Nine former Bills receive Class of 2019 HOF Nominations

[oldmanfan]

Tasker should be in no question and it's a travesty that a guy who changed how special teams are played get so little respect.  Of the others maybe Hull and Fletcher.  The rest are the Hall of Good to Very Good.

[Livi38]

44 minutes ago, Batman1876 said:

https://www.si.com/2013/10/11/readers-hall-of-fame-nominations

Nice!  Great write-up.  Tasker is so self-deprecating on wgr, I went back and watched the highlight videos.  Great stuff! 

[Chicken Boo]

Troy Vincent???

 

It's going to be sad how long they'll make London Fletcher wait.  He'll get in but it will likely take a while unless he becomes an analyst for NFLN or ESPN. 

 

For shame...

[SouthNYfan]

5 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

LB London Fletcher
FB Larry Centers
C Kent Hull
LB Cornelius Bennett
LB Chris Spielman
LB Takeo Spikes
LB Darryl Talley
S Troy Vincent
ST Steve Tasker

 

LB London Fletcher (YES)
FB Larry Centers (YES)
C Kent Hull (YES)
LB Cornelius Bennett (YES)
LB Chris Spielman (YES)
LB Takeo Spikes (NO)
LB Darryl Talley (NO)
S Troy Vincent (YES)
ST Steve Tasker (YESSSSSS)

 

5 hours ago, PeterDude said:

A lot of the guys on that list made their important hay before they played for the Bills, so this list is kinda silly IMO.

 

5 hours ago, White Linen said:

 

Is less than half a lot?

 

Fletcher

Centers

Spielman

Spikes

Vincent

 

5 of 9 played most of their careers outside of buffalo

4 of them (Bennett, Talley, Tasker, Hull) were Bills all the way though

 

 

[formerlyofCtown]

4 hours ago, NewEra said:

Is he really the best gunner ever?  I’ve never really scouted them so I wouldn’t even be able to tell you who the top 5 are.  If he’s the best, what makes him SO much better than the #2 guy.  Who is the #2 guy btw?

 

 

I always knew that up until he retired he may have been the best ever.  It’s been 20 years and these guys are way faster and stronger than he was.  He was a great contributor to just about every aspect of special teams. But was he really the best gunner ever?  

Watch the highlights it's sick.

[oldmanfan]

4 hours ago, NewEra said:

Is he really the best gunner ever?  I’ve never really scouted them so I wouldn’t even be able to tell you who the top 5 are.  If he’s the best, what makes him SO much better than the #2 guy.  Who is the #2 guy btw?

 

 

I always knew that up until he retired he may have been the best ever.  It’s been 20 years and these guys are way faster and stronger than he was.  He was a great contributor to just about every aspect of special teams. But was he really the best gunner ever?  

Don't know that I've ever seen better.  And if there are better ones they owe that to Tasker showing the league the advantages of having a guy like that.  There aren't many guys in league history that define how a position is played.  Tasker is one; he has to be in the Hall

[YoloinOhio]

25 minutes ago, Chicken Boo said:

Troy Vincent???

 

It's going to be sad how long they'll make London Fletcher wait.  He'll get in but it will likely take a while unless he becomes an analyst for NFLN or ESPN. 

 

For shame...

Troy Vincent’s son is a freshman DT at Ohio State. 5 Star, has a big future. 

[K-9]

5 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

Tasker needs to get in.

 

hes the best ever at his position. He revolutionized special teams

I agree he needs to get in, but I wouldn't say he revolutionized special teams as those positions had been well defined before he started playing and are still the same today. When I think of revolutionary players, I think of guys like Lawrence Taylor; guys who actually redefined their positions. 

 

But what he did do was play several of them BETTER than any one other player had ever done previously and since. Need a gunner, no problem. Need a return man for kickoffs and punts? Tasker's got you covered there as well. Or how about a guy to rush a kick or a punt when needed? Just put Steve in there.

 

 I don't recall any player, before or since, who played so many different special teams roles and played them all at such a high, game changing level. If special teams really are the critical phase coaches have been saying they are for years, then he needs to be in the HOF. That simple.

[blacklabel]

2 hours ago, Fadingpain said:

 Some of my fondest memories from that time are with the team lined up at the line of scrimmage, Kelly behind center, and Kent would have his snapping hand on the ball.  He'd sort of half-stand up and turn his body to the left, then to the right, then maybe back to the the left again, barking out blocking assignments.

 

I think half the time he was calling the actual play too, as he was no doubt much more intelligent than Kelly.  I'm pretty sure there were times when Kelly had his bell rung and Kent was telling him what signals to call, while lined up.

