Warner knocking on Hall of Fame's door

TAMPA, Fla. - For fans in Arizona and in St. Louis, the question seems like a no-brainer. Does Kurt Warner belong in the Hall of Fame? Certainly!

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He's taken two of the game's most downtrodden franchises to its greatest stage. Nobody else has done this, at least not with franchises who were as lowly reputed as the Cardinals and Rams.

But it's not a done deal. Not nearly.

If the Cardinals don't win on Sunday, "He's not even in the conversation," said Vito Stellino, a veteran football writer and Hall of Fame voter.

Plenty of others, including great players who haven't been inducted, might agree.

The Cardinals' own Russ Grimm, one of the all-time great offensive linemen, has yet to get in; he'll find out today if he succeeded this year.

Then there's Dick LeBeau, the Steelers' revered defensive coordinator.

Because he had such a great career as a player - he intercepted 62 passes back when teams didn't throw the ball nearly as much as today - a lot of people assume he's a Hall of Famer.

He isn't.

Then there's Paul Krause.

The Minnesota defensive back intercepted an amazing 81 passes, most ever when he retired in 1979.

He didn't get in the Hall of Fame until 1998. The reason: His Vikings lost four Super Bowls.

That Warner has won a Super Bowl, with the Rams after the 1999 season, gives him a big check mark.

That he's won two MVP awards is another huge factor in his favor.

The downside is the years from 2002-07, when Warner slid, sometimes to backup status in New York and Arizona.

There were reasons, for sure. Eli Manning and Matt Leinart were huge names in college, drafted to be starting quarterbacks for years.

But Warner also had problems hanging onto the football, a liability that led to Leinart replacing him as the starter two years ago.

Leinart's subsequent shoulder injury opened the door a crack for Warner; he pushed it open by finishing out 2007 in terrific fashion, then enjoyed a near-MVP season in '08.

He may have knocked the door down with a 72-yard drive, one that consumed nearly 8 minutes, that pulled out a 32-25 win over Philadelphia in the NFC championship game.

On that drive, Warner completed 5 of 5 passes for 56 yards; on top of this he threw for a 2-point conversion.

The drive rescued the Cardinals, who has just misplaced a game-long lead.

That the Warner Hall of Fame debate has caught on in Tampa this week seems OK with him; he noted that means people will be talking about his legacy.

"They can debate all they want; I'm just in the Super Bowl again. I like that."

He acknowledged that he "can't help but think about (the debate) to some degree."

"I don't make those decisions. ... But I am excited to be where I am today.

"I wouldn't change anything that I have done on the football field, and I wouldn't change the two situations in Arizona and St. Louis ... and helping them get to the Super Bowl.

"If there were lulls in the middle or I didn't play enough that it affects me in the long haul, so be it."

He pointed out the impact he made, and said, "To me, that is the bottom line. The reason that I got into this game and the reason I live my life is to do that.

"I hope when I'm done everybody likes me. But that is not the reason I do what I do. When I go out on that field ... I want people to respect me as a guy who works his butt off, that tried to be great every time he does anything, and he wants the players around him to be great, and he'll do whatever he can to bring them to the point of greatness.

"That's definitely what I want my legacy to be."

How football observers view Warner's case

Larry Weisman, reporter for USA Today:

"With the facts on the table at the moment, no, I don't think he's a Hall of Famer. He's had one really great streak of three years and one pretty good streak of two years. And a valley of dry bones in between.

"I don't know if it's enough right now. Another Super Bowl win would be a significant boost."

Rick Gosselin, of the Dallas Morning News and a Hall of Fame voter:

"I don't want to commit one way or other. When you take two teams to the Super Bowl - Craig Morton is the only other one, and he lost both games - especially these franchises to the Super Bowl. ... The Rams from '90-98 were the worst franchise of the decade. He comes and they go to the Super Bowl."

"The Cardinals were the worst franchise in history. Two playoff wins in 87 years, and he takes them to the Super Bowl.

"Forget all the numbers, the fact he's done that is a pretty strong argument."

Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union and a Hall of Fame voter:

"He needs to win on Sunday. If he doesn't, he's not even in the conversation. He's won one Super Bowl. A lot of guys have done that. If you win two, you're in the conversation."

John Clayton on ESPN and a Hall of Fame voter:

"I think he's knockin' on the door. I think what's very important, not that it's a deal breaker, is that he has to win this game.

"My guess is if he can win this Super Bowl and maybe play another season or two - addressing that little gap he had after St. Louis of not starting - then I think he should be fine. But right now I think he's just knocking on the door.

"A lot of the quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame have had consistent 15-year careers. He's not going to have that. He makes up in numbers. It's the longevity issue, that's why another year or two will help."

Steve Young, Hall of Fame quarterback and ESPN analyst:

"With what he's done (in recent weeks), he's in the Hall of Fame. I don't care what he does on Sunday. He's in the Hall of Fame."