N/S Cowboys player Drew Pearson emotional from getting snubbed by HOF (1 Viewer)

[saintfan-n-alex]

and TO is in,

 

[HouseCall]

To be fair Drew and Swann played in 14 game seasons (not 16) and Drew was in the Top 10 of receiving yards 5 times in his career, Swann 3 times in the top 10 ...Colston only once (8th).

Yeah, like I said -- not really legitimately comparable due to the eras they played. Just thought it was interesting to see the actual stats and overall productivity of a player currently in the HOF, one who is devastated to not be in the HOF and one who never even got voted into the ProBowl.

 

[faceman]

Around this time of year, when all the HOF debates start, I always argue about how The NFL and the HOF voters have no method to their selection madness.


I argue that Lynn Swann does not deserve to be in the HOF and that the only reason he is in the HOF is because of NFL Films.
Those slo-mo, acrobatic catches in the Super Bowls are why he was voted in --with overall good but not great stats.

Swann had 336 catches for 5,462 yds and 51 TDs in a 9 season career.
That's an average of 37 catches for 606 yds and 5 TDs a season. I don't care the era --- that's not HOF numbers. The Steelers won 4 Super Bowls on the backs of an all-universe defense. Swann was good but not great.

Sadly, I think you can say the same for Drew Pearson.

Pearson had 489 catches for 7,822 yds and 48 TDs in 11 seasons.
However, only 1 Super Bowl -- and no fancy slo-mo highlights set to orchestral music and John Facenda -- so he doesn't qualify for the Swann treatment with the HOF.

You have to consider the era and the teams they played for. The Cowboys and Steelers were run first teams. They were also the two
best teams in the NFL during most of the 70's. I can't give you an exact stat, but i'd imagine both were 10 points or more favorites most of the games they played. Why throw the ball when you are constantly running the ball down the opponents throat and both defenses
are loaded with future Hof'ers who force 3 and outs? The 600 career reception mark was not broken until Charlie Joiner did it in 1985.
That was 7 seasons after the Mel Blount rule went into effect. I don't think it's a stretch to say putting up gaudy passing and receiving
stats are much easier in this era and earlier ones post 1978.

 

[kizzy821]

I would never let it be publicly known that I wanted something that bad. Especially not something people vote on. If you don't think I'm good enough, screw you. It's not like you only get one chance to be voted in, is it? Why did THIS year have to be his year? Maybe he'll get it the next time. I hate the Dallas Cowboys so damn much.

 

[HouseCall]

You have to consider the era and the teams they played for. The Cowboys and Steelers were run first teams. They were also the two
best teams in the NFL during most of the 70's. I can't give you an exact stat, but i'd imagine both were 10 points or more favorites most of the games they played. Why throw the ball when you are constantly running the ball down the opponents throat and both defenses
are loaded with future Hof'ers who force 3 and outs? The 600 career reception mark was not broken until Charlie Joiner did it in 1985.
That was 7 seasons after the Mel Blount rule went into effect. I don't think it's a stretch to say putting up gaudy passing and receiving
stats are much easier in this era and earlier ones post 1978.

I completely understand the era argument.
However, none of that explains why Swann is in the HOF -- and why Pearson, who played at the exact same time isn't.

 

[BoNcHiE]

I don't even think the "different eras" thing plays here. The leading receiver in 1980, for example, was John Jefferson with 1340 yards. You could catch 900-1000 yards in the late 70s and early 80s.

And if we are going to get into the whole "well, his team was run first" thing, I still don't think that matters. We don't put more modern era players into the HOF because of what they may have done had their coach called the game differently. IMO, you either produced or you didn't. Hypotheticals shouldn't pay into the equation.

Swann shouldn't be in either. At some point, you are just diluting things to the point of it only being about what "historic" team you played for.

 

[faceman]

I completely understand the era argument.
However, none of that explains why Swann is in the HOF -- and why Pearson, who played at the exact same time isn't.

This is just my opinion. I believe if Dallas had beaten the Steelers in SB 10 and 13, Pearson would be in and Swann would not. I
understand your point as well.

One play can change history and a players fortune. If Eric Wright doesn't make this two finger horse collar tackle. Pearson is gone
and Dwight Clarks catch becomes the greatest anti-climax in history. Montana doesn't have 4 rings,and Pearson is in the HOF. How
many of us remember watching this live?

 

[Holy Avenger]

Yeah, he should probably be in, but it's not like the voters forgot about the 70s Cowboys, almost a dozen of their dudes are in already.

 

[faceman]

I don't even think the "different eras" thing plays here. The leading receiver in 1980, for example, was John Jefferson with 1340 yards. You could catch 900-1000 yards in the late 70s and early 80s.

You have to judge players against their peers. I don't believe anyone here would say Gayle Sayers doesn't belong. His stats pale in
comparison to modern players. he retired as the 9th leading rusher all time. That spot now belongs to Eric Dickerson. You have to
keep eras in perspective

 

[Complex Kid]

Why did THIS year have to be his year? Maybe he'll get it the next time. I hate the Dallas Cowboys so damn much.

This was his last year of eligibility as a "modern era" player. Now he can only be elected in through the senior committee which is much harder because they only have a limited amount of slots per year compared to the "modern era" voting.

 

[BoNcHiE]

You have to judge players against their peers. I don't believe anyone here would say Gayle Sayers doesn't belong. His stats pale in
comparison to modern players. he retired as the 9th leading rusher all time. That spot now belongs to Eric Dickerson. You have to
keep eras in perspective

I am judging him against his peers. I’m specifically saying that even in his era, judged against other players at the time, I don’t think he’s a HOFer.

