Given the timing with the new Hall of Fame class announcement we thought we would come up with an elite list of receivers in our opinion.

10. (tie) Andre Reed – Bills, Redskins & Art Monk – Redskins, Jets, Eagles

It was hard choosing between these two as both were elite during their playing days while lacking the eccentricities or flash of many of the more modern receivers. Monk spent years on the Hall ballot and Reed will most likely do the same. The difference here is that Monk had the rings while Reed had slightly better stats when he finished up. Outside of the Super Bowl victories these two have a lot more similarities than differences and therefore will share the #10 spot.

9. Isaac Bruce – Rams, 49ers

Quietly under-appreciated, Isaac Bruce has had an elite Hall of Fame caliber career without many people talking about him. He is only one of six players with over 1,000 receptions, is second all time in yardage and has close to a hundred TDs. While Torry Holt received a lot more attention in St. Louis, Bruce put up huge numbers and never backed down into the “#2 receiver” role. Let’s not forget he was also part of, what many believe to be the best offense ever “The Greatest Show on Turf”.

8. Don Maynard – Giants, Titans, Jets, Rams

By the time Don Maynard retired in 1973 he held the career marks in receptions, yardage and was second in TDs scored. He was the epitome of consistency and while averaging almost 20 Y/R. It is my belief that Maynard is the single reason that overrated QB Joe Namath is a Hall of Famer. The young receiver was the best target a QB could hope for during the decade of the 1960s.

The two best years of Maynard’s career, 1967 and 1968, tell the tale of there being no coincidence as those were the two years the Jets were in contention for championships, the latter getting the job done.

7. Steve Largent – Seahawks

What happens to a Wide Receiver who is on one of the consistently worst NFL franchises for a span of over ten years? Well in Steve Largent’s case you break every receiving record in the books. Steve Largent looks like the average guy next door at 5′11″ 185 lbs. But what the man lacked in size he ever-so-greatly made up for in heart. Largent went on to be the first receiver to catch 100 TD passes and was a lock for the Hall of Fame.

As if this wasn’t enough accomplishment for one man he would later go on to the House of Representatives as their 1st congressional district representative. Not bad for a skinny kid from Tulsa.

6. Cris Carter – Eagles, Vikings, Dolphins

When your greatest critique is that “all you do is catch touchdown passes”, well it should signal a mighty fine career as an NFL wide receiver. It wasn’t easy for Carter who would struggle with addiction to Cocaine and Alcohol early in his playing days almost derailing his career before it started. He credits coach Buddy Ryan (who was the man behind the above quote) with turning his career around after cutting him from Philadelphia.

Carter would go on to be one of the best possession receivers ever and will get into the Hall of Fame very shortly after this years obvious snub.

5. Marvin Harrison – Colts

Although Harrison has recently been entangled in some quite disturbing legal issues, we can not forget what a dominant force he was catching the ball for the Indianapolis Colts throughout his 13 NFL seasons. Drafted at the end of the first round out of Syracuse, some thought Harrison was too undersized to play at the next level. He proved everyone of his naysayers wrong with a career that has him in the top five of every important receiving statistic. He also had what could be considered one of the top three single seasons ever when he recorded a record 143 catches for over 1,700 yards and 11 TDs.

We could argue all day that he had Peyton Manning as his QB and what not, but the play on the field speaks for itself. Let’s hope he doesn’t lessen a stellar career with a stupid act off the field.

4. Terrell Owens – 49ers, Eagles, Cowboys, Bills

For all the controversy, media banter and team squabbles, no one can deny that Terrell Owens has backed up his sometimes over eager mouth, with a Hall of Fame career. He is already statistically in the top five of all categories and still seems to be able to play at a high level because of an amazing conditioning routine. He has not gotten along with many QBs, probably because his ego is too big to share any limelight, but on the field he is a martyr with his desire to win and to be considered the greatest. While he may not get the latter recognition, it is safe to say that T.O. will be a lock Hall of Famer and amongst the greatest ever to catch a football.

3. Randy Moss – Vikings, Raiders, Patriots

If you account for pure talent, there has never been a better receiver ever. Randy Moss is an amazing pass catcher that seems to make everyone around him better (usually a QBs job). After a dominating career in Minnesota, most thought he was done when his career fizzled in Oakland (who’s dosen’t?), but after a trade to New England he had a resurgence that few if any ever see. Moss has had two careers that any single receiver would hope to have just one and done it despite attitude and mild drug issues. Just think what his numbers would look like if he didn’t spend two seasons of his prime in the black hole known as Oakland.

2. Jerry Rice – 49ers, Seahawks, Raiders

I know it is controversial to go against the grain here but Rice played in an era where the passing game was becoming universally recognized as the norm in pro football. With Joe Montana and Steve Young throwing him the ball, Rice’s numbers have been inconceivable. He has shattered all records and despite semi-embarrassing stints in Oakland and Seattle managed to save face, recently being inducted as a unanimous choice into the Hall of Fame. Putting Rice at #2 is not down playing what he has accomplished, but putting into perspective why our #1 deserves to be at the top of the list.

1. Don Hutson – Packers

It is very easy to forget what someone accomplished over 60 years ago, but Don Hutson was the Babe Ruth of football for what he achieved in the the time he did and just how far he was separated from the competition in his day. In an era where the running game was 80-90% of the offense for teams, Hutson revolutionized the passing game. His 1942 effort was astounding for the time when he caught over 70 passes for over 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns! By the time he was finished it would be decades before his records were broken; and while Jerry Rice has records that may never be broken, the passing game was much more accepted in the 1980s-present than it was in the 1940s. Hutson was an enigma for his speed as well and while Rice was running exceptional routes — Hutson INVENTED the routes. For all these reasons we gave the Green Bay great the nod, however slight, over the great Jerry Rice.

10. Mariano Rivera

You can have a debate about who the greatest hitter of all-time is, or who the greatest outfielder, catcher etc. But when it comes to who the greatest closer of all-time is, there is no debate — it’s Mariano Rivera. With a World Series ERA of 0.75 and 39 World Series saves, Rivera has dominated baseball in the last decade. Since 1999 “The Panama Express” has played in nine All-Star games, captured three World Series rings, won the Rolaids Relief Man Award five times, and led Major League Baseball in total saves three times.  No closer has come anywhere near that kind of dominance in the last ten years.

9. Michael Schumacher

Although he has been retired for a few years, Schumacher is still the stick by which we measure Formula One drivers. He won seven F1 championships, including five in a row from 2000-2004. Schumacher was one of the highest paid athletes in the world during the past ten years, second only to Tiger Woods, and many credit him with being the world’s first billionaire athlete. There is talk of him making a comeback next season, possibly with the Mercedes team, if this takes place count on him adding more wins to his already sterling legacy.

8. Jimmie Johnson

With 47 wins, 179 top ten finishes, and 23 pole positions, Jimmie Johnson has dominated NASCAR over the past decade. Johnson just won his fourth straight NASCAR points series title, but only the most die-hard NASCAR fans even know who he is. Perhaps if he got into fights like Tony Stewart, he would garner more respect from NASCAR fans. Instead, Johnson just quietly dominates his sport one race at a time.

7. Serena & Venus Williams

OK, so technically Venus and Serena are two separate athletes, but they are sisters, and let’s be honest these two have defined women’s tennis over the last ten years. Over the past decade only two women not named Williams have managed to win Wimbledon. When she is not being fined $80k for doing her best John McEnroe impression, Serena Williams dominates the tennis world. She has won the Australian Open so often that it might as well be named after her. Venus in like manner has managed to win 41 total titles and has dominated Wimbledon over the past decade. Don’t forget the two have combined to win 16 doubles titles as well.

The Williams sisters are the two highest earning female tennis players of all-time, and when they are finished with their careers, they may also be equally regarded as the two greatest tennis players of all-time.

6. Sebastien Loeb

Since 2004 anyone in the World Rally Championship not named Sebastien Loeb has been driving for second place. Loeb has simply dominated the top spot in the sport. Driving a car around a track at high speeds is difficult enough, but take away all that nicely laid tarmac, throw in rocks and dirt, add a little snow and you have a recipe for disaster, but that is what the WRC is all about. The man dominates year in and year out with seemingly little effort. One year Loeb broke his arm while mountain biking, subsequently he missed the last four races of the season, but he still managed to win the championship because he was so far ahead in points.

5. Ryan Giggs

When it comes to soccer one franchise stands above the rest as the pinnacle of excellence: Manchester United. Ryan Giggs has spent his entire career with Man U, and is the most decorated player in English football history. Giggs has won seven Premier Leagues, two F.A. Cups, two UEFA Champions League Cups, and a FIFA Cup all in the last ten years. Other players may be more popular for dating former pop stars or filling highlight reels, but none have won as much hardware as Giggs has. Ryan Giggs plays international soccer for the Welsh national team, so he has not been very visible on the international stage, but he has dominated the English Premier League like no one else.