 

Kent Hull is one of my all time favorite Bills, so I'm biased, but he was one hell of a good center too.

I'd love to see him get in the HOF.  

 

He's doing what I'm talking about in this photo:

 

 

 

 

Good stuff, my man. Those were special times. I was a young'in but still grateful to have experienced it. 

 

This photo looks like it might be from the 51-3 AFC Championship game. Can't remember who said it but they said that during their first drive, Howie Long was screaming at Kelly, "Slow it down! Let us get set!" That Raiders DL was completely gassed after that first drive and it demoralized them for the entire game. 

[Canadian Bills Fan]

I would love to see Kent Hull get in. I think he has a great shot.

 

 

Same goes for Talley. I'd love to see him get in but think it may take a few years.

 

I can see Larry Centers making it in the next few years.

 

And of course Tasker. For the love of God, please let the guy in already

[MJS]

6 hours ago, NewEra said:

Is he really the best gunner ever?  I’ve never really scouted them so I wouldn’t even be able to tell you who the top 5 are.  If he’s the best, what makes him SO much better than the #2 guy.  Who is the #2 guy btw?

 

 

I always knew that up until he retired he may have been the best ever.  It’s been 20 years and these guys are way faster and stronger than he was.  He was a great contributor to just about every aspect of special teams. But was he really the best gunner ever?  

 

He's really the only one worth mentioning, so yes he is the best ever. Players still talk about watching film on him to learn and get better at special teams.

 

Fans aren't the only ones saying he is the best. EVERYONE does. It is a consensus among everyone. That fact alone is pretty impressive.

 

I think it will happen eventually, but maybe another 10 years down the line.

[Dadonkadonk]

Sorry guys but none of these guys belong in the HOF.  Wall of Fame for Buffalo no doubt for some.  But not HOF.  No one thinks Kent Hull is even in the top 10 centers of all time.  Tasker is an anomaly - truly great at his position.  But they would need to add about 5 more kickers, three more punters, 10 more WRs, and 3 return guys before they put in Tasker.  

They should just give up on punters, kickers, gunners, returners and just make a special section for special teams and list a bunch of guys.  

[Your Brown Eye]

2 hours ago, joesixpack said:

 

Sam Cowart was beastly until that !@#$ from TB cheap-shotted him.

 

 

Yeap, he was going toe to toe with Ray Lewis for the best LB in the league. I still remember that cheap shot like it was yesterday. Cowart was by far and away my favorite player

[NewEra]

1 hour ago, MJS said:

 

He's really the only one worth mentioning, so yes he is the best ever. Players still talk about watching film on him to learn and get better at special teams.

 

Fans aren't the only ones saying he is the best. EVERYONE does. It is a consensus among everyone. That fact alone is pretty impressive.

 

I think it will happen eventually, but maybe another 10 years down the line.

I feel like this a secret society of gunners out there after reading your post. 

 

Everyone says hes the best gunner ever?  Are any of the “everyone” on record beside Bills fans?  

 

What am i missing here?  When this all happen?

[SinceThe70s]

7 hours ago, Batman1876 said:

The proudest moment of my sports fandom was when peter king published my essay about why Tasker should be in the HOF. 

 

Cool, I probably read it. Link? 

[MJS]

21 minutes ago, NewEra said:

I feel like this a secret society of gunners out there after reading your post. 

 

Everyone says hes the best gunner ever?  Are any of the “everyone” on record beside Bills fans?  

 

What am i missing here?  When this all happen?

 

Yes. Everyone. And not just best Gunner. Best special teams player ever, at any position.

 

Google "Best Special Teams Players in NFL History" and see what the mighty Google tells you.

 

Here are the first few rankings I found, all with Tasker #1. It's pretty much common knowledge among ALL football fans, not just Bills fans:

 

https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/gallery/best-special-teams-players-in-nfl-history-steve-tasker-ray-guy-brian-mitchell-josh-cribbs-042015

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/16-best-special-teams-players-in-nfl-history/ss-AAbmz97?fullscreen=true#image=16

 

https://m.sportsbreak.com/nfl/10-of-the-best-nfl-special-teams-players-ever/

Edited September 14, 2018 by MJS

[Batman1876]

30 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

Cool, I probably read it. Link? 

https://www.si.com/2013/10/11/readers-hall-of-fame-nominations

[RememberTheRockpile]

 

[Dr.Sack]

C Biscuit, but Vincent & Fletcher were just as good.

[ExiledInIllinois]

11 hours ago, PeterDude said:

A lot of the guys on that list made their important hay before they played for the Bills, so this list is kinda silly IMO.

I think in football a HoFer doesn't go in under one team.  They go in under all played.

 

It's shared equally.