ON DECK: Comparing different eras

One of sports fans' biggest hobbies is comparing.

We love to compare — no, we need to compare.

What's the best baseball team of all-time? What Hall of Famer does the talented young superstar play like? If Y.A. Tittle played in the modern NFL, would he be as good as a third-string quarterback for the Browns?

We compare even though it's purely hypothetical and impossible to compare eras. Kobe Bryant created a mini-stir when he said he thought the 2012 Dream Team could beat the original 1992 Dream Team. Naturally, Michael Jordan responded by laughing it off.

It inevitably brought up the debate: Well, could Jordan or Scottie Pippen handle the speed and strength of LeBron? And who would guard Kevin Durant?

It's both fun and pointless at the same time. The training is different and even the style of basketball is different.

But a sports fan constantly comparing teams and players from different eras? That'll never change.