Top-50 HoFers

[THUMPER]

Jack Russell turned me on to a survey for the top-50 Hall of Famers and I thought I would post my list here and see who others would select. http://www.cantonrep.com/sports/hall...rs-of-all-time

It is always very difficult to select the top players from different positions and eras and to include coaches and others in that list so I expect that there will be a LOT of disagreement with my list, that's OK as long as you post YOUR OWN list as well and don't simply critique mine.

I have a little different criteria than most people and look at the entire body of work/contribution and not simply who had the most success at the position or who was the best player, although those factor heavily into my rankings. They also reflect my own positional rankings.

Anyway, here goes:

1. Sammy Baugh - QB, DB, P
2. Paul Brown - HC
3. Otto Graham - QB
4. Walter Payton - RB
5. George Halas - HC, E, Father of the NFL
6. Don Hutson - WR
7. Johnny Unitas - QB
8. Bob Lilly - DT
9. Anthony Munoz - OT
10. Jim Brown - RB
11. Tex Schramm - GM/NFL
12. Lawrence Taylor - LB
13. Merlin Olsen - DT
14. Roger Staubach - QB
15. Paul Warfield - WR
16. Dick Butkus - LB
17. Mike Haynes - CB
18. John Hannah - OG
19. John Elway - QB
20. Herb Adderley - CB
21. Tom Landry - HC/DB
22. Joe Montana - QB
23. Dick "Night Train" Lane - DB
24. Randy White - DT
25. Barry Sanders - RB
26. Raymond Berry - WR
27. Jim Parker - OL
28. Alan Page - DT
29. Mike Singletary - LB
30. Ronnie Lott - DB
31. Don Shula - HC
32. Reggie White - DL
33. Dan Marino - QB
34. Jackie Slater- OT
35. Kellen Winslow - TE
36. Jack Lambert - LB
37. Ernie Stautner - DL (I had to add him as a write in on their site)
38. Eric Dickerson - RB
39. Tom Fears - WR
40. Joe Greene - DT
41. Mel Renfro - DB
42. Mike Ditka - TE
43. Bruce Matthews - OL
44. Steve Largent - WR
45. Tony Dorsett - RB
46. Larry Wilson - S
47. Gino Marchetti - DE
48. Mike Webster - C
49. Deacon Jones - DE
50. Yale Lary - DB/P

I listed the positions in a way that they would be easiest to recognize.

Obviously there were a LOT of guys that could have been included but there were only 50 slots so I had to make some tough choices. I realized afterwards that I had left Pete Rozelle off the list by mistake but that's the breaks. I don't know who I would have taken off to put him in anyway actually.

I tried to get a good mix of players from different positions so I broke them down by position, ranked them, then added them in from there. It is hard to equate the value of an OG when compared with a QB but I did the best I could with it.

I tried not to be TOO much of a homer but we have won a lot of games over out history because we DID have great players.

So, let's see your lists and hear comments on mine as well.

 

[Section446]

There are so many HOFers that I honeslty never got to see play, thus, I can't really argue your list.

 

[THUMPER]

Just for the record, I listed Sammy Baugh first because he was a top player at 3 positions! He was the best QB and punter in the league when he played and was also an all-pro DB to boot. Many of his punting records STILL stand and will likely never be broken.

Also, please remember that the list is of HALL OF FAMERS so Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice cannot be included yet.

 

[Apollo Creed]

I've always wondered if some of the guys from the 40s and 50s could make modern teams today.

 

[the kid 05]

I've always wondered if some of the guys from the 40s and 50s could make modern teams today.

i dont think so, just like how everyone says "oh the boxers from the earlier days would smoke these punks" i just dont see how they can compare with the speed and power of todays players

 

[Apollo Creed]

i dont think so, just like how everyone says "oh the boxers from the earlier days would smoke these punks" i just dont see how they can compare with the speed and power of todays players

Randy White could play in any generation.

 

[THUMPER]

I've always wondered if some of the guys from the 40s and 50s could make modern teams today.

If you are talking about taking a guy from 1950 and somehow putting him on a team today then probably not. But then that's not possible so it is a moot point.

Jim Brown dominated in the 50s & 60s but would he dominate today? Probably not. But if he were born in 1986 (instead of 1936) and had the benefit of modern training and diet he would very likely be one of the top rushers in the league today. Would he be as dominant? Probably not but he would certainly be one of the best around.

The only way to compare players from different eras is by how well they did against the competition they faced.

 

[burmafrd]

its a bogus debate talking about players from different era's facing each other. Has no validity at all. You have to take each generation by itself.
Size and strength gradually increased from the late 50's to the late 70's; then starting in the middle 80's suddenly size and strength of the lines just increased hugely. You went from 270 or so on the O line to 300+ within 10 years. Meanwhile the O lines had been around 250 or so from the early 60's right through the middle 70's, then slowly started to increase until the big jump in the middle 80's.
Now I think players from the early 90's would have no problem physically playing today- but the rules and such have changed so much that it would be tough for them to play the pattycake game we have today.

 

[burmafrd]

I would put George Halas first myself- as father of the NFL.
As owner, coach and player he also filled 3 slots.
Sammy Baugh was an incredible player in 3 positions.

