And he couldn't be more right.

Marino broke virtually every single-season and career passing record in the book without ever truly having a Hall-of-Fame caliber supporting cast to complement him.

And although no one in their right mind will argue Marino's place in the Hall of Fame, many will say that Marino can never be considered better than the likes of Joe Montana or John Elway because he never won the big one.

You would be hard pressed, however, to find anyone who believes that Marino would not have a ring of his own had he been in a 49er uniform leading Montana's cast of superstars that included Jerry Rice and Roger Craig.

You would find fewer people still who believe that Marino could win a championship with any of the running backs that he has played by throwing for 123 yards, zero touchdowns and an interception in the title game, as Elway did behind Terrell Davis to win his first ring in Super Bowl XXXII.

One can argue that Marino isn't the greatest quarterback ever, but it is ludicrous to blame him for Miami's inability to win in his 17 years. Football, more than any other sport, requires a complete team effort, as no individual player has ever been able to single-handedly carry his team to a title.

This rings especially true in Marino's case. In his 17 years, for example, Marino only once has had a Dolphin running back rush for 1,000 yards. By contrast, in Elway's final year alone, Davis ran for over 2,000.

Yet despite never having a true superstar player to complement him on offense--or any semblance of a defense, for that matter--Marino never complained, always believing that he could lead his team to the promised land behind his amazing arm. He fought to the end throughout his storied career, even while age and injuries began to erode his skills.