Pro Football Hall-of-Famers By Team, 2026 Edition

Congratulations to the 5 newly-elected members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. New members are annually announced on the day before the Super Bowl. This time, they did it on the preceding Friday.

Here are the new electees, listed here in chronological order:

* Roger Craig, running back, San Francisco 49ers 1983-90; Los Angeles Raiders 1991; Minnesota Vikings 1992-93.

* Adam Vinatieri, placekicker, New England Patriots 1996-2005; Indianapolis Colts, 2006-19.

* Drew Brees, quarterback, San Diego Chargers 2001-05; New Orleans Saints 2006-2020.

* Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver, Arizona Cardinals, 2004-20.

* Luke Kuechly, linebacker, Carolina Panthers 2012-19.

Brees and Fitzgerald were each elected in their 1st year of eligibility; Vinatieri and Kuechly, each in their 2nd year. Craig's election was long overdue, and some of his previous unsuccessful nominations as a finalist may have been oversights: Tony Kornheiser, co-host of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, admitted that he thought Craig was already in. It's understandable: There were 6 previous 49ers from the Joe Montana years, including Montana himself, who had already been elected, as had coach Bill Walsh and team owner Eddie DeBartolo.

Each of them appeared in at least 1 Super Bowl: Craig winning in XIX, XXII and XXIII; Vinatieri winning in XXXVI, XXXVIIII, XXXIX and XLI, and losing in XLIV; Fitzgerald losing in XL; Brees winning in XLIV; and Kuechly losing in 50. (That Super Bowl didn't have the Roman numeral, because it would have been simply "L," which also means "loss.")

This time, no coaches or executives were elected: It was revealed before the full slate of inductees was released that Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft, the head coach and the owner of the New England Patriots in their dynasty years, both eligible for the 1st time, had not gotten the votes necessary for election.

In case you're wondering, Tom Brady becomes eligible in the election whose results will be announced in early February 2028. So, 2 more years. Whether anyone will vote against "the greatest quarterback of all time" because of his cheating, and whether there will be enough such votes to deny him election, even the 1st time, is doubtful.

Nor were any players who played prior to 1983 elected. At this point, any deserving player from that period not yet in is either dead or pretty old.

*

Inductees are listed here with a team if they played, or coached, or were an executive, with them for at least 4 seasons.

I have divided moved teams accordingly (i.e., Johnny Unitas never took a snap for the Indianapolis Colts). "Sure future Hall-of-Famers" are not included, because, as we have seen in baseball, there is no such thing anymore. 

Tenure as a player, or a coach, or an executive is only counted if they were elected as such. In other words, Raymond Berry coached the Patriots into a Super Bowl, and Forrest Gregg did so with the Bengals, but they were elected as a Colts player and a Packers player, respectively, so those are the teams with which they're included.

Ties in the rankings are broken by more players, as opposed to other categories; and then by time in the league. So a team with 4 players is ahead of one with 3 players and 1 coach, and a team with 3 players in 50 years is ahead of one with 3 players in 80 years.

Figures are listed here as follows: Players in chronological order of their Hall of Fame service with the team (even if they had other functions with that team), then coaches, then executives, then broadcasters.

1. Chicago Bears, 34: George Halas (founder, owner, general manager, head coach, player), John "Paddy" Driscoll, George Trafton, Ed Healey, William "Link" Lyman, Red Grange, Bill Hewitt, Bronko Nagurski, George Musso, Dan Fortmann, Joe Stydahar, Sid Luckman, George McAfee, Clyde "Bulldog" Turner, Ed Sprinkle, George Connor, George Blanda, Bill George, Doug Atkins, Stan Jones, Mike Ditka (player & coach), Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, Alan Page, Steve McMichael, Jim Covert, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, Mike Singletary, Brian Urlacher, Julius Peppers, Devin Hester, Jim Finks (executive).

They have 6 from their 1985-86 "Super Bowl Shuffle" team (7 if you count Ditka as coach), as opposed to 4 from their 1963 NFL Champions, and 7 from their 1940s "Monsters of the Midway" team (8 if you count Nagurski's 1943 comeback).

Willie Galimore and Gary Fencik should be in. Thomas Jones is now eligible, and while he didn't spend 4 seasons with any team, his 3 years with the Bears were his most productive period, so I'd list him with them if he got in, and with over 10,000 career rushing yards, he should be in.

2. Green Bay Packers, 31: Earl "Curly" Lambeau (founder, owner, executive, head coach, player), Cal Hubbard, John "Johnny Blood" McNally, Mike Michalske, Arnie Herber, Clarke Hinkle, Don Hutson, Tony Canadeo, Bobby Dillon, Jim Ringo, Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Jerry Kramer, Ray Nitschke, Henry Jordan, Willie Davis, Willie Wood, Herb Adderley, Dave Robinson, James Lofton, Jan Stenerud, Sterling Sharpe, LeRoy Butler, Reggie White, Brett Favre, Charles Woodson, Vince Lombardi (coach & executive), Ron Wolf (executive), Ray Scott (broadcaster, later the main voice on CBS' NFL telecasts).

Nearly half of the Packer figures enshrined in Canton, 13, are from the Lombardi Era, including Lombardi himself. This doesn't count Emlen Tunnell, who played the last 3 seasons of his career with the Packers and retired after the 1st title of the Lombardi Era, 1961.

Now eligible from the Mike Holmgren era, and they would join White, Favre, Sharpe, Butler and Woodson, are Holmgren himself, Adam Timmerman and Gilbert Brown. Eugene Robinson could be considered, but he was only a Packer for 2 seasons, although both ended in Super Bowls, but only 1 won.

Sean Jones played 3 seasons for the Packers, and would qualify as a Raider and an Oiler if he got in. Donald Driver is the only figure from the Mike McCarthy era yet eligible and worthy of consideration.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers, 29: Walt Kiesling (also coach), John "Johnny Blood" McNally, Bill Dudley, Ernie Stautner, Jack Butler, John Henry Johnson, Bobby Layne, Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Mike Webster, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mel Blount, Donnie Shell, Rod Woodson, Dermontti Dawson, Jerome Bettis, Troy Polamalu, Alan Faneca, Art Rooney (founder-owner), Dan Rooney (owner), Bert Bell (coach, later NFL Commissioner), Chuck Noll (coach), Bill Cowher (coach), Bill Nunn (scout), Myron Cope (broadcaster). 

While the Steelers were rarely competitive for their 1st 40 seasons, they did have a few players who were Hall-worthy. But note that 15 of the 29, more than half, including 11 of the 22 players, were involved with the club during their 1972-79 "Steel Curtain" dynasty.

Hines Ward is now eligible, and while that touchdown he scored on a kickoff return for the Gotham Rogues as the field collapsed behind him in The Dark Knight Rises does nothing to help his candidacy, if he does get in, you know that highlight will be played over and over again.

4. Dallas Cowboys, 23: Bob Lilly, Chuck Howley, Mel Renfro, Bob Hayes, Rayfield Wright, Mike Ditka, Roger Staubach, Cliff Harris, Drew Pearson, Randy White, Tony Dorsett, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Larry Allen, Charles Haley, DeMarcus Ware, Tom Landry (coach), Jimmy Johnson (coach), Bill Parcells (coach), Tex Schramm (executive), Jerry Jones (owner).

Parcells did coach them for 4 seasons, so that counts. Ditka is so identified with the Bears (with whom he practically invented the position of tight end and won an NFL Championship in 1963) that people forget that he was ever a Cowboy, and won a Super Bowl each as a player and as one of Landry's assistant coaches -- as did Dan Reeves, although if he ever gets elected, it will be as a head coach, and therefore not as a Cowboy.

Don Meredith was elected as a broadcaster, but was never a broadcaster specifically for the Cowboys. A case can be made that he deserves election as a player. Charlie Waters and Herschel Walker also have their advocates.

