Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Sonny9 wrote:What if George Allen stays with the Rams? 1971 and '72 would have been better but once Knox got their in 1973 I dont see how Allen improves over that.
However the Redskins more than likely would have continued being a garbage team. Harland Svare maybe moves up from DC to HC. And no Cowboy-Redskin rivalry.

If Allen stays in LA, and the Skins hire Swede, I wonder if Tommy Prothro takes a year off, plays more bridge, and then goes to Denver in 1972. Prothro probably would have drafted as well or better than Ralston did (he built the Rams for Knox and the Chargers for Coryell, basically), but he probably gets replaced by someone who takes that talent further.

7DnBrnc53 wrote:If Allen stays in LA, and the Skins hire Swede, I wonder if Tommy Prothro takes a year off, plays more bridge, and then goes to Denver in 1972. Prothro probably would have drafted as well or better than Ralston did (he built the Rams for Knox and the Chargers for Coryell, basically), but he probably gets replaced by someone who takes that talent further.

I think John Ralston still winds up coaching in the NFL, maybe in Houston or Chicago in 1972 or Detroit in 1973.

7DnBrnc53 wrote:

Sonny9 wrote:What if George Allen stays with the Rams? 1971 and '72 would have been better but once Knox got their in 1973 I dont see how Allen improves over that.
However the Redskins more than likely would have continued being a garbage team. Harland Svare maybe moves up from DC to HC. And no Cowboy-Redskin rivalry.

If Allen stays in LA, and the Skins hire Swede, I wonder if Tommy Prothro takes a year off, plays more bridge, and then goes to Denver in 1972. Prothro probably would have drafted as well or better than Ralston did (he built the Rams for Knox and the Chargers for Coryell, basically), but he probably gets replaced by someone who takes that talent further.

After Allen was fired, the other Dan Reeves took just three days to hire Prothro, who wasn't even mentioned among the potential candidates that the LA listed after the firing. Tom Fears, given his Rams roots; California's Ray Willsey; Allen's Ram assistants Tom Catlin and Ray Prochaska; and perennial candidate Ara Parseghian. John McKay's name was also thrown in there, but he was going to become AD at USC in addition to his head coaching duties.

Allen reportedly was also getting feelers from the Packers, Eagles and Oilers, but I imagine they didn't offer the "unlimited" budget the Skins did. After his temporary firing two years earlier, he was reportedly set to take the Bills job--which would have made him O.J. Simpson's first pro head coach.

BD Sullivan wrote:
Allen... was reportedly set to take the Bills job--which would have made him O.J. Simpson's first pro head coach.

Whom he wouldn't have played for the first two seasons because.... veterans.

JuggernautJ wrote:

BD Sullivan wrote:
Allen... was reportedly set to take the Bills job--which would have made him O.J. Simpson's first pro head coach.

Whom he wouldn't have played for the first two seasons because.... veterans.

Then again, John Rauch didn't exactly break out the welcome mat for Simpson either.

What if Curly Lambeau had decided to return to Notre Dame in 1919 instead of taking a job with the Indian Packing Company?

What if the Bears win the coin flip for Terry Bradshaw in 1970?

JuggernautJ wrote:

BD Sullivan wrote:
Allen... was reportedly set to take the Bills job--which would have made him O.J. Simpson's first pro head coach.

Whom he wouldn't have played for the first two seasons because.... veterans.

In 1969 as Ram coach, George Allen started rookie RB Larry Smith.

7DnBrnc53 wrote:What if the Bears win the coin flip for Terry Bradshaw in 1970?

He becomes another Mike Phipps or Dan Pastorini. The Steelers success was more from his supporting cast than Terry Bradshaw himself.

ChrisBabcock wrote:

7DnBrnc53 wrote:What if the Bears win the coin flip for Terry Bradshaw in 1970?

He becomes another Mike Phipps or Dan Pastorini. The Steelers success was more from his supporting cast than Terry Bradshaw himself.

I believe that to a degree. No QB has ever been more overrated because of the team he played for. Even so, he was tremendous at times, especially in three of his four SBs. Phipps and Danté were rarely, if ever, tremendous.