January 11, 2006

Hall of Fame Finalists : Troy Aikman and the late Reggie White were among the 15 finalists Wednesday for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

read story | posted by grabofsky74 to Football at 12:30 PM CDT (32 comments total)

L.C. GREENWOOD!!!
Madden getting in would be one of the biggest jokes!

posted by LiveWithIt at 1:01 PM CDT on January 11

Aikman, Moon, White, Thomas and Monk. Everybody else should wait.

posted by vbgjr88 at 1:02 PM CDT on January 11

Everybody else can wait? Carson has been a finalist for going on 10 years. 9 pro-bowls in 12 years all-NFL 1st or second team for 5 or 6 years. A corner stone on some of the best defensvie units to play in the NFL. If anyone in over due to be in the Hall it is Harry Carson.

-Polar

posted by Polar at 1:26 PM CDT on January 11

Yeah, but this is an extraordinarily strong year. I don't think any of the borderline cases are going to make it.

Aikman and White are locks. Monk and Moon should be locks, but that's a pretty strong lineup.

Still, they better go in. Warren Moon, especially, was the last of the exiled black QBs. The least they can do is give him a pass to the Hall. His numbers are good enough as is, but if you added another half-dozen years to his total, he'd be in Marino territory.

I think both Thomases will make it eventually, just not this year. Jim Kelly & Andre Reed are already in, and Thurman was the best of the three. And Derrick dominated his position for plenty long enough.

posted by chicobangs at 1:30 PM CDT on January 11

Reed is not in yet and shouldnt be anytime soon. I understand the case for Carson but it helps when all other blockers are on LT. However, he should be there eventually. Monk has waited long enough. I would understand Madden going in. Maybe not so much for what he did as a coach but because he is one of the most identified personalities of the league.

posted by vbgjr88 at 1:35 PM CDT on January 11

Really? I thought Reed was in.
I stand corrected.

posted by chicobangs at 1:39 PM CDT on January 11

Madden should get in.
Not for what he did as a coach or commentator (Both good if not great aspects to a career) but believe it or not his video game.
I think his game has done more for the NFL than anything else outside the game.
I mean even the players in the game now look like the real guy-unbelievable.
A long way from the old Intelevison stick figures.
I think everybody else on this list will get in too at some point.

posted by directpressure at 1:48 PM CDT on January 11

Really? I thought Reed was in.

No, but James Lofton is, although he only played part of his HOF career in Buffalo. Thurman definitely belongs. Aside from him and the duo already in, the only other Bill from that era that I can see getting in is Bruce Smith.

posted by Ufez Jones at 2:16 PM CDT on January 11

I want to see Rayfield Wright get in the hall -- a great lineman during the Landry era that won two Super Bowls.

posted by rcade at 2:35 PM CDT on January 11

Madden getting in would be one of the biggest jokes!

Aside from your knowledge of football, you mean?

The man had a higher winning percentage than Vince Lombardi, and you say he doesn't belong in the Hall? Shouldn't you be terrorizing a Yahoo chatroom somewhere?

posted by The_Black_Hand at 2:54 PM CDT on January 11

Roger Craig should be in for being the first 1000/1000 guy and for being the prototype back for the west coast offense which every team is now running. If it weren't for "the fumble" he'd certainly get more consideration.

posted by vbgjr88 at 3:00 PM CDT on January 11

The NFL list looks a lot better, with a lot more players that should get a hearty consideration, than the major league baseball list. There are some strong names on this list. And as a Bills fan I'd love to see Thomas and Reed join Kelly. God, where have those days gone!

posted by dyams at 3:42 PM CDT on January 11

Those days are fading into history, dyams. I grew up following the Bills, but -- fading into history.

Yeah, Bruce Smith is in when he becomes eligible, and I'd love to see Steve Tasker go in on the strength of his special teams work, but I guess that's not gonna happen.

posted by chicobangs at 3:50 PM CDT on January 11

I'd put Carson over Monk, Harry's been waiting longer, but having grown up a Giants fan I might be biased. Of course that also means I was there for the '70s when the team averaged about two wins a season, and Carson was one of the early pieces of digging out of that hole. Moon, White, Aikmen (uggh but give him his due) and definitely Madden.

posted by billsaysthis at 3:53 PM CDT on January 11

I'd like to see Reed in too but the fact that he was an AFC reciever in the 80's hurts.

posted by vbgjr88 at 3:53 PM CDT on January 11

I'd love to see Steve Tasker go in on the strength of his special teams work

I agree completely. Anyone who didn't have the pleasure of watching Tasker play week in, week out, really missed something unique. The guy was absolutely unstoppable on special teams, which is a part of the game many still take for granted (unless your team's unit really sucks, then you'll definitely notice). Special teams players will probably be the same as closers in baseball. Once one of them gets voted in, it may open the doors for others. Tasker was also a really good receiver when the Bills had him lined up at that position. Plus, he was (and still is) a class guy.

posted by dyams at 3:58 PM CDT on January 11

I'd like to see Reed in too but the fact that he was an AFC reciever in the 80's hurts.

Over two-thirds of Reed's career receptions came in the '90s, along with the majority of his TDs.

posted by dyams at 4:02 PM CDT on January 11

Yeah, Steve Tasker was the best special teams guy of his era, but the voters are scoffing at punters, fergodsake. If they're balking at inducting the best punter to ever play the game, then Tasker is a very long shot indeed.