5. New York Giants, 22: Steve Owen (elected as a coach, also a pretty good player for Giants), Ray Flaherty, Benny Friedman, Red Badgro, Mel Hein, Ken Strong, Alphonse "Tuffy" Leemans, Emlen Tunnell, Arnie Weinmeister, Frank Gifford, Roosevelt Brown, Sam Huff, Andy Robustelli, Y.A. Tittle, Fran Tarkenton, Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor, Michael Strahan, Tim Mara (founder & owner), Wellington Mara (owner), Bill Parcells (coach), George Young (executive).

Gifford has also been elected as a broadcaster. So has Pat Summerall, but as a CBS & Fox broadcaster, not as a Giants player or broadcaster, so he can't be included here. Tom Landry was the 1st great defensive back to be only a defensive back, after the early 1950s shift to two-platoon football, and was the defensive coordinator on the Giants' 1956-63 contenders. But was elected to the Hall based on his service as a head coach, and he only served as such for the Cowboys, and thus can't be counted here.

There are 6 from the 1956 NFL Champions, but only 3 from Parcells' Super Bowl-winning teams, 5 if you count Parcells himself and Young. Phil Simms has not yet been elected, and you can also make a case for Mark Bavaro (tight ends are in short supply in the Hall), George Martin and Leonard Marshall. Eli Manning is now eligible. So is Tiki Barber, and I wonder if anyone will be willing to vote for him: He is, after all, the all-time leading rusher among New York-based NFL players, slightly ahead of Curtis Martin.

6. Washington Commanders, 22: Cliff Battles, Turk Edwards (also coach), Wayne Millner, Sammy Baugh, Bobby Mitchell, Sonny Jurgensen, Charley Taylor, Sam Huff, Paul Krause, Chris Hanburger, Ken Houston, John Riggins, Art Monk, Russ Grimm, Darrell Green, Bruce Smith (last 4 years of his career as a Redskin), Champ Bailey, George Preston Marshall (founder & owner), Ray Flaherty (elected as a Giants player, but coached Washington to 2 NFL titles, so I'm counting him as one of theirs), George Allen (coach), Joe Gibbs (coach), Bobby Beathard (executive).

Jurgensen and Huff were also broadcasters for the team. Grimm is the only one of the "Hogs" yet elected, but Jeff Bostic and Joe Jacoby should also be elected. A case can be made for an earlier Washington lineman, Len Hauss.

None of the men who have thus far quarterbacked the team formerly named the Washington Redskins into a Super Bowl is in: Not Billy Kilmer, not Joe Theismann, not Doug Williams, not Mark Rypien -- and good cases can be made for all but Rypien, who just didn't play long enough. If Jan Stenerud got elected as a kicker (who didn't also play another position, as did Lou Groza and George Blanda), then why not Mark Moseley?

Oakland Raiders, 23: Jim Otto, Fred Biletnikoff, George Blanda, Ken Stabler, Gene Upshaw, Willie Brown, Art Shell, Cliff Branch, Dave Casper, Ray Guy, Ted Hendricks, Mike Haynes, Howie Long, Marcus Allen, Jerry Rice, Warren Sapp, Tim Brown, Charles Woodson, Eric Allen, Richard Seymour, John Madden (coach), Tom Flores (coach), Al Davis (owner-coach), Ron Wolf (scout).

Madden has also been elected as a broadcaster. Rice and Sapp were both there for 4 seasons, so they count. Who's the most obvious Raider not in? I'd say Jack Tatum, if anybody's got the guts to elect a great cornerback who needlessly paralyzed a man in a preseason game. Also worthy of consideration are Ben Davidson and Lester Hayes.

Note that I'm making an exception to my one-city-only rule for the California-era Raiders, treating them as a continuous Oakland franchise, since they did return, even though their Los Angeles edition became a cultural icon (and not for good reasons). Counted separately, the Oakland Raiders have 19, and the Los Angeles Raiders have 4: Haynes, Long, Allen and Branch, with Branch the only one qualifying for both.

7. San Francisco 49ers, 20: Bob St. Clair, Y.A. Tittle, Joe "the Jet" Perry, Leo Nomellini, Hugh McElhenny, John Henry Johnson, Dave Wilcox, Jimmy Johnson, Joe Montana, Fred Dean, Ronnie Lott, Roger Craig, Jerry Rice, Steve Young, Charles Haley, Bryant Young, Terrell Owens, Patrick Willis, Bill Walsh (coach), Eddie DeBartolo (owner).

Tittle, Perry, McElhenny and John Henry Johnson are the only entire backfield that all played together to all be elected to the Hall, and they were known as the Million Dollar Backfield. The Jimmy Johnson listed above was a black cornerback in the 1960s and '70s, and should not be confused with the white coach for the Cowboys -- although this Jimmy Johnson, unlike the coach, was actually born in Dallas.

Rickey Jackson only played 2 seasons for the Niners, but he did win his only ring with them. Deion Sanders played only 1 season for them, but got the same Super Bowl XXIX ring that Jackson did. So, due to insufficient longevity, I can't count either of them as 49ers HOFers.

From their 1980s champions, Dwight Clark, Randy Cross, Guy McIntyre, Harris Barton and Ken Norton Jr. have not been elected, but all are worth consideration.

8. Kansas City Chiefs, 20: Bobby Bell, Len Dawson, Willie Lanier, Buck Buchanan, Emmitt Thomas, Johnny Robinson, Curley Culp, Jan Stenerud, Derrick Thomas, Marcus Allen, Willie Roaf, Will Shields, Tony Gonzalez, Jared Allen, Hank Stram (coach), Mary Levy (coach), Dick Vermeil (coach), Lamar Hunt (founder-owner), Bobby Beathard (executive), Charlie Jones (broadcaster, did Dallas Texans/K.C. Chiefs games before becoming the main voice for NBC's AFL and then AFC broadcasts).

Dawson was also elected as a broadcaster. It will be a few years before any of the Chiefs' 2016-onward dynasty will be elected.

9. Cleveland Browns, 18: Otto Graham, Marion Motley, Lou Groza, Dante Lavelli, Bill Willis, Mac Speedie, Frank Gatski, Len Ford, Mike McCormack, Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell, Gene Hickerson, Leroy Kelly, Paul Warfield, Joe DeLamiellure, Ozzie Newsome, Joe Thomas, Paul Brown (coach-executive).

It says something about this franchise that Thomas is the 1st player who has played so much as a down for them since 1990 that can be called a Browns' HOFer -- and, additionally, only DeLamielleure and Newsome have played for them since 1977. Tom Cousineau hasn't made it, and neither has Clay Matthews Jr. (father of Packer linebacker Clay Matthews III and brother of Oliers/Titans HOFer Bruce Matthews -- Clay Sr. played for the 49ers in the 1950s, but wasn't HOF quality).

And yet, look at just what they produced in the 1940s and '50s. And that doesn't include players they let get away, like Doug Atkins, Henry Jordan, Willie Davis, Len Dawson, and (while they did both play long enough for the Browns to be counted with them) Mitchell and Warfield.

Maybe that's the real reason Art Modell isn't in the Hall: It's not that he moved the original Browns, and screwed the people of Northern Ohio, it's that he was a bad owner. (Though, to be fair, his firing of Paul Brown and installation of Blanton Collier in 1962 did bring the 1964 NFL Championship, Cleveland's last title in any sport until the 2016 Cavaliers.)

10. Detroit Lions, 16: Dutch Clark (also coach), Jack Christiansen, Bobby Layne, Doak Walker, Yale Lary, Alex Wojciechowicz, Lou Creekmur, Dick Stanfel, Dick "Night Train" Lane, Joe Schmidt (also coach), Alex Karras, Lem Barney, Dick LeBeau, Charlie Sanders, Barry Sanders (no relation to each other) and Calvin Johnson.

