This afternoon apparently marks the announcement of the semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012, and so far we’ve managed to not officially gone on record with our picks for this year. So here goes…
In 2011, we hit on 3 out of 5 picks (Sanders, Sharpe & Dent) while missing the obvious Marshall Faulk and the longshot Ed Sabol, while picking Dermontti Dawson and Tim Brown. So how will we do this year? Keep reading to find out…
I almost always read Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback column. Sports Illustrated’s top football guy always has some interesting nuggets.
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This week I was struck by a quote King got from Chicago return man Devin Hester, who lit up the Detroit Lions this weekend with an 82-yard punt return touchdown and numerous other long returns.
Hester told King he wants to be the first returner in the league to get voted into the Hall of Fame. I thought the comment was interesting for a couple reasons. First, it’s an acknowledgement on the part of Hester that he is known almost solely for his return work, as his play at wide receiver has been average, at best.
I somehow just stumbled across a new (to me) sports related site (Grantland.com) that is somehow tied to The Sports Guy (my 3+ year ESPN embargo may have had something to do with my not hearing of it sooner).
In checking out some parts of the site, I saw a name that is somewhat familiar to me, Chuck Klosterman. Now, I readily admit that I don’t really know why I’ve heard the name–something makes me think it has something to do with the time I used to spend as a commentor at RandBall. But that really isn’t a part of the story.
In looking at Klosterman’s recent articles, I saw that he recently posted an article about the Hall of Fame induction–and I found the article to be a somewhat interesting read, and was wondering what our audience of regular Hall of Fame commenters would have to say about it.
Just read the news that Fred Taylor will be retiring as a Jacksonville Jaguar on Friday, and figured (especially after an amusing couple minutes of conversation at a draft last night during which a neighbor of mine tried to convince me that Fred Jackson would be voted into the Hall of Fame–took a couple minutes to figure out he meant Taylor) that it’s worth putting the question out to the experts on our site.
Two players from the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 1950’s have been named the two senior finalists for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a part of the 2012 class.
Cornerback Jack Butler was an undrafted free agent that signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1951-1959, earning Pro Bowl honors from 1956-59 ad being named first-team All-NFL in the final three seasons of his career. He recorded 52 interceptions in nine seasons with the Steelers, including a career high 10 during the 1957 season. He retired after suffering a knee injury in 1959. This is his first nomination as a senior candidate for the hall.
Guard Dick Stanfel was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round (19th overall) in the 1951 NFL Draft, which to date has produced four Hall of Fame players (Bill George, Mike McCormack, Jack Christiansen, and Andy Robustelli) and one Hall of Fame coach (Don Shula) from it’s 30 rounds. Stanfel won two NFL Championships with the Lions in 1952 and 1953, and was chosen as the team’s most valuable player in 1954, before being traded to the Washington Redskins in 1956. He retired following the 1958 season, having earned Pro Bowl honors in all three of his seasons with the Redskins to go along with his two Pro Bowl seasons in 1953 and 1955. He was also named first-team All-NFL four times in his career, twice with the Lions and twice with the Redskins.
Stanfel was the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints, and was named interim head coach for the final four games in 1980, going 1-3 in preventing the Saints from having the first ever 0-16 season. He was then an offensive line coach for the Chicago Bears from 1981 to 1992, including their Super Bowl win 1986. He was named a senior nominee previously in 1993.
Butler & Stanfel were chosen as the senior nominees from a list of finalists that according to commenter Boardgame included Ken Anderson, Maxie Baughan, Cliff Branch, Roger Brown, Butler, Curly Culp, Mike Curtis, Ray Guy, Cliff Harris, Lester Hayes, Chuck Howley, Claude Humphrey, Alex Karras, Jerry Kramer, Bob Keuchenberg, Eddie Meador, Tommy Nobis, Dave Robinson and Johnny Robinson.
So what say you, Zoneblitz nation–are Butler & Stanfel worthy nominees? Others from the list of finalists that made more sense? Surprise omissions from the finalists (looking at you, Mick Tingelhoff)? Let us know in the comments.
ESPN has reported that star wide receiver Terrell Owens tore his ACL last month, either while filming a “reality television show” or during a personal workout.
As a 37-year-old athlete who is not currently under contract, the injury obviously puts the controversial wide receiver’s future in doubt.
So, two questions: Is he done? And is he a Hall of Famer?
I don’t care for Owens. He’s definitely got some diva to him as an individual, prancing for the cameras and throwing quarterback Donovan McNabb under the bus as his two years in Philadelphia wound down.
But you can’t help but respect him as a player. No matter what his often strange life has looked like off the field, he is a workout warrior who always answers the bell on Sundays. His nine catch, 122-yard performance in Super Bowl XXXIX on a barely healed broken leg was as memorable as it gets, despite the loss.
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This is going to be a hard list to cut down to 15 finalists
I really don’t get why Fred Taylor has been a finalist the last two years he only made Pro Bowl…
Paul your right that is the point of this site I never get the finalists right either
In terms of finalists
Good ballot paul there seems to be one or two that baffles the mind