With Selection Saturday just a couple days off we’re again putting out the opportunity for the Zoneblitz faithful to officially guess who will earn induction to the Hall of Fame.
Put your picks in the comments section and we’ll add them to the table. We’re not sure at the moment if your prize will just be bragging rights or if there actually will be some Zoneblitz swag available for the person who gets the most correct. We’ll try to figure something out.
We made picks several months ago right after last year’s class was announced. Andy’s already lost at least one of his picks (John Lynch), so he’s going in at a disadvantage – meaning maybe Tony will finally be able to beat him in one of our prediction segments for the season.
If you want to get some background, feel free to check out our posts that came out when the senior candidates were named and when the committee announced its semifinalists and finalists. You also can see who we picked for 2013 going back to last year’s announcement.
Good luck everyone. And tune in Saturday, as we’ll have a post up shortly after the announcement is made. Thanks for reading.
| Andy | Tony | BoKnows | BSLO | Paul | |
| L. Allen | Allen | Allen | Allen | Allen | Allen |
| J. Bettis | |||||
| T. Brown | |||||
| C. Carter | Carter | Carter | Carter | Carter | Carter |
| E. DeBartolo | |||||
| K. Greene | Greene | ||||
| C. Haley | Haley | Haley | Haley | Haley | |
| A. Modell | |||||
| J. Ogden | Ogden | Ogden | |||
| B. Parcells | Parcells | Parcells | Parcells | ||
| A. Reed | Reed | ||||
| W. Sapp | |||||
| W. Shields | |||||
| M. Strahan | Strahan | Strahan | |||
| A. Williams | Williams | ||||
| C. Culp – Sr. | Culp | Culp | Culp | Culp | |
| D. Robinson – Sr. | Robinson | Robinson | Robinson | Robinson | Robinson |
| R. Ewing | Brad | Tony P. | Justin | Dr. Phil | Corey | |
| L. Allen | Allen | Allen | Allen | Allen | Allen | Allen |
| J. Bettis | Bettis | |||||
| T. Brown | Brown | |||||
| C. Carter | Carter | Carter | Carter | Carter | ||
| E. DeBartolo | ||||||
| K. Greene | Greene | |||||
| C. Haley | Haley | Haley | Haley | Haley | Haley | |
| A. Modell | ||||||
| J. Ogden | Ogden | Ogden | Ogden | |||
| B. Parcells | Parcells | Parcells | Parcells | Parcells | ||
| A. Reed | ||||||
| W. Sapp | ||||||
| W. Shields | ||||||
| M. Strahan | Strahan | Strahan | Strahan | Strahan | ||
| A. Williams | Williams | |||||
| C. Culp – Sr. | Culp | Culp | Culp | Culp | Culp | |
| D. Robinson – Sr. | Robinson | Robinson |
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Allen
Ogden
Haley
Carter
Parcells
Culp
Robinson
Could easily be Strahan and Reed for Haley and Carter.
Allen
Strahan
Parcells
Carter
Greene (This is probably going to screw me over but I’ve been claiming this one for months…no going back now!)
Robinson
Culp
Allen
Carter
Culp
Haley
Parcells
Robinson
Strahan
allen
Carter
Culp
Haley
Ogden
Robinson
Strahan
and tony it can only be 5 if 1 of the senior nominees gets in
It can be 5 modern day candidates. If both senior nominees get in it can go as high as seven. I’m not actually 100% sure if he thinks the senior nominees are going to get in or not. He’ll update that when he adds all of these comments to the table.
I want to take back what I said earlier about the final 10. Final prediction:
Larry Allen
Charles Haley
Cris Carter
Bill Parcells
Curley Culp
Michael Strahan
Final one is tricky. Dave Robinson seems like the ideal selection, but Jerome Bettis could sneak in being that there is not single QB or RB is the list and besides the three wide receivers, offensive linemen are viewed as being not nearly as athletic as WRs and RBs. The Bus has a lot of rushing yards, TDs, and a ring. So he can get in,but not officially saying he will.
Senior
NG Curly Culp
Regulars –
HC Bill Parcells
G Larry Allen
CB Aneas Williams
DE Charles Haley
WR Tim Brown LOL!!
