Inside Cornelius Bennett’s exclusion from the Wall of Fame

[Freddie's Dead]

Once he became Cornholius Bennett, it was over for him.  He deserves to be on the Wall, but he might have to wait a while.

[BillsPride12]

5 hours ago, Freddie's Dead said:

Once he became Cornholius Bennett, it was over for him.  He deserves to be on the Wall, but he might have to wait a while.

25 years isn't long enough?

[BritBill]

17 hours ago, Clutchwarfare said:

I might have missed it because I couldn't read every single post here, but has anyone addressed the fact that the accuser was later arrested in a massive crack cocaine distribution ring?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bennetts-accuser-arrested/

 

It would have been a small ring but then Bennett happened. 

[Gordio]

On 5/15/2020 at 5:17 PM, C.Biscuit97 said:

????

 

for the record, my name is just a pun on Bennett and sea biscuit.  I was young but I remember him being slightly overrated.  Very good but should have been great especially playing with Bruce.  My young mind remembers that our defense was soft and should have been much better with the players we had.

 

 

Yeah Bennett wasn't overrated, at least on the Bills.  The year Smith was out most of the year was imho Bennett's best year.  They basically let him freelance that year & just told him to go after the ball.  He was unbelievable in some of the games.  I thought he was pretty good and definitely wall of fame material, at least on the field.  

[Matt_In_NH]

On one hand as far as sexual assaults go you have to hand it to him taking responsibility.   Most would deny deny deny.   But On the other hand it’s a sexual assault and I don’t see them putting someone up on the wall with that in their background.    Had he done up first he would probably stay but that is not what happens.  Not getting recognized is part of his punishment and I am ok with that.  

[Matt_In_NH]

On 5/15/2020 at 8:28 PM, BillsShredder83 said:

I cant find specifics on what happened with Bennett and I was very very young! Anyone have a story summary for me and the other younger posters

It involved a woman he knew and a sexual encounter where she was refusing certain things and he wasn't taking no for an answer.  Years ago there was a google doc with some of the court information, had some details.  Can't find it anymore.

[2ForMacAdoo]

On 5/17/2020 at 12:19 PM, Paup 1995MVP said:

That was an amazing play and overall comeback in that game.  Bennett was an elite player.  Talley was pretty dam good also.  Maybe not as good an athlete.  But a very good football player and great team leader.  

 

I love your user name.  I remember Bob MacAdoo as a kid.  Wow could he shoot.  He was tremendous.  Did he lead the league in scoring 3 years in a row in the mid 70's?  How good a jump shot did he have!!

Glad that you were there to enjoy that epic game and moment too, Bryce. (Hey, I love your user name too; those were the days!)

 

McAdoo was indeed amazing. I call him a Kevin Durant before KD's time. Yes, he led the league in scoring 3 consecutive years (one year 34.5 per game and that was before the 3 point shot.). Had the 3 point shot existed back then, he may well have averaged 40 a game. He could shoot the eyes out of the ball and from way downtown too. Do you remember local Buff State boy, Randy Smith?  Could have been a professional soccer player, as fast as Russell Westbrook. Amazing athlete. RIP to Randy. 

 

 

[Paup 1995MVP]

17 hours ago, 2ForMacAdoo said:

Glad that you were there to enjoy that epic game and moment too, Bryce. (Hey, I love your user name too; those were the days!)

 

McAdoo was indeed amazing. I call him a Kevin Durant before KD's time. Yes, he led the league in scoring 3 consecutive years (one year 34.5 per game and that was before the 3 point shot.). Had the 3 point shot existed back then, he may well have averaged 40 a game. He could shoot the eyes out of the ball and from way downtown too. Do you remember local Buff State boy, Randy Smith?  Could have been a professional soccer player, as fast as Russell Westbrook. Amazing athlete. RIP to Randy. 

 

 

I do remember Randy Smith.  He was excellent also.  They also had Ernie Digregorio and Garfield Heard.  Used to go to the games at the Aud as a kid sitting way up in the nosebleed Oranges.  McAdoo was as pure a shooter as they came in the history of the NBA.  And loved his side burns too.  Is he still alive by chance?  McAdoo and the Iceman George Gervin from the Spurs.  Two amazing offensive players in any era.

 

I was actually not at that game against Denver.  But did watch it from my apartment at the time in Atlanta, going nuts!!  And thanks for the Kudos about Bryce.  He was a hell of a player as well.  I still wear his jersey occasionally, probably a couple times a season.  Bought it in 1996.    

[2ForMacAdoo]

2 hours ago, Paup 1995MVP said:

I do remember Randy Smith.  He was excellent also.  They also had Ernie Digregorio and Garfield Heard.  Used to go to the games at the Aud as a kid sitting way up in the nosebleed Oranges.  McAdoo was as pure a shooter as they came in the history of the NBA.  And loved his side burns too.  Is he still alive by chance?  McAdoo and the Iceman George Gervin from the Spurs.  Two amazing offensive players in any era.

