What makes a person athletic?

[hermhater]

Is it mechanics, or ability?

[rbedgood]

I believe the context you are referring to would be referring to ability.

Dan Marino for example had flawless mechanics, and a great ability to throw the ball...however he was not as athletic as say a guy like Randall Cunningham. Randall Cunningham didn't have the throwing ability of a Dan Marino, but he could make plays that most other QBs couldn't.

Steve Young was a very good blend of these two types of passers. He could make plays with both his throwing and/or running ability.

Athleticism without mechanics will not get a player very far (see: Daunte Culpepper)...however few players without athletic ability can use just mechanics to succeed (Manning has, but Grossman, Alex Smith, Pennington, Boller, Brian Griese and other have failed.)

[prough91]

I believe the context you are referring to would be referring to ability.

Dan Marino for example had flawless mechanics, and a great ability to throw the ball...however he was not as athletic as say a guy like Randall Cunningham. Randall Cunningham didn't have the throwing ability of a Dan Marino, but he could make plays that most other QBs couldn't.

Steve Young was a very good blend of these two types of passers. He could make plays with both his throwing and/or running ability.

Athleticism without mechanics will not get a player very far (see: Daunte Culpepper)...however few players without athletic ability can use just mechanics to succeed (Manning has, but Grossman, Alex Smith, Pennington, Boller, Brian Griese and other have failed.)

I don't think their failures are due to not being athletic, I think it was more their decision making abilities.

[rbedgood]

I don't think their failures are due to not being athletic, I think it was more their decision making abilities.

I generally agree with you and I would agree that each of these guys has shown suspect decision-making at times...however I would argue that in the case of some of them their footwork and lack of mechanics forces them to hurry throws, and make them from unbalanced positions, and make decisions quicker than say a Manning, Hasselbeck or Brady (other less than mobile guys who have near perfect mechanics).