Hall of Fame nominees

More importantly, how is John Lynch a HOFer and Jerry Kramer is not.

Sterling Sharpe is part of the 127 in total nominated. Doubt he will get to the final 5 however.

it has become the hall of "pretty good players." some of the guys they've let in the past few years have really been questionable.

quote:

Originally posted by MNPackman:
How does John Lynch get nominated, but not LeRoy Butler? Butler was 10 times the safety that Lynch ever was.

And, as long as I'm on the topic, how come Sterling Sharpe never got nominated?

Both Sharpe and Butler are on the preliminary list, as are Ron Wolf and Dave Robinson (senior category).

It would be weird if Lynch got in before Butler, though. Butler had more interceptions, more tackles and more sacks, in a career that was three years shorter. Even while Lynch has a big edge in Pro Bowl nods (9-4), Butler made first team All-Pro four times to Lynch's two.

quote:

Originally posted by johnnie gray:
it has become the hall of "pretty good players." some of the guys they've let in the past few years have really been questionable.

Last year's had to be the most bizarre induction class ever: Jack Butler, Dermontti Dawson, Willie Roaf, Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy and Curtis Martin. One great but low-key running back, one semi-obscure old-timer....and four linemen? Some great players in the group, but for the average fan -- let alone the average citizen -- it was a great big "so what."

quote:

Originally posted by Grave Digger:
More importantly, how is John Lynch a HOFer and Jerry Kramer is not.

No less an authority than Bart Starr says Bob Skoronski is more deserving than Kramer, for whatever that's worth to you.

For the 2016 class.

 

Based on recent voting IMO Kevin Greene will make it. Sterling and LeRoy should be in already.

@jasonjwilde: Nine @ProFootballHOF nominees with #Packers ties (1/2).
Brett Favre
Kevin Greene
Sterling Sharpe
LeRoy Butler
Mike Holmgren
Darren Sharper

@jasonjwilde: Nine @ProFootballHOF nominees with #Packers ties (2/2).
Kurt Warner
Sean Landeta
Clay Matthews Jr. (Clay III's father)

Entire list here:

 

http://www.profootballhof.com/...ampaign=2015-Website

The Matador has no chance in hell of ever seeing the HOF.

 

I'd think Barry Bonds & Pete Rose have a better shot than Sharper.

 

Clay's dad deserves to be in. Amazing LB'er with longevity

**** the Hall of Very Good.

Sterling Sharpe will have a problem getting in since he only played 5-6 years. His own brother admits that Sterling was a better football player.

 

It's too bad he had that neck injury but I love seeing him on NFL Network & able to walk. He's fun

I agree.  How did he even get on the list? 

He slipped someone a mickey?

I think, in it's on way, that's a hell of an honor.  I think he belongs in.  I think Shannon Sharpe was correct when he said he was the only man in the Hall of Fame that wasn't the best player in his own family.

 

Sterling may never make the hall, but there are very few men in it that had a moment, like he did, with his brother.  I doubt he'd trade one for the other.   Maybe that's enough.     

 

 

I have to agree.  Despite the fact he had his holdout moments for the Packers, damn he was fun to watch and I will never forget that Wildcard win in the litterbox, errr silverdome.

 

First receiver to ever eclipse 100 catches.  I think that in itself... before it became a pass first league, before the Packers ever had more than 1 receiver or TE, it's worth the HOF itself.

 

Just like Leroy was the first for picks and sacks. 

 

The initiators who were groundbreaking and trendsetters deserve their place in History.

 

Eclipsed the century mark in back-to-back seasons. 1st to 100, then does it again the next year.

Rice had 100 catches 2 years before Sterling. 1990. 

 

But, Rice eclipsed 100 receptions 4 times in 21 years. Sterling did it twice in 7 years. 

 

When he was healthy. Sterling Sharpe was every bit the equal of Jerry Rice. Sterling knew it too. 

 

Then again, my thoughts of Bo Jackson are well documented. I don't need to see 12 years to know who's better at football than everyone else. Sterling is in that category. 

Sterling Sharpe will have a problem getting in since he only played 5-6 years.

 

Gale Sayers only played 4 full seasons and parts of 2 others, and he's in.......

Rice had 100 catches 2 years before Sterling.

Chilli, your right. Which, I guess, would mean my left.

Haywood Jeffires and Art Monk had 100 rec before Sterling too.  But, Sterling was the first guy to do it twice (2 years in a row mind you).  Then in 94 when Favre figured things out mid-season his numbers were off the charts.  He had something like 12 tds the last 6 games, including 4 in that Turkey Day game vs Dallas.

 

It's a shame he likely will never be inducted.  Other guys are in that weren't half the receiver Sharpe was - Art Monk, Andre Reed, Cris Carter, the list goes on.  Three times he was first team all-pro.  That was in the era where there was really only 1 all-pro slot available, because Jerry Rice was a virtual lock.