Although he played for their 1935 NFL Champions and coached them to the 1952 and '53 titles, Buddy Parker is not in the Hall. It says something about this franchise that there has been only 2 players (Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson) who have played so much as a down for them since 1977 that can be called a Lions' HOFer, although cases can be made for Herman Moore, Lomas Brown and Chris Spielman.

11. Minnesota Vikings, 16: Fran Tarkenton, Carl Eller, Alan Page, Paul Krause, Ron Yary, Mick Tinglehoff, Chris Doleman, Gary Zimmerman, Randall McDaniel, Cris Carter, John Randle, Randy Moss, Steve Hutchinson, Jared Allen, Bud Grant (coach), Jim Finks (executive). Warren Moon was only there for 3 seasons.

12. Philadelphia Eagles, 16: Steve Van Buren, Alex Wojciechowicz, Pete Pihos, Chuck Bednarik, Sonny Jurgensen, Tommy McDonald, Norm Van Brocklin, Bob Brown, Jim Ringo, Harold Carmichael, Eric Allen, Reggie White, Brian Dawkins, Greasy Neale (coach), Dick Vermeil (coach), Bert Bell (founder-owner-coach, later NFL Commissioner).

Van Brocklin only played 3 seasons for the Eagles, but he was the quarterback on their last NFL Championship team before the Super Bowl era, 1960, and then he retired, despite being only 34 years old, so I'm bending the rule to count him. On the other hand, Claude Humphrey played 3 seasons for them, 1 being their 1st trip to the Super Bowl, but unlike Van Brocklin is not an Eagles icon, so I can only include him with the Falcons.

Art Monk, James Lofton and Richard Dent briefly played for the team, and cases could be made for Stan Walters, Jerry Sisemore, Bill Bergey, Randall Cunningham, Clyde Simmons, Seth Joyner and Donovan McNabb. Ron Jaworski, however, only stands to be elected as a media personality, not a player. That is how Irv Cross was elected: While he made 2 Pro Bowls as an Eagle cornerback, he is not in the Hall as a player.

Johnson didn't win as Dolphins' head coach, but he was there for 4 seasons, so he counts there. In spite of everything that happened in his career, Ricky Williams rushed for over 10,000 yards. He is now eligible, but I doubt he'll ever get in. If he does, he would qualify only as a Dolphin, not as a Saint.

13. Los Angeles Rams, 15: Bob Waterfield, Tom Fears, Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch, Norm Van Brocklin, Les Richter, Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Tom Mack, Jackie Slater, Jack Youngblood, Eric Dickerson, Kevin Greene, George Allen (coach), Dan Reeves (owner, not to be confused with the Denver/Atlanta coach), Dick Enberg (broadcaster).

Joe Stydahar coached the Rams to their only NFL Championship in Los Angeles, 1951, but he was elected as a player, not a coach, and so he can't be counted as a Rams' Hall-of-Famer. Counting their St. Louis years, the Rams franchise has 19.

14. Denver Broncos, 13: Willie Brown, Floyd Little, Randy Gradishar, John Elway, Steve Atwater, Shannon Sharpe, Gary Zimmerman, Terrell Davis, Champ Bailey, John Lynch, Peyton Manning, DeMarcus Ware, Pat Bowlen (owner). 3-time AFC Champion coach Dan Reeves has not been elected, but should be. So should Mark Schlereth. Because of how many feathers he ruffled, I don't think you'll ever see Bill Romanowski get in. Ware was a Bronco for 3 seasons, but 1 was a Super Bowl season, so I'm bending the rule for him.

15. Miami Dolphins, 13: Larry Csonka, Nick Buoniconti, Bob Griese, Jim Langer, Larry Little, Paul Warfield, Dan Marino, Dwight Stephenson, Zach, Thomas, Jason Taylor, Don Shula (coach), Jimmy Johnson (coach), Bobby Beathard (executive).

San Diego Chargers, 13: Ron Mix, Lance Alworth, Fred Dean, Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, Kellen Winslow, Junior Seau, Drew Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Sid Gillman (coach), Don Coryell (coach), Bobby Beathard (executive).

16. New England Patriots, 12: Nick Buoniconti, John Hannah, Mike Haynes, Andre Tippett, Curtis Martin, Adam Vinatieri, Ty Law, Richard Seymour, Junior Seau, Randy Moss, Bill Parcells (coach) and Don Criqui (broadcaster). This counts players from their AFL days, when they were officially named the Boston Patriots.

Cases could also be made for Jim Nance, Jim Hunt, Steve Nelson, Julius Adams, Irving Fryar, Drew Bledsoe and Tedy Bruschi, all eligible.

17. Buffalo Bills, 12: Billy Shaw, O.J. Simpson (had to list him), Joe DeLamiellure, James Lofton, Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Marv Levy (coach), Ralph Wilson (owner), Bill Polian (executive) and Van Miller (broadcaster).

Shaw played his entire career in the AFL, making him the only man in the Pro Football Hall of Fame who never played a down in the NFL. (Remember, it's not the National Football League Hall of Fame, it's the Pro Football Hall of Fame.) So much fuss was made over the special-teams skills of Steve Tasker that I'm surprised that he's not in.

Houston Oilers, 11: George Blanda, Elvin Bethea, Curley Culp, Robert Brazile, Earl Campbell, Dave Casper, Ken Houston, Charlie Joiner, Warren Moon, Mike Munchak, Bruce Matthews. Since Matthews counts as both an Oiler and a Titan, if we combine the Houston years and the Tennessee years, their total rises to 12.

18. New York Jets, 11: Don Maynard, Winston Hill, Joe Namath, John Riggins, Joe Klecko, Curtis Martin, Kevin Mawae, Darrelle Revis, Weeb Ewbank (coach), Bill Parcells (coach-executive), Ron Wolf (executive).

Although the Big Tuna only coached the Jets for 3 seasons, he was an executive with them for 4 seasons, and thus meets my qualification for a Jet HOFer. Wesley Walker and Marty Lyons should be considered, although nobody seems to be willing to vote for Mark Gastineau. Vinny Testaverde is eligible, but not yet in. (He would also qualify as a Buccaneer.) No, you can't count Alan Faneca, as he was only a Jet for 2 seasons.

Chicago Cardinals, 10: Jimmy Conzelman, Paddy Driscoll, Guy Chamberlin, Duke Slater, Ernie Nevers, Walt Kiesling, Charley Trippi, Ollie Matson, Dick "Night Train" Lane, Charles Bidwill (owner). Conzelman, Driscoll and Kiesling were also head coaches for the Cards. Counting all their cities, despite having been around for nearly a century, the Cards have only 15 Hall-of-Famers.

Baltimore Colts, 10: Art Donovan, Raymond Berry, Gino Marchetti, Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore, Jim Parker, John Mackey, Ted Hendricks, Weeb Ewbank (coach), Don Shula (coach). Counting their Indianapolis years, the Colts have 15.

19. Indianapolis Colts, 9: Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James, Dwight Freeney, Adam Vinatieri, Tony Dungy (coach), Bill Polian (executive). Reggie Wayne is now eligible. 

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7: Lee Roy Selmon, Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, Ronde Barber, Tony Dungy (coach), Ron Wolf (executive). Warrick Dunn is now eligible, and should be in, and would also qualify as a Falcon.

21. Seattle Seahawks, 6: Steve Largent, Kenny Easley, Cortez Kennedy, Walter Jones, Kevin Mawae, Steve Hutchinson. Rickey Watters is eligible, and while he only played 3 seasons each with the 49ers and Eagles, he played 4 with the 'Hawks, so if he goes in, he would qualify only for them. Tom Flores coached 3 seasons with the 'Hawks, so is not eligible here.

