In recent years, I think the Hall of Fame voters have done a pretty decent job. They haven’t selected every player I would have preferred to see, but their choices have, by and large, been defensible. They’ve cleared some backlogs, notably at the WR position. And they’ve, for the most part, left off fringe borderline guys in order to get some truly qualified players enshrined.
But this 2017 class is the most disappointed I’ve been in several years. It’s not just that they didn’t follow my desired ballot. And it’s not that I think the candidates selected this year were uniformly not qualified for enshrinement in the Hall.
It’s more that this year’s entrants just feel like a collection of compromise candidates. Among my issues:
Terrell Davis was a great RB and he may deserve to be in the Hall. But the short tenure of his career, against someone like Terrell Owens, makes Davis a questionable pick.
Though he is one of the great kickers of all-time, Morten Andersen was on the field for, what, 10 to 12 plays per game most of the time? He belongs in the Hall as one of the League’s all-time highest scorers, but not until voters solve the safety position – which is flush with qualified candidates from first-time-eligible Brian Dawkins to multi-year candidates like Steve Atwater and John Lynch. Let’s sum it up this way: Despite the plethora of qualified candidates, the voters have now selected two special teamers in the last four years (Andersen and Ray Guy in 2014) while not adding a single one of the safeties.
Kurt Warner was the best QB among modern-era candidates. And he had great moments and he’s a great story, but his was an up-and-down career. He’s waited a few years. But offensive linemen like Joe Jacoby are equally qualified and running out of remaining eligibility. Warner’s resume is not so overwhelming that he couldn’t wait in favor of an equal candidate with fewer years left.
Owens could not even make it into the final five? We’re talking about a WR some believe to be the second best ever. Even now, seven years removed from the game, Owens is third in receiving TDs with 153, second in yards with 15,934 and eighth in receptions with 1,078. I get that he was a jackwagon at times, that he wasn’t always a model citizen or a great guy. And sure, some will argue that if Tim Brown, Cris Carter and Andre Reed had to wait, Owens can too. But … HE DIDN’T EVEN MAKE THE FINAL 10. To me he’s the second or third strongest candidate in the final 15, but that aside, there is ZERO cogent argument for him not making the final 10.That is purely a vengeful play by writer/voters.
It’s not getting as much attention as the Owens snub, but the enshrined seven all also will get their gold jackets before Kevin Mawae and Alan Faneca, two guys who easily were nearly peerless during their playing days. Consider this: Both Mawae (eight) and Faneca (nine) played in more Pro Bowls than Davis played seasons. Faneca also had six first-team AP All Pro awards and, in his down years, added two second-team AP awards. Mawae had three firsts and four seconds.
The non-election of Paul Tagliabue only further illustrates the folly that is alternating years between two seniors and a contributor with two contributors and a senior. I believe Tagliabue is Hall worthy for his ability to maintain labor peace for his entire tenure, after players strikes interrupted play twice in the last seven years of Pete Rozelle’s tenure. But if voters find him borderline, there are better candidates than him and, frankly, Jerry Jones, whose candidacy feels ridiculously rushed when there are guys like Bobby Beathard out there waiting. That said, there are far fewer contributors who are must-have Hall enshrinement candidates than there are senior candidates. Let’s get the Chuck Howleys and Johnny Robinsons and Jerry Kramers and others who actually helped build the game on the field in while they are, for the most part, still around and wait on forcing more questionable contributors onto the annual ballot.
Some question how Jason Taylor got in on his first try while Michael Strahan had to wait. That I don’t have as much a problem with, as Strahan was a victim of numbers when Warren Sapp, Jonathan Ogden and Larry Allen also were eligible for the first time. Not all first-time warranted candidates are going to get in right away and that class has to rank as one of the most impressive in Hall history. Jason Taylor just happened to retire in the right year.
You tell me which would be the stronger enshrinement class of 2017: (more…)
Word is trickling out on social media about who has officially been voted in as the 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class.
Reports are that Morten Andersen, Kurt Warner, LaDanian Tomlinson, Terrell Davis and Jason Taylor were elected from the modern era. Jerry Jones was elected as a contributor, and former commissioner Paul Tagliabue reportedly missed election by a single vote. Senior candidate Kenny Easley also reportedly was inducted.
Warner and Davis were the only two who made the final 10 in 2016 voting, a noticeable difference from year’s past. Joe Jacoby, John Lynch and Don Coryell were the others in the final 10 from 2016 who missed the cut again this year. Tomlinson and Taylor were both eligible for the first time in 2017.
Davis and Tomlinson being elected together marks the first time since 1977 that two RB were elected together in the modern ballot, when Frank Gifford and Gale Sayers were elected.
Andersen’s election is the first for a full-time kicker since Jan Stenerud was elected in 1991.
The 15 finalists had been announced at the beginning of January. Tony Boselli, Isaac Bruce, Coryell, Brian Dawkins, Alan Faneca, Jacoby, Ty Law, Kevin Mawae, Lynch and Terrell Owens were the 10 finalists not elected.
Lynch, Dawkins, Law, Boselli and Mawae were reportedly the final five eliminated before final voting (thanks to Commenter Rob for the head’s up). This would seemingly put a serious damper on Coryell’s recent push to get in, as well as Jacoby, who was in his 19th year of eligibility.
From our predictions, I managed to get 3 of the 5 modern era candidates (Tomlinson, Davis, Warner). Only 2 of Andy’s predictions (Taylor and Tomlinson) were elected.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame voters narrowed the list of contenders for 2017 enshrinement to 15 modern-era candidates Tuesday.
