Sports Illustrated's "Experts" picks Football's Greatest From One to 10

[Ramy]

I am reading last week's SI and come across this article. Great categories but the results on some lead me to ask who are these "Experts".
For space and time I am only listing the top one. If someone can find this online please post a link to the whole list.

Category 1 (Best QB) - Joe Montana
Category 2 (Best Running Back) - Barry Sanders
Category 3 (Best Wide Receiver) - Jerry Rice
Category 4 (Best Play) - Immaculate Reception
Category 5 (Best Coach) - Vince Lombardi
Category 6 (Best Team Logo) - Raiders
Category 7 (Best Pass Connection) - Montana to Rice
Category 8 (Best Personality) - Joe Namath
Category 9 (Best Broadcaster) - Chris Collinsworth
Category 10 (Best Special Teams Guy) - Devin Hester


Chris Collinsworth the best broadcaster EVER? WHAT? I like him, but best ever????

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Category 9 (Best Broadcaster) - Chris Collinsworth

You've got to be kidding me.

 

[riffjim4069]

Category 9 (Best Broadcaster) - Chris Collinsworth

You've got to be kidding me.

How the "best" broadcaster and personality made the Top 10 list is beyond me.

 

[Mets82]

Collinsworth has really grown on me and is a very good broadcaster but not the best. What about Pat Sumerall? John Madden? Jack Buck?

 

[Yespage]

I'd choose Curtis Martin or probably more likely Walter Peyton over Barry "played indoors on a rug" Sanders. Sanders was a phenom, but Martin had the most underrated Hall of Fame career ever, and Peyton (well... he's Walter Peyton!) played outdoors in very tough places. Martin played his entire career in the very tough AFC East which landed you late fall/winter games in Foxboro, NJ, Buffalo (well Miami once a year). Peyton played in Chicago.

 

[salsadancer7]

The list is VERY debateable to say the least.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Collinsworth has really grown on me and is a very good broadcaster but not the best. What about Pat Sumerall? John Madden? Jack Buck?

Pat Summerall, the early years with John Madden was the best IMO.

 

[Hart5150]

I am reading last week's SI and come across this article. Great categories but the results on some lead me to ask who are these "Experts".
For space and time I am only listing the top one. If someone can find this online please post a link to the whole list.

Category 1 (Best QB) - Joe Montana
Category 2 (Best Running Back) - Barry Sanders
Category 3 (Best Wide Receiver) - Jerry Rice
Category 4 (Best Play) - Immaculate Reception
Category 5 (Best Coach) - Vince Lombardi
Category 6 (Best Team Logo) - Raiders
Category 7 (Best Pass Connection) - Montana to Rice
Category 8 (Best Personality) - Joe Namath
Category 9 (Best Broadcaster) - Chris Collinsworth
Category 10 (Best Special Teams Guy) - Devin Hester

Chris Collinsworth the best broadcaster EVER? WHAT? I like him, but best ever????

My personal opinion.

1) Brady
2) Brown
3) Rice
4) Music City Miracle
5) Knoll
6) Browns
7) Montana to Rice
8) Art Donovan
9)
10) Vinatieri

 

[salsadancer7]

I am reading last week's SI and come across this article. Great categories but the results on some lead me to ask who are these "Experts".
For space and time I am only listing the top one. If someone can find this online please post a link to the whole list.

Category 1 (Best QB) - Joe Montana
Category 2 (Best Running Back) - Barry Sanders
Category 3 (Best Wide Receiver) - Jerry Rice
Category 4 (Best Play) - Immaculate Reception
Category 5 (Best Coach) - Vince Lombardi
Category 6 (Best Team Logo) - Raiders
Category 7 (Best Pass Connection) - Montana to Rice
Category 8 (Best Personality) - Joe Namath
Category 9 (Best Broadcaster) - Chris Collinsworth
Category 10 (Best Special Teams Guy) - Devin Hester


Chris Collinsworth the best broadcaster EVER? WHAT? I like him, but best ever????

I would say:

1) Toss-up between Montana and Brady.
2) Jim Brown
3) Jerry Rice
4) Tie between the "Immaculate Reception" and the Raiders "Sea of Hands" game vs. the Dolphins in the playoffs.
5) Lombardi
6) Raiders and the Bengals
7) Montana to Rice
8) Who cares...LOL!
9) Wow...too many
10) Devin Hester

 

[Yespage]

Oh, the best play was Vinatieri's 45 or 46 yard field goal in the snow to tie the game against the Raiders. There was no better play in the history of the NFL, dare I say if it is even possible to imagine a play that could be better than that.

It should stand for a few reasons.

