Guiseppe Posted January 11, 2006 Posted January 11, 2006 Mr. Wilson was one of the finalists for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I for one believe that it is a travesty he was not inducted at this time.... he is long over due. With Al Davis the NFL's single biggest pain in the ass already in, the exclusion of the one of the most influential of the founding owners of the AFL is long overdue. Consider that Lamar Hunt was inducted in 1972 and Al Davis in 1992, Mr Wilson was just as important to that league as either of these guys. Al Davis would have lost his team had not Mr. Wilson loaned him the money to keep the team afloat during the first few years of existance. Mark Gaughn, the Buffalo area rep to the HOF committee, "Shame On You" for not making the case for Ralph. And how great would it had been for him to go in this year in Detroit, the place where Ralph grew up and still lives and possibly with Thurman.
drnykterstein Posted January 11, 2006 Posted January 11, 2006 It is. It's sad my friend, very sad indeed.
Lori Posted January 11, 2006 Posted January 11, 2006 Mark Gaughan, the Buffalo area rep to the HOF committee, "Shame On You" for not making the case for Ralph. Ease up on Mark. Since Ralph didn't make the top 15, Gaughan doesn't even get the chance to make a presentation. He - and Felser before him - have done their best in previous years, but there are quite a few voters out there who don't believe in inducting non-players. John Madden is the only non-player on this year's finalists list, and even that wouldn't have happened without the Seniors Committee...
BuffaloWings Posted January 11, 2006 Posted January 11, 2006 And yet....the convict Michael "Push-off" Irvin is a finalist.
udonkey Posted January 11, 2006 Posted January 11, 2006 And yet....the convict Michael "Push-off" Irvin is a finalist. 562192[/snapback] He also has, what is it...3 or 4 rings.
BuffaloWings Posted January 12, 2006 Posted January 12, 2006 He also has, what is it...3 or 4 rings. 562229[/snapback] Details, details.... Sure, if Ralph had a ring, he'd probably be a finalist. But he's done more for the NFL over the past 40 years than Irvin did with one of his rings. I'd be ok with Aikman and Smith in there before Ralph, but not Irvin.
VABills Posted January 12, 2006 Posted January 12, 2006 After the fiasco in Buffalo this year especially, Ralph doesn't deserve to be there.
Buftex Posted January 12, 2006 Posted January 12, 2006 After the fiasco in Buffalo this year especially, Ralph doesn't deserve to be there. 562349[/snapback] I don't mean it to sound as harsh as you do, but in a sense, you are right. Ralph has done a lot for the NFL, but "big picutre", he has not been a great owner for a large portion of his 46 years owning the team. It could be that a number of voters remember the "cheapskate" Ralph of the late 1960's throught the early 80's (Pre-Polian/Kelly era) that would have just assumed deal talented players away, so he wouldn't have to pay them, then pay them to represent his franchise on the field. As someone here astutely pointed out when everyone was up in arms last week, about Marv being named GM, most of RW's successes as owner of the Bills have come in spite of him, than because of him. Polian was the cheapest guy available when he made him the GM, it is likely Jim Kelly would have never played a down in a Bills uniform, if the USFL hadn't folded. Kelly had no real leveredge at that point. Ralph has had a way, for whatever reason, of alienating coaches and GMs (most any Bills coach or GM of importance, save Marv, ended his tenure in Buffalo on bad terms). I am sure the HOF voters here lots of stories that we never hear. I give him credit for finally giving a sh** about winning. He probably enjoyed being seen as the crothchety old millionaire who had a soft spot in his heart for a region that had fallen on hard times, when the team stareted winning in the 1990s. It was a better feeling, likely, than being viewed as a out of town "carpetbagger" as many saw him back in the ugly days of the 1970's. I will always be indebted to Ralph for keeping the Bills in Buffalo, when he could have easily pulled out. The fiasco that was this past season though, kind of stirred up some of those old negative feelings about the old man again. I don't think I am the only one who feels that way... I would be delighted if he made the HOF (I think he will, after he is gone), but I don't feel too badly for him...
bleedinblue Posted January 12, 2006 Posted January 12, 2006 After the fiasco in Buffalo this year especially, Ralph doesn't deserve to be there. 562349[/snapback] Are you nuts? RW is a icon of the NFL, an original owner and one of the architects of the league. He personally kept the Raiders and the AFC afloat in the early years. He has been uwavering in keeping the NFL from becoming MLB. To even insinuate that he does not belong in the HOF is just plain ignorant. Owners are voted in as contributors, not on wins and losses, and RW is one of the biggest contributors to making the NFL what it is today.