22. New Orleans Saints, 6: Rickey Jackson, Willie Roaf, Morten Andersen, Sam Mills, Drew Brees, Jim Finks (executive). Mike Ditka was Saints coach for 3 seasons and Tom Fears for 4, but neither was elected as a coach, so they can't be included here anyway. Same for Hank Stram, who was elected as a coach, but only coached the Saints for 2 seasons.

Canton Bulldogs, 6: Jim Thorpe, Guy Chamberlin, Joe Guyon, Pete Henry, William "Link" Lyman, Earl "Greasy" Neale.

St. Louis Rams, 6: Orlando Pace, Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Aeneas Williams, Dick Vermeil (coach). Torry Holt is eligible. Note that the St. Louis edition of the Rams is now italicized as a former team. Unlike the Raiders with their Oakland and Los Angeles eras, it doesn't really make sense to fold the St. Louis era in with Los Angeles.

22. Baltimore Ravens, 5: Jonathan Ogden, Ray Lewis, Rod Woodson, Ed Reed, Ozzie Newsome (executive). Newsome was elected as a Cleveland Browns player, but has been a masterful executive for the franchise since the move, so I'm bending the rules to include him as a Brown and a Raven. Jamal Lewis is eligible, but isn't yet in.

23. Atlanta Falcons, 5: Deion Sanders, Claude Humphrey, Morten Andersen, Tony Gonzalez, Bobby Beathard (executive). I wonder how many writers voted for Michael Vick, now that he's eligible? Andre Rison, another controversial figure, is also eligible, and, while he played for 7 different teams (plus 1 in the CFL), on this list, he would qualify only for the Falcons.)

St. Louis Cardinals, 5: Larry Wilson, Dan Dierdorf, Jackie Smith, Roger Wehrli, Don Coryell (coach). Dierdorf has also been elected as a broadcaster, although not specifically with the Cardinals. Ottis Anderson should be elected as a Cardinal, although he achieved his greatest moment as a Giant.

25. Cincinnati Bengals, 4: Charlie Joiner, Ken Riley, Anthony Munoz, Paul Brown (founder-owner-coach). Reggie Williams and Corey Dillon should be in, but Boomer Esiason is a borderline case. Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson is both a borderline Hall of Fame case and a borderline mental case.

Duluth Eskimos, 3: Walt Kiesling, John "Johnny Blood" McNally, Ernie Nevers.

26. Arizona Cardinals, 3: Aeneas Williams, Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald. Emmitt Smith wasn't with them long enough. Nor was Edgerrin James.

27. Carolina Panthers, 3: Sam Mills, Luke Kuechly, Bill Polian (executive). Kevin Greene only played 3 seasons for them, so he doesn't count. Cam Newton becomes eligible next year.

28. Tennessee Titans, 2: Bruce Matthews, Kevin Mawae. Matthews only played 3 years as a "Tennessee Titan," but counting 2 years as a "Tennessee Oiler," he qualifies for the Titans. Eddie George is eligible, and should be in.

Frankford Yellow Jackets, 2: Guy Chamberlin, William "Link" Lyman. The 1926 NFL Champions should also have Russell "Bull" Behman and Henry "Two-Bits" Homan -- the former a big guy by the standards of the time, and the latter a little guy who was the NFL's answer to Wee Willie Keeler -- in the Hall.  But both died in the early 1950s, so neither was able to speak on his own behalf since the 1962 founding of NFL Films. Although the Eagles replaced the Jackets as Philadelphia's NFL team, the two teams are not the same franchise.

Providence Steam Roller, 2: Jimmy Conzelman (player & coach), Frederick "Fritz" Pollard.

Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL 1930-1948), 2: Clarence “Ace” Parker, Frank "Bruiser" Kinard.

29. Houston Texans, 1: Andre Johnson. J.J. Watt will almost certainly be elected in his 1st year of eligibility, which will be 2028.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1: Tony Boselli. Fred Taylor is also a possibility.

Rock Island Independents, 1: Duke Slater.

31. Las Vegas Raiders, none. Sorry, Mark Davis, but you dropped your team (nearly) to the bottom of this list when you screwed Oakland over, like your daddy did before you.

32. Los Angeles Chargers, none. Sorry, Dean Spanos, but you dropped your team to the bottom of this list when you screwed San Diego over.

February 1, 2004: Timberlake vs. Jackson

February 1, 2004, 20 years ago: Super Bowl XXXVIII -- thus far, the Super Bowl with the longest Roman numeral -- is played at Reliant Stadium (now NRG Stadium) in Houston. And, for the first time, and thus far the only time, a Super Bowl is overshadowed by something else that happened inside the stadium. (Black Sunday was a novel, and then a film. Same with The Sum of All Fears. Thankfully, nothing like either has ever happened in real life.)

The New England Patriots were AFC Champions, after winning Super Bowl XXXVI on a last-play field goal by Adam Vinatieri and then missing the Playoffs in the season in between. By an unusual turn of events, it was the 4th Super Bowl appearance in team history, but the 1st that wasn't played at the Superdome in New Orleans.

The Carolina Panthers were NFC Champions in their 8th season of play, after reaching the NFC Championship Game in 1996-97, only their 2nd. This was not the 1st time a Carolina-based team had reached a Final, though: The Carolina Hurricanes had reached the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals.

It was the 2nd time the Super Bowl was held in Houston, after Super Bowl VIII was held at Rice Stadium, home of Rice University. It was already outdated by 1974, but it seated about 20,000 more people than the Astrodome did. The NFL waited until both the Houston Oilers and the Astrodome were replaced before awarding Houston another game. (The League now has a policy that the game can only be played in stadiums that are a team's home field, even as they hope that team won't make the game, so that it will be a neutral field.) It was the 1st time that the Super Bowl was held in a stadium with a retractable roof.

The Patriots were favored by 7 points. Houston native Beyoncé Knowles sang the National Anthem. The 1st quarter was scoreless: The closest either team came to scoring was Vinatieri missing a 31-yard field goal attempt.

In the 2nd quarter, Vinatieri attempted a field goal from 36 yards out. This time, the Panthers blocked it. But the Panthers were no better: Quarterback Jake Delhomme completed only 1 of his 1st 9 passes, got sacked 3 times, and fumbled. The last of those sacks, by Mike Vrabel, forced the fumble, which became the break the Patriots were looking for. Richard Seymour recovered it at the Patriots' 20-yard line, and, 3 plays later, Tom Brady threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Deion Branch.

This was 26 minutes and 55 seconds into the game, the longest a Super Bowl had gone from kickoff without scoring. But it opened the floodgates: Delhomme figured things out, drove the Panthers 95 yards in 8 plays, and threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith to tie the game. But there was 1:07 left in the half, and Brady took the Pats 78 yards in 6 plays, 52 of those yards on a pass to Branch. Brady threw a 5-yard pass to David Givens, to make it 14-7 New England. But there was still enough time for the Panthers to get into field goal range, and John Kasay kicked one from 50 yards out on the last play of the half. Patriots 14, Panthers 10.

The Super Bowl Halftime Show was next. It was sponsored by MTV (which, like the game's telecaster, CBS, was owned by Viacom), and it began with a "Choose or Lose" video, encouraging young people to vote. So far, so good.

As for the live performances, Jessica Simpson, a Texas native, started the festivities not by singing -- there was a relief -- but by shouting, "Houston, choose to party!" Next up, the combined marching bands of the University of Houston and Texas Southern University (a historically black school in Houston) played "The Way You Move," by OutKast (who were not there). Still, nothing that couldn't be rated PG.

Next up was Sean Combs, then using the name P. Diddy. I have never liked him, but he wasn't especially offensive this time, singing "Bad Boy for Life." Next up were singers dressed like cheerleaders, singing Toni Basil's 1982 Number 1 hit "Mickey," substituting first "Diddy," then "Nelly." That was the cue for Nelly, the St. Louis-based rapper, who sang his best-known song, "Hot in Herre." This is where the trouble started: Nelly kept grabbing and shaking his dick.

