I must say I agree with this editorial:
<<< The other case of injustice took place around the table of voters who elect new
members to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For years there has been a duel
between the names of John Stallworth and Lynn Swann. They came up at the
same time and were teammates on Pittsburgh Steelers teams that won four
Super Bowls.
There is no comparison between their numbers. Stallworth played longer,
caught 201 more passes for 3,261 more yards, and in Super Bowl performance
there was little to distinguish between the two. Stallworth caught one game
winning-pass for 75 yards and still holds the Super Bowl record for most
average yards per catch (24.4). Nobody did any damage to that record in
Tampa.
Yet, each time his name came up, there was always Swann dogging him.
Swann had quite a gallery of backers. He was graceful, smooth and some guy
wrote "changed the way the game was played." Ever hear of Don Hutson?
There was Swann's television presence. Always a reminder. For 13 years he
knocked at the door, and in my mind, Stallworth was always ahead of him.
Swann's stats look like Pop Warner League stuff by now, but there he was.
So this time Swann finally got the vote. Stallworth is still on the outside but
with a career that leaves Swann's in the shadows. I've never met John
Stallworth, don't know him, have no axe to grind. Grace, style and television
don't outdo a solid 14-year performance and one man who holds far more team
records than the other. Just miscarried justice, but wait till next year. >>> |
