The SBN Wisconsin Hall of Fame
by Brandon on Jul 6, 2010 7:00 AM CDT
in Green Bay Packers History
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PrintAll the SB Nation Wisconsin websites are beginning a new project to establish a SBN Wisconsin Hall of Fame. Kyle Lobner of Brew Crew Ball deserves the credit putting this project together.
This week, APC, Brew Crew Ball, Anonymous Eagle, Brew Hoop, and Bucky's 5th Quarter, will be conducting votes. Here we will select 10 people to represent the Packers. After we narrow it down to 10 this week, we will vote next month for the Top 10 in Wisconsin from the combined 50. And this is only open to those that have retired, so we won't be starting a Brett Favre debate.
Before I post the actual ballot to vote, I wanted to open the comments for suggestions. Any suggestion that receives more than one comment (or one comment and a rec) will be added to the poll. Submit your suggestions by Tuesday, 10 PM CST. I've narrowed the list down to the 21 people in the Pro Football Hall of Fame who played/coached a significant portion of their career with the Packers. The list is after the jump.
Please feel free to submit anyone that comes to mind. The Pro Football Hall of Fame list is jumping off point. Since that list includes only two players I've actually seen play, I wouldn't mind adding a few more recent players to it. Thanks.
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| CB | Herb Adderley |
| S | Willie Wood |
| LB | Ray Nitschke |
| DT | Henry Jordan |
| DE | Willie Davis |
| DE | Reggie White |
| QB | Arnie Herber |
| QB | Bart Starr |
| HB | Tony Canadeo |
| HB | Paul Hornung |
| HB | Blood McNally |
| FB | Clarke Hinkle |
| FB | Jim Taylor |
| WR | Don Hutson |
| WR | James Lofton |
| OT | Forrest Gregg |
| OT | Cal Hubbard |
| OG | Mike Michalske |
| C | Jim Ringo |
| Coach | Curly Lambeau |
| Coach | Vince Lombardi |
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QB Brett Farve
Love’em or hate’em, he brought the Lombardi Trophy home, and helped turn a team floundering in the 70’s and 80’s into a contender most years he played here. I’m not saying he did it alone, but he played a big part.
In the post Brandon said the player had to be retired. Unless Brett’s made some big announcement I missed I don’t think he qualifies.
by PackApologist on Jul 6, 2010 8:07 AM CDT up reply actions
Put him on the list anyway so I can vote for someone else.
Please. :)
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Jul 6, 2010 3:39 PM CDT up reply actions
if not for the retired rule…you’d have to consider throwing Longwell up there too. He does have the most points in a career as a Packer…
But he's a kicker.
Most points for a kicker = not sucking enough to get cut and not hitting on the coaches’ daughter. And that’s it. Is he a good kicker? Yes. Is he the kicker equivalent of the other guys who’ll make the list? No way in hell.
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Jul 6, 2010 3:40 PM CDT up reply actions
Here's an outside the box one
William Henderson.
Ok, so FB is not exactly a sexy position, but the guy was at the top of his game for eleven years. He was a key contributor on offense (both in blocking and receiving) as well as in special teams.
by PackApologist on Jul 6, 2010 8:52 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
I like it.
That guy was a consistent, Pro-Bowl caliber player for a decade.
"Career highlights? I had two. I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets." - Bob Uecker
+2
He never made the Pro Bowl because Mike Alstott was playing too, and unlike Henderson, Alstott ran the ball a lot. Henderson in my opinion was one of the best in blocking. He did his job and would support a move to get him into the Packer Hall of Fame 100%.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
Alstott wasn't a fullback
That’s why he made the Pro Bowl — the Bucs listed him at FB, but he was really a tailback. He actually ran the ball, in a mediocre sort of way, and so he had stats; most FBs in that era (and still in this era) get very few carries.
I agree with all of that except for the mediocre part.
:)
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Jul 6, 2010 3:41 PM CDT up reply actions
There you go.
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Jul 6, 2010 7:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Probably would have gone down as the best WR to don the green and gold if not for injuries. I think he should be on there.
yeah
its a shame his career ended so early, not only would he have been the best WR in Packers history but also possibly a HOFer
Sharpe
He was definitely on pace to make the HOF… But he would never have passed Hutson as the best WR in Packer history!!! Never… Hutson was soo great he changed the way the game was played!!! Sharpe would never have accomplished anything like that. Hutson is in a lot of people’s mind the best WR of All Time! Better than Jerry Rice!!!
I don’t know of many outside of Packer fandom that consider him better than Jerry but I wouldn’t fault anyone for making the argument. He sure did change the game. He revolutionized how the game was played so he could be in the talks for most important NFL players of all time.
That’s right.
Any time Hutson’s stats get brought up (especially compared to the receivers of his day) non-Packer fans are always like “holy crap, how come I don’t know more about this guy??” and Packer fans are like “See?? This is what we’re saying!”
Hutson is Babe Ruth to Rice’s Hank Aaron.
by Curly Lambeau on Jul 6, 2010 2:31 PM CDT up reply actions
John Brockington
For 3 years he was one of the most dominant running backs in the league.
Ditto.
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Jul 6, 2010 3:42 PM CDT up reply actions
Starr & Lombardi
For no other reason that you couldn’t really have a proper HOF without either one, i say Starr & Lombardi. But there are plenty of other deserving names.
by uglyfatpimplynerd on Jul 6, 2010 10:36 AM CDT reply actions
Leroy Butler
You wanted more modern players. He was one of the best to play that position for the Packers and he spent his whole career here and helped us win a trophy
by TrevorR on Jul 6, 2010 10:36 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs
Great choice.