What’s so great about Dave Robinsin other than playing for the Packers? His selection would be an injustice to Maxie Baughan, Chuck Howley and Lee Roy Jordan IMO. Someone is pulling the strings on this one. How many Packers are they going to put in there? Dallas went to a lot of big games too in the 60’s and 70’s and appear to be getting the boot up the you know what. I saw Jordan alot and he was every bit the player Nick Buoniconti was. He was HOF. Jordan had 32 ints at MLB which is right at the top with Jack Lambert. All three are ranked ahead of Dave Robinson and recent HOF LB Dave Wilcox. I’m really confused how they are picking these Senior players.
tony I agree the senior nominee im more sold on is curley culp what do u think of him tony
Remember only 5 senior committee members select the senior nominees so if one can convince two more members the player is nominated
I’ve stopped predicting the senior nominees. I never saw them play and I don’t feel qualified. As for the modern era candidates, I’ll stay with:
Ogden
Allen
Strahan
Parcells
Carter
Good luck to all.
Did not realize how many mistakes I made in such a short “paragraph”. Sorry about that.
I’m changing my mind from yesterday. I’m going with Allen, Ogden, Haley, Carter, Greene and Culp.
I grew up as a fanatical fan of stats along with watching (not much compared to now) football in the 1970’s. I know more about the 1970’s than any other decade. Back than with ESPN I used to rush to see the Sports page of our newspaper to study the boxscores and even sometimes find out the scores. I used to write down all the team matchup and predict the winners. I was pretty accurate for a ten year old. But I had a hell of a time spelling the cities. !! LOL
I don’t ever recall the name Dave Robinson of players who were praised by the announcers. I was surprised to hear Back than I liked it better when they told stories and such about the older players. Announcers today don’t educate the younger fans much about the history of the game.
I’ve been a supporter on this site going back several years. Brad should know that. :) Most people didn’t know of him and the ones who did said no way. I’m so glad. He’s the first NT (or NG is what he was called) in the newly formed 3-4 that beat the Vikings in SB4. I won’t rehash all what I’ve said before. IMO heequaled and maybe outshown HOFer Elvin Bethea for a couple years he was in Houston.
Hopefully Culp will open the door for more serious consideration of the No glamour position. Guys like Fred Smerlas, Bob Baumhower, Joe Klecko, Jerry Ball, Vince Wilfork and Casey Hampton should all have a decent shot now.
supporter of Culp!! :)
Larry Allen
Charles Haley
Bill Parcells
Michael Strahan
Jerome Bettis
Curley Culp
Dave Robinson
Selections updated above–I did finally put in my senior selections as well (I’ll buck the trend and go Robinson, not Culp).
No real surprise on Will Shields having to wait. In my opinion it’s bad enough that Randall McDaniel had to wait until his third year and I would not be surprised if it took Shields next year or longer.
Brown, Greene, DeBartolo, Modell, and Shields out. Two WRs in the final 10 again.
Final 10 Allen Bettis carter Haley Ogden parcells reed sapp strahan williams
No huge surprises in final 10
Allen carter Culp Ogden parcells Robinson sapp
For me Sapp is the biggest surprise and both Haley and Strahan not making it in
Shields is the clear number 1 OL next year. Was always going to be tough with Allen and Ogden.
HOF 13
Allen
Ogden
Carter
Parcells
Sapp
Culp
Robinson
5 out of 7 for me looks like none of us got it right as none of us picked Sapp!
If it was up to me, Sapp would’ve gotten in as I think he’s more than deserving. However I picked with what I thought was the most realistic. I could argue Sapp deserves it over Strahan. I thought with Strahan getting the sack record, Super Bowl in his final season and having a celebrity image as a talk show host, I would have thought he would have gotten the nod. I cannot complain with any of the five modern era selections.
It’s about time Cris Carter got elected, but I felt that I wouldn’t think a wide receiver would get elected until it actually happened.
From comments on nfl network two decade team mattered for sapp Allen
I missed out on a full 7/7 with Sapp over Haley.
Strahan, Reed, Shields, Bettis, and Williams look like the smart picks for 2014. Maybe Haley over Bettis or Williams. Not many attractive first-timers.
Remaining final 10 makes for strong potential 2014 election: Bettis Haley Reed Strahan Williams with perhaps Brooks pushing one of those out
Or Shields in 2014
Finally the WR order is shaking itself out with Carter inducted and Reed clearly next on the list.
Shields is now a clear number 1 OL
Strahan or Haley both reached the Final 10
Derrick Brooks looks like the only 1st ballot candidate
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is your 2014 Class. A nice balance with 2 offensive and 3 defensive players.
Shields
Reed
Strahan
Haley
Brooks
I do think Carter’s election opens the door for Reed. With Faulk and Martin being elected the last two years I anticipated Bettis’ name to get called. I do not think Charles Haley should be in but as I have said many times before, you cannot keep somebody out for not winning Super Bowls while denying somebody who won five of them and has over 100 sacks. It seems like a double standard.
