over Manning's Colts in 2010. I was inclined to rank Brees ahead of Manning for that victory, but the Saints missing the playoffs on more than one occasion puts him in the four spot. Something you can't see on a stat sheet or a game highlight is that Brees is also a advocate for community service, making him one of the classiest athletes in all of sports. After hurricane Katrina, Brees and the Saints provided much needed relief to an aching city after devastation. Kudos to you Mr. Brees.

5. Eli Manning

Eli makes a case to be the best Manning on my list with two Super Bowl victories and clutch playoff performances, but little brother's career stats simply don't hold up when being compared to the other QB's on this list. But with that being said, Eli owns Tom Brady in the Superbowl and has defeated Rodgers and the Packers in the Playoffs twice. With one more Superbowl victory, I think Manning would surpass everyone on this list that is quite frankly, ever-changing. Eli has magic in his right arm that has thrown one of the greatest passes and catches that I have ever seen. No matter what, Eli deserves to be Top 5.   

Stay tuned for my All-Time Top 5 QB list coming soon! Thanks for reading! 

*Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com player pages. 

*Photos used in this blog courtesy of Google images. 

Howard ducks out of LA, agrees with Rockets

Dwight Howard left the Los Angeles Lakers empty handed on July 5, announcing that he will sign with the Houston Rockets. Howard's time in LA was short lived and disappointing by many standards. (MCT)

The Dwight Howard sweepstakes has come to an end, shifting the power in the Western Conference to Houston. The 6'11" All-Star Center bolted out of Los Angeles after just one season to sign with the Rockets to join USA basketball teammate James Harden.

"I've decided to become a member of the Houston Rockets. I feel its the best place for me and I am excited about joining the Rockets and I'm looking forward to a great season. I want to thank the fans in Los Angeles and wish them the best."  From Dwight Howard's Twitter account on July 5. 

Howard averaged 17.1 points and 12.4 rebounds for the Lakers after being traded from the Orlando Magic last year. The former number one overall pick of the draft later posted a picture of himself and Harden on his Instagram account. Howard and Harden 

The signing undoubtedly boosts the Rockets into the top half of the Western Conference, and leaves the Lakers with little hope for next season. With Kobe Bryant recovering from injury and an aging supporting cast, the Lakers look to be in line for a disappointing season.

For Howard to go to the Rockets, he gave up an extra $30 million dollars for the best chance at a title.
The specifics of the contract have not been confirmed yet, but most anticipate the deal will be worth $88 million over a four-year span.

As for the Lakers, they seem to be empty-handed for next season, with the free agent pool thinning out, not much is there to fill the void left by Howard. I could potentially see the Lakers going after Atlanta Hawks free agent Josh Smith, but his inability to shoot a mid-range jumper doesn't add much to Mike D'Antoni's run and gun style of offense.

The Black Mamba already seems to be trying to move on posting a picture of himself and Pao Gasol. He will have to hope the Lakers can figure things out before his and Gasol's last season under contract begins. All the Lakers can hope for now is a chance to sign LeBron James in 2014, if the King decides to opt out of his contract.



My Personal Opinion:
Howard never showed Lakers fans his true potential at any given point during last season. He seems to be less explosive and lost in a new offense. The move makes sense for Howard, who did not seem like the type of player who wanted to learn from Kobe Bryant. Howard was just awkward in LA, even though the market and prestige of the Lakers matched everything he needed. The Lakers put all their eggs in one basket trading for Howard without a long-term extension. If it weren't for Mitch Kupchak's previous success, I would definitely think he would be out of the job ASAP. I feel that Howard will have to adjust again to a new system, which has proven to be difficult for him to do. I don't see the Rockets winning a NBA title in the first year of their new era. I do see them making a finals appearance in year three of Howard's new deal.

Welcome to my take on the sports world!

I like to say that sports make the world a better place. I also like to say sports make the world go ‘round. The athletes that compete in these sports amaze us by accomplishing what seems to be the impossible. Being a fan of a specific team, or even player, puts you into an elite community of fans that share a bond that no one can break.

As for me, I have been a sports fan since the 1996-1997 season(s). At that time I chose all my favorite teams based on who won the championships that year and by the players that were introduced to us. In Baseball the New York Yankees reigned supreme over the Atlanta Braves, the Green Bay Packers returned the Lombardi trophy home after a win over the New England Patriots. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls showed their dominance over the rest of the NBA with the second straight title with a win over the Jazz. But a young star was introduced to the league in Kobe Bryant. The Florida Gators brought the College Football National Championship home to the Swamp under the coaching of Steve Spurrier. The Colorado Avalanche won their first Stanley Cup and a young golfer, Tiger Woods, turned pro.

Since then, the face of the sports world has changed some, but all in all it still draws my interests and keeps me busy on the daily. 

As a journalist I have worked as the Editor of the Clarion student newspaper at Sinclair Community college. During my time at Sinclair, I covered the mens and womens Basketball teams, Baseball, Softball and Womens Volleyball and many other areas. I am working to continue my education and one day I hope to make it as an ESPN analyst.

My favorite teams and players have stood tall in my heart and I remain a fan of the Packers, Yankees, Lakers, Gators and Avalanche. My favorite sports leagues to talk about have to be the NFL and the NBA. With the NFL’s popularity soaring to new heights every year and the NBA’s star power prominence, there is always something to talk about.

This blog is going to be dedicated to lending my opinion to major sports topics and news. I will break news (if possible) to some, analyze trades and signings, critique coaching decisions or critical plays and decisions as well as offer predictions for upcoming contests.

I hope to keep you entertained, and keep you informed on what is going on in the sports world.

Your feedback is more than welcome, and I hope to interact with my readers as much as possible.

Happy reading,

Tino Bovenzi