Diddy followed with another song, his duet with his pal, the late Notorious B.I.G., "Mo Money Mo Problems." This was followed by Robert James Ritchie, a.k.a. Kid Rock. Or, as he said, introducing himself, "My name is Kiiiiiiiiiiiid... " I never did hear him say, "Rock!" This great conservative was wearing a plastic American flag as a poncho. That should have been the most offensive gesture of the day, although the 2 songs he did, "Bawitdaba" and "Cowboy," were not exactly Sgt. Pepper material.

Next was Janet Jackson, who wore a long black vinyl outfit with what looked like rhinestones around the breasts, and led a group of dancers through her song "Rhythm Nation." At the time, she was bigger than any of these people. She had done what few relatives of superstars had managed to do: Build her own brand, and get on, if not quite the same level, then maybe only one level below her brother Michael.

And if that had been the end of it, well, we might have been talking about how disgusting Nelly was, and how hypocritical Kid Rock is. But that was not the end of it. The last song was "Rock Your Body" by Justin Timberlake.

The biggest heartthrob of the vocal group NSYNC, he has had, far and away, the biggest solo career of any member of the late 1990s-early 2000s "boy bands." He did it by doing what Janet did: Building his own brand. In his case, building an image of the Southern version of a sex maniac who is simply too charming for women to resist.

"Rock Your Body" had been written by Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams, collectively known as The Neptunes. Ironically, they had first offered the song to Michael Jackson, but he turned it down. So they gave it to Justin, and his recording of it hit Number 2 in 2003.

But I didn't like Justin. Never have. Never will. Janet, I liked, and still do. But not Justin. I was watching this game, and this show, at a chain restaurant that has since closed (though the chain is still in business). When I saw him come onstage, I thought, "Good time for a bathroom break."

It seemed as though the halftime show was going to end with Janet and Justin dancing together to Justin's big hit. And if that had been the case, no one would remember it today. But they got to the last line of the song, which is "I gotta have you naked by the end of this song."

And just before getting to that line, thus proving that both of them had been lip-syncing, Justin grabbed Janet's right breast, and pulled, tearing off a piece of the outfit, and exposing the breast, with what looked like a jeweled earring attached to the nipple.

At that moment, presumably as scheduled, fireworks were shot off from the stadium's roof. Someone at CBS saw what was happening, and immediately switched camera angles to show the fireworks above -- not the "fireworks" below.

And, being in the bathroom at the time, I missed it.

When I came back out, the restaurant wasn't exactly packed, and if anybody was talking about it, I didn't hear it. This was February 1, 2004. Facebook went online exactly 3 days later. Twitter was more than 2 years away. We had the Internet, but we didn't have "social media" as we now understand that term. Had I gone into a chat room, or onto a message board, or even clicked on a newspaper or TV network website, I would have found out what happened rather quickly. But there was no way to know within minutes what had happened. I literally didn't know about it until I woke up the next morning.

I didn't know about it because CBS announcers Greg Gumbel and former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms didn't talk about it. They did briefly talk about, but did not show, a streaker who ran onto the field after the halftime show's stage was dismantled. The streaker wasn't completely naked: He wore a thong. And he had the address of a website written in black ink on his back. This was no Morganna the Kissing Bandit, or 1986 World Series parachutist Michael Sergio, or even the "Fan Man" at one of the Evander Holyfield vs. Riddick Bowe fights. This was just some fat yutz trying to make a quick buck and maybe a name for himself.

It probably never entered his mind that he might be taking some of the heat off the halftime show. If that had been his secondary intent, along with the primary intent of promoting the website, it didn't work at all.

Anyway, with me only knowing about the game itself, the game itself went on. There was no scoring in the 3rd quarter, leaving it still at New England 14, Carolina 10. But there would be 37 points scored in the 4th quarter, the most ever in a single Super Bowl, breaking the record of 35 in the 2nd quarter of Super Bowl XXII, all by the Washington Redskins.

Two plays into the 4th quarter, Antowain Smith scored on a 2-yard run, and the Patriots led 21-10. The Panthers got the ball back, and DeShaun Foster broke off a 33-yard touchdown run. The Panthers tried a 2-point conversion, but failed, leaving the score at 21-16. The Patriots launched another drive, but Reggie Howard intercepted Brady in the end zone. Delhomme then threw an 85-yard touchdown pass to Mushin Muhammad, the longest play from scrimmage in Super Bowl history. Another 2-point conversion attempt failed.

But the Panthers now led, 22-21. It was the 1st time a team had trailed a Super Bowl by at least 10 points and had taken the lead.

The Patriots were not fazed. (Because they knew they were still going to win? Were they cheating?) The Patriots got to 3rd & goal, and set Vrabel up as a tight end, and scored. The Patriots attempted a 2-pointer, and made it, taking a 29-22 lead with 2:51 to go.

There was plenty of time for the Panthers. Two years earlier, Ricky Proehl had caught a game-tying touchdown pass for the St. Louis Rams against the Patriots, who won that Super Bowl anyway. This time, he was playing for the Panthers, and Delhomme threw him a 12-yard touchdown pass. Having already failed on 2 2-point conversions, Panthers coach John Fox went for 1, and Kasay kicked the extra point to make it 29-29.

But there was 1:08 left, and Kasay's kickoff went out of bounds, giving the Pats the ball on their own 40. Brady got them close enough for Vinatieri to try a 41-yard field goal attempt with 9 seconds left. In his career, he had attempted 35 field goals in indoor stadiums, and missed only 4 of them -- but all 4 had been right there at Reliant Stadium.

He made it. The Panthers could do nothing with the ensuing kickoff, and the Patriots had won, 32-29. There had now been 4 field goal attempts to win Super Bowls in the last 10 seasons, 3 of them successful, and Vinatieri had made 2 of them.

The Panthers didn't blow it. They didn't choke. They didn't break their fans' hearts. They played pretty well, scoring enough points to have won 17 of the 37 previous Super Bowls. But it would take them 12 years to get to another, and they still haven't won one. The Patriots, meanwhile, continued their run of success.

It was one of the best Super Bowls ever played. And, outside of New England, and North and South Carolina, nobody cared. All people wanted to talk about was what was already being called "Nipplegate." It had overtones of sex, overtones of race (Janet is black, Justin is white), and a connection to sports. A triple threat.

The NFL ruled that MTV would never be invited to participate in anything with them again. The Federal Communications Commission fined CBS $550,000 for "indecency." A federal court ultimately voided the fine, and it was never paid. That was the right call: The situation wasn't CBS' fault. They were taken every bit as much by surprise as everyone else was.

The bulk of the public anger fell on Janet. The jokes from late-night comedians, while embarrassing and seeming to go on forever, turned out to be the least damaging part of it. Viacom and its subsidiaries, including CBS, MTV and Infinity Broadcasting, blacklisted her from their broadcasts.

"There are much worse things in the world," Janet said, "and for this to be such a focus, I don't understand."

From 1986 to 2001, she had 10 songs reach Number 1 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart. Her next album, titled Damita Jo after her middle name, was released on March 30, 2004, 58 days after the incident, and none of the 3 singles from it cracked the Top 40. From 2006 to 2021, she would have only 2 singles that did.

She was 37 years old at the time of the incident, and still looked, moved and sounded great, so it's not like she was washed up. And her fans still sold out arenas all over the planet. But she has never again been a hitmaker.

And Timberlake? His next album came on September 8, 2006, and it produced 3 Number 1 hits. From 2006 to 2018, he had 18 Top 10 hits, 5 of them hitting Number 1.

He got off scot-free from hurting Janet's career. Just as he had gotten off scot-free from the way he treated Britney Spears, both while and after he was her girlfriend.

