Quote Originally Posted by SteelerFan87 View Post
Take the Steelers out of the 70s and what do you get?
The Cowboys would probably have been a dynasty
The Raiders could have been a dynasty
Maybe the Dolphins win another SB and they could have been a dynasty

Take the Pats out of this decade, and what do you get?
Maybe the Steelers win another SB or 2
Maybe the Colts win another SB

The Steelers of the 70's were competing against better teams. Sure, with the Salary Cap and Free Agency, there is more "parity" now, but that parity is designed to make sure every team stays close to the middle of the pack. If one or 2 teams figure out how to use the loopholes in the system, they can build a great team and dominate all the mediocre teams. Look at all the teams that had a chance to beat the Pats this year, but none of them were complete enough. They had glaring holes somewhere that prevented them from winning. In the 70's, if you were smart, you could build a great team. So there were more great teams, and that makes the Steelers' domination of the decade more impressive.
Indeed! In the 70's you relied on your scouting and coaching because you had no way to go out and buy a champion like you can today. The art of coaching and scouting has gotten so watered down now that it's easier to go out and buy the missing pieces of a border championship team than it is to coach and groom players. When FA is used to compliment a team it's very effective and the Pats are a testament to that. Belicheck may be a cheater and a totally arrogant ass but he knows how to push his players buttons and he knows how to gameplan as well as anyone. They had some missing pieces so they went out and got them...that wouldn't have happened back in the 70's and the Pats wouldn't have done anything then so yeah I agree the domination of a pre salary cap era is always more impressive than anything anyone can do today.