NFL Hall of Fame Nonimations are in

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

Who should make it to the Hall?

Who I think should be in, based on their stats, along with watching them either live and/or classic games footage…

Among QBs - Elway is a lock. Plunkett and Simms should be in, just for winning 2 Super Bowls. Simms may have been more of a system QB, but still deserves the nod. Ken Anderson gave the Bengals hope before Boomer, played in Super Bowl too, but won’t make it.

Among RBs - Barry is a lock. Craig really should get in there for being the first 1000/1000, but he was such a west coast product, he might not make it yet. Herschel Walker had a couple 1000 yard seasons, but nothing to warrant HOF. Did all his damage in college and USFL.

Among WRs - Hello? All Art Monk did was catch almost a thousand balls, win a couple of SBs… Cliff Branch was sick, but that would be like putting in Jerry Porter into the HOF, so nah. Drew Pearson was the original Cowboys’ 88, and the best receiver until Irvin came along. He better make it. Same goes for Sterling Sharpe for he was on his way to Harrison/Rice-like greatness and still caught enough balls in his short career to deserve a nod.

Among TEs - Todd Christensen…ehh. Dave Casper will probably be the only Raider TE for now. Could catch a ton though, couldn’t block for crap.

Among Centers - Kent Hull should be a lock. Multiple All-Pro seasons, and blocking for the Bills’ K-Gun offense takes serious stamina.
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Among Guards** - Russ Grimm was one of the Redskin hogs. He should be in.

Among Tackles - Joe Jacoby, another hog, should be in. Russ Zimmerman was decent, probably not enough to make it being an OL.

Among Def. Linemen - These guys should be in, no questions asked: Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Richard Dent, Harvey Martin, L.C. Greenwood, Jim Marshall. Why? Look up: Purple People Eaters, Doomsday Defense, Steel Curtain and 85’ Bears. But of course since the HOF Committee has something against the 70’s Cowboys, they’ll most likely be snubbed again. If Klecko or Gastineau from the overrated and weak “NY Sack Exchange” make it in over those guys, I’ll be terminally sick. Hell, Jim Marshall should have already been in ages ago, like around the time Woody Paige was born.

Among Linebackers - Harry Carson should make it in. He was the star during the Giants’ bad days, and then complimented Carl Banks and LT well in their championship years. Darryl Talley…I’d pick Cornelius Bennett over Talley, but I guess he has a chance out of pity having been in 4-5 SBs, all lost. Same with Mecklenburg.

Among DBs - Donnie Shell and Lester Hayes should make it.

Among STs/K/Ps - Ray Guy was the Raiders’ Shane Lechler of the 70’s, should have been in ages ago. Steve Tasker went to a million Pro Bowls as a special teamer. That alone should merit something.

Among Coaches - Jimmy Johnson should be a lock, but he might have to wait. Coryell did innovate offense, but no ring. Knox has the wins and longevity, but no ring. Therefore those two are passed.

Among Contributors - Art Modell, been around for 50+ years, made a bold move for moving the Browns away, finally got his SB ring with the Ravens, first to hire a Black person as an executive. Ralph Wilson and George Young maybe, while the rest haven’t been known around long enough to make it in yet.
Since only 6 get picked, if I was in committee it would be: John Elway, Barry Sanders, Art Monk, Jim Marshall, Ed “Too Tall” Jones and Jimmy Johnson.

#2

Long-time die-hard Giants fan checking in. Simms only won 1 Superbowl. He “won” the second one in the same sense that Bledsoe won a Superbowl. (In Simms defense, he did lead the Giants to a 10-0 start before getting injured that year.)

But I think Simms should definitely go in…maybe in 2 or 3 years. He’s not first-ballot material, but he should be a lock to get in eventually. His Superbowl-record completion percentage still stands, and may never be broken. That guy sure could step up in big games.

#3

asahiJpx: If I were voting, my nominations would be:
Ray Guy (you’re right, he should have been in a long time ago)
Kent Hull
Art Monk
L.C. Greenwood
Roger Craig (I would nominate Sanders next year, but I confess I am biased; SF is my second-favorite team. I would never nominate Herschel Walker. His pro career never impressed me.)
Ken Stabler

#4

John Elway is a god. I mean, the fact that he walks among mortals is a shocker. Yea, total Elway fanboy, right here. I like Phil Simms for the Hall too, but not right now. Stabler…eh…Maybe.

Barry is a lock, of course. Herschel would make my good, but not HoF great list. I do like Roger Craig…but you know, compared to the crappy teams Barry had to play on…

The rest I really don’t know enough to comment on.

#5

Ed Jones isn’t in the HOF yet? I don’t know about his stats really, but if he’s not in yet, why is he a lock to deserve it now?

#6

Barry might be a lock, but he does not belong. He had negative leadership in his Lions teams, just a prima donna that didn’t give a rat’s rear if the team won or lost. And his retirement was about the classlessiest in the history of sports- just don’t show up, don’t return any calls from the team, wait until you’re damn good and ready and then announce your intentions. Sometimes you add by subtraction and in Barry’s case, this certainly applied.

#7

That is incorrect. Modell was not the first to hire a black as an executive. Head Coach is an executive position and Al Davis hired Art Shell to be head coach many many years before Modell made Ozzy Newsome whatever front office position he holds.

And even if Newsome is the first black executive, so what? It isn’t anything like Jackie Robinson breaking the baseball color line in 1947. Modell’s hiring of Newsome cannot be considered courageous in any sense. Belated recognition that African Americans can excell as sports executives is hardly a reason to put someone into the sport’s hall of fame.

Modell should rot in hell for moving the Browns in the first place.

#8

Maybe a Lions fan will come along and straighten things out, but I don’t think this was the situation at all. Barry might not have been a vocal leader, but he excelled on some really bad teams. The reason he retired is because he was sick of losing. Detroit wouldn’t make a commitment to bringing in the right guys to surround him. Who can blame him for not wanting to continue to put butts in the seats for managment while his body took a beating behind a bad O-line? He might not have had the “love of the game” you hear about from some guys, but he definitely had a desire to win.

I personally was disappointed that he retired. If Walter Payton’s record was going to be broken I wanted it to be by Barry instead of Emmitt who was surrounded by multiple HOFers for the majority of his career. Payton’s accomplishments and Barry’s accomplishments will always be more impressive to me than what Emmitt did running behind a Pro Bowl line and being part of the triplets.

#9

As a Lions fan, I cast my vote for Chris Speilman. He doesn’t have a chance in hell of making it, but that’s who I’d like to see head to Canton. F* Barry.
Happy

#10

You know what I hate? I hate that sports commentators have decided to make Art Monk the test case on the HOF. If nobody said anything about it, he would surely get in on his merits. But now, it’s a fight with people who have some misguided notion that he was mediocre and merely put up stats by sticking around.

#11

Art Modell deserves nothing, because he has done nothing. His greatest accomplishment? Moving a very storied NFL franchise out of a city of die hard fans, just because he “didn’t have the money”. If he makes it in, I promise to never make a visit. And no, I am not from Cleveland.