(But I’ll give you Namath and Irvin and Carson.)

A lot of the men on the list, as with some of today’s stars (Ochocinco, Portis, Urlacher as you mentioned) are great players but market themselves well and are not Hall worthy. A lot of the men on this list did the same and seemed to have somehow brainwashed the media and the fans by confusing their off-the-field-antics or the greatness of their teams with their own accomplishments.

“Stallworth/Swann – Boy are you jaded. The Steelers won 4 superbowls in 6 years…This group was one of best and most accomplished sports teams in the history of organized sports. They were the playmakers on a team of Hall of Famers.”

–You said it yourself the Steelers won the Super Bowls and these guys were vital roleplayers, but were not the caliber of players as the dominant defensive stars or the like of Webster, Bradshaw and Harris on offense. Swann especially was dynamic at times but his stats against his contemporaries in HIS time were abysmal.

“Csoka – Check his stat rankings at time of retirement.
Griese – Are you kidding me? Simply stated Bob Griese is a winner. He was a winner at every level – Took Purdue to their only Rose Bowl Victory over USC..multiple Superbowls, a winner, a winner a winner. If you don’t understand his greatness you don’t understand the role of a ‘field general’. Its about making plays, not being flashy. Few Superbowl teams are successful w/o great qbs.”

–No doubt as a fullback Csonka was great but as a runner he was above average nothing more. Griese was the ultimate in game managers. He did not do anything to inspire addition among the ranks of Tittle, Baugh, Graham, Marino, Elway etc.

“Hampton – Your obviously not from the mid west. Hampton was a dominant play maker and the best defensive lineman on the greatest defense of all time. Its not a matter of picking a representative from the ‘85 Bears to make it to the Hall, Hampton was drafted #1 in 1979 (Lou Holtz college coach i think) was dominant from the word go, big sacks, stopping the run double teams blocking field goals and extra points in clutch situations. The Danimal was awesome. Oh yeah did I mention he has had 10 operation on one knee and 12 on the other….at the time of retirement. At this point better than Urlacher. Why do think Dent, McMichael and the Fridge got notoriety? Its b/c Hampton was the focus of the offense.”

–I don’t need to be from the midwest to realize that Hampton was not only not the best defensive lineman in his era he wasn’t even the best on his own team. As I stated before he played most of his career at End and his sack stats are very low (even with accounting for the fact that they didn’t record them until after he played for a few years). Dent did not need Hampton he was more dynamic and a better player on his own. Hampton was one of many that have benefited from the old media writer and got the sympathy vote near the end of his eligibility.

“John Madden – How original to knock Madden. Mr. Madden is far more intelligent than people give him credit for being. Ever watched him being interviewed. He knows the game and is always on target with analysis. Lets not forgot there is no other more identifiable personality during this golden age of the NFL than John Madden. He makes the game fun….its not rocket science its football…its hard hits, slobberknockers, grunts etc. Vin Scully is a poet not for football….don’t you think Jim Nance should be sent back to the Butler Cabin…he is a cold fish out of water announcing football. Madden was an offensive lineman, successful assistant and head coach and a hall of fame announcer to boot. He Oakland Raider teams of the 70s got it done, were always competitive and lets not forget he lost the Immaculate Reception game vs the steelers. The guy knows the game…his favorite part of being of a coach was the 5 man sled…..It could only be moved when 5 players were in unison pushing the sled with all their force….teamwork to accomplish something that could not be done alone.”

–I agree with you that Madden would be a consideration as an announcer or contributor, but as a coach he did nothing to stand out and I guarantee if not for the one title (despite all of his LOADED teams) he would not be in.

“Michael Irvin – How could you watch football and not understand this guys greatness? A nickname has never been more aptly adorned. Michael Irvin was electric for a decade. Only second to Rice in danger and that is debatable! Irvin was awesome…whenever a big play or catch was needed Irvin was the man. He is exactly what sports is all about. Your best vs. our best and he won out time and time again. Also, he was an emotional leader and called guys out. Put this guy on weaker team and he still would have been great. Mike Singletary would love to have Michael Irvin on his team “I want Winners!” Never have truer words been spoken about an athlete in professional sports. Its amazing how this guy could ever be doubted”

–Would you put Henry Ellard in the Hall? He was just as dynamic a playmaker and had far better stats, but he played with the Rams his whole career and therefore gets no attention or consideration. Irvin benefited, maybe more than any player in history, from a superstar RB and a brilliant QB. Andre Reed was a better receiver with the same caliber QB and RB on his team. Again its all speculation and opinion, but switch Ellard and Irvin and we have a different Hall of Famer to discuss and Irvin wouldn’t be sitting on television embarrassing himself with his gaudy wardrobe week in and week out.