4. Shaquille O’Neal

Out of the last ten NBA Finals Shaq has played in five, won four, and been the Finals MVP three times. The only person who comes even close to that kind of dominance in the NBA over the last decade is Tim Duncan.  Shaq led the league in field-goal percentage seven times and led the league in scoring once during the last ten years. He has also managed to do something neither Michael Jordan nor Kobe Bryant have ever managed- win a championship without Phil Jackson.

3. Tom Brady

Tom Brady does one thing better than any other QB in the NFL- win games. Sure, perhaps Peyton Manning is technically a better QB, and Brady may have benefited from the whole “spygate” scandal, but Brady has managed to win three Superbowls and play in a fourth. He also lead the Patriots to an 18-1 record two years ago and only Jim McMahon and Joe Montana can claim that kind of a record in the annals of pro football. Brady has also set several NFL records including: Most passing touchdowns in a single quarter (5), most passing touchdowns in a single season (50), and largest touchdown to interception difference (42).

2. Roger Federer

Over the past ten years Roger Federer’s dominance has faced only two challenges: Raphael Nadal and mononucleosis. With 61 career titles and an 81% career winning percentage, Federer has been destroying his competition on a consistent basis since turning pro in 1998. He held the top spot in world tennis rankings for a record 237 weeks, which is almost five years of pure dominance.

Raphael Nadal has made a name for himself as being the one person who can consistently beat Roger Federer (on clay mostly), but once you get past Nadal there really is no player that has challenged King Rog. Wimbledon and the US Open belong to Federer, having dominated both events since 2003. Finally, given the history of superstars in tennis it is impressive to note that Roger has become the all-time career earnings leader as well.

1. Tiger Woods

Why does anyone care about Tiger’s marriage and personal life? Whether you are in the most exclusive country club in the world, or you are at a fast food joint in a sketchy neighborhood, you will find someone who is a Tiger Woods fan, no other athlete on this list has that sort of universal appeal. Thus, when Tiger has marriage problems and wrecks his Escalade it is literally international news.

To begin to understand how much Tiger Woods means to golf, all one has to do is look at TV ratings. After wining the US Open in 2008, Woods had season-ending knee surgery; the TV audience for golf dropped a staggering 55% for the PGA Championship with Woods gone. No other athlete in sports has that kind of influence on audience size…period!

Tiger is third on the all-time list for PGA Tour wins. Sam Snead had 82 Tour wins in 30 years, Jack Nicklaus had 73 Tour wins in 25 years, Tiger has 71 Tour wins in just 14 years. As dominant as every other athlete is on this list, Tiger is easily twice as good as anyone before him. Barring any major injury, or an even stranger car crash, Tiger will hold almost every Golf record in the book by miles when he retires. Tiger WoodsIS golf. If he were to retire tomorrow the PGA would be in a full-blown crisis.

Tiger has also dominated Forbes list of highest paid athletes for the past ten years. When you look at all his achievements there is no doubt that he is the most dominant athlete of the decade.

10. Mitch Richmond

In the early nineties, the Golden State Warriors had a fun and exciting team. Their three best players were affectionately referred to as “Run TMC”: the “T” stood for Tim Hardaway, the “C” for Chris Mullin and the “M” for Mitch Richmond. For some reason, most fans talk about only two of the players; hardly anyone talks about Richmond, which is strange, considering his impressive numbers.

During his career Richmond averaged 21 points a game, he was a great defender who almost always averaged at least a steal a game and he was a decent rebounder and free throw shooter. In 1996-97, he was fourth in the league in scoring with 26.9 points a game not to mention being a six-time All-Star and winning the games MVP award in 1995. Richmond was a great player during the nineties and he even won a championship with the Lakers in 2002 (although he played limited minutes).

9. Dan Issel

Dan Issel was a tough-as-nails big man: watch old game footage of him and you will notice that he had no front teeth for a while, since they were knocked out during a game. He was the second all-time leading scorer in the ABA and just as effective in the NBA. Although not the most athletically gifted player, he averaged 22.6 points and nine rebounds a game throughout his career through hard work and grit.

8. Nate “Tiny” Archibald

“Tiny” is the only player to lead the league in both scoring and assists in the same season. He managed 34 points and eleven assists a game for an entire season–truly remarkable. What makes this all the more impressive is that he stood a meager 6′1”, hence the nickname “Tiny”. He had amazing offensive skills similar to an Isiah Thomas or Allen Iverson. In the latter part of his career, he played in Boston, where he teamed up with Larry Bird to win a championship.

7. Rick Barry

Everyone has heard of the scoring machine known as Wilt Chamberlain who led the league in scoring for seven years in the early 1960’s, until a young fellow named Rick Barry finally broke his streak. To be fair, Wilt had decided at this point in his career that he was going to become more of a passer, so he was taking 11 fewer shots per game than he previously had been taking.

Barry was a prolific scorer, making 90% of his free throws — underhanded. He averaged 25 points a game over his career, rebounded well and was a decent passer. His sons Brent and Jon went on to play in the NBA as well.

6. Bob Mcadoo

In the first ten years of his career Bob McAdoo easily averaged 25 points and 12 rebounds per game, including averaging 30 points a game for three straight seasons. He had huge hands, a long wingspan and could block shots with the best of them. For one reason or another McAdoo never really settled down with one franchise and ended up playing with seven different teams including the Lakers, winning two titles, though mainly as a role player behind Magic and Kareem.

5. Bernard King

Bernard King was hampered by injury for much of his career which might explain why he is not recognized as much as he should be. But he was a great-scoring small forward who once lead the league in points per game with 32.9 — while making 53% of his shots! King is also one of only four players in the NBA to score 50 points in a single game for three different teams.

To put those kinds of numbers into perspective, Larry Bird never managed to average 30 points a game or 53% from the field. King was simply dominant at times and during the 1980s was the best player in New York before a young center from Georgetown took over the team.

4. Chris Mullin

Rather than go over his NBA numbers I am going to tell a personal story about Chris Mullin. When I was a teenager I was at a basketball camp, Mullin came to teach us a thing or two about shooting. His brother, Terry, ran a drill with Chris that I will never forget:

Chris shot around the world, moving all around the three point line shooting fifty jumpers in a row, while his brother rebounded the ball and threw it back out to him after every shot. He had all of us counting out loud so I remember it vividly.  Guess how many of those jumpers he made? Fifty! He did not miss a single shot, and he finished it off with a 360 dunk. The guy was amazing and fans don’t give him nearly enough credit for being the great player that he was.

3. John Havlicek

John Havlicek was described by Bill Russell as being the player with the “most basketball skill” that he ever played with. As a rookie in 1962, he found himself on one of the greatest teams of All-Time: the Boston Celtics. In his second season he already started averaging 20 points and 5 rebounds a game.

In 1970-71 Havlicek averaged 29 points and 9 rebounds a game. Havlicek is probably best known for stealing the ball in the 1965 NBA Finals, when the announcer Johnny Most yelled: “Havlicek steals it! Havlicek stole the ball!” But Havlicek did much more than steal one ball, he was a solid player for 15 years and is one of the all-time Celtic greats.

2. Elgin Baylor

Do you remember when Seattle University was a college basketball powerhouse? Neither do I, but when Elgin Baylor was playing for them, it was a phenomenal basketball school. When people talk about greatest Lakers of all time, the usual suspects come up: Magic, Kareem, Kobe, Wilt, West and Shaq are all common names. But Elgin Baylor is one name we do not nearly hear thrown around enough.

He once averaged 38 points a game for a season, second on the All Time list. He scored 61 points in the NBA Finals against the Celtics and Bill Russell. Anyone who drops 60 on the Bill Russell’s Celtics is one of the greatest of all time, period.

1. Nate Thurmond

Without a doubt, Nate Thurmond is the greatest player you’ve never heard of. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar described him as the best defensive player he ever faced. What’s so impressive? How about this:
Thurmond was the first player in NBA history to record a quadruple double with 24 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, and 12 blocks in a single game. Thurmond consistently averaged 20 points and 20 rebounds a game in the late sixties.

The NBA did not keep track of blocks until 1973 when Thurmond was slowing down due to injury and age, but the first season blocks were tracked Thurmond averaged 2.9 a game, a number that would have him among the best in the league right now. He was far better at blocking shots when he was younger so it is entirely possible that he was blocking five to six shots a game at his peak.

