Grandpa Roy Answers

Hey guys, Drew back here, sorry about the LONG wait on these answers, the awards have been my main focus, and same with this Yankees deal, and catching up on trades, but, I do have the answers for you, even though you guessed them all right, I'll give you some provided info on each team. Here's the question again if you forgot:

In the NFL, teams who have competed for championships frequently have had strong defenses with colorful names. What teams do the following names refer to?

Fearsome Foursome:

1960's Los Angeles Rams

Consisted of:
David "Deacon" Jones, Lamar Lundy, Merlin Olsen, Roosevelt Greer

Once Greer was added to the team, this defensive line became known as the Fearsome Foursome, a line that Dick Butkus claimed "the most dominant defensive line in football history". In the 1970's, Olsen was still around, but Jack Youngblood, Fred Dryer, and Larry Brooks joined him in the new "Fearsome Foursome"

Purple People Eaters:

1960's-1970's Minnesota Vikings

Consisted of: Jim Marshall, Alan Paige, Gary Larson, and Carl Eller, and many more

These 4 guys and the rest of the defense during this time frame brought the Vikings to 4 Super Bowls. They were named after the color of their uniforms, and a song by Sheb Wooley called "Purple People Eaters".

Orange Crush:

1970's Denver Broncos

Consisted of: Randy Gradishar, Tom Jackson, Lyle Alzado, Rubin Carter, Bob Swenson, Joe Rizzo, Billy Thompson, Louis Wright, and more

This great defense's name came from the color of their uniforms, and the popular soft drink, Orange Crush (or Crush), that was around at the time. In the 1977 Super Bowl losing season, they had the number 1 defense against the run.

No- Name Defense:

1970's Miami Dolphins

Consisted of: Nick Buoniconti, Bill Stanfill, Manny Fernandez, Dick Anderson, Jake Scott, and more

This defense was head during the Dolphins 1972 undefeated season. They won all 17 games that season, winning the Super Bowl over the Redskins. They were named the No Name Defense because the Miami offense were the only ones to get good recognition at the time.

Sack Exchange:

1980's New York Jets

Consisted of: Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons, Mark Gastineau, Abdul Salaam

Of course, my favorite team has to get in on this. In 1981, the Jets had a winning season, but were eliminated in the 1st round of the playoffs. Klecko and Gastineau were Pro Bowlers, and that team combined for more than 40 sacks that year!

Steel Curtain:

1970's Pittsburgh Steelers

Consisted of: "Mean" Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Holmes, Dwight White, Jack Ham, Mel Blount, and many more

The Steel Curtain was named because it won a contest on WTAE radio in 1971 for best nickname for the team's defense. Gregory Kronz, a 9th grader at the time, won the contest with the Steel Curtain. This was one of the greatest defenses of ALL TIME, it was unstoppable. Joe Greene became a Hall of Famer, and L.C. Greenwood made the 1970's All Decade Team. This team averaged 3.1 points per game, and they won 4 Super Bowls during the time.

Doomsday:

1970's Dallas Cowboys

Consisted of: Harvey Martin, Jethro Pugh, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Randy White, Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, D.D. Lewis, Bob Bruenig, Mel Renfro, Cliff Harris, Charlie Waters

This team was another great defense. In the year 1978, Harvey Martin had 20 sacks and led the team to the Super Bowl, where they beat the Denver Broncos. Renfro & White would eventually be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Monsters of the Midway:

Chicago Bears- Different Eras

Consists of: Mike Singletary, Dick Butkus, William "Refridgerator" Perry, Brian Urlacher, many more

The Bears have had great defenses in their history in the NFL, starting with Butkus, and now Urlacher. The team has been called this long before the NFL, it started in 1940/1941 when they were dominant. The name died down until 1985 when the Bears defense was dominant, and they won the Super Bowl.

So, I added your points to the board if you got any right from this question. Spastik Moose is now in 1st with 11.5 points. The prizes will be announced as soon as I figure out what they are, and maybe a final question of the year will be announced soon. I have no school today, a lot of ice on the roads right now, which is great. Maybe I can get those trades posted later, but for now, see ya!