Payton Robbed in NFL Network’s Top 100 Ranking

NFL.com and the NFL Network announced their Top 100 Greatest Players of All Time.  Many Chicago Bears were on the list of the Top 100 players and two were named in the Top 1o.  Dick Butkus checked in at #10 but the biggest miss on the list is their ranking of Walter Payton.  Sweetness was selected as the #5 of the all time greats.  #5?!?!!  Seriously?

Here’s the NFL Network’s tease of the conclusion of the Top 100 series featuring Payton.  As crazy as Jerry Glanville is, you’ve got to love his view of Sweetness.

It’s not so much that Walter finished as #5, but it’s who finished ahead of him.  Take a look at the top of the list:

5. Walter Payton

4. Joe Montana

3. Lawrence Taylor

2. Jim Brown

1. Jerry Rice

First of all, as good as he was, that coke-head, rapist Lawrence Taylor should be disqualified from this list.  Next, Payton topped Jim Brown’s rushing record, so Payton should finish ahead of Brown.  That leaves the two 49ers – Montana and Rice.  Neither one of these guys makes the list without the other.  Montana made a career out of a lucky wounded duck caught by Dwight Clark but because it was over “America’s Team” the Dallas Cowboys, it becomes legendary.

So you see, there is a case for Walter Payton to be ranked the #1 Greatest Player.  That and a career of hard nosed running, killer blocking, outstanding pass-catching and an overall performance that none of these other players ranked ahead of him could conceive.  Walter Payton was robbed!