Dan Marino

1934 THE SHAPE OF THE FOOTBALL WAS CHANGED, MAKING IT EASIER TO THROW 1935 - 1945 GREEN BAY'S DON HUTSON PLAYED 11 SEASONS AND BECAME THE LEAGUE'S FIRST GREAT RECEIVER. WHEN HE RETIRED AFTER THE 1945 SEASON, HE HELD 18 NFL RECORDS. HIS MARK FOR TDRECEPTIONS (99) STOOD FOR FOUR DECADES. 1945 WASHINGTON'S SAMMY BAUGH SET THE RECORD FOR HIGHEST SINGLE-SEASON COMPLETION PERCENTAGE (.703). CINCINNATI'S KEN ANDERSON BROKE THE RECORD IN 1982 (.706) LATE 1950's THE RUN-AND-SHOOT OFFENSE WAS CREATED BY AN OHIO HIGH SCHOOL COACH, GLENN ELLISON.

Where does Peyton Manning go from 49? To a gaudy 5,085? A precise .710? Or perhaps an otherworldly eight? We're talking NFL passing records here. Manning, the quintessential quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, would prefer the Super Bowl, but his single-season record of 49 touchdown throws didn't do it last year. Now, he and the Colts are back in pursuit of an ostentatious, diamond-studded championship ring, and if a couple of NFL records happen to fall out of the passing tree along the way, so be it. Manning had one of last season's story lines by chasing - and ultimately bettering - Dan Marino's record 48 touchdown passes in 1984.

CANTON, Ohio - Dan Marino had challenged Miami Dolphins fans everywhere to "overrun Canton" for his Hall of Fame induction, and they had responded all weekend in astonishing numbers. So minutes before the speeches yesterday, Marino lowered a shoulder into fellow inductee Steve Young backstage. "I need somebody to call a corner blitz and blindside me," Marino said. The two quarterbacks were nervously getting ready for one more big appearance in front of a football crowd. Typically, neither let anybody down.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Dan Marino and Steve Young, two of the greatest quarterbacks in recent NFL history, sat side by side, and for the first time, discussed their careers as Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees, dishing out a number of jokes at each other's expense along the way. While both displayed total control on the field, the duo used humor to ease their emotion over being the headliners in the Class of 2005, which also includes quarterback Benny...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Now that the two Super Bowl teams, and most of the 30 media members per player, have arrived in town, expect these themes to be explored most often this week, in descending order: T.O.'s leg, the Patriots' dynasty, Freddie Mitchell's hair, Belichick vs. Lombardi, Brady vs. Montana, Freddie Mitchell's teeth (in terms of how many the Patriots' defensive backs plan to extract during the game). And somewhere down the list: black starting quarterback. It won't be at the bottom of the list; the NFL and society haven't progressed quite that far. But it also won't be a repeat of the 1988 game in San Diego, where Doug Williams couldn't go five minutes without being reminded what race he was born into.

On January 18, 2005, JAMES "ZIN" MARINO, SR., beloved husband of the late Anna Marino (nee Dinardo); devoted father of John Marino and the late James Marino, Jr., and Donald Marino; dear brother of Rose Myers, Ida Bruno, Mollie Stallard, and the late Charles and Dan Marino and Anna Stairs; loving grandfather of eleven; great-grandfather of eleven. Friends may call at the CVACH/ROSEDALE FUNERAL HOME, 1211 Chesaco Avenue, on Thursday and Friday, 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, 9:15 a.m., at St. Clement Catholic Church.

INDIANAPOLIS - Team success or individual records. If you were to ask Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning which meant more to him, team goals would trump individual aspirations every time. As he closes in on two NFL single-season records - Dan Marino's 20-year-old mark for touchdown passes and Steve Young's 10-year-old standard for passing efficiency - talk about the Colts' 11-3 record and second straight AFC South championship have been pushed to the background. Manning has thrown 47 touchdown passes this season and needs two more over the Colts' final two games to break Marino's record of 48, which was set in 1984.

Dan Marino is under siege. The Miami Dolphins legend hasn't played quarterback since 1999, but he is nevertheless front and center in the NFL's passing craze of 2004. Marino's most revered record has become a target in the Age of the Pass: most touchdowns thrown in a season, 48. First, Daunte Culpepper of the Minnesota Vikings took aim and fired off 18 touchdown passes in five games. He has cooled off but still is on pace to throw for 42. Now it's Peyton Manning's turn. The reigning co-Most Valuable Player from the Indianapolis Colts finished the first half of the season with 26 touchdown throws.

Joe Namath, in an interview last night with Dan Marino on HBO's Real Sports, said he never gets tired of talking about the legendary guarantee of the New York Jets' 1969 Super Bowl victory over the Baltimore Colts. "No way," Namath said. "Don Larsen, who pitched a perfect game for the New York Yankees [in 1956], came up with the perfect answer. I was standing there and someone asked Don, `Do you ever get tired of talking about your perfect game,' and Don said, 'Why should I?' " Marino asked Namath if the Jets played the Colts in the Super Bowl 10 times in 1969, how many times would the Jets have won?

TONIGHT'S GAME GREEN BAY AT CAROLINE Time/TV: 9 p.m.; chs, 2, 7 Line: Panthers by 3 Trends: Packers QB Brett Favre makes his 190th consecutive regular-season start, extending his own league record. He needs four TD passes to become the second quarterback in history to reach 350, joining Dan Marino (420). The Panthers' Jake Delhomme, who will make his 18th career start, has thrown for 22 TDs. Attractions: The game's best matchup pits the Packers' durable offensive line against the Panthers' relentless defensive line.