You’re on the Committee—Who Would You Have Already Enshrined in the HOF, or Not Voted In?

[Alphadawg7]

There are guys in who I don't think were really very good, Joe Namath is one for example.  He was like the Jim McMahon of his day, who also wasn't all that good of a QB...but Namath got in because of his flash and calling his shot to win the SB.  

 

But people deserving are easily:

• Steve Tasker - Best ST of all time, its crazy he isn't in.
• Torry Holt - People forget just how good he was, I think the fact he played on the Rams with another dominant WR in Isaac Bruce I think waters down peoples memory of just how good he really was.  
• Jimmy Smith - This guy never gets any love with the all time great WR's, but ask any corner who had to guard him and they will tell you he was one of the toughest players to cover they ever played against, and many will put him number 1 on who gave them the most trouble.  Had he not played for the Jags and instead played for the Cowboys or something, he would have already been in.  
• Mike Alstott - Its hard for FB's to get accolades or stats, but he was one of the best FB's to ever play the game.

Somewhere between "Easily" should be in and "Honorable Mentions:  Hines Ward - He doesn't have the same gaudy stats as guys like Wayne, Holt, etc or guys coming up like Fitzgerald, but he was one of the best all around WR's of his time and maybe the toughest.  He is the definition of a borderline guy, but I think he deserves it and he is the kind of WR I would take on me team any day of the week.

 

Honorable Mentions - London Fletcher, Reggie Wayne, Rodney Harrison, Steve Smith, Darren Woodson, Jared Allen

[strive_for_five_guy]

37 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

There are guys in who I don't think were really very good, Joe Namath is one for example.  He was like the Jim McMahon of his day, who also wasn't all that good of a QB...but Namath got in because of his flash and calling his shot to win the SB.  

 

But people deserving are easily:

• Steve Tasker - Best ST of all time, its crazy he isn't in.
• Torry Holt - People forget just how good he was, I think the fact he played on the Rams with another dominant WR in Isaac Bruce I think waters down peoples memory of just how good he really was.  
• Jimmy Smith - This guy never gets any love with the all time great WR's, but ask any corner who had to guard him and they will tell you he was one of the toughest players to cover they ever played against, and many will put him number 1 on who gave them the most trouble.  Had he not played for the Jags and instead played for the Cowboys or something, he would have already been in.  
• Mike Alstott - Its hard for FB's to get accolades or stats, but he was one of the best FB's to ever play the game.

Somewhere between "Easily" should be in and "Honorable Mentions:  Hines Ward - He doesn't have the same gaudy stats as guys like Wayne, Holt, etc or guys coming up like Fitzgerald, but he was one of the best all around WR's of his time and maybe the toughest.  He is the definition of a borderline guy, but I think he deserves it and he is the kind of WR I would take on me team any day of the week.

 

Honorable Mentions - London Fletcher, Reggie Wayne, Rodney Harrison, Steve Smith, Darren Woodson, Jared Allen

Of the WRs you mentioned, I would actually put Wayne in first.  And I’d put Ward right on a level with Holt or slightly above.  Both have SBs and while Holt has more career yardage, Ward actually has more receptions.  And like you said, Ward did a ton of the dirty work on the field too.  And then I’d put Jimmy Smith a notch below Ward and Holt, given slightly less in stat production and I believe no SB.  When J. Smith ever gets in, not sure given some of these other guys ahead of him plus the wave of WRs that will keep coming moving forward.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

What do people think about Hines Ward? 

I hated him as a player. He cheap -shotted guys on crack back blocks a lot. 

He's on some lists as a guy that should be in HOF.

 

He's a solid no for me but that's partly emotions too.

 

What say others?

[NewEra]

Barry Bonds

Pete Rose

[Rico]

4 hours ago, oldmanfan said:

People are going to flame me for this one, but a guy I would consider removing is Marv Levy.  Losing 4 in a row is not necessarily HOF worthy 

He belongs before Ralph, that’s who I would kick out.

[Augie]

1 hour ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

• Mike Alstott - Its hard for FB's to get accolades or stats, but he was one of the best FB's to ever play the game.

 

Seeing this made me laugh! When we lived in Sarasota during those years we had a life size Mike Alstott cardboard cutout in the kids playroom upstairs. It just sat in a corner and it was hysterical when people would walk into the room and he would startle the %$#@ out of them! 😂 

 

Hell, I knew he was there and even I would flinch! 😂 😂 

[RangerDave]

2 hours ago, Big Turk said:

Some of them don't even make sense based on the HOF standards.

What, exactly, are the HOF standards, though?  The HOF does not list any standards or requirements other than being out of football for 5 years.  And any person can nominate a player, coach, or contributor for the HOF.  All nominations are then sent to the 50-person selection committee.

 

I've gone back and forth on who should be in or not be in.  I've finally realized that this is a Hall of Fame, not a Hall of Greatness.  Players like Joe Namath and Lynn Swan were undoubtably famous in their time, even if they were not great players.  Players like Steve Tasker, although a great player, may not have been famous enough outside of Buffalo.

 

Being ambiguous keeps the HOF in the minds of people as they debate who should or should not be in.  I think that is by design.

[frostbitmic]

It's time to get the WR's caught up. I'd enshrine, Reggie Wayne, Torry Holt and Hines Ward and I wouldn't remove anybody, there's no reason for that.

 

 

[Mark Vader]

47 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

There are guys in who I don't think were really very good, Joe Namath is one for example.  He was like the Jim McMahon of his day, who also wasn't all that good of a QB...but Namath got in because of his flash and calling his shot to win the SB.  

