The Golden Age of Quarterbacks:

From 1985-2000, a lot of great quarterbacks were playing at the same time.  I don't feel that's true in any other time period of the NFL.  It was a sudden surge that will never be seen again.  Let's just take a brief moment to honor all the amazing people who worked together to create the best period of NFL football that will ever be:

Steve Young 1985-99
Tom Brady 2000-2016
Peyton Manning 1998-2015
Kurt Warner 1998-2009
Joe Montana 1979-1994
Jim Kelly 1986-1996
Drew Bledsoe 1993-2006
Doug Flutie 1986-2005
Vinny Testaverde 1987-2007
Dan Marino 1983-1999
Brett Favre 1991-2010
Bernie Kosar 1985-1996
Troy Aikman 1989-2000
Randall Cunningham 1985-2001
Boomer Esiason 1984-1997
Warren Moon 1984-2000
John Elway 1983-1998

1985 = 7
1986 = 9
1987 = 11
1988 = 11
1989 = 12
1990 = 12
1991 = 13
1992 = 13
1993 = 14
1994 = 14
1995 = 13
1996 = 13
1997 = 11
1998 = 12
1999 = 11
2000 = 10

The years with the most qb's playing simultaneously were 1993/1994, but from 1987-2000 it was all in the double digits.  From 1/2 to 1/3 of all the NFL franchises had a superstar at the helm.  Can we say the same about the 2016 starting qb's?

Who has name recognition on the level of these guys from the past in the current year?

Tom Brady
Joe Flacco
Cam Newton
Aaron Rodgers
Drew Brees
Eli Manning
Ben Roethlisberger
Philip Rivers
Russell Wilson
Patrick Mahomes

I count ten.  Which is equal to the lowest number in the era of 1987-2000, the very last year of 2000.  I admit a ton of starting quarterbacks in the NFL are Heisman trophy winners or are having good rookie seasons, but it's just not on par with a record of accomplishment in the NFL which these guys from the past have firmly proven.  I have nothing against the 32 quarterbacks in the NFL today, they were all hot stuff in college, but their star power just isn't on the same level.

There were plenty of other greats from 1985-2000, but these 17 are the most memorable.  In addition, it was so fun to see them playing each other week in week out.  Legends vs. Legends, on a daily basis, year after year after year.  That's a dynamic we just don't have anymore.  Too many greats have retired, and too many rookies with no records of achievement are playing each other instead.  With no-names like this, does anyone even care who wins and who loses?  We don't have an emotional bond with any of them.

Meanwhile, Idol Memories finally came out.  It was awful.  Fail.  Thus concludes the entirety of my fall anime first impressions.