In 2021, a documentary about Britney's struggle to reclaim her legal rights aired, and it put Timberlake's actions and words -- toward her, and toward Janet -- in a new light. In an Instagram post, Timberlake said:

I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right...

I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism...

I didn’t recognize it for all that it was while it was happening in my own life but I do not want to ever benefit from others being pulled down again.

I can do better and I will do better. 

He had better. To paraphrase one of his later hits, he was one of those other boys who don't know how to act.

February 3, 2002: The New England Patriots' Underdog Win

February 3, 2002, 20 years ago: Super Bowl XXXVI is played at the Superdome in New Orleans. Remember when the New England Patriots were considered plucky underdogs, and their opponents were arrogant swellheads? Never again.

The Patriots were founded as the Boston Patriots in 1960, with the American Football League. In 1963, they won the AFL Eastern Division title, but got clobbered by the San Diego Chargers in the AFL Championship Game. They bounced around from stadium to stadium, playing at Boston University's Nickerson Field, Boston College's Alumni Stadium, Harvard Stadium and Fenway Park.

In 1971, their 2nd season after the NFL merged with the AFL, they moved to suburban Foxborough, Massachusetts, a little closer to downtown Providence, Rhode Island than to downtown Boston. To tap into a regional identity -- something the Red Sox, the Celtics and the Bruins never found it necessary to do -- they changed their name to the New England Patriots.

In 1976, after 9 seasons seasons finishing .500 or less, they went 11-3, and won the AFC's Wild Card Playoff berth. But they lost the Divisional Playoff to the Oakland Raiders, in controversial fashion. In 1978, they won the AFC East, but lost the Divisional Playoff to the Houston Oilers. In 1982, they made the Playoffs, but lost to the Miami Dolphins in the 1st Round.

In the 1985 season, they did something no other NFL team had done: They won 3 Playoff games on the road to advance to the Super Bowl. (Only 1 team has done it since: The 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers.) They beat the New York Jets at the Meadowlands, the now-moved Raiders at the Los Angeles Coliseum, and the Dolphins at the Orange Bowl. But they got slaughtered by the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX.

 

After a Division title and a Divisional Playoff loss to the Denver Broncos in the 1986 season, the Pats collapsed, falling into mediocrity on the field and disgrace off it. New ownership hired Bill Parcells to rebuild the team. He got them into the Playoffs in 1994, losing to the Cleveland Browns. In 1996, he got them to an AFC East title, and into Super Bowl XXXI, where they lost to the Green Bay Packers. This was followed by another Division title in 1997, and another Playoff berth in 1998.

In 2000, Bill Belichick was named head coach. He had been Parcells' defensive coordinator with the Patriots, and with both New York teams, the Giants and the Jets. But as a head coach, he had already failed with the Browns. But in just his 2nd season at the helm, he got them to 11-5 and the AFC East title.

The key game was the 2nd of the year. Mo Lewis of the Jets injured quarterback Drew Bledsoe on a tackle. In came Tom Brady, drafted in the 6th round, and not hyped much. After a 5-5 start, the Pats won their last 6 regular season games.

The Divisional Playoff was the last game played at Foxboro Stadium, as what became Gillette Stadium was being built next-door. In a blizzard, the "Tuck Rule" helped the Patriots beat the Oakland Raiders, 16-13, on an overtime field goal by Adam Vinatieri. The following week, they won away to the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning them a berth in Super Bowl XXXVI.

They would play the St. Louis Rams, whose passing attack, led by Kurt Warner, was known as "The Greatest Show On Turf." They had won the Super Bowl just 2 years earlier. They were 14-2, their only losses being by 3 at home to the New Orleans Saints, and by 7 at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They had beaten the Packers in the Divisional Round and the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.

They were talking big. They were talking dynasty. They were favored by 14 points, and they were talking like a team that deserved to be.

Boston had won 6 World Series, although none since 1918; 5 Stanley Cups, although none since 1972; and a record 16 NBA Championships, although none since 1986. The city had never won one in football. This was their chance to do so. Since the Celtics' 1986 title, Boston teams had gone 0-7 in finals, including the Patriots' loss in Super Bowl XXXI. New England needed a win.

*

This is what the world was like on February 3, 2002, 20 years ago:

America was still shaken from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Many people thought it was good that a team called the Patriots was in the Super Bowl.

The Patriots had Ty Law. The Rams had Kurt Warner, Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce, Orlando Pace and Aeneas Williams. The New York Giants had Michael Strahan and, for that one season, Morten Andersen. The New York Jets had Curtis Martin and Kevin Mawae.

The Baltimore Ravens had Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden, Rod Woodson and Shannon Sharpe. The Chicago Bears had Brian Urlacher. The Dallas Cowboys had Emmitt Smith and Larry Allen. The Denver Broncos had Terrell Davis. The Green Bay Packers had Brett Favre. The Indianapolis Colts had Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison. The Kansas City Chiefs had Tony Gonzalez and Will Shields.

The Miami Dolphins had Jason Taylor. The Minnesota Vikings had Cris Carter and Randy Moss. The New Orleans Saints had Willie Roaf. The Oakland Raiders had Jerry Rice, Tim Brown and Charles Woodson. The Philadelphia Eagles had Brian Dawkins. The Pittsburgh Steelers had Jerome Bettis and Alan Faneca.

The San Diego Chargers had LaDainian Tomlinson and Junior Seau. The San Francisco 49ers had Terrell Owens. The Seattle Seahawks had John Randle, Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Randall McDaniel and John Lynch. The Tennessee Titans had Bruce Matthews. And the Washington Redskins had Bruce Smith.

All of those players are now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Drew Brees was a rookie with the Chargers. Eli Manning, Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers were in college. Matt Ryan, Clay Matthews, Ndamukong Suh, Colin Kaepernick, Matthew Stafford and Richard Sherman were in high school.

 

Russell Wilson and Nick Foles were 13 years old; Cam Newton and Rob Gronkowski were 12; Jimmy Garoppolo was 10; Odell Beckham Jr. and Johnny Manziel were 9; Michael Thomas and Dak Prescott were 8; Baker Mayfield, Joey Bosa and Patrick Mahomes were 6; Juju Smith-Schuster, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson were 5; Sam Darnold and Kyler Murray were 4; Tua Tagovailoa was 3; and Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith were 2.

The Houston Texans have begun play. The Oakland Raiders have moved again, to Las Vegas. The Rams and the Chargers have both moved back to Los Angeles. Those teams, the Patriots, both New York teams, the Seahawks, the Bears, the Eagles, the Colts, the Cowboys, the 49ers, the Vikings, the Detroit Lions, the Arizona Cardinals and the Atlanta Falcons have all opened new stadiums.

The Patriots had not yet won a Super Bowl. Nor had the Buccaneers, the Saints, the Seahawks, the Eagles, or the Colts since moving to Indianapolis. The Buccaneers, the Seahawks, the Saints, the Carolina Panthers, the Arizona Cardinals, and the Colts since moving to Indianapolis had never even been in one. The Eagles had won an NFL Championship, but not since 1960.

All of those facts are no longer true.

Bill Belichick is still the head coach of the Patriots. The new head coach of the New York Giants, Brian Daboll, was one of Belichick's assistants on the Patriots' staff. Robert Saleh of the Jets was playing at Northern Michigan University.

Lindy Ruff of the Devils was the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres. Barry Trotz of the Islanders was the head coach of the Nashville Predators. Tom Thibodeau of the Knicks was an assistant coach for them. Gerard Gallant of the Rangers was an assistant coach for the minor-league Louisville Panthers. Buck Showalter of the Mets was a studio analyst for ESPN.

Aaron Boone of the Yankees was playing for the Cincinnati Reds. Steve Nash of the Nets was playing for the Dallas Mavericks. Sandy Brondello of the Liberty was playing for the WNBA's Miami Sol. And the managers of the New York Tri-State Area's MLS teams were playing in their native countries: Ronny Deila of NYCFC for Odds BK in Norway, and Gerhard Struber of the Red Bulls for LASK in Austria.