They are:
K Morten Andersen
T Tony Boselli
WR Isaac Bruce
Coach Don Coryell
RB Terrell Davis
S Brian Dawkins
G Alan Faneca
T Joe Jacoby
CB Ty Law
C Kevin Mawae
S John Lynch
WR Terrell Owens
DE Jason Taylor
RB LaDainian Tomlinson
QB Kurt Warner
They join Senior candidate Kenny Easley and Contributor candidates Jerry Jones, who owns the Cowboys, and Paul Tagliabue, who succeeded Pete Rozelle as Commissioner in 1989.
The finalist group includes 12 of the 15 we predicted it would in March. Most surprising to me is the continued strength behind the candidacy of Don Coryell, not because I don’t think he’s deserving, but because he’s been out of the game so long. Fervor for his election has seemed to grow just within the last few years.
While I have no issue with Coryell, I am disappointed that it seems as though his momentum has come at the expense of the case of Cowboys Coach Jimmy Johnson, who I thought should have been elected before Tony Dungy. Johnson did not make the final 15.
Other observations:
No Edgerrin James – for the time being, it looks like Terrell Davis has more movement for his induction than James does.
Isaac Bruce is a finalist and Torry Holt is not. Bruce did have more catches (1,024-920), yards (15,208-13,382) and TDs (91-74) than Holt, but it took Bruce 16 years to accumulate his stats while Holt reached his in 11. Plus, Holt had seven Pro Bowls and one first-team Associated All Pro award, along with one second-team AP honor, while Bruce has just four Pro Bowls and he never was named to the AP’s first team. It’s always seemed to me that Holt had the stronger case.
Two safeties are still alive. While I’m disappointed Steve Atwater’s case has slipped another year or more into the future, Brian Dawkins and John Lynch both have strong cases. There is a logjam awaiting, if the voters can’t start getting stars at this position enshrined.
I think the selections this year are a lot more wide open than they have been in recent years. Tomlinson and Owens seem like no brainers. And I’d really like to see one of the safeties – Dawkins would be my first choice – inducted. Otherwise there are probably eight legit candidates you could see voters deciding to support and none would be a bad choice.
Running back LaDainian Tomlinson, WR Hines Ward, Safety Brian Dawkins and Defensive end Jason Taylor are the four first-time eligible candidates for Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2017.
Chris Hinton, who played tackle and guard, was a first-time semifinalist, though he has been eligible for several years.
Hall of Fame voters named 26 semifinalists Wednesday night. The deepest positions are running back and safety, where four candidates remain from the initial group of 94 total nominees. There also were six offensive linemen, four of whom played most their careers at tackle.
Strong returning semifinalists include Terrell Owens, the controversial wide receiver who bounced around to several teams due to character issues, and Kurt Warner, who was great several years and less so others.
Warner, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt represent the “Greatest Show on Turf” Rams that won the Super Bowl after the 1999 season.(more…)
Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones and former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue took the roles they are most
Courtesy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
known for in the same year and they could go into the Hall of Fame at the same time, as well.
Voters selected the pair as Contributor candidates for 2017 enshrinement in Canton, OH.
Jones bought the Cowboys in 1989, hiring Jimmy Johnson in controversial fashion to replace Tom Landry as head coach. The duo endured a tough first season but, thanks in part to fleecing Minnesota in a deal for Herschel Walker, enjoyed a few really good seasons and two Super Bowl championships before the relationship soured.
Tagliabue succeeded long-time commissioner Pete Rozelle in 1989 and presided over one of the longest eras of labor peace in the league’s modern era.
More on this later. My initial thoughts: I think Tagliabue belongs, but as with many of these picks, I’m not sure he’s the best candidate awaiting enshrinement at this time. Regarding Jones … I’m not sure I understand this one at this time. He’s definitely involved in league matters behind the scenes but outside those first few years with Johnson, the team itself has mostly been mediocre under his watch. Why he’s a better choice than Pat Bowlen in Denver or even (as mentioned by Zoneblitz commentators Paul, Rasputin and maybe others) Cowboys scouting legend Gil Brandt, I’m not sure I understand.
Hall of Fame voters selected Jerry Jones and Paul Tagliabue as 2017 Contributor candidates. That's ...
... Terrible. Neither of these two are obvious candidates. (40%, 12 Votes)
... Meh. Tabliabue is worthy, but Jones doesn't deserve it. (33%, 10 Votes)
... Great - both are well deserving. (17%, 5 Votes)
... Meh. Jones is great, but what did Tagliabue do? (10%, 3 Votes)
He amassed five Pro Bowls and three AP First-Team All Pro awards, according to Pro Football Reference, and he was first-team on the All-1980s team. He was the AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1981, AFC Defensive Player of the Year in 1983 and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1984.
The problems? The biggest is that his career was cut short after seven seasons due to a damaged kidney. He also plays safety, where voters have created a logjam by enshrining them nearly as infrequently as they do punters and kickers. (more…)
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Yea it’s a mess and another example of how poor their PR and marketing often is
In addition to the process the Pro Football Hall of Fame has to fix how they run their website because…
I just started a Facebook group called Clint Murchison for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Paul I’ve emailed Rick Gosselin a lot of times about Clint Murchison
opps looks like Gosselin did make a case for him https://rickgosselin.com/state-your-case-clint-murchison/