 

But people deserving are easily:

• Steve Tasker - Best ST of all time, its crazy he isn't in.
• Torry Holt - People forget just how good he was, I think the fact he played on the Rams with another dominant WR in Isaac Bruce I think waters down peoples memory of just how good he really was.  
• Jimmy Smith - This guy never gets any love with the all time great WR's, but ask any corner who had to guard him and they will tell you he was one of the toughest players to cover they ever played against, and many will put him number 1 on who gave them the most trouble.  Had he not played for the Jags and instead played for the Cowboys or something, he would have already been in.  
• Mike Alstott - Its hard for FB's to get accolades or stats, but he was one of the best FB's to ever play the game.

Somewhere between "Easily" should be in and "Honorable Mentions:  Hines Ward - He doesn't have the same gaudy stats as guys like Wayne, Holt, etc or guys coming up like Fitzgerald, but he was one of the best all around WR's of his time and maybe the toughest.  He is the definition of a borderline guy, but I think he deserves it and he is the kind of WR I would take on me team any day of the week.

 

Honorable Mentions - London Fletcher, Reggie Wayne, Rodney Harrison, Steve Smith, Darren Woodson, Jared Allen

I'm in agreement with you on all of these players.

 

I'll expand further on Torry Holt and the Rams and add Henry Ellard. Ellard was a very dangerous receiver who played on some bad Rams teams, which is why people don't remember him. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

 

 

[The Frankish Reich]

47 minutes ago, RangerDave said:

What, exactly, are the HOF standards, though?  The HOF does not list any standards or requirements other than being out of football for 5 years.  And any person can nominate a player, coach, or contributor for the HOF.  All nominations are then sent to the 50-person selection committee.

 

I've gone back and forth on who should be in or not be in.  I've finally realized that this is a Hall of Fame, not a Hall of Greatness.  Players like Joe Namath and Lynn Swan were undoubtably famous in their time, even if they were not great players.  Players like Steve Tasker, although a great player, may not have been famous enough outside of Buffalo.

 

Being ambiguous keeps the HOF in the minds of people as they debate who should or should not be in.  I think that is by design.

I agree = the famous belong in the Hall of Fame.

When I was a kid I obsessed about these things. Why was the aging Brooks Robinson starting the All Star Game at 3B for the AL? He's hitting under .200! 

But then you realize that the stars are the ones who changed the game, or our perception of it. A Hall of Fame without Joe Namath (even those his career stats don't support it) would be just plain weird. So is a Hall of Fame with a generally fine but inconsequential player like Harold Baines in it a weird thing.

[oldmanfan]

2 hours ago, Rico said:

He belongs before Ralph, that’s who I would kick out.

Ralph saved the AFL, was a major player to get the merger done, and was responsible for getting the big TV contracts started.  He earned his spot.

[HOUSE]

You have to pay the committee big wads of cash to get your boy in

I am broke

[Augie]

14 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

You have to pay the committee big wads of cash to get your boy in

I am broke

 

I think you are just trying to keep the IRS at bay. 

 

 

I don’t blame you. 

[Alphadawg7]

2 hours ago, Mark Vader said:

I'm in agreement with you on all of these players.

 

I'll expand further on Torry Holt and the Rams and add Henry Ellard. Ellard was a very dangerous receiver who played on some bad Rams teams, which is why people don't remember him. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

 

 

100% agree

[Matt_In_NH]

I would not have voted for Terrell Davis based on the very small volume and the fact he played behind a great ol with a staff that really pushed the boundaries on blocking styles. 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

7 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

• Mike Alstott - Its hard for FB's to get accolades or stats, but he was one of the best FB's to ever play the game.

 

This comment just made me think about Carwell Gardner 😁…loved him on the Bills, opened a lot of holes for Thurm and Davis, unsung hero!

 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

Jerome Bettis, get your fat ass out of here!

[Rampant Buffalo]

Players who don't belong in the Hall of Fame

 

Cornelius Bennett.  In his four best years for sacks, he had between 7 and 9.5 sacks per season. In the remaining ten years, he never had more than 5.5 sacks in a season.

Troy Aikman. He played behind one of the two best OLs in NFL history. He had one of the greatest WRs ever in the form of Michael Irvin. A Pro Bowl TE. A very good RB in Emmitt Smith. With all those advantages, you want to see a guy average more than 7.0 yards per attempt.

 

Players who do belong in the Hall of Fame

Kurt Warner, QB. At the time, his three Super Bowl appearances were the three highest passing yardage totals in Super Bowl history. (A record since broken by Tom Brady.) He unequivocally deserved to be a first ballot Hall of Fame player.

Steve Tasker, special teams. For reasons already discussed.

[longtimebillsfan]

On 7/10/2024 at 9:29 PM, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Is there anyone who’s donned a Hall of Fame gold jacket that in your opinion is less deserving than another candidate who’s still not been voted in? 

 

For example, how did Andre Johnson deserve it more than say, Reggie Wayne, who won a SB and has better overall stats? (14,185 yds, 70 TDs vs 14,345 yds, 82 TDs). 

 

If you had the power to remove one sitting HOF player, who? Likewise who would you have already enshrined?
 

 

Kent Hull.  Hands down, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

Edited July 12 by longtimebillsfan

[Doc Brown]

Antonio Brown will be interesting.  Put up better numbers than Calvin Johnson who is in.  Put up more yards, catches, and equal TD's in only 11 more games (27 less games as a starter) played.  If character mattered they'd remove OJ Simpson.

Edited July 12 by Doc Brown