Primetime thinks he’s too good for the Hall of Fame

[MJS]

It is watered down for sure. They shouldn't have a minimum number each year. They shouldn't even do it each year if there aren't names worthy enough to be inducted. There have been a bunch of names over the past few years that I don't think deserve it.

[benderbender]

Tony Boselli's induction is the only argument you need. Short career. One notable playoff performance. And he's the equal of Anthony Muñoz, Steve Hutchinson, and Gene Upshaw? 

[Alphadawg7]

1 hour ago, That's No Moon said:

I tend to agree but they've made such an even out of enshrinement weekend they really can't do what baseball does and have a year where only one or two (or zero) people get in.

Boselli doesn't have the longevity.

 

Still was one of the greatest of his to ever play his position IMHO.  But yeah, longevity is also a valid point

Edited August 15, 2022 by Alphadawg7

[mikemac2001]

4 hours ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Sterling Sharpe should be in before some of the newly enshrined

I looked up his stats the other day after seeing part of his brothers speech and damn dude was putting up crazy numbers for his time had like 5 years in a row dominating before his injury. I think like 16 tds in 93 or 94😳

[Saxum]

5 hours ago, Charles Romes said:

Deion Sanders complains the Hall has become a watered-down free-for-all and thinks there should be a special room for him and a very few select others. https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/news/atlanta-deion-sanders-football-hall-of-fame-braves-dallas-cowboys-jackson-state

 

I tend to agree. I watched him closely when he played. He couldn’t really tackle but it was impossible to separate from him. The original lock-down corner. Add to that his return game and there are very few in his category. That’s not even counting the Primetime aspect. Last career pick six against the Bills in his mid 30s. 

 

I think he is right on regarding special room for him - tackle free zone and soft padded walls.  Make them neon purple so he can blend in.  

[Nelius]

Interesting statement. Hard to disagree that he was a special upper echelon player, but I guess I don't think it's that watered down, especially compared to the other major sports. Baseball is incredibly watered down (Harold Baines?!) and in hockey, if you scored 700 points and left a mark then you get a ticket (other than Mogilny which continues to be a weird, borderline hilarious travesty at this point). I think over time there's some sense to creating some best of the best category since naturally there's just going to be a lot of people, even if you restricted to 2-4 a year.

[Nelius]

3 hours ago, The Jokeman said:

Sterling's career was too short. 

 

Gale Sayers and Terrell Davis? I think Sterling may have been approaching a special level during the years he played. 18 TDs the year he got injured. 

 

Kind of a logjam at WR at this point though. Holt and Bruce probably deserve it more, and they're not even guarantees. Steve Smith deserves a spot, statistically anyway.

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Prep_Academy

 

[Paup 1995MVP]

16 hours ago, Charles Romes said:

Deion Sanders complains the Hall has become a watered-down free-for-all and thinks there should be a special room for him and a very few select others. https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/news/atlanta-deion-sanders-football-hall-of-fame-braves-dallas-cowboys-jackson-state

 

I tend to agree. I watched him closely when he played. He couldn’t really tackle but it was impossible to separate from him. The original lock-down corner. Add to that his return game and there are very few in his category. That’s not even counting the Primetime aspect. Last career pick six against the Bills in his mid 30s. 

Deion was special.  Very few in his rarefied air.  He LT, Ronnie Lott, Ray Lewis, Reggie White and Bruce.  The best defensive players of the modern era.  (My namesake Bryce Paup was close-JK.  but he did have a couple monster years in 95 and 96)  Deion also played major league baseball at an above average level as well.  And the guy just has a certain style that transcends sports.  

12 hours ago, Ethan in Portland said:

As for the watered down issue, I tend to agree but it is not a new phenomenon.  Lynn Swann and John Stallworth were both good players on an amazing dynasty. Neither should in the HOF. I can name several more but I will highlight Levy and Kurt Warner. Great stories but not HOF worthy.

Eli will make the HOF as a 2 time SB winner with a ton of yards. But he only made 4 ProBowls in 16 years. Was he even a top 5 QB when he played? I'd argue in no particular order Brady, Peyton, Rivers, Roethlisberger, Rodgers, Brees, Ryan, early Wilson and late Favre are all better QBs. Obviously Eli's career doesn't overlap perfectly with all these QBs but I'd take every one except Ryan over Eli.

I agree about Eli.  Was never much of a fan of his.  Was a statue in the pocket as well.  

 

But don't slight Kurt Warner.  He was special.  The greatest show on turf was a ridiculous offense.  And Warner was the guy.  I believe his first 3 starts were all over 300 years and 3 TD's each.  He and Eli should not be discussed in the same breath.  

[Ramza86]

I dont like the idea of waiting to be in the Hall of Fame.

Either youre a hall of famer or you arent.

 

After your 7 years of retirement youre either in or out. First ballot or no ballot.

 

If there is a class of zero one year so be it. If there is a class of 20 one year so be it.

[T master]

Does this or should it in any way surprise us Sanders was a really good player but if we remember he was all about ME ME ME when he was a player so none of this should really surprise anyone that remembers him or watched him after his retirement .

