Saturday, October 11, 2003

Football might be the ultimate team sport. But there is precious little recognition of that at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Canton enshrines 221 of football's all-time greats. That's 221 individuals, zero teams.

Nine Super Steelers players are in the Hall of Fame. But would Franco Harris be there if Larry Brown and Jon Kolb hadn't blocked for him? Would Joe Greene be there if he hadn't been part of a front four that included Fats Holmes, L.C. Greenwood and Dwight White? Would Mel Blount be there if men like Mike Wagner and Donnie Shell hadn't also excelled in the same defensive backfield?

You would like to think players of that ilk would have prospered in any situation, but you don't know for sure. I do know this: I've never seen a football team quite like the Steelers of the 1970s.

With that in mind, I suggest the Hall of Fame start a special wing where the very best teams of all time are enshrined. Only teams that maintained an astonishing level of excellence over a significant period of time should be considered.

This is so logical, it's hard to believe someone hasn't pushed for it sooner. Football is the triumph of the collective over the individual. Jim Brown, the greatest football player ever, won just one NFL title. One star can't win a championship in football. Recognize that by starting a special wing at Canton for the NFL's greatest teams.

Hall-of-Famer Jack Ham, a Super Steelers mainstay at linebacker, would love to see it happen.

"Without question, it's a terrific idea," Ham said. "Players almost feel embarrassed when they get inducted into the Hall of Fame. I know I did. I realized I was there because I was fortunate enough to play with guys like Joe Greene and Jack Lambert and all the great players we had on our defense.

"In basketball, a player like Michael Jordan can score a lot of points based on his one-on-one skills. Baseball is all about individual numbers. But football is the ultimate team game."

Brown, a tackle for the Super Steelers, will never get into the Hall of Fame. But putting the Steelers of the '70s into a special team wing at Canton would give a player like Brown recognition.

"Larry Brown was a big-time player but no one knew it," Ham said. "No one knows it now. If you induct the great teams, a guy like that gets recognized."

Wagner, Shell and Greenwood are among 67 nominated for the Hall of Fame's next class of inductees. They are long shots to get in because voters are reluctant to enshrine "too many" from any one team. That practice seems unfair at a glance. But then, mediocre players shouldn't be allowed to piggyback on the accomplishments of great performers to get into the Hall.

Not that Wagner, Shell and Greenwood piggybacked on anyone, mind you. All three are worthy of serious consideration for induction.

Inducting the Super Steelers into the Hall of Fame as a team would give credit to everyone in the organization. For example, whoever recommended the Steelers snatch Wagner with an 11th-round draft pick in 1971. "That was Art Rooney Jr.," Ham said.

Canton can never have enough Rooneys as far as I'm concerned.

So, what teams should be inducted into the Hall's new wing? Forget about onetime wonders such as the 1985 Chicago Bears, who went 18-1. Miami went undefeated in 1972 and won another Super Bowl in '73, but two rings aren't good enough. Three rings should be the minimum level of excellence for a Hall of Fame football team.

"I would say the Steelers of the '70s, the Joe Montana-era 49ers and the Green Bay Packers of the '60s for sure," Ham said. "There shouldn't be more than five or six teams."

Presented for your consideration:

*The Steelers of the '70s. An absolute lock. Super Bowl champions for '74, '75, '78 and '79 seasons, many consider them to be the best team ever.

The Green Bay Packers of the '60s. They won NFL championships in '61, '62, '65, '66 and '67, tacking on wins in the first two Super Bowls in '66 and '67.

The San Francisco 49ers of the '80s. Super Bowl wins in '81, '84, '88 and '89.

The Dallas Cowboys from 1992-95. Three rings in four years at a time when the salary cap was starting to make parity take hold.

The Chicago Bears from 1940-43. NFL titles in '40, '41 and '43.

The Cleveland Browns from 1946-55. The Browns won four All-American Football Conference titles from 1946-49, the only seasons that league operated. When the Browns joined the NFL in 1950, they won the NFL crown, then did so again in '54 and '55.

And that's it. Six teams. If you're going to do this, do it right. Make it special. Football prides itself on being a team sport like no other. It's time for Canton to validate that.

Mark Madden is the host of a sports talk show from 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays on WEAE-AM (1250).

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