Sports What Ifs.

WI the Bears draft Aaron Rodgers as QB instead of Cedric Benson with the fourth pick in the 2005 NFL draft? Rodgers would certainly have had a better career than Grossman in Chicago, IMO and, with Rodgers, the Bears likely win Super Bowl XLI...
 
I just learned from a faellow Cleveland Indians fan last week that there was a good reason, unbeknownst to me, that the red Sox were seen by some as bitter rivals in the early '80s. Dennis Eckersley had basically forced a trade after Rick Manning stole his wife! The 2 couldnt be in the same room together, and from what this friend recalls, Eck threw at Manning and really couldn't stand the Indians in general.

It was perhaps more palatable for the Indians in 1977 to trade a 20-game winner than a young centerfielder with promise; Ted Cox, whom they got in return, was supposedly a can't miss prospect. But let's say the REd Sox refuse to let him go and Manning is the one traded isntead; perhaps there are rumors about Eckersley's arm.

Where would they trade Manning? How would this impact the REd Sox? Do they still get rid of Fergie Jenkins? If not, he did well enough that he *might* have allowed Boston to win their division. (Then again, one more loss and a playoff isn't needed for the Yankees to win.)

Eckersley no doubt leaves as a free agent after 1984, but could he, Len Barker, Bert Blyleven, and John Denny, with a good young 5th starter in place of Wayne Garland, actually steal a half-division and make the playoffs? While they'd probably lose to the Yankees or Brewers, it's not out of the question. In which case someone else probably acquires Rick Sutcliffe in 1982.
 
In which case someone else probably acquires Rick Sutcliffe in 1982.
Maybe the Cardinals (for David Green, who was considered a good prospect at the time).

Also, if the Cards get Sutcliffe, maybe they trade Keith Hernandez somewhere else instead of the Mets (and don't get P Neil Allen, who sucked) in 1983.

Trading him to the Pirates for 1B Jason Thompson may have made sense (Keith Hernandez was a prominent figure in the 1985 Pittsburgh Drug Trials, and the Cards would have had more power with Thompson).
 
In 1988, the Steelers played in two games that were pivotal to the future of the NFL:

In Week 1, this happened:

Then, in Week 13, the Steelers hosted the Kansas City Chiefs. Late in the game, the Steelers were up by six, but the Chiefs were driving. On the last play, WR Kittrick Taylor was wide open in the end zone, but Steve DeBerg just barely overthrew him.

Because of those two close calls, the Steelers were 3-10, and won two of three to get some momentum going to close out the year.

If they lose those, however, they are 1-12 with three games to go, and there is no reason not to tank for Aikman at that point. I think they lose @houston in Week 14, and still lose @SD the next week, which wraps up the #1 pick and Troy Aikman.
 
In 1988, the Steelers played in two games that were pivotal to the future of the NFL:

In Week 1, this happened:

Then, in Week 13, the Steelers hosted the Kansas City Chiefs. Late in the game, the Steelers were up by six, but the Chiefs were driving. On the last play, WR Kittrick Taylor was wide open in the end zone, but Steve DeBerg just barely overthrew him.

Because of those two close calls, the Steelers were 3-10, and won two of three to get some momentum going to close out the year.

If they lose those, however, they are 1-12 with three games to go, and there is no reason not to tank for Aikman at that point. I think they lose @houston in Week 14, and still lose @SD the next week, which wraps up the #1 pick and Troy Aikman.
i think Aikman wasn't that great thing, even Emmith Smith was the real reason of the dynasty(that and gaming the system)

you know that JJ drafted his college QB with the supplemental draft and loss the #1 pick? if steelers pick Aikman, #2 is still packers? if they whiff on sanders...sanders is a boy. Them Steve Walsh is selected in the supplemental draft...he still bombs... but guess who's available in 91?
 
if steelers pick Aikman, #2 is still packers?
I think that #2 would have been Dallas's in a three-way tie (between them, GB, and Det with 4-12 records). Dallas would have had the weakest strength of schedule with the Steelers finishing 2-14. Then, the rest of the top-10 is like this: Green Bay, Detroit, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, San Diego, Miami, and Arizona.

