I specifically referred to stated criteria, not effective ones. 
There’s a lesson here for young players. They need to seriously think about the legacy they leave behind. An athlete’s career is more than game stats. Everybody makes mistakes. Has a bad day when they say or does something they later regret. Over the span of a long career the occasional slip will quickly be forgotten. Its only when there’s a steady stream of bad behavior and bad press that it tarnishes a player’s legacy.
That’s what I mean by a class act. An athlete that I really respect and admire. The guys that make the time to give back off the field. Visit kids in hospitals and help out with charity events. Especially when the reporters aren’t around taking pictures.
None of that matters with the NFL HoF. I think class and public service should be at least a small part of the decision making process. Regrettably its not and I realize that will never change.
Absolutely, yes the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award is a great honor for any player to receive.
Mum . . . errrr. . . . that’s all I had!
Peter King (one of the senior NFL writers for Sports Illustrated, and a HoF voter) discussed this in some of his recent columns. He noted that the voters are instructed to only consider “football-related factors”. To quote King:
Source: http://mmqb.si.com/2015/02/09/tom-brady-super-bowl-49-nfl/3/
and thus, was LOVED by the fans in Philadelphia, who are passionate but often classified as douchebags…
Indeed. If Jeff Garcia is gay, he has the best beard ever:
http://www1.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/AmberWatch+Foundation+AWF+Launch+Party+Arrivals+AUlnkbAuhDPx.jpg
TO is a douche, but a really good douche. And he was built like an action figure IMHO.
Into the HoF!
I was gonna say… Jeff, if you are gay, you’re doing it all wrong. Besides, if you just wanted a beard, couldn’t you have married an UGLY girl???
Reminds of something I was reading lately about the N.F.L. in the '70s. One of the Rooneys (I think the owner’s son) said something along the lines of: “I believe in good character but football’s a violent, physical sport - you can’t have too many cherubs on your team (and expect to succeed).”
Aren’t wide receivers often considered to be flamboyant, narcissistic people? That what one psychologist who worked with an NFL team in the 1970s said. According to him, offensive linemen were generally solid family men, quarterbacks were either religious types or booze and broads party goers, defensive players were messy, anti authority types.
Which son – he had nine kids?
3rd most TD passes by a WR in history.
Marvin Harrison, at #5 gets voted in.
#2 most receiving yards by a WR in history.
Marvin Harrison, at #6, gets voted in.
#6 most career receptions with 1,078
Marvin Harrison, with 1102, gets voted in.
I guess the lesson here is if you want to get into the NFL Hall of Fame, don’t be an “uppity” black man.
A complete disgrace.
Lay off Marvin Harrison; he was a complete professional when it came to his job. I don’t recall him dancing on any opponents’ logos, neither.
If I were building a roster late nineties through 2010 or so, I would take TO over Marvin Harrison every chance I got.
Also Marvin Harrison ordered the murder of two people so…you know…there’s that…
I wouldn’t go anywhere close to calling it a complete disgrace. Tim Brown took 5 years to get in. He’s got plenty of time, and this is just how the HoF prefers to do things.
If it is 15 years later, and he’s still not in, then you are fully free to get all PO’ed. I’d save your indignation for someone who had to die before they finally voted him in (Snake Stabler).
Or, you know, wait your turn. Cris Carter waited how many years to get in? He’ll get in next year or the year after. They typically don’t put in multiple players from the same position in the same year.