Sports Reference Blog

5 Responses to “Hall of Fame Candidates Updated”

1. Packerfan4ver Says: December 22nd, 2011 at 5:55 pm

   Here is my take on on the other semifinalists:

   Terrell Davis- He can only could make it as a senior committee candidate because of his short Career. Great player that was the key to the puzzle why John Elway won 2 Super Bowls.

   Dermontti Dawson - love to see him get in, but has a very tough road considering the offensive linemen that will be on the ballot in the next 5 years. He was the best center of his era. He can't get in this year due to Roaf, and Shields. It is going to be even tougher when Larry Allen, Orlando Pace, Ruben Brown, Walter Jones, Alan Franeca, and Kevin Mawae. Dawson may have to get in as a Senior committee Candidate.

   Edward Debartolo, Jr - He was a great owner, but I wished there was a coach/contributor ballot for non players people like him. The big problem with him was how his ownership ended and is a huge hurdle for not getting in.

   Chris Doleman - Love to see him in the Hall of Fame, but not going to happen this year. Chris was an elite pass rusher for a long time in the league and gave my Packers fits growing up when he was a Viking. Cortez Kennedy is the Defensive lineman getting in for 2012 Class. The only Defensive lineman that could force Chris to wait longer past 2015 is Michael Strahan and Warren Sapp.

   Kevin Greene - I have a hard time seeing him going into the Hall of Fame before being a Senior Committee Candidate. The only thing that could help him getting inis being a defensive coach of the Green Bay Packers. He was great pass rusher. What hurts him is the amount of pro bowls, all pro teams, and the fact he is mostly known a pass rush specialist.

   Charles Haley - Shouldn't get in yet. He only should get in after Cortez Kennedy, Chris Doleman, Strahan, and Sapp. He has 5 rings, and I do not debate his impact on the 49ers. He played a big role the 92 and 1995 Cowboys team. The biggest issue is not having enough dominating seasons.

   Curtis Martin - Should be going in this year. He even has better Stats than Jerome Bettis in yards. He also started out his career with 10 straight 1,000 yard seasons.

   Clay Matthews - stunned he is on the ballot. Very good player, but will wait for a long time on the Senior Committee. There is a long list of linebackers on the Senior Committee list that needs to be picked by the Committee first.

   Karl Mecklenburg - great to see him on the list. He was a great player, but he has to be picked by the Senior Committee. He wouldn't wait as long as Clay Matthews for getting picked by the Senior Committee.

   Bill Parcells - Another person who I wish the Hall of Fame had a coach/contributor ballot. He is getting in this year though.

2. Packerfan4ver Says: December 22nd, 2011 at 5:55 pm

   Andre Reed - His wait is going to end this year.

   William Roaf - Him or Shields will get in this year. One of them will have to face tough competition from the offensive line spot up in the next years starting in 2012 that includes Larry Allen, Orlando Pace, Ruben Brown, Walter Jones, Alan Franeca, and Kevin Mawae.

   Donnie Shell - he may never get in even as a Senior Committee Candidate. It is due to the fact there is a lot of Steelers from his era already in. That is why Jerry Kramer isn't in the Hall of Fame either and is some faulty logic by the voters. Donnie was a premier safety of his era and should have went in years ago.

   Will Shields - See William Roaf.

   Paul Tagliabue - not going this year and wished there is a coach/contributor ballot for people like him in terms of going into the Pro football Hall of Fame. The league was very popular, but he has some major stuff against him. He was one of the problems why the league has problems with former players by ignoring concussions. Rewarding Jacksonville a team was a mistake and some of the teams that moved under his watch. The last bargaining agreement with him had issues also. He will get in sometime down the road.

   Steve Tasker - I believe Special team players should be elected to the hall of fame, but I don't see it happening until voters realize the importance of special teams to the game. That is why Steve Tasker can't get in and why Ray Guy didn't.

   Aeneas Williams - could get in this year. He is the best cornerback not in the Hall of fame that the Senior Committee can't pick. He should get in by 2020. What is hurting him is the fact he didn't play for a lot of winning teams by mostly playing for the Cardinals. His other issue was being overlooked due to the fact Deion Sanders played in the same era as he did.

   Ron Wolf - He can't get in this year. There needs to a coach/contributor ballot for people like Ron Wolf. Ron Wolf really needs to get into the Hall of Fame based on his career. Ron played a huge role for why the Raiders were so great. He also was the 2nd most important person why the Green Packers got turned around after floundering after Super Bowl 2 to the time Ron was hired late in the 1991 season. Bob Harlin was reason one since he hired Ron. Ron Wolf made the great signing of Reggie While, the one sided trade that gave the Packers Brett Favre, and the hiring of Mike Holmgren.

   George Young - Not going to happen this year and is another reason there should coach/contributor ballot for the Pro Football Hall of fame. Very long career in the NFL. He played role as GM for why the Giants won two super bowls.

3. boknows34 Says: December 29th, 2011 at 5:44 pm

   Dawson is definitely making it soon as he reached the Final 10 in last year's Class. I expect him and Roaf to be part of the 2012 Class. While I agree that the future influx of offensive linemen worthy of Canton could make it difficult for the present incumbents, I believe it is far more likely to hurt Shields than Dawson. And packersfan, please remove Rueben Brown and replace him with Jon Ogden. Brown has virtually no chance while Ogden is a lock.

4. Packerfan4ver Says: December 29th, 2011 at 8:00 pm

   I actually forgot about about Ogden when I typed the list. He was a great offensive lineman in his era. When I thought of the Left Tackle position, I thought him or Walter Jones were the best.

   The only reason I brought up Ruben Brown was the fact he had 9 pro bowls. This is going to be an interesting case on how much stock pro bowls get since the player in question never was the best Guard in the league or being not being on a first team all pro even once.

5. John Felix Koziol Says: January 2nd, 2012 at 12:52 pm

   If anyone deserves to get in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame it's Ray Guy. If place kickers are now getting enshrined into the hall then it's time for a punter and ABSOLUTELY NO punter deserves to be the inaugural punter enshrined more than Guy. He literally revolutionized the punting position. Between hang time, distance, placement, coffin corners, he was easily by far the best there ever was at the position. It's an absolute travesty that a virtuoso like him is not in yet. It would be criminal if he got in any other way than by the media voting him in if it's not too late yet. I always hated the Oakland Raiders, especially back then but I always loved watching Guy. He was an artist par excellence and deserves the honor that has snubbed him for these far too many years and the sooner the better too!