All in all, Thurmond was the total package, a complete player that was a joy to watch. His relative lack of recognition compared to his strengths as a competitor make him the top choice for most underrated NBA player of all time.

Honorable mentions: Willis Reed, Wes Unsled, Joe Dumars, Hal Greer, George Mikan, Artis Gilmore, Adrian Dantley, Alex English

In selecting the “greatest” achievements, we looked first toward the overall most impressive accomplishments, on either the men’s or women’s tour — some of them being so spectacular as to transcend gender. Others, we felt obliged to note the individual men’s and women’s record together, since it can be difficult to distinguish between tours as to which is more impressive. Finally, while an individual competitor may have several noteworthy achievements, we favored those which would be hardest to match or surpass.

Of course, as with any discussion of all-time tennis lists, we have to make a distinction between achievements before and after 1968, which marked the beginning of what’s known as the “Open Era”. Before 1968, the Grand Slam events were reserved only for amateurs, which means that players who turned professional (that is, got paid for playing/appearing at tournaments) were unable to compete in the majors. So a competitive field already narrow by today’s standards was substantially more so; winners of these tournaments often did not have to beat the best players in the world to become the champion.

Also, note that until the 1970s, all of the Grand Slam tournaments (except the French Open) were contested on grass. Modern players must compete on at least 4 surfaces: Plexicushion (Australian Open), red clay (Rolan Garros), grass (Wimbledon), and DecoTurf (US Open). Even though both the US and Australian Opens are hardcourt tournaments, the nature and temperament of their surfaces are quite different, which favors some players over others. The Aussie Open’s hard court is slow as molasses; in fact, Lleyton Hewitt called it slower than Roland Garros. It probably doesn’t help either that January is midsummer in Melboure — balls travel much more slowly in hot, humid air vs. cool, dry air.

15. Career Fines

$90,000 (John McEnroe)

At #15, this may or may not be considered an “achievement”, but we expect certainly nearly $100,000 will be a tough figure for any player to match. Johnny Mac is famous for many things: his 7 career Grand Slam singles titles, his storied rivalry with Bjorn Borg, his present gig as TV commentator.

But nothing he’s ever done will compare with his fame as the hot-headed, bad boy of tennis that used to curse at umpires like a drunken sailor in the 1980s. His on-court outbursts are legendary, helping him create a persona that transcends the sport: he’s appeared as himself in a number of movies (Mr Deeds & You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, with Adam Sandler, as well as 2004’s Wimbledon with Kirsten Dunst). His short-lived talk show, McEnroe, however, retains the ignominious distinction of being one of the few shows ever to earn a 0.0 Nielsen rating.

14. Youngest Grand Slam Champion

17 years, 3 months (Michael Chang)

16 years, 9 months (Tracy Austin)

Tennis remains one of the few sports in which adolescents can compete with fully-grown adult professionals. In most cases, you don’t expect that a 18 year-old football player, for example, would be able to stand a chance against a 28 year-old NFL pro at the top of his game, not only on account of the years of experience but simply due to physical development. It’s not unusual for men, for instance, to reach their adult height around 19 or 20 years of age (the present writer reached his full height as a junior in college).

So it’s all the more noteworthy that Michael Chang captured the singles title at Roland Garros in 1989, by defeating world #1 and defending-champion Ivan Lendl in a thrilling, history-making 5-set epic semifinal that went 4 hours, 37 minutes. Chang battled back from being down two sets and one service break to capture the 3rd set, only to encounter debilitating leg cramps starting in the 4th set.

Barely able to stand and screaming in pain after points, he resorted to some unusual tactics, such as lobbing “moonballs”, standing at the service line when receiving, going for every winner possible to shorten the points and, most famously, catching Lendl off guard with an underhanded serve up 4-3 in the 5th set. Beyond triumphing at such a young age, this match in particular highlighted Chang’s unyielding drive, resourcefulness, and tenacity. (He went on to upset Stefan Edberg in the final, again in 5 sets.) Boris Becker was the previous record-holder of youngest-ever winner and remains the youngest Wimbledon champion at 17 years, 7 months.

On the women’s side, the story is a bit different: female players reach their adult size sooner and the game in general has traditionally been dominated more by shot-making prowess as opposed to sheer power. Today, it’s not that unusual for a girl, 3 weeks shy of her 14th birthday, to go pro and defeat 4 seeded players on her way to a tournament final (Jennifer Capriati, Boca Raton, 1990) or a 15-year old to defeat a world #1 (Serena Williams d. Monica Seles, Chicago 1997).

The occasional upset against a top player on a bad day does not make a Grand Slam champion and Tracy Austin proves this on our list here, as just shy of her 17th birthday, she remains the youngest female player to win a Grand Slam singles title. In 1979, she defeated Chris Evert in the US Open final 6-4 6-3, halting the older champion’s bid to collect a 5th consecutive title. She was no fluke either as earlier in the year, the precocious teen defeated Evert in three sets at the Italian Open (ending the latter’s streak; see #13). Austin’s career was cut short due to injuries, but in her brief career reached the quarterfinals or better of every Grand Slam event she played in — a clear testament to her ambition and ability.

13. Single Surface Winning Streak

125 (Chris Evert)

81 (Rafael Nadal)

Tennis is unusual in that, unlike other sports, players compete on very different surfaces: in addition to clay, grass, and hard courts, there are a number of indoor tournaments at the end of the season contested on carpet. (Yes, really.) And because of the differences between these surfaces, some players excel on one type over another, becoming a “slow court specialist” or a “fast court specialist”. Two of the greatest specialists of all time both found their greatest success on clay: Chris Evert and Rafael Nadal.

From August 1973, Chris Evert won an astonishing 125 consecutive matches on red clay, a feat unequaled by any man or woman. Not surprisingly, she also holds the record for most French Open titles. What’s more surprising, though, is that this record is held by an American player: the best clay court players in the world tend to come from Europe or, increasingly from South America, where they are as common as hard courts in the US.

We don’t know how she did it, but for a while Evert was considered utterly invincible on her favorite surface. Not until another legend, Tracy Austin, came along in 1979, did she finally relinquish her stranglehold. Among her other notable accomplishments: Evert holds the record (men or women) for most consecutive seasons winning at least one Grand Slam singles title, at 13. Now that’s consistency.

On the men’s side, our record-holder is still an active player with many years of competitive play ahead of him, and at only 23 tender years of age, Nadal is already widely considered the best clay court player of all time. His 81 match streak began in 2005 and continued, juggernaut-like, until losing to Roger Federer at the 2007 Hamburg Masters. And just what accounts for this mastery? It’s not just his superb fitness, unrivaled defensive ability, or mental toughness. No, turns out Nadal is more of an anomaly than we thought:

According to John Yandell, a Yale-educated tennis teacher and analyst, Nadal’s ability to generate topspin is, frankly, almost superhuman. Just 10 years ago, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras routinely recorded 1,800 revolutions per minute with their searing forehands. By contrast, Yandell notes today that part of understanding Federer’s magic is in his forearm rotation and open stance, which results in his generating upward of 2,500 rpm on his swing.

As for the #1 Spaniard, his extreme western forehand grip generates topspin clocking in at an unbelievable average 3,300 rpm, and has recorded a maximum reading of 5,000 rpm. What this means for his poor opponents is that when the ball strikes the ground, it leaps up over their heads in less than the time it takes to blink — making the simple act of getting the ball back in play a minor miracle. Clay’s tendency is to produce higher-bouncing balls, compounded with a left-handed player who naturally drives shots to his right-handed opponents’ backhands, results in an almost nonreturnable shot. (Incidentally, this also helps to explain his relative difficulty against taller players: for a 6′4″ Robin Soderling or 6′6″ Juan Martin del Potro and Marin Cilic, a ball like this ends up right in their comfortable strike zone.)

As a further evidence of his utter clay mastery, Nadal holds the record for most consecutive matches won at Roland Garros: 31, achieved by reaching the 4th round in 2009, when he lost at the French Open for the first time to Robin Soderling. If anybody offers you the chance to wager against his breaking Borg’s record of 6 total Roland Garros titles before he’s done, don’t take the bet.

Honorable Mention: Roger Federer, 65 (grass).

This is all the more impressive considering how few grass court tournaments are played each year on tour: of the six total, four are scheduled simultaneously. This means that a player can, at best, play in only 4 per year (including Wimbledon).

12. Consecutive Seasons Ending #1

6 (Pete Sampras)

Legendary Californian by-way-of-Greece Pete Sampras makes his single appearance at #12. Considered by TENNIS Magazine the greatest tennis player from 1965-2005, Sampras’s Open Era Grand Slam singles record is supremely impressive: seven Wimbledon championships (record all-time), five US Open championships (tied all-time with Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer), and 2 Opens from Down Under. Not only does he count his eight consecutive wins in Grand Slam finals as an all-time record, but he’s only one of two players to win in his teens, 20’s, and 30’s.

