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View Full Version : Bracketology: '08 Steelers vs '76 Raiders



polamalubeast
03-13-2012, 09:34 AM
Steelers safety Ryan Clark picks the winner of an all-time matchup between the 2008 Steelers and the 1976 Raiders.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d8278d8ea/Bracketology-08-Steelers-vs-76-Raiders

zulater
03-13-2012, 09:53 AM
Don't have time to view the link right now, but this is an easy one. 76 Raiders by a mile. Sorry not being disloyal, only honest. And in my opinion the 76 Raiders team ranks in the top ten ever. Possibly even the top 5.

Now if the comparison were to the 75, or 78 Steelers then I take both Steelers teams. But even then it's close. That 76 Raiders team was one for the ages.

fansince'76
03-13-2012, 10:18 AM
A fun site that I recently rediscovered: http://www.whatifsports.com/nfl/

polamalubeast
03-13-2012, 10:21 AM
21-9 steelers!

http://www.whatifsports.com/NFL/boxscore.asp?GameID=7090911&teamfee=-1&theme=-1

tube517
03-13-2012, 10:33 AM
Don't have time to view the link right now, but this is an easy one. 76 Raiders by a mile. Sorry not being disloyal, only honest. And in my opinion the 76 Raiders team ranks in the top ten ever. Possibly even the top 5.

Now if the comparison were to the 75, or 78 Steelers then I take both Steelers teams. But even then it's close. That 76 Raiders team was one for the ages.

I'd have to agree. The 76 Raiders almost went undefeated and were on a mission to win that year.

fansince'76
03-13-2012, 10:40 AM
"Sugar Bear" Hamilton and a severely depleted Steelers team in the AFCCG. Just sayin'. However, I have to agree with Zu and Tube that the '76 Raiders would've beaten the '08 Steelers.

suitanim
03-13-2012, 10:54 AM
I ran the simulation with the 2008 Steelers at home vs. 76 Raiders. We lost 15-3.

Blame Arians!

Seriously, if we could actually move the '08 Steelers back in time, they would crush the Raiders. The players are just so much bigger and stronger and faster now. But, if you level out the playing field, I think the Raiders would win.

I looked back at the Raiders roster. The Center weighed 247 lbs. Their biggest OL weighed 270, biggest DL 280. Their LB corp was all sized about Troy's dimensions, maybe a little bigger.

fansince'76
03-13-2012, 10:58 AM
I'd LOVE to see Harrison be able to play under 1976 rules - he could slap O-linemen that held him upside the head with impunity. :chuckle:

zulater
03-13-2012, 11:08 AM
I ran the simulation with the 2008 Steelers at home vs. 76 Raiders. We lost 15-3.

Blame Arians!

Seriously, if we could actually move the '08 Steelers back in time, they would crush the Raiders. The players are just so much bigger and stronger and faster now. But, if you level out the playing field, I think the Raiders would win.

I looked back at the Raiders roster. The Center weighed 247 lbs. Their biggest OL weighed 270, biggest DL 280. Their LB corp was all sized about Troy's dimensions, maybe a little bigger.


I get that. But I don't think man's "evolved" that quick. It's more to do with a better understanding of weight and strength training, sports nutrition and supplements, year long conditioning etc...

I've always thought the best athletes of a previous generation would hold up well to the current generation if they were afforded the same luxuries from an early age.

fansince'76
03-13-2012, 11:10 AM
I get that. But I don't think man's "evolved" that quick. It's more to do with a better understanding of weight and strength training, sports nutrition and supplements, year long conditioning etc...

I've always thought the best athletes of a previous generation would hold up well to the current generation if they were afforded the same luxuries from an early age.

Agreed. Linemen especially were held to strict weight limits back in the day too. There's no question in my mind MJG and LC among others could've played and been effective at 300+.

tube517
03-13-2012, 11:32 AM
"Sugar Bear" Hamilton and a severely depleted Steelers team in the AFCCG. Just sayin'. However, I have to agree with Zu and Tube that the '76 Raiders would've beaten the '08 Steelers.

The Pats* were a big thorn in the Raiders side that year and a very good (non cheating) team in 76.

tube517
03-13-2012, 11:35 AM
I'd LOVE to see Harrison be able to play under 1976 rules - he could slap O-linemen that held him upside the head with impunity. :chuckle:

Harrison under 76 rules with Lambert and Ham beside him.

suitanim
03-13-2012, 11:48 AM
Jack Lambert played MLB at 212 lbs. Troy weighs 218. Levon Kirkland played at 270.

