Why BHOP isn't overrated:
20 Straight Defenses : Opposition wasn't that Bad he was just that good. PS Nobody said that about Trinidad as he was steamrolling through the middleweight division, DLH was a great win Bernard used his size and eventually wore down the smaller man
Win Over Tarver : Comes Up at 40 years old and does something the great Sugar Ray Robinson was UNABLE to accomplish
Pavlik : at 44 beats a young UNDEFEATED champion known for his KO Power

Jones: I disagree when you say it was prime vs prime I think for the 2 in this particular case it would be a 25 or so Jones against a 34 or so Hopkins
Taylor : Jermain had Bernard's # or so the judges thought, close entertaing fights But Jermain was able to sort of solve Bernard which is almost impossible to do. Jermain is to Bernard sort of how Vernon was to Shane.
Calzaghe: At 43 lose a controversial decision an UNDEFEATED 36 year old who has ruled his division for a decade and had annihlated the highly regarded Mikkell Kessler and one time highly regarded Jeff Lacy.

As for being dirty and whining sure he can be annoying and his antics at times are crazy (PR Flag, I'll never lose to a white boy). You can't underestimate his greatness.