Despite also holding the record for most total weeks at #1 (286), it’s his consecutive seasons finishing at the top spot that we consider his most impressive accomplishment. Tennis is such a physical game, requiring not only sprint-like quickness but also marathon-like endurance, that a top player peaks during the relatively narrow window of his mid-20’s. One minor injury, one bad case of the flu that causes even a one month respite from the tour when a player has a lot of ranking points to defend, and he can drop to the #2 spot.

Not even Roger Federer could match it: after first moving to #1 in 2004, last year (2008) would have been his 5th consecutive year, but he lost the ranking in August to Nadal. In our judgment, this will be Sampras’s greatest and most enduring legacy: to hold onto his premiere position for so long, playing so consistently well in so many tournaments.

11. Most Dominant Season

1984 (John McEnroe)

What were you doing in 1984? In that year, Johnny Mac was turning in one of the most dominant displays of tennis ever recorded, with a year-end record of 82-3, including 13 ATP events, Davis Cup, and World Team Cup matches. He won Wimbledon and US Open Championships that year and reached the final of Roland Garros. He lost only 20 out of 224 sets played that year, winning an astonishing 91% of all sets played. He also thrashed his two closest rivals: McEnroe went 7-1 against Lendl and 6-0 against Connors, not to mention 4-0 against Mats Wilander. Amazingly, this phenomenal year came in the twilight of his career: the following year, McEnroe would reach his last Grand Slam singles final at the US Open.

Honorable Mention: Martina Navratilova (86-1)

There’s just something about the early ’80s and outrageous runs of tennis dominance: Navratilova lost a single match in 1983, in the fourth round of the French Open. One match out of 87, surpassing even McEnroe’s feat. Actually, from 1982-1984, she only lost a total of six matches. That’s just sick.

10. Career Singles Titles

167 (Martina Navratilova)

Ms Navratilova’s career is among the all-time greats: eighteen singles Grand Slam titles, including nine Wimbledons. Her storied rivalry with Chris Evert remains one of the most compelling, male or female, in any sport. But supreme among her accomplishments is her longevity: in 2003, at 53, the former-Yugoslav won her final Grand Slam title (US Open mixed doubles). Long past a typical player’s peak years, she continued to find the drive and fortitude to compete against players 10 or more years her junior. And while she may not have been able to match their physical strength or speed, her years of experience and mental toughness carried her through the important points. (Navratilova also holds the record for career doubles titles at 177.)

Honorable Mention: Jimmy Connors

On the men’s side, we’d be remiss not to mention that same fighting spirit from showman, competitor, and longtime crowd-favorite Jimmy Connors. At 109, Connors holds the overwhelming record for career singles titles on the men’s side. Several commentators note that, until Nadal, nobody put his heart into the game and played every point like it was his last the way Connors did: whether up two sets or down, match point deuce, Connors used to play every point like it were match point. His professional career extended 26 years from 1970 to 1996, a record for which his otherworldly run to the 1991 US Open semifinals at 39 years old stands testament.

9. Consecutive Weeks at #1

237 (Roger Federer)

Yes, it’s true that there are virtually no significant flaws in Federer’s game. Not in his unreadable serve, not his dazzling defense and flashy footspeed, not his all-surface excellence, not his blistering backhand, not his exceptional endurance, and most certainly not his fiery forehand — a shot so beautiful and so deadly that, according to American Devin Britton following their 1st round US Open match, he placed shots to Fed’s forehand just to watch him hit it. David Foster Wallace called that same shot a “great liquid whip” and it is a pleasure to behold.

But what so often happens to dominant, elite athletes, is that on account of their commitment and effort, they can burn out, give in, or allow the trappings of success to do them in. Or, because of the effort required to play at that level, it opens the door to injury, illness, accident, etc. Not so for Roger Federer. His 4 1/2 year span (2004-08) at the number one position bears witness to his steadiness, consistency, hunger and dedication. No other player in the history of the sport has even come close — the record he beat was Jimmy Connors’s who, at 181 weeks (2+ years), was itself a wildly insurmountable accomplishment.

It’s also worth noting how close this streak is to the total: Sampras achieved his record for most weeks at #1, 286, over 12 years. Fed’s streak almost matches the record and with at least 3 years of top competitive play ahead of him, is there any doubt he’ll break that one, too?

8. Grand Slam “Boxed Set”

Margaret Smith Court

There are actually 12 Grand Slam tournaments per year. While all eyes are on the singles competition, players are vying for the doubles and mixed doubles (men and women combined) at the same time. Often, it’s the same players: Navratilova and McEnroe routinely won Grand Slam titles in doubles; the Williams sisters share 10 championship titles together. (McEnroe’s long-time partner, Peter Fleming, once modestly remarked that “the best doubles partnership in the world is John McEnroe and anybody else”.)

Why is this significant? Because it’s one thing for a champion like Roger Federer to compete only in singles, as is his wont, and another for his opponent to have played twice as many matches by the time they meet. Doubles matches don’t last as long, typically, but every extra minute of court time counts. In modern times, this has led to “doubles specialists”, in much the same way there are single-surface specialists. So to win all three — singles, doubles, and mixed doubles — at each of the four majors is to collect a Grand Slam “Boxed Set”. It’s a rare accomplishment, though not as much for Margaret Smith: she’s done it twice.

Court’s total count? 62 majors, more than any other player in history, ever: 24 singles, 19 doubles and 19 mixed doubles. The International Tennis Hall of Fame states, “For sheer strength of performance and accomplishment there has never been a tennis player to match Margaret Smith Court.” Her closest rivals are not even close, statistically: Martina Navratilova, with 56 total majors, and Roy Emerson on the men’s side with 28. Court makes the short list of players to achieve the calendar Grand Slam, in 1970, of which her final in Wimbledon of that year ranks among the great all-time contests. Playing in considerable pain with a sprained ankle, she held off Billie Jean King in straight sets. Final score? 14-12, 11-9 (the tie-break was introduced in 1973). Court also had the best two-season run in history: had she won Wimbledon in 1969 — she lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Ann Haydon Jones — she’d be the only player to have achieved two back-to-back calendar Slams.

Now, to be fair, 11 of Court’s GS titles came from the Australian Open, during an era when few top players ventured so far south to compete. Also, the years she won many of her titles — including her first boxed set — predated the start of the Open Era, which means from 1960-1967 she was competing only against other “amateurs”, since pros were forbidden to play the Grand Slam tournaments prior to 1968. In later years she appears to have become a raving Bible fundamentalist, making all kinds of embarrassing public comments, but her achievements nevertheless speak for themselves.

7. Total Weeks Ranked #1

377 (Steffi Graf)

Graf holds the record for total weeks as the world’s top player and finished the season ranked #1 on eight occasions (another record). What more is there to say? (More on her below.)

6. Calendar Year Grand Slams

2 (Rod Laver)

Prior to Roger Federer, any conversation about the “greatest of all time” (or GOAT, as s/he may be affectionately referred to in the ESPN fora) usually boiled down to two players: Pete Sampras and Rod Laver. The fiery redhead dominated the sport throughout the 1960s and was considered near-unbeatable, essentially introducing the modern topspin game with his famously-oversized left arm. Few players today can match his shot-making artistry, devastating attacking style, or near-supernatural court coverage.

The “Rocket” holds the singular distinction of not only having completed a career Grand Slam — winning each of the 4 — but to do so in a single calendar year twice. Yes, twice: his first, in 1962, and then again in 1969. What makes this accomplishment so notable? Imagine winning the Super Bowl not once in a year, but 4 times, outlasting seven straight opponents over two weeks, in matches that routinely last three , four, or sometimes five hours straight, a half-dozen time zones removed from your last tournament. It doesn’t help that the tennis season extends from basically January 1 to December 1 for the top players — they get a single month of off season rest. ESPN analyst Joel Drucker put it best:

“What becomes hard is the cumulative weight of the tennis year, the weight of the pressure, of factors ranging from schedule to weather to injuries to a sizzling-hot opponent. All those things play into it.”

Fans of the Aussie southpaw like to point out, rightly, that had he been able to compete in the Slams from 1963 (the year he went pro) until they were “opened” to professional players in 1968 — years that spanned Laver’s competitive peak — he might well have collected another calendar Slam. At the very least, it stands to reason he’d have won a handful of other singles titles, pushing his total from 11 to 15, 16, maybe 20!