1) Simply first, kicking a 46 yard field goal in the dead of winter/snow.
2) It was a 46 yard field goal that had to be made to tie the game at the last second in a do or die playoff game.
3) It launched the Patriots dynasty.

 

[BillD1984]

I am reading last week's SI and come across this article. Great categories but the results on some lead me to ask who are these "Experts".
For space and time I am only listing the top one. If someone can find this online please post a link to the whole list.

Category 1 (Best QB) - Joe Montana
Category 2 (Best Running Back) - Barry Sanders
Category 3 (Best Wide Receiver) - Jerry Rice
Category 4 (Best Play) - Immaculate Reception
Category 5 (Best Coach) - Vince Lombardi
Category 6 (Best Team Logo) - Raiders
Category 7 (Best Pass Connection) - Montana to Rice
Category 8 (Best Personality) - Joe Namath
Category 9 (Best Broadcaster) - Chris Collinsworth
Category 10 (Best Special Teams Guy) - Devin Hester


Chris Collinsworth the best broadcaster EVER? WHAT? I like him, but best ever????

My personal picks:

1. Joe Montana- virtually unbeatable in big games (Brady and Dan Marino are 2 and 2A)
2. Jim Brown (the best I ever saw personally was Earl Campbell)
3. Jerry Rice (#2 isn't even close)
4. Music City Miracle
5. Vince Lombardi (Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Bill Walsh and Chuck Noll all get honorable mention)
6. Chargers
7. Montana OR Young to Rice
8. Art Donovan and Deion Sanders
9. Being an AFC guy I'll always be partial to Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen. As far as current pbp guys, IMO nobody has been close to Al Michaels the last 10-15 years
10. Adam Vinatieri (no ST player has won more BIG games than this guy)

 

[salsadancer7]

9. Being an AFC guy I'll always be partial to Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen

I am changing my answer to this one! Loved these guys...

 

[BillD1984]

I am changing my answer to this one! Loved these guys...

They called a lot of AFC West games, back in the days that division was the undisputed toughest division in football (including when the Seahawks were in the AFC West).

 

[Ramy]

I am changing my answer to this one! Loved these guys...

Growing up I loved hearing those guys calling a game. Also Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy.

 

[Teehar]

Hard to question Montana being best QB.I would rank Johnny Unitas as number 2 then maybe Brady.People always seem to forget how skewed the NFL has become as a passing league and protecting the Qb,during the Brady,Manning era.Could you imagine the stats that Marino could have put up playing in the last 10-12 yrs.Dan Fouts would have also been higher up on the list.Bradshaw would have potentially had huge stats as well instead of being killed half the time.

I do question some of the others on the list.The Raiders have the best logo?

How about Al Michaels as the best announcer?Collinsworth called the Broncos the Vikings Sunday night for crying out loud.

The Catch (Dwight Clark from Montana)Is one of my favorite plays,and I hate the 49ers lol.

 

[dfergie]

Category 1 (Best QB) - Joe Montana
Category 2 (Best Running Back) - Barry Sanders
Category 3 (Best Wide Receiver) - Jerry Rice
Category 4 (Best Play) - Immaculate Reception
Category 5 (Best Coach) - Vince Lombardi
Category 6 (Best Team Logo) - Raiders
Category 7 (Best Pass Connection) - Montana to Rice
Category 8 (Best Personality) - Joe Namath
Category 9 (Best Broadcaster) - Chris Collinsworth
Category 10 (Best Special Teams Guy) - Devin Hester

1. Joe
2. Earl Campbell
3. Rice
4. The Catch
5 Bill Walsh
6. Cowboys
7. Aikman to Irving
8. Madden
9. Summerall & Brookshire
10. Vai Sikahema

 

[cybok0]

Growing up I loved hearing those guys calling a game. Also Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy.

I hated them two, they are up there with your bungle announcer.

 

[cybok0]

Category 1 (Best QB) - Bradshaw
Category 2 (Best Running Back) - Walter
Category 3 (Best Wide Receiver) - Jerry Rice
Category 4 (Best Play) - Immaculate Reception
Category 5 (Best Coach) - Knoll
Category 6 (Best Team Logo) - Steelers
Category 7 (Best Pass Connection) - Bradshaw to Swann
Category 8 (Best Personality) - Madden
Category 9 (Best Broadcaster) - Cosell
Category 10 (Best Special Teams Guy) - Gary Anderson

 

[Ramy]

I hated them two, they are up there with your bungle announcer.

Nobody asked your opinion on my opinion now did they.

 

[Teehar]

Hmm I detect a lil Steeler bias oozing from cybok's veins.