Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

JohnTurney wrote: ↑Wed Feb 11, 2026 11:49 am

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Tue Feb 10, 2026 10:56 pm John Turney knows about all these questionable choices. He helped create the All-Mid Decade teams on Pro Football Journal.
The HOF should acknowledge or honor/accept these teams. Thoroughly thought out and sensible ...

Thanks for the compliment, but I wouldn't want Hall to acknowledge but was hoping to inspire some kind of panel to follow suit--the hall voters, a select group og them, maybe a pfra group of 50, something more than one's guy's opinion.

But, will tell you, there is work involved and for a group of 50 interested people would require a monitor to make sure punt returners are not mistaken for kick returners. Also, format-- taking into account 3-4s and 4-3s and so on--there would have to be debates before the debate, if you will.

would take a few months if any care were given to it, or even a group like ours would have some odd picks...I copped out by picking more than a 22-man roster...

Anyway, just random thoughts on the idea.

John what do you think of the list how did I do

I am more prone to the mid-decade teams Robert, but Baughan or Chuck Howley would have been fine for me. Like John listed, you want players to have had at least 5-6 or more outstanding seasons.

PFHOFlover wrote: ↑Wed Feb 11, 2026 6:44 pm John what do you think of the list how did I do

I agree with them. I would add Earl Campel for 1970s...seems like two years is too few.

Maybe the all decades team should take into account the 2 years before and after that decade? So '78-91 covers the 1980s Decade Team and ''88-'01 would be the 1990s Decade Team.

Sounds like this thread is focused on players who didn't play enough seasons in the given decade, but there are some baffling choices for other reasons. Bob Carroll pointed out in a CC article, that the 1920s team was back filled with HOFers. They were short at a couple positions and actually made a nice addition in Lavie Dilweg. The other thing he spotted were lots of coaches. Should Halas really have made all-decade as a player for example?

Then in the '30s, I don't think anyone wrote about this, but there are a pair of really baffling choices in Bill Lee and George Svendsen (mentioned by the OP). Not much evidence contemporary observers recognized them as best players for even a season in any decade. I remember it was mentioned around the time of the centennial class that all the All-Decade players should be in the HOF, but that's actually a terrible idea imo.

TanksAndSpartans wrote: ↑Fri Feb 27, 2026 3:55 pm Sounds like this thread is focused on players who didn't play enough seasons in the given decade, but there are some baffling choices for other reasons. Bob Carroll pointed out in a CC article, that the 1920s team was back filled with HOFers. They were short at a couple positions and actually made a nice addition in Lavie Dilweg. The other thing he spotted were lots of coaches. Should Halas really have made all-decade as a player for example?

Then in the '30s, I don't think anyone wrote about this, but there are a pair of really baffling choices in Bill Lee and George Svendsen (mentioned by the OP). Not much evidence contemporary observers recognized them as best players for even a season in any decade. I remember it was mentioned around the time of the centennial class that all the All-Decade players should be in the HOF, but that's actually a terrible idea imo.

What issue of the Coffin Corner is that article from

I wouldn't call it "baffling", but one All Decade Team selection that I kind of question: Harold Carmichael in the 1970's.

One thing that admittedly hurts Carmichael in this context is that his last pro bowl and 1,000+ yard seasons were in 1980 and 1981. Even so, he had a great resume in the decade: 3x pro bowl, 1x second team all pro by AP, led the NFL in receiving yardage and receptions in 1973.

In total he had 407 receptions, 6,080 yards, and 57 receiving touchdowns in the 1970's, and added another 14 receptions, 248 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns in three playoff games in the decade.

Carmichael wasn't a bad pick, but at least by resume in the decade, the voters may have picked the wrong Harold for second team all-decade in my book.

Harold Jackson in the 1970's had 432 receptions, for 7,724 yards, and 61 receiving touchdowns. All three totals are the most of the 1970's in the regular season. He added 22 receptions for 529 yards and five receiving touchdowns in the playoffs as well; albeit over eight playoff games.

Accolades wise, Harold Jackson also made it to four pro bowls, and was a second team all pro in 1972, and a first team all pro in 1973.

Admittedly, Jackson's raw totals would be higher given that he played ten seasons in the decade instead of nine. Even so, he averaged slightly more yards per game than Carmichael did in the regular season throughout the decade (49.03 vs 53.63). Carmichael though had slightly more touchdowns per game (0.46 vs 0.42), and more receptions per game as well (3.28 for Carmichael vs an even 3 per game for Jackson)

Either way though, that one looks pretty close.

A third receiver that also deserves mention for this in my book: Cliff Branch of the Raiders who has totals that are lower than both Harold's, but also made four pro bowls like Jackson, and was a first team all pro three times, and had 693 playoff receiving yards in the 1970's; albeit a good portion of that was with a prime Hall of Fame quarterback unlike Carmichael or Jackson (say what you want about where Ken Stabler ranks among 70's quarterbacks, but he is in Canton and several of those playoff games were in his prime)

In addition to Carmichael, Paul Warfield, Lynn Swann, and Drew Pearson are the three other receivers that they picked for the 70's All Decade Team, but Jackson and Branch deserve mention too in my opinion. Some of those guys have lower totals in the decade, but memorable playoff performances that assuredly would've stood out to voters when they voted on this.

Warfield of whom would pretty much be the top receiver for me had it been the five cutoffs (he earned all his accolades between 1965 and 1974, and averaged 21.3 yards per reception).

What do you all think?