Ed_Formerly_of_Roch Posted January 12, 2006 Posted January 12, 2006 But the problem is they aren't voted in by other owners, but by writers. Most probably weren't even born when Ralph loaned Davis the $$ They are nominated because of their contributions, but there's nothing to prevent a votor from casting his vote strictly based on wins. I do think that the last five years or so in Buffalo have hurts Ralphs chances too. Whether it's true or not, his reputation of being cheap has hurt, and he's held too many grudges. Lou Saban and Wade Phillips are two big ones that have hurt him. I'd like to see him voted in, but these things have hurt him. Are you nuts? RW is a icon of the NFL, an original owner and one of the architects of the league. He personally kept the Raiders and the AFC afloat in the early years. He has been uwavering in keeping the NFL from becoming MLB. To even insinuate that he does not belong in the HOF is just plain ignorant. Owners are voted in as contributors, not on wins and losses, and RW is one of the biggest contributors to making the NFL what it is today. 562429[/snapback]
UConn James Posted January 12, 2006 Posted January 12, 2006 He also has, what is it...3 or 4 rings. 562229[/snapback] No, they don't put cocaine in rings. It's lines. And, I don't think Ralph will be given much/true consideration until after he passes. That whole thing about not appreciating what you have until it's gone, and all.... In any era, it's probably, what, 5 percent that get to the HOF. Does Ralph merit consideration of being in that top 5 percent of all owners from 1960-20--? I think when the owners from this first era of the NFL go en masse (seen it happening with Mara, Hess, Rooney isn't far behind.... etc), then they'll start to be judged for HOF.
Buftex Posted January 12, 2006 Posted January 12, 2006 Whether it's true or not, his reputation of being cheap has hurt, and he's held too many grudges. Lou Saban and Wade Phillips are two big ones that have hurt him. I'd like to see him voted in, but these things have hurt him. 562432[/snapback] Add to that, the recently deceased (and respected by most football people outside of Buffalo) John Butler, one of the best GM's of the last 20 years, Bill Polian, and some day HOF'er Chuck Knox....
Dante Posted January 12, 2006 Posted January 12, 2006 Man im not going to be able to sleep tonight knowing some billionaire, 90 year old screw isnt an inductee to the HOF. Modern day tragedy. The day the cheap pr1ck actually spends the cash to seriously build a team here is the day I would consider him for the hall of fame.
Guest BackInDaDay Posted January 12, 2006 Posted January 12, 2006 I've read that Wilson was instrumental in convincing old school NFL owners, including the highly respected Wellington Mara, to adopt some form of the AFL's revenue sharing business model while the merger of the two leagues was being negotiated. Revenue sharing has served a small market owner like Wilson very well. It's enabled him to profit from the league's popularity whether his team was contributing to that popularity, or not. For the better part of the post-merger years, his team has not. His loan to the Oakland franchise's owners (limited partnership which still exists) to keep their club afloat has been reported often. This was a decisive maneuver necessary for the survival of the infant AFL. It can be admired as an intelligent decision from a keen business mind, but in no way should it be interpreted as a philanthropic act. This would be the last time he would have to subsidize another club. After the sucessful AFL/NFL merger there was a large cash cow to be milked. Through the years he has shown that he's more than content in letting other owners feed it. Conversely, Mara sacrificed the additional personal wealth that his large-market franchise could have generated from negotiating it's own terms to the merged league. He understood that it might be necessary to subsidize other clubs and their owners to maintain the new NFL's stability in all markets. For the sake of the league he tolerated guys like Wilson putting their hands in his pockets. For that sacrifice and vision, he's in the Hall of Fame. What has Wilson ever done for pro-football that wasn't conceived in self-interest? His longevity as an owner of a small-market team only serves as a reminder of why guys like Mara are so respected.
LabattBlue Posted January 16, 2006 Posted January 16, 2006 I don't care if RW ever makes it to the HoF. The Bills have easily sucked for as many years(if not more) during his tenure as they were good. I call that putting a mediocre product on the field, that in turn has enabled RW to become very rich. Whoop-de-do, he didn't move the Bills out of Buffalo...and for that I'm supposed to ballwash him on his way to the HoF. Thanks, but no thanks. Here's to the next owner of the Buffalo Bills...Tom Golisano. PS To be very candid, I don't care about the HoF period. Unless I can turn HoF inductions into SB victories, it's meaningless.
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