June 21, 201114 yr Author comment_5474611 He did do a lot of running up and down that flank in that game though. You can't really compare Maldini with Cafu. Maldini was a defender first and foremost. Trademark Maldini was him running back and executing a perfectly time sliding tackle on the opposing right-winger. I'll always remember the game he came up against Andrei Kanchelskis at Euro '96. It was epic. Cafu was essentially a winger who played nominally at right-back, your archetypical Brazilian "wing-back". And, yes, a freak of nature. I think MOST people would take Maldini over Cafu any day of the week though. Doesn't offer you as much going forward, but he was arguably the best fullback who ever played.
June 21, 201114 yr comment_5474668 From the territory days, it often only became obvious how far gone a wrestler was past his prime when they moved to another area. Mad Dog Vachon was main-eventing in the AWA in late 1983 and early 1984, and looked really good. HUGELY over, too. Vachon goes to the WWF in June 1984, and suddenly he looks ancient, with little believable offense, and almost no crowd support. I'd argue similarly for Mr. Wrestling II when he was wrestling with the WWF for a short time as well. In both cases, these men were draws and high up the card with little concern for their age or their declining skill-set amongst the fans that were buying tickets to see them. Putting them into a market where they were neither the focus of a feud or high-end angle, or being used as a top-end draw, and they looked pretty bad. Point back to Vachon, who came back to the AWA and wrestled exclusively in Winnipeg in late 1985, high up the card, and was effective once again as a main event wrestler, and it illustrates how one could maintain the illusion of still being in their "prime", provided the setting and booking were done right.
June 21, 201114 yr comment_5474688 You can't really compare Maldini with Cafu. Maldini was a defender first and foremost. Trademark Maldini was him running back and executing a perfectly time sliding tackle on the opposing right-winger. I'll always remember the game he came up against Andrei Kanchelskis at Euro '96. It was epic. Cafu was essentially a winger who played nominally at right-back, your archetypical Brazilian "wing-back". And, yes, a freak of nature. I think MOST people would take Maldini over Cafu any day of the week though. Doesn't offer you as much going forward, but he was arguably the best fullback who ever played. I'd probably take Maldini as well, though it depends on the team I'd have. The thing is... while Maldini got all the praise, Cafu often got overshadowed by his Brasil left back: Bobby Carlos. And that's where I think Cafu was massively underrated. Roberto got all the hype for flash, while I thought Cafu was much better defensively and *overall* better offensively because his runs forward fit more into a team concept while Bobby at times went into selfish/masturbatory mode. Smart offensively as well, in the sense that he didn't seem to make the errors running foward that Bobby did, whereas you'd always have a few times in a game where Bobby turned the ball over stupidly with there being miles of space down the right wing behind him and several Real players running furiously to try to shut someone down. I thought Brasil in 2002 has the perfect solution for Bobby's flakeyness: three centerbacks allowing Bobby and Cafu much more freedom to move forward. In turn, the two not only could support the back line defensively but also support what was essentially a two man midfield behind Ronaldo/Rivaldo/Ronaldinho. A strange, interesting mix: three center backs, two wingbacks who typically played left/right backs in four man back lines, and a pair of defensively midfielders. 7 "defensive" players behind that wild front three. Yet the width coming almost entirely from two of those defenders, who inturn helped flood the midfield and firm up the back. Bobby and Cafu each were almost three players in one. Anyway... give me a Maldini+Cafu in their prime on either wing along with a pair of rocks in centerback, and I'd be happy. To me they were the best left and right backs of the 90s. John
June 21, 201114 yr comment_5474690 You can tell if he's a good wrestler or not since he can't fall back on token athletic spots and has to be more clever with his work?
June 21, 201114 yr comment_5474693 http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/85.htm He's all over this year. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xa3drt_mr...funk-pt-1_sport http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xa3fae_mr...funk-pt-2_sport This is one of those.. "wait, did this actually happen?" wwf matches. As for why he was there, you can sort of work it out here: http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?show...=11633&st=0 I thought it was specifically talked about but I don't see it.
June 21, 201114 yr comment_5474736 Soccer is so boring. After a decade of saying the Spurs *weren't* boring, this is the reward I get? John
June 21, 201114 yr comment_5474737 Even I am bored with the current Spurs team. Doesn't change the fact that soccer is boring.
June 21, 201114 yr comment_5474739 Even I am bored with the current Spurs team. Doesn't change the fact that soccer is boring.This is an international board. I assume you mean North American soccer. I love playing it myself.
June 22, 201114 yr comment_5474745 I have always said that every point needs to celebrate points/goals like soccer players do. Even free throws or extra points.
June 22, 201114 yr comment_5474749 The best celebration is the Rugby style pat on the back and firm handshake after a try, before getting arrested outside a nightclub for fighting with bouncers.
June 22, 201114 yr comment_5474773 Bouncers. lol Dudes always knew when a bunch of Marines were comin'. Guess our haircuts gave it away. Anyway, they always started shit with us. Like if we yelled, like in a happy oorah kind of way, they would get all uppity on us. But I guess it was more like cause Marines partied like rock stars. Hotels and other establishments never recovered from our previous weekend tour of non-stop violence, sex, booze, and decompression from being an active duty Marine.
June 22, 201114 yr comment_5474783 Soccer is so boring.*through my gritted English teeth* It's called football, not soccer!!!!!
June 22, 201114 yr comment_5474786 Where can you pinpoint Barry Windham being totally past his prime? He was god awful when he had his run as The Stalker, but a couple of years later he had a mini renaissance in that super fun team with Curt Hennig. So where do you draw the line there?
June 22, 201114 yr comment_5474788 Past your prime doesn't equal bad. Windham was probably past his prime has early as 93, because of injuries and lazyness. But he was so good that it didn't matter that much, when he wanted, he could still go. Even fat and old, Windham was still better than shitloads of wrestlers. I'd argue that in 1988, Windham was the best wrestler in the US.
June 22, 201114 yr comment_5474815 Windham is tough to pinpoint. His comeback after injuries in the early nineties was not good. But in 1999, he was awesome again. Weird.
June 23, 201114 yr comment_5474919 I love Black Terry and Negro Navarro and Solar and all the rest, but the only reason they're "the best in the world" is because the young guys coming through are crap. On the flipside, they've made me go back and appreciate veterans from all eras which is a new way to watch wrestling.
June 23, 201114 yr comment_5474953 I love Black Terry and Negro Navarro and Solar and all the rest, but the only reason they're "the best in the world" is because the young guys coming through are crap. On the flipside, they've made me go back and appreciate veterans from all eras which is a new way to watch wrestling. So Cerebro and the Traumas are crap?
Create an account or sign in to comment