Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame

[Lori]

First, let's revisit the criteria:

To be eligible for induction, an individual must have played with the Bills for at least three years and be retired from professional football. Also eligible are other individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Bills, including administrators and coaches.

 

In addition, I believe the selection committee has a short (unofficial) waiting period for retired players. O.J. was the first inductee, three years after he left Buffalo and two years after he retired; I think they've held to that tradition ever since. Bruce Smith has only been out for one year; he should be the only one on the list this would apply to.

 

NOTE - while I included Cookie Gilchrist and Lou Saban in the poll (and you're more than welcome to vote for them), don't expect either of those inductions to happen any time soon. Anyone who walks out on the team in the middle of a game/season -- as both of those men did -- makes it a lot tougher to vote for them.

 

Now, let the controversy begin.....

[EC-Bills]

First, let's revisit the criteria:

In addition, I believe the selection committee has a short (unofficial) waiting period for retired players. O.J. was the first inductee, three years after he left Buffalo and two years after he retired; I think they've held to that tradition ever since. Bruce Smith has only been out for one year; he should be the only one on the list this would apply to.

 

NOTE - while I included Cookie Gilchrist and Lou Saban in the poll (and you're more than welcome to vote for them), don't expect either of those inductions to happen any time soon. Anyone who walks out on the team in the middle of a game/season -- as both of those men did -- makes it a lot tougher to vote for them.

 

Now, let the controversy begin.....

337080[/snapback]

 

I say Bruce. Even though he whined a lot, he's the greatest DE to play the game IMHO.

[Tom]

Love to see Chandler, Cookie, Reggie McKenzie & Lou Saban but I bet Bruce, Andre & Steve Tasker go on the wall......

[Lori]

Love to see Chandler, Cookie,  Reggie McKenzie & Lou Saban but I bet Bruce, Andre & Steve Tasker go on the wall......

337103[/snapback]

Add Biscuit to the second half of your list, and I'm guessing those will be the next four inductees, with the order of selection the only thing to be determined.

[BILLS4LIFE]

Im going with Bruce Smith!

[jarthur31]

Andre was in the top five in alot of receiving categories just before he retired. Bruce is a no-doubter tho and I really think Steve is a lock too.

[SDS]

Add Biscuit to the second half of your list, and I'm guessing those will be the next four inductees, with the order of selection the only thing to be determined.

337108[/snapback]

 

he may have trouble due to his criminal record after leaving the Bills...

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

Is there really a good case to be made for Paup or Spielman going up on the Wall?

[OBXBILLSFAN]

Is there really a good case to be made for Paup or Spielman going up on the Wall?

337190[/snapback]

No. Good players, but not here long enough.

[BillsFan Trapped in Pats Land]

Is there really a good case to be made for Paup or Spielman going up on the Wall?

337190[/snapback]

None. Spielman is a great guy, and did the right thing sitting out a season to help his wife through cancer treatments, but his contributions on the field were minimal with the Bills.

[Lori]

Is there really a good case to be made for Paup or Spielman going up on the Wall?

337190[/snapback]

Probably not Spielman, and I'd consider Paup borderline at best. He made the list because of his unbelievable 1995 season (consensus NFL Defensive Player of the Year) and making the Pro Bowl in each of his seasons in Buffalo.

 

So yeah, I included them primarily as filler... but there was also an ulterior motive at work. Both of those players were just barely here long enough to qualify under the three-year minimum. And Lofton's not that far ahead of them, either - he was here for three full seasons after signing partway into 1989.

The point? As great as Cookie Gilchrist was, he was also only here for three years. And none of the other three managed to talk their way off the team....

 

As for Bennett, Scott? In my opinion, his on-the-field output is tough to ignore... but as you point out, so is his jail time. I'll be interested to see how the committee handles his case. That goes for Canton, too - since they welcomed L.T. despite his MANY off-the-field transgressions, the precedent has been set.

[BuckeyeBill]

While several of these people are locks to make the Wall (IMO) I would have to think that Reed is the obvious choice for who goes on NEXT.

 

Bruce Smith and Tasker will soon follow.

