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Alright, you want the easiest offseason feature gimmick, a franchise Mount Rushmore?
Here it is.
Pro Football Talk has been doing this running feature the last few years, and all it ever seems to generate is spirited arguments as to who was left off, instead of who was included.
It's sort of like the Pro Bowl. Except no bonus money is given to the winners.
SteelerBro called me mid-workout yesterday and hooked me into a conference call with our parents to discuss. With several suburbanites staring at me, and one guy trying to get me to sign up for Mixed Martial Arts classes, we laid out our options.
In my opinion, PFT cheats a bit when they allow the entire Rooney family to be considered as one selection. While I disagree with this concept from a purist's perspective, I admit it makes it a bit easier.
Mel Blount
Terry Bradshaw
Joe Greene
Jack Ham
Franco Harris
Jack Lambert
Chuck Noll
The Rooney Family
John Stallworth
Lynn Swann
Hines Ward
Rod Woodson
This isn't to say we cannot nominate our own players, coaches, scouts, what have you.
So do that in the comments, we'll pull out a list of finalists, as I believe a runoff will be needed here.
As for me, my early thought is the Rooney family, Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw and Hines Ward. One of the most influential ownership groups of any sport, the best player in franchise history and also one of the best in league history, a quarterback who was 4-0 in the Super Bowl as well as maintaining his image as an analyst for several years after his career, and the franchise's receiving leader despite his highest and best use not being a receiver.
This answer is, of course, wrong. I can be talked out of any of them except Mean Joe.
So let's have it. While we're here.