Here is how it shakes out (after Aikman):

Dallas: Tony Mandarich, OT, Michigan St.
Green Bay: Barry Sanders, RB, Oklahoma St.
Detroit: Derrick Thomas, OLB, Alabama
Atlanta: Prime Time
Tampa Bay: Broderick Thomas, OLB, Nebraska
Kansas City: Burt Grossman, DE, Pitt
San Diego: Tim Worley, RB, Georgia
Miami: Sammie Smith, RB, Florida St.
Arizona: Eric Hill, ILB, LSU
 
I think that #2 would have been Dallas's in a three-way tie (between them, GB, and Det with 4-12 records). Dallas would have had the weakest strength of schedule with the Steelers finishing 2-14. Then, the rest of the top-10 is like this: Green Bay, Detroit, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, San Diego, Miami, and Arizona.

Here is how it shakes out (after Aikman):

Dallas: Tony Mandarich, OT, Michigan St.
i WOULD say dallas take Sanders but they still have the picks of their vikes trade, so Smith come next year...but Walsh is still suspect...so 1991...
 
i WOULD say dallas take Sanders but they still have the picks of their vikes trade, so Smith come next year...but Walsh is still suspect...so 1991...

I think Dallas had Mandarich as their second-rated player (after Aikman).

In the Supp draft, they have a tougher decision to make without Aikman. Jimmy likes Walsh, but Timm Rosenbach is more talented, and they may take him instead.
 
I think Dallas had Mandarich as their second-rated player (after Aikman).

In the Supp draft, they have a tougher decision to make without Aikman. Jimmy likes Walsh, but Timm Rosenbach is more talented, and they may take him instead.
Rosenbach could be elite if avoid his unlucky injuries ,
 
Someone mentioned 1991, I definitely think Dallas would take Favre because he was a Southern kid and that would please Jimmy Johnson.

He wouldn't even have to be as great as he became by the middle 90s because Emmitt Smith could lead that team for a couple of years yet.

If the Packers already have sanders who will they take as a quarterback? Or could Majkowski avoid his injuries in this timeline.

Akeman was good enough that he could have possibly gotten the steelers to the Super Bowl in 1992.
They lost 24-3 to Buffalo, but knowing they have a good qb they can draft their team differently.
 
Someone mentioned 1991, I definitely think Dallas would take Favre because he was a Southern kid and that would please Jimmy Johnson.

He wouldn't even have to be as great as he became by the middle 90s because Emmitt Smith could lead that team for a couple of years yet.

If the Packers already have sanders who will they take as a quarterback? Or could Majkowski avoid his injuries in this timeline.

Akeman was good enough that he could have possibly gotten the steelers to the Super Bowl in 1992.
They lost 24-3 to Buffalo, but knowing they have a good qb they can draft their team differently.
Yeah but i forget Rosenbach, he could be, or they could roll with Walsh and them Favre, Hey a great RB helps any QB so Favre when less TD..also will have fewer INT...but again depends who and how dallas draft.

Steelers could make a SB, maybe two..but dunno if they could be either dallas or niners here

About packers..if they don't get Favre...they could be rolling with Warner or Hasselback
 
Re-drafts are probably the laziest sort of what if sports content there is.
Yeah you need a specific point of departure. We've discussed nineteen eighty three every which way but loose but that's because they're were specific ideas on what would happen if Houston lost that 1 game they w9n and picked a number one instead or a number of other things had happened with the Elway pick not to mention some Marino ones. And sometimes 1 pick at the top really does change a lot. But just saying they redraft willy nilly for no reason really doesn't make a lot of sense.

OOTP is really good for such events, I also don't know if baseball teams draft like the NFL however. For instance, if someone drafts a pitcher in our timeline, but that hurleris gone. Would they have just taken another one? Do they go for best available player instead or what?
 
OOTP is really good for such events, I also don't know if baseball teams draft like the NFL however. For instance, if someone drafts a pitcher in our timeline, but that hurleris gone. Would they have just taken another one? Do they go for best available player instead or what?

OOTP is ok but it tends to go off in random directions. I tried to run an alternate timeline where the Pirates traded players instead of letting them walk. I traded Bonilla for Mattingly then started the simulation. The CPU randomly traded LaValliere. Plus other trades that didn't happen in OTL and wouldn't have necessarily happened if the original trade had been made. Ideally (and it might be the case in more recent versions) there's a Trades file you can edit to make the trades happen, and you can do it in the off-season.
 
On Facebook, I am reading a post from a group called "On This Day in Professional Football History".

The post has to do with the May 10, 1969 meeting about who was going to move to the AFC from the NFC.

We know that the Steelers, Browns, and Colts did, but early that morning, it looked like the Redskins and Falcons were going to the AFC along with the Colts or Vikings.
 
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