It’s because I know so much that my list has merit. I did not just throw it together. But I appreciate your comment and feel free to retort. Also keep checking back as we will be adding many lists in the near future.

What a BS list..do you know anything about sports?

There is a phrase in baseball that is perfectly applicable for this list:
“Don’t tell me what you hit, tell me when you hit it”

Csonka, Griese, Hampton, Madden, Irvin, Stallworth, Swann these are some of the games greats…not statistical phenoms.
These guys were at their best when it mattered most, time and time again!.
They separated themselves amongst their teammates and their peers and rose to the top of their profession.

Riggins, Tippet, Hornung, Casper and Namath. I don’t know enough about these guys to disprove your arguments but its a hall of fame not a hall of stats.
These guys impacted the game as you mentioned in your opening. What were there stats in comparison to their peers at the time of retirement.

Stallworth/Swann – Boy are you jaded. The Steelers won 4 superbowls in 6 years…This group was one of best and most accomplished sports teams in the history of organized sports. They were the playmakers on a team of Hall of Famers.

Csoka – Check his stat rankings at time of retirement.
Griese – Are you kidding me? Simply stated Bob Griese is a winner. He was a winner at every level – Took Purdue to their only Rose Bowl Victory over USC..multiple Superbowls, a winner, a winner a winner. If you don’t understand his greatness you don’t understand the role of a ‘field general’. Its about making plays, not being flashy. Few Superbowl teams are successful w/o great qbs.

Hampton – Your obviously not from the mid west. Hampton was a dominant play maker and the best defensive lineman on the greatest defense of all time. Its not a matter of picking a representative from the ‘85 Bears to make it to the Hall, Hampton was drafted #1 in 1979 (Lou Holtz college coach i think) was dominant from the word go, big sacks, stopping the run double teams blocking field goals and extra points in clutch situations. The Danimal was awesome. Oh yeah did I mention he has had 10 operation on one knee and 12 on the other….at the time of retirement. At this point better than Urlacher. Why do think Dent, McMichael and the Fridge got notoriety? Its b/c Hampton was the focus of the offense.

John Madden – How original to knock Madden. Mr. Madden is far more intelligent than people give him credit for being. Ever watched him being interviewed. He knows the game and is always on target with analysis. Lets not forgot there is no other more identifiable personality during this golden age of the NFL than John Madden. He makes the game fun….its not rocket science its football…its hard hits, slobberknockers, grunts etc. Vin Scully is a poet not for football….don’t you think Jim Nance should be sent back to the Butler Cabin…he is a cold fish out of water announcing football. Madden was an offensive lineman, successful assistant and head coach and a hall of fame announcer to boot. He Oakland Raider teams of the 70s got it done, were always competitive and lets not forget he lost the Immaculate Reception game vs the steelers. The guy knows the game…his favorite part of being of a coach was the 5 man sled…..It could only be moved when 5 players were in unison pushing the sled with all their force….teamwork to accomplish something that could not be done alone.

Michael Irvin – How could you watch football and not understand this guys greatness? A nickname has never been more aptly adorned. Michael Irvin was electric for a decade. Only second to Rice in danger and that is debatable! Irvin was awesome…whenever a big play or catch was needed Irvin was the man. He is exactly what sports is all about. Your best vs. our best and he won out time and time again. Also, he was an emotional leader and called guys out. Put this guy on weaker team and he still would have been great. Mike Singletary would love to have Michael Irvin on his team “I want Winners!” Never have truer words been spoken about an athlete in professional sports. Its amazing how this guy could ever be doubted

Csonka, Riggins were great runners and classic fullbacks used to grind out tough yards. They played in a time when 1,000 yards was considered a really special club. Thats why Jim Brown was so great, he did it when nobody else could.

Swan and Stallworth were magnificent receivers who made tough catches look easy. Griese’s stats were a nothing compared to Marino’s…but oh..he has those rings!

Again, it is not the Hall of Stats!