Not in the Hall

On 680 Friday morning they were discussing who isn’t in the pro football hall of fame that should be (I should’ve called in about Herschel). Chris Dimino plead Jerry Kramer’s case, asking how Kramer could be passed over and Griese and Swann and Namath are in. Kramer was All-Pro ten times back when there was only a first string all pro team. He made the all decade team and the 50th anniversary team. He even doubled as a kicker (above). How could Kramer not be in the HOF?  Some think there were already so many Packers in the hall that they thought adding Kramer would be too much.

Gale Sayers made the HOF despite his career being shortened by injuries. I’m going to compare Bo Jackson’s career to Sayers’. Herschel’s NFL numbers alone dwarf those of the Kansas Comet. Jackson’s four seasons are simply not enough for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Herschel Walker gained over twice as many NFL yards than Gale Sayers, and also gained 17% more yards per NFL season.

PL.YR.games.att..yards..TD.avg

GS   7     68     991  4956  39  5.0

BJ    4     38     515  2782  16  5.4

HW 12 187  1954  8225   61  4.2

PL..rec..yards.TD.return.TD

GS   112  1307  9  3172  8

BJ      40    352  2

HW 512 4859 21  5084  2

Total yards & Yards per Season

18168 – 1514 Herschel (NFL only)

 9044 – 1292 Sayers

 3134 –   784 Bo

Greatest QB ever is a lofty title, but Brady is at least close. I don’t think any QB has been to so many Super Bowls, and championships is what it’s all about. People often forget Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw – weren’t both undefeated in Super Bowls? Peyton Manning will have all the records but not as many Super Bowls as brother Eli. Brett Farve was no slouch – he won more than Marino or Elway. And Johnny Unitas is LONG forgotten. Peyton is known for his preparation and being a gentleman, but Brady could be even more prepared than Peyton. Brady has stayed under the radar, taking fewer endorsements  than Peyton. 

While no one could ever be as competitive as Michael Jordan, I would say that Brady is the most competitive QB ever, more so than Drew Brees or Elway or Farve. Remember that iconic photo of a shirtless Joe Namath lounging before his Super Bowl, surrounded by reporters? I just learned that young Brent Musberger is on the left in the photo. Namath’s run of excellence was much shorter than Brady or Bradshaw or Montana. Wasn’t Starr the GB QB in 1960 when Norm Van Brocklin and the Eagles beat the Packers for the championship? 

Wednesday night C and A were off at art. I had gotten home at 6:45 and played on the computer. At eight I turned on the Hawks game and watched the last three quarters. Atlanta held an 8-12 point lead the whole way, keeping it close enough to be interesting. Nice they won in front of the national ESPN audience. 17 straight. Then when I saw that Tech was winning big I watched the entire second half. I guess Tech likes to play down in Miami. Perhaps the 4 guard lineup works best. It is a completely different game when you’re up by 10-15 points – Tech can play and not have to be so worried about executing perfectly. Miami cut it to eight and like the announcers I thought a comeback was in order – then the Jackets turned it on. Will they be able to carry the momentum over to the next game?

THURSDAY: Had an 8 am appointment at Resurgens Orthopedics. I have a frozen shoulder that takes at least 9 months to heal up. Halfway through the pain stage, hopefully. No need for cortisone, meds, or surgery. Busy day at work.      

I’m not big on doctor visits. Having the first appointment of the day was great. They said in the afternoon they have backups. In my exam room I noticed the Picabo Street poster was personally autographed to my doctor. My doctor’s rap sheet shows that she was the US Alpine Ski team doctor at the 2002 Nagano Olympics. She had also served at Olympic facilities in Lake Placid and Colorado Springs. Though she looks like a normal woman my age, in 1995 she set the world bench press record. She graduated from UGA and Tulane, and worked with the famous Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham. In 2011 and 2012 she was one of Atlanta Magazine’s top doctors.  

Worked past six on Thursday then stopped by Publix and the Dollar Tree on the way home, making me extra late. Ceil cooked burritos for dinner. Lately she’s been adding in too much Mexican seasoning. You know me, that’s too spicy. M’s small group was going to Friday’s Hawks game, but the game was already sold out. Thursday Connie Morris zinged the SPdL reunion Facebook page by asking what time the concert was. She was told they were working on it.

 Once the kids had all gone off to college the Hurts quit having their Super Bowl party. They’d hosted gatherings for 20 years. Not sure if our small group will get together. Seems like last year we stayed home. As I recall both Ceil and Lang cooked brisket.