The defending World Champions were the Baltimore Ravens, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Colorado Avalanche. The Heavyweight Champion of the World was Lennox Lewis.

The Olympic Games have since been held in America, Greece, Italy, Canada, Britain, Russia, Brazil, Korea, Japan, and now, twice, in China. The World Cup has now been held in Japan, Korea, Germany, South Africa, Brazil and Russia.

The idea that two people of the same gender could get married, and have all the legal benefits of marriage, was absurd. But then, so was the idea that corporations were "people" and entitled to the rights thereof.

The President of the United States was George W. Bush. His father George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, their wives, and the widow of Lyndon Johnson were still alive. Barack Obama was in the Illinois State Senate. Joe Biden was running for his 6th term in the U.S. Senate from Delaware. Kamala Harris was an Assistant District Attorney in Alameda County, California. And Donald Trump was a laughingstock, in both professional and private life.

The Governor of the State of New York was George Pataki, the Mayor of the City of New York was Michael Bloomberg, and the Governor of New Jersey was Jim McGreevey. The Mayor of Boston was Tom Menino, and the Mayor of St. Louis was Francis Slay.

The current holders of those offices? Kathy Hochul was a member of the Town Board in the Buffalo suburb of Hamburg, New York; Eric Adams was a New York police detective; Phil Murphy was head of Goldman Sachs' Investments Management Division; Michelle Wu was in high school in the Chicago suburb of Barrington, Illinois; and Tishaura Jones was an executive trainee at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis.

There were still living veterans of World War I, the Mexican Revolution, the Bolshevik Revolution, and the Baltic and Irish Wars of Independence. There were still living survivors of the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the General Slocum fire of 1904, the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, and the sinkings of the Titanic in 1912 and the Lusitania in 1915.

The Pope was John Paul II. The current Pope, Francis, had just been named Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio. The Prime Minister of Canada was Jean Chretien. The Prime Minister of Britain was Tony Blair. The British monarch was Queen Elizabeth II. (That hasn't changed.) The holder of the Nobel Peace Prize was Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. There have since been 4 Presidents of the United States, 5 Prime Ministers of Britain, and 3 Popes.

Major novels of 2002 included The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg. "Prosperity gospel" televangelist Rick Warren published The Purpose Driven Life. Apparently, the purpose driving his life is to con people into believing that God wants them to give him money. There had been 4 Harry Potter books, and 3 A Song of Ice and Fire books. But no one had yet heard of Lisbeth Salander, Bella Swan or Katniss Everdeen.

Major films of the Winter of 2002 included Snow Dogs, A Walk to Remember, Big Fat Liar, Collateral Damage, Monster's Ball, Britney Spears' film debut Crossroads, Aaliyah's last film Queen of the Damned, John Q for which Denzel Washington should have won the Oscar that year, the remake of Rollerball, and the James Caviezel version of The Count of Monte Cristo. "U Got It Bad" by Usher was the Number 1 song in the country.

Inflation was such that what $1.00 bought then, $1.55 would buy now. A U.S. postage stamp cost 34 cents, and a New York Subway ride $1.50. The average price of a gallon of gas was $1.36, a cup of coffee $2.05, a McDonald's meal (Big Mac, fries, shake) $6.47, a movie ticket $5.81, a new car $21,866, and a new house $227,600. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the preceding Friday at 9,907.26.

There were cell phones, but "smart" phones were not yet widely known, let alone owned. The top home video game system was the Xbox. There was, as yet, no iPhone, no iPad, no Skype, no Facebook, no YouTube, no Twitter, no Tumblr, no Pinterest, no Instagram, and no TikTok.

In the Winter of 2002, the Euro is officially introduced as paper and coin currency, after having been in use as credit since 1999. The civil wars in Sierra Leone and Angola ended. Juanita Jordan filed for divorce from Michael.

President Bush delivered the State of the Union Address, in which he said that Iran, Iraq and North Korea have formed "an axis of evil." This is later revealed to be a lie. He also signed a national security council directive, establishing the goals and objectives for going to war with Iraq. Meanwhile, 5 months after 9/11, Osama bin Laden was still at large. And American journalist Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by al-Qaeda -- in Pakistan.

Wendy's founder Dave Thomas, and Peggy Lee, and Brazilian soccer legend Edvaldo Izidio Neto, a.k.a. Vavá, died. Asher Angel, and Jalen Green, and Jordan Addison were born.

That's what the world was like on February 3, 2002, 20 years ago, when the New England Patriots' dynasty began.

*

The Rams' offensive starters were introduced first. Then the Patriots were introduced, collectively rather than individually. Trying to show that they were a team, rather than a collection of stars. Little did we know that one of them would become the biggest football star of their generation.

The Rams scored first, a 50-yard field goal by Jeff Wilkins. But in the 2nd quarter, the Patriots were really pressuring Kurt Warner. And after a 3rd-down incompletion, I saw a look in Warner's eyes. I'd previously seen that look in the eyes of Dan Marino, Tony Eason, John Elway, Jim Kelly, Neil O'Donnell and Kerry Collins. It was the look of a quarterback who knew he was going to lose the Super Bowl. And the Rams were still winning at this point. They were forced to try another long field goal attempt by Wilkins, this time from 52 yards out. It was long enough, but wide left.

On their next drive, Warner was intercepted by Ty Law, who took it in 47 yards to give the Pats a 7-3 lead. A Warner pass to Ricky Proehl was turned into a fumble by Antwan Harris, and Terrell Buckley recovered it. Brady took over, and in the last minute of the half, threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to David Patten. It was 14-3 New England.

After an emotional halftime show by U2, the 3rd quarter was comparatively dull. But Otis Smith intercepted Warner to set up a 37-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri.

This was before social media: We had Internet chat rooms and message boards, but no Facebook or Twitter. Still, there seemed to be a feeling around the country that, the longer the Patriots held the lead over the heavily favored Rams, the more surprised they got. Not me: I was getting less and less surprised. The Patriots had dominated the game. Even while they were down 3-0, they looked like the better team.

Then came the kind of comeback that would, over the next 20 years, come to be expected from the Patriots and (and, later, or) Brady. The kind that, if it was the Patriots (and/or Brady), would make you wonder if they were cheating again. At this point, we had no reason to suspect the Patriots (and/or Brady) of cheating. In hindsight, maybe they were, but it stopped working.

The Rams got to the Patriots' 3-yard line. On 4th & goal, needing 2 touchdowns in the last 10 minutes, they decided to go for it. Warner couldn't find anyone open, and was hit by Roman Phifer, and fumbled. Tebucky Jones picked it up, and took it back 97 yards for a touchdown. But the main reason no one was open was that Willie McGinest had committed a holding penalty on Marshall Faulk, preventing him from becoming an eligible receiver. The Rams got a new set of downs, and Warner scored on a quarterback sneak. The Rams were within 17-10 with 9:31.

With 1:51 left, the Rams had one more drive, starting on their own 45. Warner threw 18 yards to Az-Zahir Hakim, 11 to Yo Murphy, and 26 yards to Proehl for a touchdown. With 1:30 left in regulation, it was 17-17.

The question now was, How would the less experience Patriots respond to blowing a 2-touchdown 4th quarter lead, with no timeouts left? The answer turned out to be, "Very well." Brady got the Patriots a little closer, a little closer, and a little closer. The key play was a 23-yard pass to Troy Brown. With 7 seconds left, they were in position for Vinatieri to kick a 48-yard field goal.

Three weeks earlier, in the cold, snow and wind of Foxboro Stadium, Vinatieri had made a game-winning field goal in overtime. This time, he was inside the Superdome, with no weather at all. If he failed, it was overtime. If he succeeded, he was a New England hero forever.