No doubt in my mind there is a place for Aeneas Williams in Canton but if there was a dark horse out of those 10, it was him and I think he may have to wait. Hopefully not too much longer.
Best outcome here is the breaking of the WR logjam
I agree. I wasn’t confident that it would happen but I am glad that it did.
If all decade teams do matter then watch for Brooks Strahan Shields Williams and even Greene in 2014
For what reasons should they not matter?
My point was that all decade teams do matter to the HOF voter which I can understand and appreciate although selection of those team and all pro teams are an issue for some people
Brooks is a lock first timer. Harrison should be as well, but with wide receivers, you never know. My very early prediction for next year:
Brooks
Harrison
Strahan
Shields
Morgen Andersen
Having “fixed” the wr logjam, I predict the voters will turn to special teams next.
I think the NFL got it right with All Day being POY and OPY. Also JJ Watt was the pick DPOY. If the HOF could only do as well.
I have no qualms with Allen, Ogden, Carter, Sapp or Parcells.
I do, however, have qualms with earlier in the day that the all time Hall of Fame team was announced on the NFL Network. How did Michael Irvin make the team over Don Hutson?
Justin hell will freeze over before the HOF voters rush to pick a kicker in while bypassing the many other deserving regular players. With Harrison I am not so sure voters will see him as a deserving first time selection especially with both Reed and Brown still on the ballot. In my view those remaining from the final ten from 2013 plus Brooks will be in mix for 2014 election.
Corey, it was a fan vote and not one done by the same pro writers who had Hutson #9 in the Top 100 Greatest Ever and a clear #2 behind Rice.
Hutson wasn’t even in the Top 5 which I find totally ridiculous but only shows how serious we should consider these selections. It also highlight’s how today’s average fan lacks any historical knowledge from before the 1950s with Unitas and Brown apparently the cutoff point.
As for next year there are 5 open slots for the finalists to replace the 5 newly elected. Brooks is a lock but who fills the other 4 if we assume the remaining 10 who were not elected make it back. Marvin Harrison replaces Carter and Zach Thomas is another first timer who might sneak in the Last 15. The other 2? A safety – John Lynch or Steve Atwater – plus a name from this year’s semi final list? This year’s Last 10 are sitting pretty imo for 2014. Shields is the one name who might jump from Last 15 to election with Allen and Ogden both out of the way. Reed, Shields and Bettis appear to be the front runners on offense. Strahan, Haley and Williams on defense. 2014 is looking a lot like 2012 before things get really tough from 2015 onwards.
Shields
Reed
Strahan
Brooks
Williams
Haley
Bettis
Pick 5 out of 7 for next year with the other 2 elected in 2015 with Junior Seau, Walter Jones and one other.
The fact that it was a fan vote really says something. Hutson should easily have been on there.
Give me Shields, Reed, Strahan, Brooks and Bettis to go in next year. Haley and Williams will have to wait until 2015 I think.
Anyone else think Tony Dungy has a good chance next year? I know statistically his case is similar to Cowher’s, and Cowher hasn’t seemed to garner much support in the last two years. However, I think Dungy’s historical impact as the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl and his placement on the ’00’s All Decade Team will appeal to a good number of voters. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t at least make the final 15.
He could make the final 15 but without multiple SB wins it is hard for any coach to get elected in their first year
boknows34’s list of the 7 contenders for 2014 is spot on and mirrors my view as I do not see any surprises coming out of other 1st timers or advancements out of the 2012 10-15 slots, besides Shields, nor any new moves into final 15 from 2013 final 25 and ending up elected in 2014. Shields, Brooks, Strahan, and Reed are solid picks for 2014 with Bettis, Haley, and Williams fighting for the last election slot. 2013 and 2014 both provide great opportunity to clear the slate of several long standing and debatable candidates before 2015 fills the list with many new strong first time candidates.
Usually the final five is announced before the Hall of Fame class is revealed. What are your thoughts, all of you, on changing things up and cutting right to the chase from the final 10 to those elected?
I preferred it this year to just announcing the Class after naming the Last 10 because it’s virtually certain you’ll gain election if you reach the Final 5. In fact I can’t remember the last time a modern era candidate fell at the final 80% vote.
Without looking I’d have to think Dungy’s resume is atleast as strong as John Madden’s with his one Super Bowl or Marv Levy with no Super Bowl wins. But look how long Madden had to wait. :) IMO if it happens he should wait atleast 10 years.
Plus many voters do not like to pick a coach before a deserving player so Dungy will have a long wait as will other coaches and contributors in the coming years.