We’ve written a lot about the Hall of Fame over the years. And we’ve gotten a fair amount of debate from readers over the strengths and weaknesses of the selection system, who should be in that isn’t and whether there are teams who are underrepresented in Canton.
I’d like to start taking greater inventory of those opinions and maybe start looking more deeply into some of the individual cases that people discuss.
Then, if you have time, in the comments section I’d like to know why you made the selections you did. I’d also like to see who you think are the one to three most deserving candidates for the Hall who never made it in during their modern-era eligibility. Present a brief case for them if you’d like.
I think our site has had some pretty solid discussion on these issues over the years. I’d like to take this to the next level. Thank you, in advance, for your time and input.
Which modern-era candidates would you like to see named to the Hall of Fame in 2014?
Derrick Brooks, Walter Jones and Marvin Harrison are first-time eligible finalists for induction into the Pro Football
Courtesy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame. Their candidacies and those of 12 other modern-era candidates unveiled this evening will be debated and voted on until the group is narrowed down to five finalists who, along with two senior candidates, will receive up or down votes on whether they will be enshrined in 2014.
The announcement was made Thursday night on NFL Network. The final voting takes place during Super Bowl week and the final class will be unveiled in the days leading up to the big game.
Joining Brooks, Jones and Harrison as finalists are Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Andre Reed, Will Shields, Michael Strahan, Kevin Greene, Charles Haley, John Lynch, Aeneas Williams, Morten Andersen, Edward DeBartolo Jr. and Tony Dungy.
The group will be voted down to 10 and then to five. The final five and two senior candidates will be given yes or no votes. Up to five modern-era and two senior candidates can be inducted in any given year. This year’s senior candidates are Ray Guy and Claude Humphrey, who were selected by the Hall of Fame’s senior committee. They advance directly to the final vote. (more…)
Baker has a 35-year background in business management, professional sports and public service, according to a statement at the Hall of Fame’s website.
For the last four years, Baker has worked as a partner in Union Village LLC, the largest healthcare project in the U.S. creating thousands of jobs in Henderson, Nevada, according to the statement. He also previously was commissioner of the Arena Football League for 12 years during which the league saw growth in attendance, television ratings, corporate sponsorships, merchandise sales, revenue and profitability.
He replaces Stephen Perry, who announced in September that he would retire. Perry took the position in 2006.
Baker is the sixth Hall of Fame director. His son, Sam Baker, is an offensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons. He arrives as Hall of Fame voters are preparing to announce finalists for the 2014 Hall of Fame induction class. It will be announced at 8 p.m. central Thursday on NFL Network.
Six coaches and contributors are among the 25 finalists in the running for induction in the 2014 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Super Bowl winning coaches Tony Dungy and Jimmy Johnson join Eddie DeBartolo Jr., George Young, Paul Tagliabue and Don Coryell as semifinalists.
The list’s next most prominent role is the position of pass rusher, where five men who played linebacker, defensive line or a hybrid between the two moved on to the next round.
Among the prominent first-time candidates are wide receiver Marvin Harrison, tackle Walter Jones and linebacker Derrick Brooks. Harrison joins long-time finalists Andre Reed and Tim Brown at the receiver position where, until Cris Carter was inducted this year, Reed, Brown and Carter each received enough support where their votes seemed to cancel each other out.
Other areas of intrigue are on the offensive line, where newcomer Walter Jones and returning semifinalist Will Shields are strong contenders for enshrinement, and safety, where Steve Atwater and John Lynch move to the next step at a position where voters have not inducted many previous candidates. (more…)
The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL Network teamed up Wednesday night to unveil the complete list of modern-era candidates for the Hall’s class of 2014.
The Hall of Fame Selection Committee will trim this list to 25 candidates who will be named semifinalists. They will be announced in November. The semifinalist list will be reduced to 15 finalists via mail ballot. That will be announced in January.
One of the things I wrote I would be watching last weekend was the level to which playing with Carson Palmer can get the career of Larry Fitzgerald back on track. No, no, I’m not saying Fitz has been terrible, by any stretch. But through largely no fault of his own, he hasn’t had anyone throwing him the ball who could help him achieve what he had been early in his career. If game one is any indication, expect the Cardinals’ number one wideout’s numbers to fall back in line with what they looked like during the first six years of his career.
Fitz caught eight passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns, including a perfectly placed over-the-shoulder job heading into halftime. Fitzgerald gave way in the second half a bit, as Palmer spread the ball around to Michael Floyd and Andre Roberts, but it was an encouraging sight for those who took a flyer on #11 during fantasy football drafts.
My curiosity with Fitzgerald was piqued when I compared the stats he put up during his first half-dozen years to those put up by Calvin Johnson during that same period of his career – which culminated with Megatron’s record-setting season in 2012.
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