Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

It’s Alworth, Berry, Fitz, Marvin Harrison, Hirsch, Hutson, Largent, Moss, Rice, and Warfield

Not sure it's true-it's Twitter after all, but Tweets saying this is the top 10 and most
are complaining about Hirsch.


this is the 'evidence' which seems legit

I would take off Berry, Crazylegs, and Harrison. I would replace them with Swann, Stallworth, and Steve Smith.

Swann and Smith are not finalists. Julio Jones isn't either.

Hirsch, IMO, not a top 10.

https://twitter.com/NFL_Journal/status/ ... 7034412033

I'm fine with all but Hirsch. Not sure who should take that spot, though. A strong case could be made for Pete Pihos.

It's a shame that Tommy McDonald and especially Billy Howton get no love. It took forever for Tommy to get into the HoF and Howton hasn't yet, even though he retired as the career reception leader.

JohnH19 wrote:I'm fine with all but Hirsch.

Hirsch, to me, is borderline HOF....

7DnBrnc53 wrote:I would take off Berry, Crazylegs, and Harrison. I would replace them with Swann, Stallworth, and Steve Smith.

what?! Agree about Hirsch, he doesn't have the body of work over a career to merit being on the team. Howton was the best WR of the 50s imo. But I suppose he'll never stop getting undue credit for 1951, it is what it is.

Here, in 1950 both Lavelli and Speedie are "tight" which was common--very common then

7DnBrnc53 wrote:I would take off Berry, Crazylegs, and Harrison. I would replace them with Swann, Stallworth, and Steve Smith.

As a Steelers fan, even I can't agree with that. If forced to choose between Swann and Stallworth, it would be a tough choice but I would choose Stallworth. Both were tremendous postseason receivers, and it could be argued that the Steelers would not have won Super Bowl X without Swann and would not have won Super Bowl XIV without Stallworth. Swann was flashier, but Stallworth's career was considerably longer, although he was injured quite a bit more. When you compare Swann and Stallworth's career stats per 16 scheduled regular season games, they come out nearly identical, Stallworth 40 catches, 643 yards, 5 TD, Swann 39 catches, 638 yards, 6 TD's. I think both belong in the Hall of Fame, but are lower-tier receivers within the Hall of Fame, and neither would be in the HOF without the 4 Super Bowl rings.

JohnTurney wrote:It’s Alworth, Berry, Fitz, Marvin Harrison, Hirsch, Hutson, Largent, Moss, Rice, and Warfield

Not sure it's true-it's Twitter after all, but Tweets saying this is the top 10 and most
are complaining about Hirsch.

The WR list is going to be interesting...I think after Rice/Hutson, you have a lot of arguments. I remember Mike Tanier being against Warfield, Cliff Christl told me he wouldn't have cast a HOF vote for Steve Largent, etc. Of the HOF WRs not in the top 10, I think Charley Taylor and Don Maynard could have a case to be included at the bottom of the list. Pete Pihos as well, depending on how you classify his position.

One guy who I thought was elite when he played was Calvin Johnson. I think he and Fitzgerald were the best of their generation. If you look at subjective eras, here is who I would put at the top:

1920-1946 = Hutson
1946-1955 = Fears, Speedie, Pihos
1956-1964 = Berry
1965-1975 = Alworth, Warfield
1976-1985 = Largent
1986-1995 = Rice
1996-2005 = Moss, Harrison
2006-present = Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson

So if you count Pihos as a WR, here would be my top ten: Rice, Hutson, Alworth, Moss, Fitzgerald, Largent, Harrison, Warfield, Pihos, Berry
If Pihos is left out: Rice, Hutson, Alworth, Moss, Fitzgerald, Largent, Harrison, Warfield, Berry, Calvin Johnson