We’ll never know for sure and speculation can only get us so far. As it is, we’ll have to take things at face value. Before the Open Era, records are difficult to assess: amateurs played amateurs and pros played pros, all before there was any official tour. This skews the record a bit. Still, there’s no denying his role in the pantheon of great players or this unparalleled achievement.

5. Grand Slam Singles Titles (Women)

22 (Steffi Graf)

In addition to her Open Era-record for number of Grand Slam singles titles, she is also the only player in history to win all four Grand Slam titles four times. In 1985 and early ‘86, the teen-aged Graf emerged as the first to challenge the decade-long dominance of Evert/Navratilova. (In fact, Graf went 8-0 against Evert in their eight career meetings.) She utterly dominated the tour in the late ’80s, winning at least one Grand Slam singles title every year from 1987 to 1996, sometimes winning two or even three. Graf holds another, related record: reaching the finals of every tournament played in a season, twice, in 1987 and 1989.

The early ’90s witnessed a string of injuries and personal problems that diminished her impact on the tour, but Graf began a second period of dominance beginning in 1993 assisted by the disappearance of her principal rival at the time, Monica Seles. In what can no doubt be considered the most tragic sporting injury of all time, Seles was stabbed between the shoulder blades while sitting down during a changeover by a mentally ill fan of Graf. After some years of injury-caused decline in the mid-90s, Graf lost the top spot to rising newcomer Martina Hingis.

But in 1999, the tenacious champion fought through to her first Grand Slam final in more than 3 years, defeating top-ranked Martina Hingis in a memorable three set match that would become her final GS title. In doing so, Graf became the only player in the Open Era to defeat the first, second and third-ranked players in the same tournament. We don’t expect this record to be broken any time soon and we’re inclined to agree with Billie Jean King: Graf is the greatest woman player of all time.

Note: It’s true that Margaret Smith Court can claim 24 GS singles titles, but 13 of them were pre-Open Era and most of them (11) from Australia. In those years, the event didn’t have the prestige it does today and many players opted not to make the trip Down Under. (Bjorn Borg, for example, played only once, in 1974, reaching the 3rd round.)

4. Grand Slam Singles Titles (Men)

15 (Roger Federer)

This is a no-brainer. In 2009, Federer broke “Pistol” Pete Sampras’s Grand Slam singles title record after only 7 years, surprising even the most seasoned of tennis fans — many thought it would last for all time (or at least, more time than that). And at 27 years old, the Fed did it in only 7 years as a pro out of 42 appearances: Sampras needed 52 tries and 12 years. As good as Sampras was — his explosive serve and aggressive net game — he only ever made it to the semifinals of Roland Garros and on only one occasion (1996, l. Kafelnikov).

I’m at a loss to imagine how difficult such a prolonged, consistent level of transcendent competition would be required to accomplish this. And since Sampras won his last US Open in 2002 (at 31, he is both the oldest and youngest (19) player ever to win), that means we can likely expect at least 3 more years of competitive play from the Swiss maestro. Who knows how many he’ll collect by his career’s end? I’m willing to go on record now that he breaks 20.

Note: Although Graf’s 22 is quite a bit more than Federer’s current 15, we weight the men’s accomplishment higher since they play best of five sets, which requires a somewhat greater degree of mental and physical toughness.

3. French Open / Wimbledon Double

3 (Bjorn Borg)

Grass: the province of fast, serve-and-volley tennis. Clay: the domain of long, grinding power baseliners. The two surfaces occupy opposite ends of the performance spectrum. With its natural, uneven turf, grass redirects virtually all a ball’s momentum without deflection, which causes it to bounce very low and very fast. Clay, by contrast, absorbs much of a ball’s momentum, so that it slows down dramatically and bounces high. The result? We end up with “specialist” players who excel on one surface or another, depending on their game and playing style. Rare indeed is the player who can not only compete but thrive on both surfaces. See this terrific New York Times info-graphic for an interactive look:

Rafael Nadal Takes Aim at the Fast Courts

Which brings us to the iceman, Bjorn Borg. From the years 1978 to 1981, the Swede dominated men’s tennis much the way Roger Federer does now: when he entered a tournament, it was his to lose. And though he never claimed either the Australian Open or US Open championships (reaching the finals four times), he did win both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, on clay and on grass, in the same year, 1978.

Then he did it again in 1979. And again in 1980! This is so difficult an accomplishment, so unusual a constellation of skills and nerves, that the act of accomplishing the Roland Garros/Wimbledon double in the same year remained unequaled for 18 years, until Rafael Nadal matched it in 2008 (and now, Roger Federer in 2009). We’ll probably have to wait another 18 before another player that can play as well on both surfaces emerges as a competitive threat.

2. Golden Slam

Steffi Graf

In tennis parlance, achieving a “Grand Slam” means collecting all four major titles in the same calendar year, a feat so rare you can count the number of players to do it — male or female — on one hand. But should a player accomplish so august a feat in a quadrennial summer Olympics year, while simultaneously taking home the gold medal in singles, it’s called a “Golden Slam”. To date, only one person — the modest, laser-focused and indefatigable German champion Steffi Graf — has accomplished it.

Winning the gold medal in singles is itself impressive enough: because of the event’s prestige, it attracts a competitive draw nearly identical to that of a Grand Slam. And a player only has one chance every four years to win it, so competing in the Olympics during the peak of one’s tennis career is largely a matter of luck and good timing. Thus, adding what basically amounts to a 5th Grand Slam to the tour makes winning the other four plus the Olympic gold an exceedingly rare, impressive accomplishment.

But should we be surprised that it was Graf that did it? Next to Margaret Court, who technically possesses more Grand Slam singles titles (24 to Graf’s 22), Graf possesses the greatest championship resume of any female player. And frankly, because all of her accomplishments were in the Open Era, against a larger and more internationally competitive field, her record is all the more impressive than Court’s.

In a surprising twist of fate, the only male player ever to have won all four Grand Slam titles (though not in a calendar year) as well as a singles gold medal is her husband, Andre Agassi. My guess is they’ve got an entire wing devoted to storing trophies in their Las Vegas home.

1. Consecutive Grand Slam Semifinals

22 (Roger Federer)

No doubt many readers were expecting the young Swiss’s superb outlasting of American #1 Andy Roddick in this year’s Wimbledon Championships, in which the Swiss superstar broke Sampras’s all-time Grand Slam record by collecting his record fifteenth title, to be the number one greatest achievement. But even it pales in comparison to this one.

Consider: for years, Ivan Lendl, the Czech juggernaut and father of modern power baseline players, held the record for most number of consecutive Grand Slam semifinals reached, at 10. Ten consecutive semifinal appearances from 1985 to 1988 is a breathtaking display of extraordinary tennis consistency. It requires no small amount of focus, persistence, hard work, dedication and, frankly, luck, since even one injury or illness is enough to rob a player of the millimeters he needs to play competitively against the best players in the world.

Not family matters, not burnout, not an unfair line judge can get in the way: the stars must virtually align for a player to be that good, that long, on 3 different surfaces (clay, grass and hard). Lendl himself broke his own previous record of 6; before him, German Boris Becker held the record at 5. More so than Sampras’s record of total Grand Slam titles (14), many considered this to be the record least likely ever to be broken (Sampras himself only managed three consecutive semifinals in 1992-3 during his 12 year career.)

Then came Roger Federer. At the 2006 US Open, he matched Lendl’s record. Then, after only 2 1/2 more years, he doubled it. As of the US Open 2009, Federer has reached 22 consecutive semifinals at Grand Slam events. Twenty-two! And he’s still going! I can conceive of no greater single athletic accomplishment, in any sport, that can compare to this marvelous, inspiring, unparalleled model of physical and emotional versatility. In what other sport is the all-time leader’s record more than double his nearest rival? Had he no other claim to fame, surely this record — this awesome and stupefying demonstration of poise, consistency and transcendence — would suffice to validate his claim to Greatest of All Time. And though each of the above achievements are impressive in their own way and unlikely to be surpassed without great difficulty, it’s safe to say this record, above all others, will remain unbroken in my lifetime.

Jordan scored 3000 points in a single season; Bryant hasn’t. During that season, Jordan not only averaged 37 points per game (compared to Bryant’s career-best 35 points), but he did so with two huge disadvantages. First, Jordan was playing in an era when hand-checking was permitted: defensive players were allowed to place their hands on a player at the perimeter. That means, on average, a player could put anywhere from 10-50 pounds of pressure on Jordan’s body, making it near impossible to get off a quick jump shot. Without hand-checking, Jordan likely could have gotten off many more shots during that season.

Second, Jordan managed 37 points per game while only shooting 66 three pointers the entire season. Bryant shot over 500 three pointers to reach that 35 points per game average — he relied on his jumper to get him points while Jordan had to earn them the hard way, attacking the hoop.