For one: he started the Lambeau Leap. That alone should at least get him under consideration. But when you’re one of the dominant Strong Safeties in the NFL for a decade, that should do it as well.
"Career highlights? I had two. I got an intentional walk from Sandy Koufax and I got out of a rundown against the Mets." - Bob Uecker
I'll 2nd that...
LeRoy is an awesome choice. I may be biased since he scored me tix a couple seasons ago. But he is Packer thru and thru!!!
No on Freeman.
And no on Brooks. I love the guy just like everyone else did, but he didn’t do it long enough.
Back to Freeman: even if he had the numbers and the longevity, which he doesn’t, I ain’t votin’ for a dude who shows up to a post game presser wearing a bandanna with dollar bills on it.
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Jul 6, 2010 3:44 PM CDT up reply actions
You may not vote for him, and I don't know if I would either.
But I feel at least Freeman deserves to be an option. I think there are people who would vote for him, which is what this whole thing is about.
Booo.
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Jul 6, 2010 3:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston should at least be on the nomination list.
But here’s my 10:
Lombardi
Starr
White
Adderly
Davis
Hornung
Taylor
Hutson
Lofton
Nitschke
The only one that’s close is Lofton over Lambeau. I might swap them, but the other 9 are locks.
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Jul 6, 2010 3:50 PM CDT reply actions
forgot
henry jordan and jim ringo————-they are also in the hall of fame and played with those great teams of the 60’s
forrest greg as well
since lombardi said “gregg was the best football player he ever coached”
i would think lombardi knew what he was talking about.
Forrest Gregg
definitely belongs, over Lofton (blowjobs in the stairwell is a disqualifier).
Hmmm. I'm sympathetic on the reaction to Lofton.
I ruled out Gregg because he was a train-wreck of a HC and GM, he employed Ken Stills and Tiger Greene and Charles Martin, who committed some of the dirtiest plays I’ve ever seen on a football field (yeah, I know it was against Ditka’s Bears, but that doesn’t make it ok; at least not completely), AND because he left the job in the middle of the night to become the AD at SMU when they got the “death penalty” from the NCAA.
Screw Gregg. You shouldn’t even be in a fake Wisconsin Sports Hall of Fame after you run your old franchise (who gave you everything you have) into the ground and then leave in the middle of the night with no notice.
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Jul 6, 2010 7:46 PM CDT up reply actions
i think
the hall of fame is based on “the playing days” not what he did after the fact. gregg was one of the best tackles to play in his era and lombardi said as much.
you can say the same thing about starr’s ineptitude as a coach, 1 wining season in what 9 seasons? i know, i know it wasn’t his fault, it was the gm’s fault,but i get the rebutle already. but i don’t recall owners calling bart up to coach their team after he was fired over the phone. at least gregg went to a super bowl as a coach. just not with the packers
Starr didn't quit on the team.
And the organization was actually on a mild upswing in the years before he left. Neither can be said of Gregg.
And if we were basing on the “playing days” then Lombardi wouldn’t be on the list. If a guy is a player AND a coach AND a GM in Wisconsin, it’s on the table in my opinion, but obviously you don’t have to agree.
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Jul 6, 2010 8:35 PM CDT up reply actions
trying to rember what upswing?
starr was a bad coach unless you are too young to remember those days. starr was hired with zero coaching experience at any level and after he was fired, he never coached at any level again.
i never put lombardi on the list by the way…….in fact, i don’t have a list. if i did, i would put mike webster on the list since it is a wisconsin hall-of-fame topic. he is the only one that i recall that has/had 4 super bowl rings.
Didn't suggest you put Lombardi on the list.
I assumed you weren’t advocating taking him off. If you are, then I’m not surprised we’re disagreeing on other issues. If you want Webster on the list, suggest adding him, and they might. But I’m not sure how these guys are defining their rules of admission. If Lombardi’s on the list, and he is, then it’s not just playing days because Lombardi never played in the NFL.
Starr was a bad coach. Didn’t mean to suggest otherwise. I’m plenty old enough to remember him as a coach and a GM. Starr’s teams went 4-10, 5-9, 4-10, 8-7-1, 5-11, 5-10-1, 8-8, 5-3-1(playoffs), 8-8. He deserved to be fired. In fact, I was pretty happy when he got fired. But his teams did finish 2nd in the division or better in each of his last 4 seasons, making the playoffs in the strike shortened year with the best record in their division, but 3rd best in the conference (which is what mattered under the altered playoff format the league adopted after the strike ended).
But maybe it was an upswing because his teams were so bad earlier on in his tenure. That’s a fair response to my argument, but there’s not question that he left Gregg with a better team than the one he inherited from Devine. Starr should have accomplished more than that in 9 years, but we should at least give him credit for what he managed to accomplish, is my point.
FWIW, Gregg took the .500 level team Starr left him and finished 8-8 his first two years, then went 4-12, 5-9-1 (strike shortened), and then quit in the offseason to take over a football program that didn’t exist. The talent got worse, The quality of human being on the team was lower than it was when he started (on average, in my opinion; I’m sure there were some great guys too), and he bailed and left GB to it’s problems.
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Jul 6, 2010 9:21 PM CDT up reply actions
Don Hudson
I know that Mr. Simmons had him in his top ten, but Don Hudson really needs to make this list. The dude was a man among boys and really is one of the best receivers in the history of the game.
Any list that Hutson isn’t on is worthless.
by TrevorR on Jul 6, 2010 9:21 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Comments Closed
I’ve closed the comments here because I’m moving this conversation forward to another thread with the actual ballot.
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