[USMCBillsFan]

While several of these people are locks to make the Wall (IMO) I would have to think that Reed is the obvious choice for who goes on NEXT.

 

Bruce Smith and Tasker will soon follow.

337229[/snapback]

 

You read my mind.

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

Probably not Spielman, and I'd consider Paup borderline at best. He made the list  because of his unbelievable 1995 season (consensus NFL Defensive Player of the Year) and making the Pro Bowl in each of his seasons in Buffalo.

 

So yeah, I included them primarily as filler... but there was also an ulterior motive at work. Both of those players were just barely here long enough to qualify under the three-year minimum. And Lofton's not that far ahead of them, either - he was here for three full seasons after signing partway into 1989.

The point? As great as Cookie Gilchrist was, he was also only here for three years. And none of the other three managed to talk their way off the team....

 

As for Bennett, Scott? In my opinion, his on-the-field output is tough to ignore... but as you point out, so is his jail time. I'll be interested to see how the committee handles his case. That goes for Canton, too - since they welcomed L.T. despite his MANY off-the-field transgressions, the precedent has been set.

337227[/snapback]

 

I figured that's why you put Paup up there; it's a valid reason, I just personally don't think it's enough. And one can make a good case for Lofton, being as he was an integral part of the Superbowl teams. I don't see how Spielman's anything other than a REAL stretch, though. As for Gilchrist...before my time, I can't even judge intelligently.

 

But the issue of these three-year players does bring up an interesting point: do the criteria of (or at least attitude towards) The Wall need to be changed in light of free agency? There's a good argument to be made that a player that produce enough to be on The Wall isn't going to stick around very long. The Wall to me has always honored those players that don't just produce, but are part of the history of a team, in that they're who you first think of (OJ, Jim Kelly, Thurman, Jack Kemp, Fergy, Dubenion, etc.) when you think of a team. A big part of that is longevity...and for players that produce on that level, they're not likely to stick around these days. What does the Wall of Fame actually honor, and is it even a viable concept in the modern NFL (i.e. free agency) anymore?

[R. Rich]

Lori, who the heck is Will Wolfordother?

[rockpile]

Sad to see that I am the first vote for Butch Byrd.

 

Excerpt:

 

Byrd had an outstanding performance in the 1965 American Football League Championship game against the Chargers.  He held Chargers receiver Don Norton to one reception and knocked him unconscious with a block at the line of scrimmage in the third period. 

 

But his biggest play of the game was a scintillating punt return, when Byrd took a John Hadl punt and with fabulous blocking, went 74 yards for a TD.

[Lori]

Lori, who the heck is Will Wolfordother?

337247[/snapback]

A formatting mistake. What I'd like to know is, who voted for him?

[Lori]

Sad to see that I am the first vote for Butch Byrd.

 

Excerpt:

337250[/snapback]

Byrd has the same problem working against him as Ralph's HoF bid - since he played so long ago, very few of the committee members (media/club personnel) are familiar with his career. I wonder if they should set up a Veteran's Committee.

 

But you're right - he should have been up there a long time ago.

[Simon]

who the heck is Will Wolfordother?

 

That's Billy Wolfordother's boy from over Mercer way.....

[Bill from NYC]

First, let's revisit the criteria:

In addition, I believe the selection committee has a short (unofficial) waiting period for retired players. O.J. was the first inductee, three years after he left Buffalo and two years after he retired; I think they've held to that tradition ever since. Bruce Smith has only been out for one year; he should be the only one on the list this would apply to.

 

NOTE - while I included Cookie Gilchrist and Lou Saban in the poll (and you're more than welcome to vote for them), don't expect either of those inductions to happen any time soon. Anyone who walks out on the team in the middle of a game/season -- as both of those men did -- makes it a lot tougher to vote for them.

 

Now, let the controversy begin.....

337080[/snapback]

 

I voted for Speilman. Remember when he had to be forced off the field when he was nearing paralysis?

I know that his time in Buffalo was short, but I appreciated every second of his stay here, and feel lucky as a Bills fan that we had him on the team for as long as we did.