9. Rebounding

Jordan was a far superior rebounder. Bryant has averaged over six rebounds a game only three times in his career and never managed to average more than seven rebounds in a single game. Jordan, on the other hand, averaged more six rebounds per game nine times in his career which includes a season in which he averaged eight rebounds per game. Jordan was particularly good at getting boards at key times in the game and could dominate that area in spurts to win when it counted. Bryant has never yet been able to do this.

8. Steals

Jordan average more than 2.2 steals per game nine times in his career while Bryant has managed this only once. Jordan filled the passing lanes for the entire game and was always a threat; Bryant seems to pick and choose when he plays that kind of defense. Thus, Jordan has better steal stats.

7. Field Goal Percentage

Not once has Bryant averaged more than 50% from the field for a season. Jordan, though, made more than 50% of his shots 6 times in his career without shooting nearly as many three pointers. That means Jordan was far more efficient offensively.

6. Assists

Bryant is getting much better at setting up his teammates but only once has he averaged six assists a game. Jordan averaged more than six assists three times, including a season where he averaged eight assists per game. There are many teams in the NBA that don’t have a point guard who can give eight assists — Jordan, however, was able to average that many assists and score 32 points a game at the same time.

5. Blocks

Jordan averaged more than a block a game four times in his career. Bryant? Just once. Since both guys are near identical in their height and weight, it’s obvious that Jordan was more dedicated to playing defense by getting his hands up in the face of shooters, resulting in far more blocks.

4. Turnovers

In his entire career, Jordan only averaged more than three turnovers per game in a season five times. But this was in the first six years of his career, which means Jordan got better at protecting the ball as he got older. Bryant has averaged more than three turnovers seven times but is inconsistent about it: his worst season was in ‘04-’05, when he had more than four turnovers a game, something Jordan never did.

3. Off-Court Drama

Although Jordan recently had a rather messy divorce, during his playing career he never created off-court drama the way Bryant has. First, there’s Bryant’s very public extramarital affair in Denver, which was an embarrassment to the Lakers. Let’s not forget Bryant’s pre-season tirade two years ago, asking for a trade then changing his mind and staying.

The biggest off-court drama that Jordan ever had that greatly affected the team was the death of his father, something he had no control over. Luckily for the Lakers it has all worked out, but Bryant’s drama could have been avoided and needless stress is tough on a locker room.

2. Dunking and the Shoes

With Nike, Michael Jordan revolutionized the way we look at athletic shoes, which was in large part due to Jordan’s artistic performance in the dunk contest. Both Bryant and Jordan were dunk contest champions but the difference is Bryant’s performance was far from memorable. Posters of Jordan’s dunk contest are still sold today, whereas you would be hard-pressed to find a poster of Bryant’s dunks. Jordan’s flair created a sports culture (or maybe just cult) of sorts. Bryant, though, has not achieved nearly the kind of successful image Jordan did.

1. Hardware

Finally — and most importantly — it comes down to the hardware. Let’s run the numbers: Bryant has played 13 seasons, has one MVP award, four championships, one finals MVP and two scoring titles. Definitely impressive. But after 13 seasons, Jordan earned six championships, six NBA finals MVP awards, five regular season MVP awards, 1 defensive player of the year award and ten scoring titles. (Not to mention an NCAA championship and two Olympic Gold Medals; Bryant has only one Olympic gold medal.)

There’s no denying Kobe Bryant is one of the most dominant players of his era. Years of hard work and training have resulted in a terrific game, very fluid and graceful, and he’s hitting the peak of his abilities. His career’s not over yet so we’ll see what else he has in store. But until then, when it comes to Jordan, nobody compares.

Whether based on WHERE or WHEN an athlete played — or whether he was simply a colorful character whose personality out-shined his on-field credentials — the following fifteen should have never been selected for enshrinement into the elite echelon of football lore.

Author’s note: There are many candidates for this list but I chose to include the ones that have the most people brainwashed by the media and their own righteousness.

15. All Veteran’s Committee Selections

The addition of senior selections fundamentally makes no sense. If a player was not good enough to make it during his time of eligibility, then why would that player be allowed enshrinement at a later time? Giving the Veteran’s committee a say in the election process and including the likes of Clarence “Ace” Parker, George Musso, Arnie Weinmeister and Nick Buoniconti is insulting to the members that earned a spot during their true eligibility and essentially takes away from the truly elite nature of what the Hall stands for. In Major League Baseball they also participate in this practice, but the elected senior members are not given the same distinguished station that comes with being enshrined during one’s playing days.

14. Dave Casper, TE (Oakland Raiders)

Tight End is a tricky position to consider for the Hall because the position has changed so much over the years. It started as an extra blocking lineman and became a decoy and occasional receiver, then evolved into a weapon that can make or break a team. Therefore, we add Dave Casper to our list with reserve.

Upon first glance Casper’s stats are comparable, but when you look at his statistical averages, his numbers shrink because of the years that he played. Ozzie Newsome and Kellen Winslow were some of his contemporaries who played fewer years yet collected better stats.

13. Lynn Swann & John Stallworth, WR’s (Pittsburgh Steelers)

The duo that helped the Steelers get to four Super Bowls in the ’70s brings with it a career of average stats and below average dynamism. Swann never had more than sixty-one catches in a season and never more than 1,000 yards in a receiving year. When he retired in 1982, he was still not in the top fifty wide receivers in receptions and receiving yards. Stallworth’s stats were slightly better (though not by much) and the pair only combined for seven Pro Bowls. If not for being on the championship teams and playing in the Steel City, these two may be lost in anonymity.

12. Larry Csonka, RB (Miami Dolphins)

Larry Csonka spearheaded Miami’s rushing attack in the 1970s that led the team to two Super Bowl victories and an undefeated season. And it’s a good thing he was on those teams because if not, his consideration for the Hall of Fame would have been slight at best. His rushing totals just barely exceed 8,000 yards and he only achieved 1,000 yards rushing three times in eleven years.

Csonka had a decent rushing average but in an era with little elite rushing prowess he only cracked the Pro Bowl lineup five times. And while he warrants consideration as a fullback, he went in as a running back and is essentially lost to the greatness ahead of him since he does not even crack the top thirty all-time in yardage.

11. Rayfield Wright, OG (Dallas Cowboys)

As with a few selections on our list, Rayfield Wright is a beneficiary of his later eligibility coming to pass. Offensive linemen in the Hall of Fame includes a list of brute specimens that used their size and power to push people all over the field, which many times helped runners or passers gain entrance to the Hall due to their blocking supremacy. They had mean streaks and loved to get dirty (physically and figuratively). The likes of John Hannah, Bruce Matthews and Anthony Munoz are notable entries and leave us wondering where Rayfield Wright fits into this equation.

10. Roger Wehrli, DB (St. Louis Cardinals)

Who? Exactly. This one takes the cake in terms of the desperate need to have a class with five members. With so many other more deserving candidates, why did the writers feel the need to add a player that would not even be a footnote in the annals of league history?

While acknowledging that he did go to seven pro bowls, we’re curious why in just under 200 career games he managed to start in only 66 of them. Fellow enshrinee Mel Blount, who played in almost the same amount of games, managed to start three times as many games as Wehrli. If you were not even a starter in your era, how are you Hall-worthy?

9. Andre Tippett, OLB (New England Patriots)

Andre Tippett played in eleven seasons and finished his career as a rush linebacker with only 100 sacks. Men like John Randle, Richard Dent and Chris Doleman had careers that were exponentially more productive than Tippett and yet, somehow, are still on the outside looking in. Andre Tippett is more likely a product of simply playing in Boston; he was enshrined after the peak domination of the Patriots when they won three out of four Super Bowls in the early 2000s. He was a solid player in his time, for sure, but shouldn’t be given the same consideration as much as the aforementioned stars should be getting.

8. Paul Hornung, RB (Green Bay Packers)

He was a legend at Notre Dame and remains a high profile (and controversial) retired player to this day. The problem is, not only was he not one of the best rushers in the league, he wasn’t even the best rusher on his team! Jim Taylor commonly out-rushed his running mate and Hornung finished his nine year career with 3,711 yards rushing. Remember, this was an era where teams did not pass much. We seem to have such an affinity for the 1960s Packers and Lombardi that Paul Hornung was able to capitalize on his team’s popularity and make his way into the Hall of Fame.