 

I was actually not at that game against Denver.  But did watch it from my apartment at the time in Atlanta, going nuts!!  And thanks for the Kudos about Bryce.  He was a hell of a player as well.  I still wear his jersey occasionally, probably a couple times a season.  Bought it in 1996.    

 

In one of my sports-starved, Covid-19 era moments, I watched an old Youtube video of Randy Smith's 1978 MVP all-star game just a couple of weeks ago. What a great ambassador for Buffalo. Local boy makes good. Ernie D may have been a defensive liability but sweet Jesus what a passer. It was like he had eyes in the back of his head. Loved Garfield Heard before he was traded for John Shumate. My dad and I used to joke that Gar arched the ball so high that he would forget where the ball was going! (just the opposite of Ken Charles who may have had the flattest shot I've ever seen in the NBA.) Terrific defender. 

 

Gosh, I'm waxing nostalgic now about the Aud, Bryce. We too used to sit up in the nosebleed, Orange section too! Yes, they were high up but gave you a great perspective of the game. I loved the Aud more than the modern, cookie cutter arenas today. Do you remember Danny Neavereth, the public address announcer? "That's TWO for MAC-ADOOO". McAdoo is indeed still alive. And yes, the side burns were a classic trademark of his. Not too long ago, the Buffalo News did an extended interview of Paul Snyder, the local owner who sold the Braves to Kentucky Fried Chicken mogul John Y Brown (and future husband of the late Phyllis George). Interesting tidbit: in it, Snyder describes how to this day, McAdoo has tried to purchase a framed action photo of himself from Snyder but which he doesn't want to give up!  Snyder basically tries to exonerate himself saying that the real problem was the Braves having to play second fiddle to the Sabres when it came to scheduling.  I cried for weeks following the move to San Diego as if I had lost a family member. In some ways, I think I've never recovered from that trauma lol. Even with the Pegulas firmly entrenched as owners of the Bills, I still worry about them being moved to a bigger market. Small market blues. 

[Paup 1995MVP]

51 minutes ago, 2ForMacAdoo said:

 

In one of my sports-starved, Covid-19 era moments, I watched an old Youtube video of Randy Smith's 1978 MVP all-star game just a couple of weeks ago. What a great ambassador for Buffalo. Local boy makes good. Ernie D may have been a defensive liability but sweet Jesus what a passer. It was like he had eyes in the back of his head. Loved Garfield Heard before he was traded for John Shumate. My dad and I used to joke that Gar arched the ball so high that he would forget where the ball was going! (just the opposite of Ken Charles who may have had the flattest shot I've ever seen in the NBA.) Terrific defender. 

 

Gosh, I'm waxing nostalgic now about the Aud, Bryce. We too used to sit up in the nosebleed, Orange section too! Yes, they were high up but gave you a great perspective of the game. I loved the Aud more than the modern, cookie cutter arenas today. Do you remember Danny Neavereth, the public address announcer? "That's TWO for MAC-ADOOO". McAdoo is indeed still alive. And yes, the side burns were a classic trademark of his. Not too long ago, the Buffalo News did an extended interview of Paul Snyder, the local owner who sold the Braves to Kentucky Fried Chicken mogul John Y Brown (and future husband of the late Phyllis George). Interesting tidbit: in it, Snyder describes how to this day, McAdoo has tried to purchase a framed action photo of himself from Snyder but which he doesn't want to give up!  Snyder basically tries to exonerate himself saying that the real problem was the Braves having to play second fiddle to the Sabres when it came to scheduling.  I cried for weeks following the move to San Diego as if I had lost a family member. In some ways, I think I've never recovered from that trauma lol. Even with the Pegulas firmly entrenched as owners of the Bills, I still worry about them being moved to a bigger market. Small market blues. 

Funny you talk about sitting in the Oranges too.  I came from modest means.  So that was all we could afford I guess.  I remember always wondering what it would be like to sit down in the Golds or Reds.  So I had a buddy whose parents were a bit more well off then my family.  And his parents had seasons tickets for the Sabres.  And they were in the Upper Golds kind of to the side of one of the goals.  So my buddy takes me to a couple of games.  First pro hockey games.  I am like 11 or 12 years old in probably 77-78 season.  The first game I think was against the Cleveland Barons.  (Remember them.  They probably lasted 2 or 3 seasons)  Sabres scored 3 goals in under a minute or so to set a team record at the time.  Not sure if it still stands.  The second game I went to was against Vancouver.  Danny Gare scores 11 seconds into the game.  At the time the fastest goal scored by a Sabre at the start of a game.  Don't know if it still stands.  Probably since we don't score much at all in this era.  I was a huge Sabre fan as a kid.  I remember Paul Weiland and Rick Jeanerette on International Cable Channel 10.  And Ted Darling and Pat Hannigan (I think that was his name) on Channel 2 I believe.  And then Sam Anson did the games on the radio, and was excellent.  Fond memories of a lifetime ago.  