 

Aside from his rookie year, the only mediocre year he had was 91 and that was the season the Packers were stuck with Blair Kiel and Mike Tomczak as starters.

 

I'd also argue that Terrell Davis should have been inducted long before a compiler like Jerome Bettis.  For 3 or 4 seasons you could say Terrell Davis was the best back in football, and that was when Barry Sanders was playing.  Nobody ever thought Jerome Bettis was the best back in football, heck he probably wasn't even top 5 in his era.

 

Sterling won't get in. His window is closed. But Chilli and GBP Rules are right.

 

LeRoy is a close call. Safeties are underrepresented in the Hall. Plus injuries really made him tail off at the end of his career.  But with Fritz he was a revelation and utterly unique. The straw that stirred the drink on those great mid-90s defenses. John Lynch couldn't carry LeRoy's jock.

Sharpe had amazing stats when everyone knew he was basically the only weapon the Packers had.  I don't know how he did it.

 

But, where the longevity argument and bringing up Sayers is concerned, to watch Sayers run, it was immortal.  It was surreal.  Unmatched save by Sanders whose style was different.  Sanders could cut sharper while Sayers had kind of a smooth gliding cutting ability.

 

I'd guess if a bunch of football historians were polled as to the most photogenic player in the history of the NFL, Sayers would be #1 and if not, #2 to Barry Sanders.

 

Then again I am biased as Sayers is my favorite football player all time.

I personally would disagree with this, but I always felt Sharpe was the best WR other than Rice of that era.  I just thought Rice was the best WR I ever saw in terms of everything he brought to the table. 

 

I know Lofton is already in, but for those of us that watched both James Lofton and Sterling Sharpe play, who do you think was the better player? I'd probably take Sharpe.

Bill Walsh once said James Lofton was Jerry Rice before Jerry Rice. My favorite Packer for many years.

 

But Sterling was better.

A few years down the road, and I hate to even suggest, since he was a BORE.  Does Hester get into the HOF?  

 

IMO, yes, but it's borderline, for some reason, I think that will be an interesting spot.  

If anyone saw Lofton's 71 yard run against the Cowboys in the 1982 playoffs - man, he was just electrifying.  Could he run.  Funny I pick a run instead of a pass reception, but to see him break out as he had a crease.

 

But, I think I would take Sharpe.  He somehow got more involved, would get more receptions.

I remember that well. Lofton might have been the best athlete ever to play for the Packers. I think he long jumped almost 27 feet in college.

 

I also remember watching Randy Moss when he first got to the Vikings and thinking he was James Lofton on steroids.

I don't think so, PackerRuss.  Hester was just a return specialist (albeit a very good one).  As a DB (which he was drafted as) he was horrible, and as a receiver he wasn't that good.

Probably the best ever return specialist.  And IF you are considered the best ever at a position how do you not make it? 

Exactly, that guy changed games.  He had coaches kick it OB, so the Bears would start at the 40, instead of giving him a chance to run it back.  It will be interesting to watch.  

 

I'm to young for Lofton, but Sterling was the man, IMO.  But I don't think he had the career longevity to make HOF.  Same thing with Terrell Davis.  Great for a few years, but you need a decade of greatness for the HOF, IMO.   

Depends on if you want it to the "Hall of excellent players who hung around a long time" or truly composed of transcendant players.

 

Art Monk's in the hall and I don't ever remember anyone playing the Redskins and thinking "we better stop Art Monk or we'll lose." There's a lot of those guys that are in the HOF. For 4-5 years when you played the Packers, the entire stadium knew the ball was going to Sterling and entire defenses were game planned around stopping him and he still produced.

 

I think Sterling might eventually get in because the best way for a borderline HOFer to enhance the HOF case is to be seen every week on TV (see Howie Long). It's probably more true for guys at positions that don't have stats to evaluate (Dan Dierdorf is an example), but it still helps.

The halls are watered down.....takebaseball for instance. Craig Biggio was a fine player but HOF?  IMO IF he deserves it it should be in a different wing.  There is the Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Warren Spahn HOF wing and the Craig Biggio wing. There also could be a Pete Rose,  AROD wing too.

Another strike against players from the 1960's through the 1990's are the deaths of the older sportswriters, reporters, and others who actually voted for HOF induction. They have been replaced with people who were raised on 'television' football, and believe "greatness" is decided by talking heads on sports programs. 

In the next generation, they will be replaced by people who were raised on 'internet' football, and greatness will be determined by social media.

 

It makes me doubt the media of today have any appreciation for players of these eras, what rules they played under, how teams could be 'built' pre-salary cap, or any other historical facts.

Perhaps part of the problem is having a set number of inductees each year, as if greatness comes along that frequently.  It should be a rarer event that happens only when it is truly deserved.