Who were the greatest defenders of all time?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Franz Beckenbauer

Dammit, I was going to name him

[MrBaggins]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Franz Beckenbauer

Dammit, I was going to name him

Beckenbauer was a pu$$ycat, next to Nobby Stiles. Now that was a hard-as-nails (and skillful too) defender. Played a long time ago for ManU (as fullback.)

[Paul Hanson]

The Spartan-II's at Reach.

[Ned]

Originally posted by GePap
And the American people in general-why risk the US to save the South Vietnamese dictatorship.

Well, GePap, Goldwater made Vietnam a gigantic issue in the 1964 elections. He continuously asked Johnson what he was trying to do in Vietnam, what was it is strategy? He was asking how we could commit troops too a war without any discussion of what are objective was, nor any discussion of how to achieve that objective.

You know what happened. Johnson simply ridiculed Goldwater as a warmonger. He ran that famous ad of the girl pulling petals off the flower, counting down to zero and, upon reaching zero, Kaboom!, an atomic bomb explodes.

Years later, many people who had voted against Goldwater realized that he was right. We should never commit US combat troops without an adequately defined objective and a relatively clear exit strategy. The people of the United States simply assumed that Johnson had a plan. It wasn't until Bobby Kennedy broke with Lyndon Johnson in 1968 that Lyndon Johnson was finally faced with the fact that the American people realized he had no plan except to beg the North Vietnamese for mercy. Thus he effectively resigned, and left Vietnam to his successor.

[Dr Strangelove]

Talking about great defenders, how about Cincinatus at the bridge?

[Ben Kenobi]

But the weren't really defending, were they? They were on French soil at the time..

True.

They were so good at defending, that they never had to defend on their own terrain.

Took a blockade to relieve the front.

[Theben]

I voted Byzantines. They held their ground for over 1,000 years. Although I probably would've said Spartans if if was originally offered.
Could add the Swiss. They had awesome pikemen, and to this day no one ****s with them. Not getting attacked in the 1st place is A+ defence.
Americans at Midway. I know, they weren't that badly outgunned (based on carrier power), but they handed the Japanese a resounding defeat.
The Athenians at Salamis.

[Boris Godunov]

I have to give a special mention to the British defenders at Rorke's Drift in Natal, Jan. 22-23 1879. The Royal Engineers fought off a vastly superior force of Zulus. Despite their superior weaponry, the odds were still very much against the Brits. The fight produced the most Victoria Crosses ever in a single instance of combat.

[Theben]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Hating commies is common-sense, not propaganda.

Oh, Drake... and I thought we had an understanding...

[Agathon]

Originally posted by MrBaggins


Beckenbauer was a pu$$ycat, next to Nobby Stiles. Now that was a hard-as-nails (and skillful too) defender. Played a long time ago for ManU (as fullback.)

But on the world stage as a half back.

Beckenbauer is without doubt at least the equal of any other defender who has played the game. Perhaps only Fachetti, Carlos Alberto and Moore rate with him.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Beckenbauer was a pu$$ycat, next to Nobby Stiles. Now that was a hard-as-nails (and skillful too) defender. Played a long time ago for ManU (as fullback.)

This is blaphemous! Unless you are a ManU fan, I take it?

[Whoha]

I also take it that most of you people that didn't pick the Japanese don't know about what their plans were to fight an Invasion off, or how they managed to keep their preparations secret causing the US to greatly underestimate what they had in reserve.

[Gangerolf]

please explain

[MrBaggins]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Beckenbauer was a pu$$ycat, next to Nobby Stiles. Now that was a hard-as-nails (and skillful too) defender. Played a long time ago for ManU (as fullback.)

This is blaphemous! Unless you are a ManU fan, I take it?

Yep... since forever.

[Agathon]

ManUre. Ugh!