 

As a middle aged adult, I am not a pro basketball fan.  I like hockey some.  But don't watch the Sabres.  They are terrible.  Rooted for the Blues in last years playoffs.  I just watched a show on the 94 Rangers winning the Cup and all their long suffering fans on NHL Network.  But I love the Bills.  Always have since the 1976 season.  Have not missed a game on TV since the meaningless season finale of the 94 season.  Hopefully this is our year to catch the magic like the 94 Rangers and take it straight to the Super Bowl.  Josh Allen will need to be very good.  But I believe he has it in him.  Go Bills.

[2ForMacAdoo]

Bryce, I love the game of basketball but the Braves were dead to me the moment they left for San Diego. When I see the LA Clippers, Kawhi and Paul George playing in Buffalo Braves throwback jerseys (yes, it happened several times this season until the season was suspended), I got a little emotional but I cannot feel invested in them. Not having a horse in the race, yes, I can appreciate a great talent like MJ or Kobe but it's just not the same. 

 

Just my luck, we've lived in Patriots nation for the entire Brady/Belichik era (2000-present) so I have to work hard at educating my daughter about Buffalo sports. Last year, we did a double-header weekend (Sabres Saturday night, Bills Sunday afternoon) in WNY. I confess that I bought the cheap nosebleed seats at the Niagara Center so I could afford to splurge at New Era. After the first period, my daughter gets tired of being so far from the action so we head down to the lower section. She tells me, "Dad, just follow me and pretend you know what you're doing." She leads me to two amazing seats a couple of rows behind the Sabres bench. Sabres win Saturday, Bills win Sunday. The perfect weekend. Agreed about the Sabres. I really thought after drafting Dahlin, with those 2 elite talents, they would turn it around quickly. Boy was I wrong. 

 

On the other hand, I am all in on the Bills and Josh. I expect the season to start without fans in the stands. My biggest fear this year isn't the Bills letting us down. It's several players from multiple teams getting infected and entire teams having to quarantine. No way to predict or prepare for that really. Can you imagine that happening late in the season with the Bills having already clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs? That would just be too Billsy! 

[Gugny]

Football is a game.

 

Crimes like sexual assault and murder end, ruin and change lives for multiple victims.

 

Get a ***** grip.  Celebrating murderers, sex offenders and woman beaters is stupid.  What someone does on the field is immediately null and void when they are found guilty or liable of such crimes.

 

I hope the Pegulas eventually have a tad of class and remove #32 from the wall ... and that they keep scum like Bennett off of it.

 

Football is a goddamn game.

[KOKBILLS]

Speaking purely on his qualifications for the Wall...It's not even close to being in doubt...He belongs there...Period...End of story...And before anyone else who is not already up there...I watched his entire career...He was my favorite player so there is an admitted bias...

 

Nonetheless there are 346 members of the Pro Football HOF and Pro Football Reference's weighted AV puts him at 250 overall since 1970...Now...This is not an argument about his HOF credentials, which are legit IMHO, it's about the greatest Bills of all time...And Bennett is squarely in that group...Unquestionably...That same PFR metric ranks him as the 6th best Buffalo Bill since 1970...5th if you don't count Ted Washington...

 

Can we please put this to bed Mr and Mrs Pegula?...?

 

 

Edited May 20, 2020 by KOKBILLS

[2ForMacAdoo]

22 hours ago, KOKBILLS said:

Speaking purely on his qualifications for the Wall...It's not even close to being in doubt...He belongs there...Period...End of story...And before anyone else who is not already up there...I watched his entire career...He was my favorite player so there is an admitted bias...

 

Nonetheless there are 346 members of the Pro Football HOF and Pro Football Reference's weighted AV puts him at 250 overall since 1970...Now...This is not an argument about his HOF credentials, which are legit IMHO, it's about the greatest Bills of all time...And Bennett is squarely in that group...Unquestionably...That same PFR metric ranks him as the 6th best Buffalo Bill since 1970...5th if you don't count Ted Washington...

 

Can we please put this to bed Mr and Mrs Pegula?...?

 

 

This.

[Bill from NYC]

On ‎5‎/‎18‎/‎2020 at 6:28 AM, BillsPride12 said:

25 years isn't long enough?

No, not if the victim was in your family, right?

[BillsPride12]

7 hours ago, Bill from NYC said:

No, not if the victim was in your family, right?

I don't know anything about the victim, other than apparently she was involved in a crack cocaine trafficking ring as pointed out above, but here's another thing whenever one of these kind of cases come up...People automatically assume the female victim was a poor innocent soul that could be your wife, sister, cousin, niece etc. but the kind of Women that hang around and go after the athletes(and I am not taking about the wives but more-so the Mistresses and sidepieces) are scandalous as all hell 99% of the time.  No matter what Bennett was in the WRONG as I have stated before but I wasn't in the room, you weren't in the room we don't know how everything transpired and if drugs and alcohol were involved things tend to usually go down.  Once again I truly believe he was WRONG for the actions that were committed but I cannot crucify the guy for the rest of his life because of this.  I trust Marv Levy as much as anybody in this world when it comes to judging character and if Marv says he thinks Bennett has served his punishment for the crime and deserves the WOF recognition it's good enough for me.  

[Dopey]

On 5/18/2020 at 6:28 AM, BillsPride12 said:

25 years isn't long enough?

Nope. Forever works for me.