Sam Baugh, the Greatest Football Player there ever was.

I picked up the paper and saw that Samuel Adrian "Sammy" Baugh passed from legend into Glory yesterday. Without a doubt, he was the greatest player that football ever saw.

He played both quarterback on offense and safety on defense, plus was the punter for the Washington Redskins. As noted in his Wikipedia entry:

By the time he retired, Baugh set 13 NFL records in three player positions: quarterback, punter, and defensive back.

Two of his records as quarterback still stand: most seasons leading the league in passing (six; tied with Steve Young) and most seasons leading the league with the lowest interception percentage (five). He is also second in highest single-season completion percentage (70.33), most seasons leading the league in yards gained (four) and most seasons leading the league in completion percentage (seven).

As a punter, Baugh retired with the NFL record for highest punting average in a career (45.1 yards), and is still 2nd all-time (Shane Lechler 46.5 yards), and has the best (51.4 in 1940) and third best (48.7 in 1941) season marks. As a defensive back, he was the first player in league history to intercept four passes in a game, and is the only player to lead the league in passing, punting and interceptions in the same season. Baugh also led the league in punting from 1940 through 1943.

The game in which he intercepted four passes, he also threw for four touchdowns - against Detroit in 1943.

My favorite story about Sam Baugh (he was known as Sammy or Slingin' Sammy, but preferred Sam) was about the 1940 title game, which the Bears won 73-0 (still the most lopsided game in pro football history). Earlier that season, the Redskins had won a close game against the Bears, 7-3, and this game figured to be close as well. The Bears took an early lead, 7-0, on the second play of the game when their fullback, "Bullet Bill" Osmanski, broke off a 68 yard dash to the end zone. The Redskins responded by methodically marching down the field and Baugh hit Charlie Malone in the end zone with a perfect pass. Unfortunately, the usually sure-handed receiver dropped the pass and the Redskins failed to score. After the game, the sportswriters wanted to know if that was a turning point - "Would the game have been different had Malone caught that pass?"

Sam reflected, momentarily and drawled, "Sure, the final score would have been 73-7."

Sam Baugh was a man. The greatest who ever played football.


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A tribute on the ESPN website.

Finally! Art Monk makes it to the Hall of Fame. The other inductees: Darrell Green, Gary Zimmerman, Emmitt Thomas, Fred Dean, and Andre Tippett.

More.

Into the Hall. NFL Hall of Fame voter Len Pasquarelli has a column up which gives a little background on today's voting for the Hall of Fame.

Here, in order, is who I'd be voting for if I had a vote:

1. Art Monk
2. Darrell Green
   
3. Cris Carter
   
4. Randall McDaniel
   
5. Derrick Thomas
   
6. Richard Dent
   
7. Ray Guy
   
8. Emmitt Thomas
   
9. Russ Grimm

In my opinion, every one of these belongs, it's just a question of when.

Hall of Fame, Cut 1

The Pro Football Hall of Fame released the first cut of nominees for the Class of 2008. As in the past, I've indicated an obvious oversight, I'm going to dwell on that. Below are the nominees at Wide Receiver -- I have grouped them into three classes - Must Go In This Year; Should Go In Sometime; and Others. As you can imagine, it starts off small and broadens:

Must Go In This Year
Art Monk (number 6 on all time receptions list [held record when retired]; number 11 on all time yardage list

Should Go In Sometime
Cliff Branch
Harold Carmichael
Both Branch and Carmichael changed the game and are responsible, in part for the other guys having such awesome numbers
Cris Carter (number 2 on receptions list; number 5 on yardage list; no. 2 on receiving TDs)
Andre Reed (number 5 on receptions list; number 8 on yardage list; no. 10 on receiving TDs)
Henry Ellard (probably)

Others
Dwight Clark
Gary Clark (my own sentimental favorite)
Isaac Curtis
Roy Green
Herman Moore
Drew Pearson

Once again, this is a year where no QBs should be chosen. If one is, it should come from one of these three: Ken Anderson, Ken Stabler, Doug Williams. Here are the others: Randall Cunningham, Boomer Esiason, Jim Plunkett (being a Raider fan, I love the guy, but he never had a HOF career), Phil Simms, Joe Theismann, and Danny White (another fine QB who should never make the Hall).

First time nominee Darrell Green, CB, should make it on this go around, but there may reluctance to include two Redskins (i.e. Monk, who deserved admission years ago) -- not to mention all the Hogs who are rightfully being considered.

More to come, I'm sure...

Paul Westhead Bowl.

The Warriors of the University of Hawai'i defeated San Jose in OT last night 42-35. Colt Brennan attempted 75 passes, completing 44 for 545 yards. He's out of Heisman competition I fear, because of his 4 interceptions.

Sadly, I don't think the Warriors are going to make the BCS. But I'd love to see them in a bowl against Texas Tech.