Carson was a real good player, but yeah, you Giants fans are biased.

posted by chicobangs at 4:06 PM CDT on January 11

Aikman and White because they deserve it and White especially because untimely death always elevates athletes, musicians, actors and artists to martyr status immediately. All the others should wait mearly because too many going in lessens the honor. They are all good some even great but Hall of Fame status is getting too crowded. Madden getting in would make a joke of the whole thing. Since when does being a personality qualify you?

posted by Atheist at 4:30 PM CDT on January 11

Madden getting in would make a joke of the whole thing. Since when does being a personality qualify you?

Yeah, it's not like he coached or anything. Sheesh.

posted by The_Black_Hand at 4:46 PM CDT on January 11

rcade, i'd love to see the big cat get in too.

posted by lescour at 5:07 PM CDT on January 11

Just for the record:
Madden coached the Raiders for 10 seasons, posting a regular season record of 103 wins, 32 losses and 7 ties. During that time, he guided the team to seven Western Division titles, including five in a row from 1972 to 1976. Under Madden's guidance, Oakland never experienced a losing season. Madden's Raiders made eight playoff appearances, including a 37-31 six-quarter AFC Divisional Playoff win over the Baltimore Colts in 1977. Perennial winners, the team never finished with fewer than 8 wins in the then-14 game season (8-4-2 in 1970, 1971).

Six times in 10 seasons, Oakland recorded 10 or more victories. In 1976, the coach guided his team to a near-perfect 13-1 record to win the AFC Western Division. The success continued in the post-season with wins over New England in the divisional playoff game and a commanding 24-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. Madden and the Raiders capped the 1976 season with a 32-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI. Between the 1976 and 1977 seasons, the Raiders won 17 consecutive games, one short of the then-NFL record for consecutive wins.

Madden's .759 regular season winning percentage ranks as highest ever among coaches with 100 career victories. Only Hall of Fame coaches George Halas and Curly Lambeau had reached 100 career wins at an earlier age. NFL.com

How funny is that?

posted by sumokenobi at 5:37 PM CDT on January 11

And Tasker went to my alma mater. Go U Northwestern!

Carson has said he would refuse induction, and given what I consider to be the extremely silly rule limiting the number of inductees, he won't get in, given the strong field.

posted by ajaffe at 5:46 PM CDT on January 11

Locks:

Aikman
Reggie White

99% Locks:

Moon
Monk

posted by Joe88 at 6:55 PM CDT on January 11

Being a Steelers fan I would love to see L.C. get in, but there are 9 Steelers from his era already in the hall so that might make it a little tougher.
Damn those were some great teams!

posted by Steeler_Fan at 7:03 PM CDT on January 11

I think there is a strong case for Madden, but with such a strong class this year I don't know who is going to make the cut. The current guidelines say 3 to 6 per induction. I'll admit it I am a huge Giants fan, but the repeated dissappointment with Harry making it to the final selection and just mising it for so long is maddening.

-Polar

posted by Polar at 7:38 PM CDT on January 11

Aside from that fact that DT died at the peak of his career, there was no more dominant end in the league this side of Lawrence Taylor. Derek Thomas completely closed down his side of the line of scrimmage, and even though I hated the Chiefs, I must give props where they belong. If the powers that be don't induct DT, it would be a real tragedy.

posted by Coleman at 8:42 PM CDT on January 11

They should let Madden in only if he agrees that during the induction ceremony he will rip apart a turkey with his gigantic paws and devour it on camera.

Seriously though, Madden should be in.

posted by fabulon7 at 8:48 PM CDT on January 11

Those years when John Madden coached the Raiders were the reasons I'm a Raiders fan. It was bombs away everyday! Madden used to coach all the rejects that never fit on other teams (Alzado, Toomay, Matuzak), and party animals like Ken Stabler. Only Madden could start a wide receiver, covered with "stick 'em", who ran routes that took all day, and drank a bottle of Maalox before every game (Fred Biletnikoff, Superbowl MVP). Those were some fun games in those Madden years.

Would be tough to be on the panel that decides who goes in - there are many deserving finalists.
Reggie White (no brainer)
Harry Carson (senior vote)
Art Monk (iron-man vote)
Derrick Thomas (sorry to say, but Derrick gets the sympathy vote,)
Troy Aikman (I got the rings vote)

posted by babooze808 at 2:02 AM CDT on January 12

You folks dissing Madden obviously missed some of the greatest football played in the 70's. Career record as coach? 103-32-3. His raider teams? None nastier. Get a clue ! (especially the ole boy who thinks Madden has something to do with the graphics quality of the video game that bears his name ) Fer cryin out loud.....

posted by mjkredliner at 2:52 AM CDT on January 12

I'd love to see Steve Tasker go in on the strength of his special teams work, but I guess that's not gonna happen.

While he annoys me a bit as a broadcaster, I loved it when I saw him play.

/slides on Tasker jersey

Squish the fish!

posted by grum@work at 9:24 AM CDT on January 12

Since when does being a personality qualify you?

posted by Atheist at 4:30 PM CST on January 11

I hope you learned something Athiest. Doesn't anyone but me still watch NFL Films presents anymore? You people are killing me. Probably don't know who Sammy Baugh or Don Hutson are either. I just think it's a shame people don't take the time to check into football's past, there are some great stories and greater personalities. The same people are the ones who think that Belicheck was the first to use the 3-4.

P.S. Pat Summerall, John Madden's partner in the booth (and for my money, the best broadcaster there was) also played the game. He was a kicker when they also had to play a position on offense and defense. YES, they use to play on both sides too. Concrete Charlie? Helloooooooooooooooooo?
Somebody help 'em

posted by sumokenobi at 6:48 PM CDT on January 12

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