 

[burmafrd]

To do it right you should take all 30's and 40's players in one group; 50's in another; 60's in another and so on. Take the top 5 at each position and then compare them all position to position.
For me QBs you have Sid Luckman; Baugh; Graham; Unitas; Staubach; Montana; Marino; Elway; and Peyton Manning; Brady is very close but not yet there.
RBs you have Bronko Nagurski; Red Grange; Jim Brown; OJ; Walter Payton; Eric Dickerson; Emmitt Smith; LT.

 

[zrinkill]

Aikman not being in this list while guys like Barry Sanders are makes me wonder.

 

[Section446]

Aikman not being in this list while guys like Barry Sanders are makes me wonder.

How does that make you wonder? Barry Sanders is one of the most dominating people to ever play his position.

 

[zrinkill]

How does that make you wonder? Barry Sanders is one of the most dominating people to ever play his position.

And Troy is not? How is Troy any different than Montana?

I also think Bradshaw should be there before a lot of guys.

I understand that this is just an opinion ..... was just stating mine.

 

[THUMPER]

To do it right you should take all 30's and 40's players in one group; 50's in another; 60's in another and so on. Take the top 5 at each position and then compare them all position to position.
For me QBs you have Sid Luckman; Baugh; Graham; Unitas; Staubach; Montana; Marino; Elway; and Peyton Manning; Brady is very close but not yet there.
RBs you have Bronko Nagurski; Red Grange; Jim Brown; OJ; Walter Payton; Eric Dickerson; Emmitt Smith; LT.

Manning, Brady and Emmitt are not in the HoF yet so they cannot be considered.

Luckman was the next QB on my list. A lot of guys from the early years didn't make my list because they didn't play in the NFL very long. Guys like Ernie Nevers and Red Grange only played a few seasons in the NFL. Bronko Nagurski was on my big list but I couldn't include him in the top-50 without dropping a guy like Tony Dorsett and I believe Dorsett was a better player, but that is just my opinion of course.

The problem with simply including a certain number of players from each era is that there are more players now than there were in the 30s & 40s. There are more teams and bigger rosters. Plus players from the earlier eras didn't tend to play as long since medical techniques were not advanced enough to allow players to come back from injuries the way they do today.

I did try to have players from each era and my top-2 players (Baugh & Graham) played prior to 1960.

Interestingly enough, although I consider the 70s to have been the best era of football, I only have 4 players (primarily) from that decade. I have 15 from the 80s, 14 from the 60s and 7 from the 50s (the decade these players played MOST of their careers in or were in their prime).

 

[THUMPER]

Here is a list of guys I considered but that didn't make the final list of 50 (in no particular order):

Sid Luckman
Troy Aikman
Bart Starr
Dan Fouts
Y.A. Tittle
Fran Tarkenton
Steve Young
Marcus Allen
O.J. Simpson
Lenny Moore
Steve Van Buren
Jim Taylor
Joe Perry
Marion Motley
Thurman Thomas
Gale Sayers
Sid Gillman
Vince Lombardi
Chuck Noll
Curly Lambeau
Bill Walsh
Lance Alworth
Bob Hayes
Elroy Hirsch
Michael Irvin
Don Maynard
Charley Taylor
Art Shell
Forrest Gregg
Bob St. Clair
Randall McDaniel
Jim Otto
Mike McCormack
Rayfield Wright
Ron Mix
Ron Yary
John Mackey
Ozzie Newsome
Jackie Smith
Howie Long
Carl Eller
Jack Youngblood
Bruce Smith
Lee Roy Selmon
Willie Lanier
Chuck Bednarik
Ray Nitschke
Derrick Thomas
Emlen Tunnell - I missed him, he would definitely have made my list. DOH!
Rod Woodson
Lem Barney
Mel Blount
Ken Houston
Darrell Green
Paul Krause
Willie Wood
Ernie Nevers
Bronko Nagurski
Bill Willis
Andy Robustelli
Lou Groza
George Blanda

 

[BAT]

How does Lombardi or even Knoll not make your original 50???


And Jim Brown, Gino Marchetti and Deacon Jones are way too low.

 

[Future]

Is this like...the Hall of Famers that are in the hall of fame? I'm confused.

 

[THUMPER]

Is this like...the Hall of Famers that are in the hall of fame? I'm confused.

It was a survey of the top-50 players that are in the HoF.

 

[THUMPER]

How does Lombardi or even Knoll not make your original 50???


And Jim Brown, Gino Marchetti and Deacon Jones are way too low.

So... let's see your list then.

 

[BAT]

So... let's see your list then.

Maybe I'll whip something up a litte later, its only 2pm pacific over here.



But I wouldn't have Largent on my top 50 all time, especially if it means no Lombardi. I would also flip flop Walter Payton w/Jim Brown. Brown was not only more dominant during his era, he also won more. And as much as I love Schramm, don't think I put him over Shula (or even over Knoll, who's not even on your list).



Marchetti and Deacon Jones should be placed higher than guys like Haynes and Singletary (he would not make my top 50 all time either).