http://www.profootballweekly.com/2011/09/28/pro-football-hall-of-fame-nominees-announced
Once again Jerry Kramer gets screwed. But Keyshawn Johnson is on the list???
From that list, I’d vote for Chris Carter (WR), Ed “Too Tall” Jones (DE), Sam Mills (LB), and Bill Parcells (Coach).
Lots of good choices there.
My picks (by position):
QB- None
RB- Bettis, Martin
WR- Brown, Carter
OL- Dawson, Roaf
DL- Doleman, Haley
LB- Matthews
DB- Shell, Atwater
P/K- Anderson
Coaches: Cowher, Parcells, Coryell, Schottenheimer
Contributors: Tagliabue, Sabol
That’s 18. To cut it to 15 I’d probably leave off Sabol, Schottenheimer and Matthews. Also, Ray Guy should be on this list, Art Modell doesn’t deserve the sweat off my balls, and Herschel Walker should make it as a Contributor for what he did for the Cowboys in the early 1990s.
I thought Kramer got elected eons ago. <checking> HANH???
NFL HoF:Jerry Kramer::Rock & Roll HoF:Rush. This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen or read in the last 24 hours (which includes, I might add, the final scene of the choke-job by the Boston Red Sox). Wouldn’t he be a definite Inner Circle among offensive lineman if you asked say 50 old-time sportswriters? It would be like the baseball HoF not electing Yogi Berra. As is the case with most of these examples, I suspect politics is involved; he may be old enough to get in via the old-timer’s list tho, which might be why he isn’t on this particular ballot.
I’m not gonna go through the list player by player, but I noticed that it’s uncommonly thin at the skill positions. There isn’t a QB worthy and I’m not really gung-ho on any of the RBs, Bettis, Walker, Craig, George and Martin all seem like very, very good guys who were ultimately replaceable. The WRs are basically the same list as last year and while Brown or Carter probably get in, I’m not one of those that thinks leaving them out is some travesty. They were really good but ultimately not truly special. On the other side of the ball, I feel much the same way about the crop of LBs and CBs. Lots of really good guys who I have fond memories of from my childhood, especially those Bills and Broncos guys, but none who seem hall worthy.
I think this year’s class should probably be stacked with Lineman and Coaches. Those lists are far more impressive, especially the coaches. Incidentally, I don’t think this is the year for it but Steve Sabol deserves to be in there along with his dad.
Tiki Barber has no business being in the HoF. Ever.
100% right on.
I agree that skills position is a bit thin also. As a Packer fan I’d like to see Sharpe in though I understand that due to his shortened career it may be impossible. I would also vote in Christensen.
Absolutely agreed. Sharpe had five very strong seasons. Unfortunately, in addition to that (and it’s the same thing that will – and probably should – keep Terrell Davis out), WR is a position where the changes to the game have led to the HoF voters being unable to come to a consensus on what makes for a HoFer. If they can’t agree on whether Cris Carter or Andre Reed belong, Sharpe stands no chance.
My picks by position:
QB: none
RB: Bettis
WR: Carter, Reed
TE: none
OL: Dawson, Roaf
DL: Doleman, Haley, Kennedy
LB: Greene, Mecklenburg
DB: Williams, Browner
ST: Tasker (he doesn’t stand a chance, but I loved the guy)
K/P: none
Coach: Coryell, Cowher, Parcells
Contributor: McNally, Wolf
Just give me the damn ballot.
USUALLY, there are one or two newly eligible candidates who are absolute no-brainers. This year, that’s NOT the case. Bill Parcells, Bill Cowher and Mary Shottenheimer were all superb coaches who probably WILL get elected eventually, but none of them is a lock to be elected THIS year, and neither are any of the newly eligible players.
That means, in my opinion, this will be a year in which the voters get around to enshrining guys who’ve been pushed back and asked to “wait their turn” the past few years. Meaning that, in all likelihood:
Cris Carter will finally get in this year.
Sam Mills, the best linebacker I’ve ever seen who was NOT named Lawrence Taylor*, will get in.
After that… your guess is as good as mine. A lot of very, very good candidates, but once we get past Carter and Mills, I don’t see anyone that ALL voters will agree on without a lot of debate and a lot of hores trading (“I voted for your choice last year, and now you have to vote for my guy this year”).
If it were up to me, I’d vote for:
Cris Carter
Sam Mills
Andre Reed
Todd Christensen
Charles Haley (5 Super Bowl rings are hard to argue with)
Dermontti Dawson
- Mills did a lot of things better than Taylor, but Taylor was WAAAAY ahead of Mills in the one thing he specialized in: rushing the quarterback.
The fact that Don Coryell is not in already is a farce. His passing schemes, still being used today, changed the game.
True, but at least with the Saints, Mills was an inside linebacker, and didn’t get many sack opportunites. Jackson and Swilling on the outside got most of the sacks. Still, I’d love for Sam Mills to be the second Saint in the HoF. Eventually, I’d like the entire Dome Patrol to make it in.