I just don't think they could hang. They weren't conditioned the same way. Most guys took the off-season literally. They had much more poor nutrition. A bunch of dudes smoked back in the day. I'm simply stating that if you literally lined up those guys against these guys, the latter day NFLers, even on the worst team, would destroy even the greatest teams from the 70's.

fansince'76
03-13-2012, 12:03 PM
Jack Lambert played MLB at 212 lbs. Troy weighs 218. Levon Kirkland played at 270.

I just don't think they could hang. They weren't conditioned the same way. Most guys took the off-season literally. They had much more poor nutrition. A bunch of dudes smoked back in the day. I'm simply stating that if you literally lined up those guys against these guys, the latter day NFLers, even on the worst team, would destroy even the greatest teams from the 70's.

Didn't Ted Hendricks have a beer can holder he rigged up on one of the weight machines in the Raiders' weight room at one time? :lol:

suitanim
03-13-2012, 12:32 PM
Didn't Ted Hendricks have a beer can holder he rigged up on one of the weight machines in the Raiders' weight room at one time? :lol:LOL...the Raiders were far and away the worst. Madden even encouraged it to a certain degree. I remember stories about Matuszak dressing like a Roman Gladiator or something and riding a horse across the practice field, all the wild stories about sneaking out of training camp and staying up all night chasing women and getting drunk, etc, etc...I know for sure Stabler was a smoker, sure there were others.

fansince'76
03-13-2012, 01:42 PM
LOL...the Raiders were far and away the worst. Madden even encouraged it to a certain degree. I remember stories about Matuszak dressing like a Roman Gladiator or something and riding a horse across the practice field, all the wild stories about sneaking out of training camp and staying up all night chasing women and getting drunk, etc, etc...I know for sure Stabler was a smoker, sure there were others.

I remember an interview with Madden years ago where he basically said, "As long as they were out of jail for the game on Sunday, I didn't care." :lol:

steelerdude15
03-13-2012, 09:37 PM
Jack Lambert played MLB at 212 lbs. Troy weighs 218. Levon Kirkland played at 270.

I just don't think they could hang. They weren't conditioned the same way. Most guys took the off-season literally. They had much more poor nutrition. A bunch of dudes smoked back in the day. I'm simply stating that if you literally lined up those guys against these guys, the latter day NFLers, even on the worst team, would destroy even the greatest teams from the 70's.

A lot of players now smoke weed. Are you referring to cigarettes?

suitanim
03-14-2012, 05:33 AM
Cigarettes, yes. I would still take a pot smoker who smokes a couple bowls a day (if that...there is drug teasting) to a guy hacking down a pack and a half a day. I've smoked dope beofre (Hey, I went to college!) and I smoked cigarettes for years. The latter is far, far, far worse...

silver & black
03-14-2012, 05:37 PM
LOL...the Raiders were far and away the worst. Madden even encouraged it to a certain degree. I remember stories about Matuszak dressing like a Roman Gladiator or something and riding a horse across the practice field, all the wild stories about sneaking out of training camp and staying up all night chasing women and getting drunk, etc, etc...I know for sure Stabler was a smoker, sure there were others.

The only rules were to win on Sunday. Neither Al nor Madden cared what the players did on their own time. As long as they came to play and win on Sunday, they were left alone.

Biletnikoff used to smoke on the sidelines. :lol:

suitanim
03-15-2012, 05:19 AM
The only rules were to win on Sunday. Neither Al nor Madden cared what the players did on their own time. As long as they came to play and win on Sunday, they were left alone.

Biletnikoff used to smoke on the sidelines. :lol:

Goodell would have fined those teams 5 trillion dollars.

43Hitman
03-15-2012, 05:58 AM
Goodell would have fined those teams 5 trillion dollars.
If Goodell was in charge back then, there wouldn't be the Steelers and Raiders of the 70's.

Steeldude
03-17-2012, 06:46 AM
A healthy '76 Steelers

Godfather
03-17-2012, 10:30 AM
Goodell would have fined those teams 5 trillion dollars.

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj258/godfatherLSU/Dr-Evil.jpg