Of all the Hall of Fame worthy players listed in the Football Future Legends list, the failure of Hall of Fame voters to enshrine Boyd Dowler of the Green Bay Packers into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is probably the most egregious. Dowler was named Rookie of the Year in 1959, and a two time pro bowler in 1965 and 1967. At 15.3 yards per catch, Dowler's average is better than Jerry Rice's average of 14.8 and just behind Randy Moss's average of 15.6. Dowler is a member of the 1960's NFL All Decade Team. Dowler retired in 1972 as the tenth leading receiver in NFL history in terms of numbers of career catches made, and was twelfth all time in terms of career yardage. Dowler was Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr's primary target in the Packer passing game, and, in the post season, Dowler consistently made important touchdown catches in championship games, to include the 1967 Ice Bowl against the Dallas Cowboys. Indeed, when he retired, Dowler led most post season career categories concerning receptions, yardage and touchdowns. In other words, Dowler in the NFL's first fifty-three years was the post season equivalent of Hall of Famers Lynn Swann or Jerry Rice. Dowler was a significant contributor to the Green Bay Packers playing in six NFL title games in eight years, winning five of those in seven years. At six feet four inches and 220 pounds, Dowler played an integral role as a blocker in the dominating Green Bay Packer sweep, contributing greatly to full back Jim Taylor's and half backs Paul Hornung's induction into Canton, as well as quarterback Bart Starr's place in the Hall of Fame. Moreover, there are twenty-seven Hall of Fame quarterbacks from the modern era. Of those twenty-seven, only a hand full do NOT have an accompanying Hall of Fame wide receiver. Bart Starr is one of them. But more importantly, in 1969, the NFL selected fifty players for its all time team. Forty-eight have been enshrined into Canton. The two players not enshrined into Canton are wide receiver Boyd Dowler of the Green Bay Packers and tight end Ron Kramer of the Green Bay Packers, two of Bart Starr's receiving targets. The argument against enshrining Boyd Dowler is that over one-half of Lombardi era starters (Starr; Taylor; Hornung; Kramer; Gregg; Ringo; Davis; Jordan; Nitschke; Adderley; Wood; Robinson) are in Canton. This argument is specious. Excellence is excellence. Domination is domination. How can Bart Starr be a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame without at least one receiver accompanying him? How can Boyd Dowler be recognized as one of the fifty greatest wide receivers in NFL history during the NFL's first fifty years and not be wearing a gold jacket? How can a wide receiver who retired on the all time NFL career receptions list at number ten, despite playing for a team primarily known for its running attack, in an era where the run game dominated NFL play NOT be a member of the Hall of Fame? Worse, the NFL has failed to even nominate Boyd Dowler as a finalist. This failure is a horrendous ethical error. Please, Canton Hall of Fame senior committee! Do your duty and enshrine Boyd Dowler into the Pro Football Hall of Fame,

Posted by Cosme D. Ripol on 09/14/2021 @ 15:24pm