Top 20 quarterbacks, best running back tandems, top 10 coaches...the list of lists could go on and on.
It seems that the only way to fill time in the slow and boring dog days of the NFL offseason is to simply have as many people throw a ranking at you as possible. I don't blame them, fans eat it up. The amount of fans that get up in arms over where players from their favorite teams land on these lists are hilarious.
Take the NFL Network's 'Top 100 of 2014' list for example.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had three players represented on that list. Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown. Sure, would a player like Lawrence Timmons be deserving of being on that list? Absolutely, but at the same time, the team finished 8-8 for a second consecutive year, and the defense was less than stellar in 2013...
See how easy it is to get sucked into the trap of debating some of these rankings?
In the grand scheme of things, there could have been zero Pittsburgh Steelers make that top 100 list, and it has no significance when it comes to actual football. As fans, you want to see the players your root for every Sunday to be represented, but when you sit back and look at it, it is pretty ridiculous.
Ron Jaworski is putting out his top 20 quarterbacks list on ESPN's Sportscenter, and I'm sure Steelers fans are waiting with baited breath as to when Ben Roethlisberger will be announced on the list, and more than prepared to argue why the Steelers' No. 7 is better than anyone that is ranked above him.
The amount of lists that spin around the internet and on network television can become mind numbing. Everything from power rankings to the best stadiums in the league. It is enough to make one's head spin. Nonetheless, the reality of a slow offseason is that at least it is something to watch and follow. My only advice is, take these hap hazard rankings with a grain of salt because we are only a week away from actual NFL football. That is something we can all be thankful for.