 

I would say that some of the inductees this year could be a watered down version of a HOF induction on that stands out to me is Boselli . Although a great player his career was cut short by injury how many others has that happened to that are not in there .

 

Tasker is still out but is arguably the best to play ST's not to mention his role as a WR and he has the accolades to prove his worth to the hall yet he still doesn't have a jacket .

 

So even though it doesn't surprise me that Sanders is running his pie hole once agin to make others think as highly of him as he does him self i would agree in some respects that there is a watered down aspect to some of the choices made each year possibly .

[Gugny]

2 minutes ago, T master said:

Does this or should it in any way surprise us Sanders was a really good player but if we remember he was all about ME ME ME when he was a player so none of this should really surprise anyone that remembers him or watched him after his retirement .

 

I would say that some of the inductees this year could be a watered down version of a HOF induction on that stands out to me is Boselli . Although a great player his career was cut short by injury how many others has that happened to that are not in there .

 

Tasker is still out but is arguably the best to play ST's not to mention his role as a WR and he has the accolades to prove his worth to the hall yet he still doesn't have a jacket .

 

So even though it doesn't surprise me that Sanders is running his pie hole once agin to make others think as highly of him as he does him self i would agree in some respects that there is a watered down aspect to some of the choices made each year possibly .

 

Tasker had 51 receptions and 9 touchdowns ... in 12 years.

[eball]

13 hours ago, Ethan in Portland said:

As for the watered down issue, I tend to agree but it is not a new phenomenon.  Lynn Swann and John Stallworth were both good players on an amazing dynasty. Neither should in the HOF. I can name several more but I will highlight Levy and Kurt Warner. Great stories but not HOF worthy.

Eli will make the HOF as a 2 time SB winner with a ton of yards. But he only made 4 ProBowls in 16 years. Was he even a top 5 QB when he played? I'd argue in no particular order Brady, Peyton, Rivers, Roethlisberger, Rodgers, Brees, Ryan, early Wilson and late Favre are all better QBs. Obviously Eli's career doesn't overlap perfectly with all these QBs but I'd take every one except Ryan over Eli.

 

Not to mention, Eli made some very off-color remarks as a teenager that he should be held accountable for.

 

[Solomon Grundy]

12 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

Still was one of the greatest of his to ever play his position IMHO.  But yeah, longevity is also a valid point

Like Bruce Smith said, there were better LTs than Boselli that’s not in the HOF let alone players

[Tuco]

I agree with the watered down aspect, just like the Rock and Roll HOF. I think it comes from the feeling of needing to induct a minimum amount of people every year. After a while you get a group consisting of true hall of famers, and a secondary group who were very good. Excellent even. But adding to that secondary list every year eventually makes that group bigger while the core group of real stars remains very much the same size with a few exceptions.

 

I'm also not surprised to hear Deion blowing his own horn. But I just want to mention, I too always thought of Deion as a Me Me Me guy. And everything about his actions have always shown that, and still do. But I also remember reading Tim Green's The Dark Side of the Game. He talks at length about Deion and his confident flamboyance. And while he doesn't deny its existence, he also says there was another side to Deion. Green claims Deion was actually a great guy. Always willing to share and wanting to win. And that he was very respected and well liked in the locker room.

 

I don't think Green meant to convince the readers that Deion was anything less than his outward public appearance suggests. But I found it interesting that he went out of his way to praise the guy's locker room presence as a very positive influence rather than the divisive factor that most of us probably always assumed.

[Alphadawg7]

3 minutes ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Like Bruce Smith said, there were better LTs than Boselli that’s not in the HOF let alone players

 

I just meant he was one of the best of his era, although his career was short.  The other guys were not the best of their era at their positions.  But, I also thought Boselli played more like 7 years and didnt realize it was only 5.  So now that I have seen that, I would say none of the ones who got in should have made it and there are 5 better choices on the semifinalist list than these 5 guys.  

[T master]

20 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

Tasker had 51 receptions and 9 touchdowns ... in 12 years.

 

Tasker accomplishments of which he played both sides of the ball .

 

204 ST tackles 

 

7 blocked punts 

 

7 time pro bowl selection

 

The ONLY ST's player EVER to be elected pro bowl MVP 

 

7 time all pro 

 

95 & 96 season caught 41 passes for 627 yds on top of his ST's 

 

Just saying ...

Edited August 16, 2022 by T master

[Never NEVER Give-up]

I completely agree with Deion (and I have always hated him).  Bruce Smith agreed and even called out Tony Boselli.  There is no Hall of the very good, the HOF is reserved for the greats!

[Gugny]

3 minutes ago, Never NEVER Give-up said:

 There is no Hall of the very good, the HOF is reserved for the greats!

 

That stopped once Joe Namath was voted in.

[May Day 10]

I agree.  All sports seem to have gotten very loose with hall of fame honors.  I would like to see another layer for the true 'greats'

 

Its the same thing with jersey retirements.  Everyone wants quick gratification.  Teams want something to market. Paul ONeill is having his jersey retired as a Yankee.   Ryan Miller's number should be nowhere near retirement-echelon