But I’d personally be stricter than the HOF has been.

 

[bobad]

Stats X longevity + character = greatness.

Pearson in, Swann, meh...

Swann was a pretty good football personality long after retirement, so maybe he belongs.

 

[Doug B]

The 600 career reception mark was not broken until Charlie Joiner did it in 1985.

That was 7 seasons after the Mel Blount rule went into effect. I don't think it's a stretch to say putting up gaudy passing and receiving stats are much easier in this era and earlier ones post 1978.

Quick correction of a typo: It was the 700 career receptions barrier that Joiner broke in 1985. He had surpassed former career-receptions leader Charley Taylor (1964-77, 649 rcptns) late in the 1984 season.

Joiner's career is a perfect example of how difficult it was for talented pass-catchers to rack up stats in 1970s-style football. Between 1969 and 1975, Joyner had 160 career receptions for Houston and Cincinnati. He had a high yards-per-catch figure, and was used the way all NFL teams used their deep threats back then -- to catch the defense napping two or three times a game and gash the secondary for 20-30 yards at one shot.

In 1976, 29-year-old Joiner joins former Bengals' QB coach Bill Walsh in San Diego when Walsh became the Chargers' offensive coordinator. Playing for the first time in an offense with modern concepts -- a proto West-Coast offense initially conceived in Cincinnati -- Joiner had career highs in receptions, yards, and TDs (50/1056/7). Walsh moved on to coach Stanford in 1977, and Joiner saw his numbers drop playing back in another 1970s-style run-first-run-second scheme.

Then in 1978, the NFL made it illegal to bump receivers beyond 5 yards. In the same year, Air Coryell took flight in San Diego as Don Coryell replaced Tommy Prothro as head coach after five games. Joiner benefits immediately, ending up with 33 more receptions for over 600 yards despite missing three games down the stretch.

In 1979, Joiner started a solid run with QB Dan Fouts, chalking up three consecutive 70-catch and 1,000 yard seasons - the last being when Joiner was 34. Other pass catchers came on board by this time -- Kellen Winslow in 1980, and Wes Chandler from the Saints in 1981. Still, Joiner managed three more 50+ catch seasons and two more 900-yard seasons -- the last in 1985 when Joiner was 38.

Joiner retired after the 1986 season as the NFL's all-time receptions leader with 750. Seattle's Steve Largeant caught his 751st ball late in the 1987 season. No one afterward kept the all-time reception record for more than a few years until Jerry Rice retired with 1,549 receptions after the 2004 season.

 

[faceman]

Quick correction of a typo: It was the 700 career receptions barrier that Joiner broke in 1985. He had surpassed former career-rections leader Charley Taylor (1964-77, 649 rcptns) late in the 1984 season.

Joiner's career is a perfect example of how difficult it was for talented pass-catchers to rack up stats in 1970s-style football. Between 1969 and 1975, Joyner had 160 career receptions for Houston and Cincinnati. He had a high yards-per-catch figure, and was used the way all NFL teams used their deep threats back then -- to catch the defense napping two or three times a game and gash the secondary for 20-30 yards at one shot.

In 1976, 29-year-old Joiner joins former Bengals' QB coach Bill Walsh in San Diego when Walsh became the Chargers' offensive coordinator. Playing for the first time in an offense with modern concepts -- a proto West-Coast offense initially conceived in Cincinnati -- Joiner had career highs in receptions, yards, and TDs (50/1056/7). Walsh moved on to coach Stanford in 1977, and Joiner saw his numbers drop playing back in another 1970s-style run-first-run-second scheme.

Then in 1978, the NFL made it illegal to bump receivers beyond 5 yards. In the same year, Air Coryell took flight in San Diego as Don Coryell replaced Tommy Prothro as head coach after five games. Joiner benefits immediately, ending up with 33 more receptions for over 600 yards despite missing three games down the stretch.

In 1979, Joiner started a solid run with QB Dan Fouts, chalking up three consecutive 70-catch and 1,000 yard seasons - the last being when Joiner was 34. Other pass catchers came on board by this time -- Kellen Winslow in 1980, and Wes Chandler from the Saints in 1981. Still, Joiner managed three more 50+ catch seasons and two more 900-yard seasons -- the last in 1985 when Joiner was 38.

Joiner retired after the 1986 season as the NFL's all-time receptions leader with 750. Seattle's Steve Largeant caught his 751st ball late in the 1987 season. No one afterward kept the all-time reception record for more than a few years until Jerry Rice retired with 1,549 receptions after the 2004 season.

Thanks for the correction Doug. Looks like my math was off when I was looking at his career stats. I do remember he once held
a spooky record. he held the reception record with 666 at the end of the 84 season. he obviously broke it the following season
and eventually wound up with 750. It took him 18 seasons to amass that total. Michael Thomas has a good chance to surpass
it in his 7th season. it really was a different game until Fouts and Marino came along and started taking advantage of the new
rules

 

[Doug B]

Right on, Faceman.

People often heap dung on Lynn Swann's induction without questioning John Stallworth's HOF bona fides. Look over Stallworth's career numerically, though -- especially the years inclusive of Pittsburgh's four 1970s Super Bowl titles (1974-1979). Yes, he had some nice seasons in the 1980s to help his overall numbers ... but can you really look at 1970s Stallworth as being overwhelmingly superior to Drew Pearson?

Pearson had six 800-yard seasons during the 1970s when that was a strong figure for a season's work at WR -- Pearson once led the NFL one year (1977) with 870 yards receiving. Like Stallworth, Pearson would have a resurgent 1979 after the league's defensive rule changes.