The kick was perfect. Final score: New England 20, St. Louis 17. The Patriots were World Champions for the 1st time. And, except in the St. Louis area, hardly anybody begrudged them this. They were the plucky underdogs that everybody could like.

Just like the University of Miami football team was in the 1984 Orange Bowl. Just like the Duke basketball team was in the 1991 Final Four. Just like the Atlanta Braves were in the 1991 baseball postseason. Just like Manchester United was in the 1992-93 Premier League season. Just like the Yankees were in the 1996 baseball postseason. Just like the Boston Red Sox were in the 2004 baseball postseason. Things change.

Brady was named the game's Most Valuable Player. As had been custom since Super Bowl XXI, the Super Bowl MVP was invited to do an "I'm going to Disney World!" commercial and participate in a parade at Walt Disney World. First, Brady had to get Belichick's permission to miss the team flight back home, and instead fly from New Orleans to Orlando.

Belichick looked at Brady as if he'd just heard the dumbest thing he'd ever heard. As if he was going to tell Brady, "No, practice is tomorrow in Foxborough, at 9 AM." Finally, he said, "Of course, you can go. How many times do you win the Super Bowl?"

If they only knew.

When the Patriots got back to Boston, there was a celebration at City Hall. And Larry Izzo, a backup linebacker who didn't have much more to do with the win than Mayor Tom Menino did, picked up the Vince Lombardi Trophy, held it up, and started a chant, which the crowd picked up: "Yankees suck! Yankees suck! Yankees suck!"

Seeing this, Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy wrote, "I guarantee you: If the Giants win the Super Bowl, nobody is going to be saying, 'Boston sucks!'"

Six years later, when the New York Giants took on an 18-0 Patriots team in Super Bowl XLII, and won, Shaughnessy was proven wrong.

Top 10 Athletes From South Dakota

November 2, 1889: For the only time in the nation's history, 2 new States are admitted to the Union on the same day. North Dakota becomes the 39th State, and South Dakota becomes the 40th State.

Top 10 Athletes from South Dakota

It is a sparsely populated State with no major cities, but it's still produced enough great athletes to make a suitable Top 10.

One you won't see here is Hall of Fame quarterback Norm Van Brocklin. He was born in Parade, South Dakota, but grew up in Walnut Creek, California, and that's where he was trained to play football, so he qualifies for California.

Honorable Mention to Clarence and Jack Manders of Milbank. Both brothers were running backs. Clarence, a.k.a. "Pug" Manders, was a made the Pro Bowl in 1939, '40 and '41, playing for the football version of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

His younger brother, also a running back, and a placekicker good enough to be nicknamed "Automatic Jack," began his career by helping the Chicago Bears win the NFL Championship in 1933. He ended it by kicking extra point after extra point as the Bears beat the Washington Redskins by a record blowout of 73-0 to win the title again in 1940.

Honorable Mention to Carroll Hardy of Sturgis. He was a very ordinary player in both Major League Baseball and the NFL, but he did play in both. In football, he was a backup to the 1955 San Francisco 49ers' "Million Dollar Backfield" running backs, Hugh McElhenny, Joe Perry and John Henry Johnson, behind quarterback Y.A. Tittle.

He was a major league outfielder from 1958 to 1967. In 1958, as a rookie for the Cleveland Indians, he was sent up to pinch-hit for Roger Maris. Big deal, nobody yet knew Roger was going to become a special player. But in 1960, he became the only player ever sent to pinch-hit for Ted Williams, in Ted's last season. Before leaving the Boston Red Sox, he also became the only player ever to pinch-hit for Ted's replacement as the Boston left fielder, Carl Yastrzemski.

Honorable Mention to Dick Green of Mitchell. The 2nd baseman played 14 seasons for the Athletics, the last 5 in Kansas City and the 1st 9 in Oakland. The last 3 seasons of his career, 1972, 1973 and 1974, he was a World Series winner, receiving the Babe Ruth Award as the postseason's most valuable player in 1974. He only batted .240 with 80 home runs in his career, and was never an All-Star. But he won those 3 World Series, and anybody who put up with Charlie Finley for 14 years has got to be worthy of at least an Honorable Mention.

10. Randy Lewis of Rapid City. He won a Gold Medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

9. Chad Greenway of Mount Vernon. The linebacker made 2 Pro Bowls with the Minnesota Vikings.

8. John Dutton of Rapid City. The defensive lineman, playing both end and tackle, had bad timing: He won 3 AFC East titles with the Baltimore Colts, in 1975, '76 and '77, but not reaching the Super Bowl, making the Pro Bowl each year, to the Dallas Cowboys after they won Super Bowl XII and lost Super Bowl XIII, and then losing the NFC Championship Game in 1980, '81 and '82.

7. Ordell Braase of Mitchell. The defensive end won 3 NFL Championships with the Baltimore Colts, in 1958, 1959 and 1968 -- although the latter was not a World Championship, as they lost Super Bowl III to the Jets, and that was his last game, so he was gone when the Colts won Super Bowl V. He was a 2-time Pro Bowler.

6. Billy Mills of Pine Ridge. Probably the most renowned Native American athlete since Jim Thorpe, he is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe (a.k.a. the Sioux), and won the Gold Medal in the 10,000 meters at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.

5. Mike Miller of Mitchell. The guard is one of the leading 3-point specialists in NBA history. He was 2001 Rookie of the Year with the Orlando Magic, 2006 Sixth Man of the Year with the Memphis Grizzlies, and won the 2012 and '13 NBA titles with the Miami Heat. He played with the Denver Nuggets last season, and while he hasn't been signed for this season, at age 37, he has not officially retired.

4. Garney Henley of Hayti. The wide receiver might be the best football player you've never heard of, because he played his entire career in the Canadian Football League. He was a 10-time All-Star, won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player in 1972, and won their title, the Grey Cup, in 1963, 1965, 1967 and 1972.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats named him to their Best-of-the-Century team, and he has been named to the South Dakota and Ontario Sports Halls of Fame.

3. Becky Hammon of Rapid City. The guard graduated from Stevens High School in 1995, in the same class as 2000s major league outfielder Mark Ellis. A 6-time WNBA All-Star, she was named to the league's 15th and 20th Anniversary All-Time Teams. She reached the 1999, 2000 and 2002 WNBA Finals with the New York Liberty, and the 2008 Finals with the San Antonio Stars, who retired her Number 25.

In 2014, following her retirement as a player, she remained in San Antonio, and was named an assistant coach with the Spurs -- the 1st woman ever to be on the coaching staff of a major league sports team.

2. Adam Vinatieri of Yankton. A 3-time Pro Bowler, he's won 4 Super Bowls: XXXVI, XXXVIII and XXXIX with the New England Patriots, and XLI with the Indianapolis Colts, for whom he still kicks, approaching his 45th birthday. His 1st 2 Super Bowls were won by his last-play field goals.

He holds the NFL record of 44 straight successful field goal attempts. The Patriots named him to their 50th Anniversary Team. His 2,423 career points are 3rd on the NFL's all-time list. He trails all-time leader Morten Andersen by 121 points. If he comes back next season, he could break the record.

But the man at Number 1 was long ago, and in a sport we mainly think of having been long ago.

1. Earl Sande of Groton. He won thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown aboard Gallant Fox in 1930. It was his only Preakness Stakes win, but he also won the Kentucky Derby in 1923 and 1925, and the Belmont Stakes in 1921, 1923, 1924 and 1927. That's 9 Triple Crown races.

Among his other major race wins were 4 Jockey Club Gold Cups, 3 Metropolitan Handicaps, 3 Saratoga Special Stakes, and the 1930 Wood Memorial. He also rode Gallant Fox to a Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Wood Memorial.

He later became a trainer, and won 2 Blue Grass Stakes and a Santa Anita Derby. He was elected to the United States Racing Hall of Fame.