7. Dan Hampton, DT (Chicago Bears)

Playing most of his twelve year career as a defensive end, you would think that Dan Hampton would have tons of sacks and pro bowls to be in the Hall of Fame. Well, he makes my list because you are so, so wrong. Hampton only had 57 sacks in his career and only went to four pro bowls. He does have a Super Bowl Ring but most of the attention from the game was given to his line mates William Perry and Richard Dent (who was the MVP of the championship game). I am not sure how Hampton made his way into the Hall while his more dominant teammate Dent is out. Must be a careless error… right?

6. Bob Griese, QB (Miami Dolphins)

Bob Griese is a controversial choice for our list. He was an above average QB, true, but his stats do not measure up comparatively: they look more like those of Roman Gabriel or Joe Ferguson than Joe Montana or John Elway. The argument for inducting him is strengthened by a couple of Super Bowls (one in which he was hurt for most of the season) and his coach’s (Don Shula) legacy. Like his teammate Csonka, he didn’t dominate his own era and like the “no-name” defense that drove Miami to its championships, Griese was more just another role player on a great team.

5. John Madden, Coach (Oakland Raiders)

I have to admit this one was a personal choice as I am one football fan that could not stand to hear his rambling and babbling every Monday night. Aside from my opinions about his broadcasting abilities, though, Madden was only an average coach that had talented teams with great records.

In a sport where coaching matters, maybe more than any other sport, the question that’s raised is: why only one Super Bowl win with such great teams? The answer is the same for many other coaches who are successful in the regular season but lost in the post season: he was probably out coached in the playoffs and could not figure out a way to win despite all the on-field talent. I include Madden with Bud Grant and Buddy Ryan as coaches who were good but not great.

4. Harry Carson, LB (New York Giants)

Has anyone in history cried, pleaded and begged his way into the Hall like Harry Carson? In the months leading up to the vote in his final year of eligibility, Carson took to the radio airwaves on a tour of grandiosity that led eventually to his sympathy vote. Carson said he wanted off the ballot and was disgusted with the process, yet after he was elected he changed his tune to that of humility and gratitude. It was a lame selection that further cheapened the legitimacy of the Hall and Harry Carson will never have the same respect given to truly deserving linebackers.

3. Michael Irvin, WR (Dallas Cowboys)

What happens to the wide receiver who is ranked 27th in receptions, 17th in receiving yardage and 40 in receiving touchdowns? Well, apparently if you play for the Cowboys, you get into the Hall of Fame. Irvin is nowhere near as deserving as his trifecta cohorts Aikman and Smith. The list of receivers that outplayed him is longer than the one you’re reading and he is proof that personality sometimes goes a long way. Put Michael Irvin in Arizona for his playing career and he’s just a lost name with a lost franchise.

2. John Riggins, RB (Washington Redskins)

It just so happens that the top two on our list both made careers out of alternative lifestyles for their times and did more off the field to solidify their spots than on. John Riggins was one of those characters who entered the league with a chip on his shoulder and a “take no shit” attitude. With his afro and silent demeanor he danced to the beat of his own drum. The problem is he was merely average on the field except for when it mattered: he shined in the Super Bowl, but can one game get you into elite company, especially on the juggernaut teams that he played for?

His rushing totals are among the leaders but at under four yards per carry and a mere 64 yards per game, he leaves no one in awe. If not for his championship heroics, Riggins would be another forgotten rusher who attempted to be a bigger star away from the game than he was a star in the game.

1. Joe Namath, QB (New York Jets)

Finally: the one that pulled the wool over the eyes of many. Joe Namath is, without a doubt, the absolute worst Hall-of-Famer ever. We can talk about stats all we want. But Roman Gabriel, Dave Krieg and Joe Ferguson had as good, if not (as in the case of Krieg) monumentally better statistics. His completion percentage was abysmal and his QB rating ties him for 171st all time. Not to mention he threw way more interceptions than touchdowns! But aside from all of this, maybe the most important measure of greatness when comparing the legacy of a QB is wins, or lack of them: Joe Namath had a losing record as a starting quarterback.

Everyone wants to talk about “the guarantee” in Super Bowl III when the highly favored Colts lost to the Jets behind Namath’s assurance of victory. But what few remember is that Namath had an average day behind the running of Matt Snell and a staunch defense that made the difference in the game. In addition to his statistical impotence was his ridiculously needy personality and media-whore attitude. He loved to wear the fur coats and sport a Fu Manchu-mustache, but none of this should earn someone a spot in the highest echelon of his sport.

Namath was a larger-than-life character that drank too much and had a lot of women by his side, so maybe he would qualify to be inducted into the millionaire playboy Hall of Fame. But when it comes to football, he should be the first — even before OJ — to be voted out of the Hall of Fame.

20. Mel Ott

At only 5′ 9″ and 170 lbs., Mel Ott was not the most intimidating hitter for a pitcher to face but he quickly made many hurlers understand that size is not everything. Over the course of 22 years Ott hit 511 home runs for the NY Giants on his way to enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. He never had a season with massive home run totals and he only hit over 40 once, but he sure was consistent. “Master Melvin” passed away in an auto accident in 1947 at the all too young age of 49, but his legacy will last forever.

19. Eddie Mathews

Eddie Mathews, the powerful Braves slugger, hit over 450 homers in just his 14th season averaging over 30 long-balls a year over that time span. He and Hank Aaron created quite the power hitting duo in Milwaukee and Atlanta, belting over 1,200 homers between them. Mathews hit 40 homers four times in his career but did most of the damage early as he trailed off as his career began to enter its twilight.

18. Carlos Delgado

Carlos Delgado has quietly put together a potential Hall of Fame career and few even realize it. He should pass the 500 career mark this year or next and he has done it consistently hitting at least 30 home runs in eleven of his sixteen seasons in the bigs. The hard hitting Puerto Rican has played for three teams and in both leagues without missing a step but the most telling mark of his excellence could be that he averages one homer in every 4.3 games.

17. Mike Schmidt

Arguably the best hitting third baseman ever, Michael Jack Schmidt’s eighteen season Hall of Fame career included some astounding stats. Schmidt hit at least thirty homers in thirteen seasons while leading NL in the category in eight of them. Playing in Philly his whole career, he was not known as a great “fan” guy, but one thing was for sure: he could hit the ball a mile. You would never have guessed his lack of popularity with the media and fans during his playing days: he had one of the highest HOF voting percentages ever, showing that no matter what he did off the field he was well respected on it.

16. Harmon Killebrew

The man they called “Killer” was an exceptional long ball hitter that brought excitement to the twin cities during the ’60s and ’70s. Hitting 40 or more homers eight times in his career, Killebrew averaged a home run in every four games. One of the most telling stats for Killebrew was how few times he struck out: averaging only fractionally higher in strike outs per at-bat than homers, Killebrew was a pitcher’s nightmare.

15. Sadaharu Oh

We know he didn’t face the best pitching in the world, but Sadaharu Oh’s numbers are on a whole different plane that transcends leagues. In 22 seasons, Oh racked up 868 career home runs for the Yomiuri Giants and averaged an unthinkable home run in every ten at-bats. They called him the Japanese Babe Ruth and he sure lived up to the moniker.

There was some controversy regarding his single season home run record, which was threatened several times by foreign-born players who were always intentionally walked to keep them from the record, but that says nothing about what he did over the span of his entire career. Oh should be considered more than just a legend in Japanese baseball, but acknowledged as one of the greatest power hitters ever.

14. Willie Mays

This may be a controversial choice because it could be conceived as being too far down the list, but we stick by it. While Mays is by far one of the best players ever when you think about all around game, his legacy is slightly diminished when you think about how many more seasons he played than he should have. There is no doubt that when looking at the period between 1954-66 Willie Mays was simply dominant. What troubles us is the period before and after when he was just average; in fact, a poor player at the very end. Mays’s average of 16.4 homers for every at bat ranks only above Mathews and Ott on our list, so we felt he fit in somewhere around the middle of the long ball pack.

13. Jimmy Foxx

In 1932 Jimmy Foxx put together one of the greatest hitting seasons in the history of baseball. He led the American League in slugging, OBS, total bases, home runs and RBIs, not to mention a host of other minor statistics including missing out on the triple crown by only .003 in batting average. Rarely did you see a player with such raw power and ability. No one except Ruth may have matched his power and he would be higher on this list had he the longevity of some other players.

12. Sammy Sosa

We know he is the first person on this list to be primarily from the steroid era and that at times he looks awfully guilty, but you can hardly deny Sosa’s ability to hit the ball out of the park. He is the only player to hit sixty in a season three times and no one could forget (although some may want to) the home run race between he and McGwire in 1998 that some say saved the game of baseball. His smile and salute to the fans made him a favorite throughout the league and he would be a sure fire Hall of Famer if not for the allegations surrounding him.

