Lori

That's the way it used to be, but not since the year Kelly went in. (In fact, Fawcett Stadium was completely sold out for the enshrinement ceremony in 2005, when Marino was inducted.) Far as I know, ticket details haven't been released for this year's ceremony yet.

Before my time... but seven Pro Bowls in ten seasons, plus selection to the All-Decade Team of the '70s over already-enshrined TEs Dave Casper and Jackie Smith, would seem to be fairly respectable credentials. Here's his bio from the Lions website, including a couple of quotes favorably comparing him to John Mackey (high praise indeed): http://www.detroitlions.com/document_displ...ument_id=447316

See y'all in Canton! Steelers-Saints for HOF game. Ah well... ALERT: Thurman on NFL Net right now.

I read about that; wish I'd seen it. Sad thing is, there IS a disability fund... but it's administered by a board split between the league and the union, they have VERY good lawyers fighting any attempts to file a claim, and it's damn near impossible to actually win a settlement. And most of Dobler's $$$ is already gone, because of the bills from an accident that left his wife a quadriplegic a few years ago.

The Reilly columns on Pete Pihos, and the scumbag who ripped him off, are a must-read. Love the last line of the first one, and the follow-up literally brought tears to my eyes. Still got those issues around here somewhere. (And for those who are wondering how it relates to the original post: PP -- along with many, many other old-time NFL players -- suffers from Alzheimer's, and the memorabilia swindle was a direct result of the Pihoses needing money to pay for his medical bills, prescriptions, and such.) I've got a love/hate relationship with Reilly's writing, but helping nail that f---er earned him tons of respect in my book...

"Wanna see something REALLY scary?"

You're really not going to like the news that Jimbo and Dan Marino are good friends, are you?

I love the game, Bill. But I can't giggle along with the Monday Night Countdown crew when they show someone getting de-cleated, accompanied by the shouts of "Jacked UP!!!" Not after reading about Mike Webster, and Andre Waters, and the epidemic of older players suffering from Alzheimer's or other mind-obliterating diseases. John Mackey is 64. Webster was 50 when he died. FIFTY. Jim Kelly turns 47 in two weeks. How many concussions has he had? Will we watch the same sad scenario play out with him, or some of our other Super Bowl-era Bills, in the all-too-near future? Yeah, I know. No one is forcing these guys to play. But considering the ever-increasing amount of proof about the long-term physical and mental aftereffects of playing in the NFL, they could be doing a helluva lot more to take care of their own, no? It shouldn't take the efforts of guys like Kramer and Ditka -- or Sylvia Mackey, speaking out because her husband no longer can -- to force the issue.

One more, from the San Francisco Chronicle:

I'm not so sure Canton has recovered from the first trip...

Comment all you want, but at the end of the day, she's still rich and on television....

More on this topic: The NFL and NFLPA are starting to make some progress in helping the older players; the "Number 88 Plan" -- named in Mackey's honor -- was added to the most recent CBA, and provides benefits toward dementia/Alzheimer's care. But considering the multi-billion-dollar industry the league has become, both the league and the current union membership could be doing a lot more... as noted by Powell's colleague at Newsday, Wallace Matthews:

Aw shucks. You making the trip in August, assuming Thurman gets in? (Obviously, I'd love to see 'Dre make it at the same time -- but based on the prior voting record vis-a-vis WRs, I'm guessing he'll be waiting for a few more years...)

It's funny: while Curtis was slightly before my time, I've seen a good amount of film on him... but the one memory that sticks out is of the time he clobbered that crazy fan who decided to run out onto the field. Lights out, no ten-count necessary. Rich, if this link doesn't get you by the subscriber wall to the Lewis story, let me know and I'll PM you a copy. Interesting read. S.L. Price is one of the better writers in the S.I. fold; while the cover might make you think otherwise, he doesn't take either a pro- or anti-Lewis slant. I'm about to let my Sporting News sub drop and have yet to find a reason to spend more than five minutes with a copy of ESPN:Mag, but the quality of the writing in SI (while admittedly not what it used to be) keeps me forking over the $$$ to re-up every two years...

I'm assuming you are -- as usual -- being sarcastic, and are well aware of "The Gospel According To Ray Lewis" (as printed on the cover of the 11/13/06 edition)...

That's good stuff, guys. Thanks for the links. Of interest: there will be a LIVE CHAT with Jerry Kramer and Joe DeLamielleure tonight (January 31) at 6:30 PM EST. Click on the first link to read more, or click HERE to go directly to the chat.

The Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker NOT named Ray Lewis, which means he doesn't get his picture on the cover of Sports Illustrated like "God's Linebacker" did earlier this season. Meanie...

The "maintenance fund" is part of the '98 lease. IIRC, the "new" press box will be in the old M&T Bank Club in the corner of the end zone, so the old press box area can be converted into (pricey) new premium seats. Sign of the times, really -- the Ralph was one of the few remaining stadiums that hadn't already moved the media into the back of beyond to make room for upscale seating...

Kelly. Conlan a close second.

Miguel, over at patsfans.com, does a great job with their cap #s (although it looks like his 2007 page isn't ready yet). I think Clumpy does the Fish page because none of their fans are bright enough to figure out Excel... http://www.patscap.com/

But that was a fumble, not a pass attempt.

Few things (while noting that if anyone should know about the Bills and partying, Boomer's got that subject well covered ): Two weeks of partying at the SB site? Tough to do when they didn't fly in until Sunday or Monday of game week. Killed in the fourth one? Leading at halftime. If not for that frickin' fumble-return TD... Kelly's concussion was against Washington, not Dallas. XXVII, he re-injured the same knee that kept him out of the Comeback game. And speaking of Kelly, from what I've heard, KTFABD has it right -- he drank before pretty much EVERY game. Gotta agree with Gordio on XXVI and XXVII; the better team won those games. I'd debate XXVIII. (See above.) And add the '85 Bears and their debauchery in N'Awlins to the list of party-hearty boys who still showed up for the game on Sunday. McMahon's pre-game "performance" is the stuff of legend...

One thing to consider in Elway's defense: none of his first three SB trips would have happened if he hadn't carried those teams there. I'd compare those '80s Broncos squads to Buffalo's '92 team -- we didn't even win the division, needed a historic "Comeback" to get out of the wildcard round, and were badly overmatched against the Cowboys in SB XXVII. Elway wasn't to blame for letting Simms complete 22 of 25 passes, or being shredded by Doug Williams or the Montana-to-Rice combo. (Combined halftime scores of those last two games: 62-13, with no defensive touchdowns.) Just my opinion... and FWIW, I don't even like Elway.

I've heard that about Brown as well. It's not mentioned in any of the bios I've read, but as impossible as that stat sounds, Brown is the one guy I could see doing it...

Trouble is, one of those is Tampa Bay, and Gruden supposedly loves the guy. Would he take Okoye in the top 5, though? Or maybe try to trade down a couple spots (but still stay ahead of us)? Lots to talk about for the next couple of months...