Looking at a few things, I realized that some of the guys who made it into the NFL/Pro Football HOF may not really even be good enough to start in the modern game today, and might not even ever have made a team based upon today's standards. #1 Joe Namath..... For all the "good" you've heard about him, Broadway Joe never has a passer rating above 75, and his career passer rating is a LOWLY 65.5, which would have put him second to last if his rating had been that low playing in the MODERN NFL this past season...... He has 173 career TD's, but he also through 220 INT's over his 12 yrs in the league, neither of which would have kept him in a starting job in the game today. #2 Bob Waterfield ...... So he may have won a few games, but his statistics are even more dismal than Joes, and he only played 8 seasons, amassing a total of 97 TD's to 128 INT's, with a career passer rating of 61.8, and a completion %'s of just over 50% (50.3%), was he really one of the "ALL TIME GREATS???" #3 Bobby Layne ..... With a career passer rating of 63.4, and 196 TD's to 243 INT's, while completing only 49% of his passes, he'd likewise be either riding pine or looking for another job rather than playing in the Modern NFL!!! Comparatively speaking, Ken Anderson (Bengals), Brian Sipe (Browns), Phil Simms (Giants), Randall Cunningham (Eagles/Vikings), Boomer Esiason (Bengals), Jim Everett (Saints/Rams), Roman Gabriel (even from their era), Rich Gannon, Jeff Garcia, Jeff George, Trent Green, Bobby Hebert, Ron "Jaws" Jaworski, Bernie Kosar, Dave Kreig, Neil Lomax, Steve McNair, Ken O'Brien, Neil McDonnell, Vinnie Testaverde, Joe Theismann, Kurt Warner, and Danny White all have considerably better career statistics...... Your thoughts.... Check statitics here..... http://www.nfl.com/players/search?c...-447263-p=1&conference=ALL&filter=quarterback
While you might have a slight point, those numbers are quite dismal, and as great as I'd always heard people try to claim Hollywood Joe was, I don't think other than his ONE great season, he was ever much more than mediocre.... I think too much emphasis is put on the "the game was different back then" excuse. All 3 are MEDIOCRE at best, while there are ONLY 23 QB's in the hall, several of the names I listed above are/were more worthy of votes to put them there. Joe Theismann had some pretty decent stats and won a Super Bowl before LT destroyed his knee.... Drew Bledsoe 44,611 yds., more touchdowns than any of the 3 while he has significantly less INT's and a far better passer rating.... Too much emphasis was placed on the status of "historical figures" IMVHO. Namath, Otto, and Layne should NOT be in the hall if the likes of most of the names I mentioned in the OP are not there!!!
Not just a different game, it's a different athlete. Some of the best athletes were not allowed to play in those days. Also different(Better) equipment, indoor stadiums more offseason training. Vito is correct, it's a different game, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay differenet in every aspect of the game.
I have to agree with everyone else. Not only are todays athletes freaks in their size and speed, but the technology available to them today is vastly superior. Back then it was more of a game than a business, today it is 100% business.
But you see grasshopper.... it's not the same and it's not a slight point. By todays standards **** Butkus, Mike Singletary, Ray Knitchkey etc etc would be too slow, too fat and couldn't keep up. In my fathers day a big basksetball player might have made 6 feet....some less. Today they'd be tiny. It IS a whole different time and with totally different skills and physical possiblilities. The speed of the game has changed tremendously. The size of the game has changed tremendously. You think Joe's figures are bad.... check out the rest of the QB's at that time. AND.... you got to remember Joe had a flare. His flare was half his greatness. No one thought the Jets had a chance. Joe guaranteed a win and then went out and whipped butt. Johnny Unitas wouldn't make it today either but it's a different game, personnel, training and physical abilities. Broadway Joe was and is still a great QB and showman. I was watching a TV show on Iraq today. Do you realize how much different things were from as recent ago as Vietnam as they are today. We had no GPS's, cell phones, Internet, smart bombs and invisible aircraft. If you couldn't read a map you got people killed through friendly fire or by the bad guys. Today they have cameras strapped on your head so they can watch you live from the Whitehouse. You can call home every day and send instant pictures back and forth. Your location is always updated by your GPS. Does that mean the soldiers of years ago were no good. I don't think so.
They were great for their era. Joe brought attention to the game and helped begin the process of making the NFL the biggest sport in America. It was a run first game back then. Thought to ponder: With today's running back by committee and short careers, how will they amass enough stats to enter the HOF individually?
