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A new “60 Minutes”Vanity Fair poll found Americans’ favorite James Bond is, of course, Sean Connery, ranked No. 1 with a bullet at 56%. Pierce Brosnan came in second at 10%, with Roger Moore at 9%. But while Connery’s position wasn’t shocking, this opinion might be: Lower-tier Bonds Daniel Craig and George Lazenby need to be ranked as great as Connery. Sure, Craig’s only got two Bonds under his belt — his third, “Skyfall,” is due this November — and Lazenby is the oft-forgotten Australian who replaced Connery for one film only. But Lazenby’s 1969 “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” and Craig’s first, 2006’s “Casino Royale,” match the best of Sir Sean’s six official Bonds — and defeat anything Brosnan (four films) or Moore (six films) ever did. (Timothy Dalton’s pair of ’80s films deserve their weak spot in the poll.) Yes, Connery was great, but here are 007 reasons why Lazenby and Craig earn their license to thrill: Connery's 1965 "Thunderball" is badly waterlogged, while 1967's "You Only Live Twice" and 1971's "Diamonds are Forever" are bloated embarrassments. To match the increasingly cartoonish films, Connery got less sly and more smirky. Most Connery films after "Russia" have less fisticuffs; Lazenby and Craig toughed it out. In the first Bond film, "Dr. No," Connery is finding his footing playing the famous spy (though he does smash a spider with his shoe in the film's least-thrilling scene). Even in "Goldfinger," Connery uttered too many puns. Lazenby and Craig put a more thoughtful spin on Bond, and did real acting. Connery — who won an Oscar for 1987's "The Untouchables" — wasn't able to do more with the character. Four words Connery never heard: "No hairpiece, Mr. Bond!"