Commentary

No gold? Romo not worth Hall talk

Tony Romo is the all-time leading passer of the Cowboys.

He has been more prolific in his career than either Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach. Those two Dallas quarterbacks have busts in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Does Romo belong in their company?

That's the question this columnist has been asked on a more regular basis as Romo, now 36, gets older. What are his chances for the Hall of Fame?

There's a simple answer. Win a Super Bowl and get into the discussion.

Sixty-nine percent of the 303 Hall of Famers won championships. The selection committee seems to favor candidates with rings. That's why the five-time NFL champion Green Bay Packers of the 1960s have 11 players enshrined. That's why the four-time champion Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s and the three-time champion Cleveland Browns of the 1950s have nine players enshrined apiece.

Winners reap the rewards.

Neither Aikman nor Staubach ranks among the NFL's top 30 passers all time in yardage or efficiency. But their combined five Super Bowl rings paved their paths to Canton. Quarterbacks are judged by their jewelry. Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Bart Starr, Bob Griese and John Elway were all multi-Super Bowl winners. All are in the Hall of Fame. Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, Len Dawson, Steve Young and Brett Favre all won Super Bowls. All are in the Hall of Fame.

Tony Romo has never won a Super Bowl. He's never been to a Super Bowl. He's never even been to a conference title game. You need more than stats to get into the Hall of Fame.

Jim Kelly never won a Super Bowl. But he took his Buffalo Bills to four of them. That's why he has a bust in Canton. Fran Tarkenton never won a Super Bowl. But he took his Minnesota Vikings to three of them. That's why he has a bust in Canton.

Romo has won an NFL passing title. He also has been to four Pro Bowls.

But Ken Anderson went to four Pro Bowls. He also won four NFL passing titles. He was an NFL MVP and took his Cincinnati Bengals to a Super Bowl. But he can't get into Canton. He's now in the senior pool and his wait is at 26 years and counting.

Charlie Conerly, Roman Gabriel, John Brodie and Joe Theismann were NFL MVPs. Theismann won a Super Bowl and Conerly an NFL title. Brodie and Conerly also won passing titles. None of those quarterbacks can get into Canton and only Conerly of the four has ever been discussed as a finalist.

Ken Stabler hit the quarterbacking trifecta for the 1970s Oakland Raiders. He was an NFL MVP, a Super Bowl champion and a league passing champion. It still took him 27 years to get a bust in Canton, at long last, as a senior nominee. Jim Plunkett won two Super Bowls as quarterback of the 1980s Raiders and he can't even get into the room to be discussed as a finalist.

There have been 23 quarterbacks selected to NFL all-decade teams who are eligible for Canton. Cecil Isbell from the 1930s is the only one not enshrined. That's unfinished business for the senior committee. Jack Kemp was the all-time leading passer in AFL history, won two championships, went to seven all-star games and was a league MVP. He can't get into Canton.

Dan Marino didn't win a Super Bowl, but he took a team there. He also ranks third all-time with 61,361 passing yards. He's in the Hall of Fame. Romo would need to pass for 27,207 more yards to catch Marino. Warren Moon never reached a Super Bowl. But he ranks seventh all-time with 49,325 passing yards. Romo would need 15,171 yards to catch Moon -- and that doesn't include Moon's 21,228 yards from his CFL days. Moon is in the Hall of Fame.

There are Super Bowl champions on the outside waiting to get in. There are NFL MVPs waiting to get in. Quarterbacks need more than statistics to get in the Hall of Fame. But at this point, that's all Romo has on his resume. So he still has some work to do.

Sports on 05/29/2016

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