11. Manny Ramirez

Some call Manny Ramirez the greatest right handed hitter of all time. Some say that no one matched his power and ability to hit for average. But few can argue that where Manny went controversy was sure to follow, including maybe even a spot on our list. When he hits the news, we have all heard the popular phrase in baseball “it’s just Manny being Manny”, but we at The Pulp List like to think that the phrase is equally justified in being used when talking about home runs. He hit thirty or more homers in nine straight seasons and was not struck out nearly as much as a lot of long ballers. He may have his critics but it will be hard to keep this man out of the Hall of Fame.

10. Ryan Howard

Ryan Howard has been an astounding player since he entered the league and achieved the rare status of being one of only twenty players in history to win both the MVP and ROY awards. In only 4 1/2 seasons, he is already at the 200 HR mark and if he keeps up this unreal pace of a homer in every 3.3 games, he will break the Barry Bonds career mark in only his 17th season in the bigs. He is a bit further down because of his relative inexperience, and we wonder why he was kept in the minors for so long, but make no mistake: he will climb this list in the coming years.

9. Ken Griffey Jr.

The sweetest swing ever in baseball. Junior has been lighting up pitchers from the moment he stepped onto the diamond. It is scary to think that he has 621 career homers while averaging only 123 games a year. Had Griffey stayed healthy his entire career we think he would be sitting at the top of this list. He may get to 700, but most likely won’t play long enough to ever top the leader.

8. Mickey Mantle

The “Mick” is another casualty of “what could’ve been” had injuries not taken their toll on him at such a young age. Mantle played in New York and is a boyhood idol to thousands of older fans. Many remember the Mantle’s 565 ft. home run in 1953 and it is alleged that in Detroit he once hit a ball over 600 ft., although speculation is more about where the ball would have landed as to where it actually did. Mantle’s power and speed were ahead of his time and it is unfortunate that fans never got to see just what the “Commerce Comet” could have achieved if he had reached his full potential.

7. Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols may be surpassed by only Ted Williams on our list when it came to a combination of raw power and hitting ability. Not only has he hit over 30 homers in all nine of his big league seasons, but he has also hit over .300 in each season as well. Another candidate for the top of our list by the time his playing days are over, Pujols is by far the best player in baseball in 2009. His ridiculous average of a home run for every 16.3 plate appearances is crazy enough with out looking at the fact that he rarely strikes out. We can only hope “The Machine” keeps doing his thing for many more years as he is so much fun to watch.

6. Alex Rodriguez

Closing in on 600 homers at only 33 years of age is not only remarkable, but quite possibly unfathomable. A-Rod was gifted from day one, from being one of the most anticipated prospects ever, to signing not one but two historic nine-figure contracts! Although he has some skeptics as to his heart and his apparent disability in the postseason, the man has performed statistically. Recently, he has been under some scrutiny for taking PEDs, but he will always remain one of the greatest power hitters of our generation (possibly ever).

5. Ted Williams

Had Ted Williams not decided to leave baseball in the prime of his career and go fight in two separate wars, it is scary to think what his numbers would have amounted to. Williams averaged just under 30 homers a season which, if accounting for those lost seasons, would have put him just under 700 homers for his career. This from a man who batted .344 for his career and that only wanted to be known as the greatest hitter of all time.

No one in the history of the game ever produced more power combined with gifted hitting ability as did “The Splendid Splinter”. For the current generation the circumstances of what took place after his death sometimes overshadows his achievements in life, but his stats do not lie and he should always be praised and admired within the game.

4. Mark McGwire

As a rookie he hit 49 homers smashing the previous record. This would be only a small sign of things to come for Mark McGwire. He made hitting 583 career homers look easy and had one of the most memorable seasons of all time when he and Sammy Sosa raced toward the all-time single-season mark. That season in 1998 McGwire hit an astounding 70 home runs and may have single handily save the game of baseball from very low point. His testimony in front of congress regarding steroids in baseball may have been slightly shady, but McGwire will always be in the conversation of the best power hitter of all time.

3. Hank Aaron

The man who broke Babe Ruth’s career home run record makes our top three. Aaron took over the record despite a racially-charged atmosphere that did not want to see a black man break the Babe’s record. But he endured and would go on to top out at 744 career blasts. Never having hit over 45 homers in a season, Aaron was the model of consistency as he hit over 30 blasts 15 times in a career that spanned 23 seasons. His record may have since been broken, but his legacy will never be forgotten.

2. Barry Bonds

Ahh, a tricky one. We know we may get some slack for putting Bonds on the list, let alone at #2, but we will stand by it. No one in history, with the possible exception of #1, put more fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers as did Bonds. Now we know all the allegations against him, but remember the man hit over 400 home runs before there was any suspicion at all. He led the NL twelve times in Bases on Balls and, as we all know, is the single-season and career leader in home runs. Bonds was a controversial figure on and off the field, but we may never again see someone who hit long balls with more ease. You may hate the guy and you may think he was a cheat, but one thing is certain — his power was astounding!

1. George Herman “Babe” Ruth

George Herman Ruth, more commonly known as “Babe”, was the most devastating power hitter the world has ever seen. He far exceeded the home run totals of his contemporaries and in some cases would hit more than entire teams. Ruth was larger than life off the field as well, with his notorious eating and partying. His home run record of 714 stood for over forty years before it was broken by Hank Aaron and he hit over 40 homers eleven times in his career.

He was suspended much throughout his career, possibly lowering his statistics, but more importantly creating a volatile love/hate relationship with fans and the media. Growing up as an orphan in Baltimore, no one could have predicted what he would accomplish in the annals of baseball lore. “The Sultan of Swat” is the largest (literally and figuratively) icon in the sport of baseball and his spot at the top of our list may be forever solidified.

When you are a hockey player it is always good to be feared and guys with names like Rick Tocchet, Marty McSorley and Rob Ray never had problems gooning it up. But when your name is that of the dark lord himself…opponents may run for cover.

19. Dick Butkus

Make no mistake, he was one of the most feared and dominating defenders in NFL history, but with that last name you might be tempted to mock…bad move.

18. Jean Fugett

Interesting that this guy played Tight End in the NFL. Many broadcasters may have feared for their jobs when trying to pronounce this name.

17. Danny Shittu

This Nigerian footballer must have gotten some smiles when playing American born players. Good thing he had some company as his coach was given the name Aidy Boothroyd.

16. De’Cody Fagg

Catching balls at FSU may have been easy for this Wide Receiver, but growing up with his name sure wasn’t.

15. Ben Gay

How would you like to be named after a muscle cream, not to mention the slang inference of his last name added on for effect.

14. Assol Slivets

This Skier from Belarus may have a unique spelling to his name, but it sure can’t be mistaken for what we think it is.

13. God Shamgod

Hey who wouldn’t want to be named after the almighty. Shamgod however failed to deliver and has had a less than perfect basketball career since becoming known while at Providence.

12. Johnny Dickshot

The career of Mr. Dickshot began…wait we just can’t say that with a straight face. To make matters worse apparently his nickname was “ugly”.

11. Gregor Fucka

Pronounced [ˈfutʃkɑ] (though we prefer our pronunciation), this Italian basketballer, could have been a real life version of the famous Ben Stiller comedy.

10. Majestic Mapp

We wonder what buried treasure this guy is hiding behind his name.

9. Irina Slutskaya

This Russian Ice Skater was the first to land a triple lutz-loop. A huge feat of athleticism that provides us with another classic name.

8. KAKA

We refuse to go there. Nothing positive can come of this.

7. Pete LaCock

We were wondering how a baseball player gets a name like this and discovered he was French, which made everything click.

6. Dick Trickle

This NASCAR driver is one of the more well known on our list. Go ahead try and say it without smiling, we bet you can’t.

5. Lucious Pusey

Man these are getting tough to comment on without offending. How do you not liberate from your parents and get a name change? Again we are sure the actual pronunciation is not offensive, but we like it our way better.

4. Harry Colon

As an NFL defensive back for many years he was probably a great trash talker. But what do you say when the comeback is always the same?

3. Dick Pole

We have a question for Mr. Pole. Why, if your last name is Pole, would you call yourself ANYTHING BUT RICHARD? Even Ricardo would sound better.

2. Rusty Kuntz

This baseball outfielder better have hoped that play-by-play men pronounced it correctly or he may be a wanted man.

1. Chubby Cox

The ultimate in hilarity. Just, for one second imagine…ok finished? Are you smiling? We are laughing uncontrollably every time we hear it.

Honorable mention

Pokey Reese, Trot Nixon, Coco Crisp, Mookie Wilson, Baskerville Holmes, Candy Maldonado, Van Lingle Mungo, Heinie Manush, Ron Tugnutt.