I published my list of the Best Quarterbacks of My Generation (1980-present) last year after Brett Favre had announced his retirement and due to my obvious bias ranked Montana at #2 behind Favre, though most experts would put Montana ahead of Favre simply because of the Super Bowls.

Montana impressively led the 49ers to Super Bowl Championships after four seasons: 1981 (SB XVI), 1984 (SB XIX), 1988 (SB XXIII) and 1989 (SB XXIV). He won the Super Bowl MVP in three of the four (all except XXIII) and could just as easily won it in all four.

There probably has never been a more clutch performer than Joe Montana. This was probably most evident in the final drive of Super Bowl XXIII (the one he didn't win the MVP in). There is an article that discusses Montana's comeback capabilities and it includes a story from that game which is one of my favorites. Here is an excerpt:

He possessed an almost mystical calmness in the midst of chaos, especially with the game on the line in the fourth quarter. While others saw turmoil and danger after the snap, Montana saw order and opportunity. He was Joe Cool, the unflappable king of the comeback.

Take the 1989 Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals. The San Francisco 49ers were down by three points with 3:20 left when Montana spotted -- no, not an open receiver -- but a personality. "There, in the stands, standing near the exit ramp," Montana said to tackle Harris Barton. "Isn't that John Candy?" And then he led the 49ers 92 yards, throwing for the winning touchdown with 34 seconds left.

This was one of Montana's 31 fourth-quarters comeback in the NFL.
Montana was neither exceptionally fast nor tall nor did he have a bazooka for an arm. The man whom his high school quarterbacks coach said "was born to be a quarterback" won by wits and grace, style and reaction. It was if he saw the game in slow motion. Whether it was with Notre Dame or the 49ers, whether the game was played in an ice storm in Dallas or in the humidity of Miami, Montana was The Man in the fourth quarter.

"There have been, and will be, much better arms and legs and much better bodies on quarterbacks in the NFL," said former 49er teammate Randy Cross, "but if you have to win a game or score a touchdown or win a championship, the only guy to get is Joe Montana."

All of that pressure with the game on the line and nearly the entire length of the football field to go, and Montana breaks the tension by pointing out John Candy in the stands. Here is the video of that entire 92 yard game-winning drive:

That was just one of the big games. Here is a recap of all four of Montana's Super Bowl Championships:

Super Bowl XVI (January 24, 1982) - 49ers beat Cincinnati 26-21. Montana was named the Super Bowl MVP, completing 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 18 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Super Bowl XIX (January 20, 1985) - 49ers beat Miami 38-16. Montana, who was again named the Super Bowl MVP, completed 29 of 35 passes for a then Super Bowl record 331 yards and three touchdowns while also having 5 rushes for 59 yards and 1 rushing touchdown.

Super Bowl XXIII (January 22, 1989) - 49ers beat Cincinnati 20-16. Montana completed 23 of 36 passes for a Super Bowl record 357 yards, throwing 2 touchdowns (including that game winner to John Taylor with 34 seconds left in the game). Jerry Rice was named Super Bowl MVP after catching 11 of those passes for a Super Bowl record 211 yards and one touchdown, but it just as easily could have gone to Montana.

Super Bowl XXIV (January 28, 1990) - 49ers beat Denver 55-10. Montana received his third Super Bowl MVP after he completed 22 of 29 passes for a total of 297 yards and a Super Bowl record 5 touchdowns. Montana's 75.9 completion percentage was the second highest in Super Bowl history, and he also set a record by completing 13 consecutive passes during the game.

Even though that last one took place in 1990, it followed the 1989 season, so I still count it towards the 80s. One moment not even mentioned yet because it did not actually happen in the Super Bowl, but in the game before which allowed them to get there. "The Catch" is a touchdown pass from Montana to wide receiver Dwight Clark and it is recognized as one of the greatest moments in NFL history. It happened in the NFC Championship game in January 1982 and resulted in San Francisco defeating the Dallas Cowboys going to Super Bowl XVI. The legacy was just beginning back then.

That great play along with that Super Bowl XXIII winning touchdown and many others are included on this video tribute to Joe Montana:

Montana holds post-season records for most career touchdown passes (45), and passing yards (5,772) among others. In his four Super Bowls, Montana completed 83 of 122 passes for 1,142 yards and 11 touchdowns, with an impressive zero interceptions, earning him a passer rating of 127.8. As mentioned earlier, Montana led his team to victory in each game, and is the only player ever to win three Super Bowl MVP awards. This was all accomplished despite only being a third round draft pick (#82 overall) coming out of Notre Dame back in 1979 and not being highly rated by most scouts back then. Just goes to show you that you just cannot predict heart and ultimate greatness.

Despite all of this praise, I honestly did not consider myself a fan of Joe Montana. But I do respect and appreciate his tremendous career and accomplisments. When I think of football in the 80s, I think Joe Montana personifies the greatness of that decade. So when I wanted to do an issue on the Super Bowl in the 80s, Montana was the obvious choice. I highly doubt that any player will surpass his achievements in that regard.

That'll wrap up this issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks as always for reading. I am looking forward to watching the Super Bowl tonight. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: There have been several Super Bowl halftime shows which have featured musical acts related to the 80s. I came across a fun article posted over at Stuck in the 80s by guest blogger Paul Schultz which ranked his favorites. Check out that posting which includes links to re-watch his top 10. It includes links to all of them except for Prince in 2007 because Prince simply does not allow his music to be used on line without his direct permission. That is a shame because I would probably rank that one as my favorite of all time. He put on a fantastic performance despite the fact that light rain that was falling. I would have to say after that, my next two most memorable would be Michael Jackson in 1993 and U2 (after 9/11) in 2002. In general, I have not been that interested or impressed with Super Bowl halftime shows, but with the 80s angle and this issue's topic, I thought it was fun. Bruce Springsteen is in line to get added to that list this year. Go check it out.

Quote of the day: "Winners, I am convinced, imagine their dreams first. They want it with all their heart and expect it to come true. There is, I believe, no other way to live." -Joe Montana