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I sent a letter today. Here's the address: Pro Football Hall of Fame Attention: Senior Selection Committee 2121 George Halas Dr. NW Canton, OH 44708 Here's my letter: Here is the text of a letter I'm sending to the senior committee:I am a Packer stockholder, a boy who grew up in the shadows of Lambeau Field and watched the great Vince Lombardi coach his teams to five world championships. I realize that many of his players on those teams are already in the Hall of Fame, but I would urge you to step up and rectify an amazing injustice: the non-membership of the great Jerry Kramer. Kramer was famous for more than his key block on the game-winning touchdown play in the Ice Bowl. He was the pulling guard on the famous Packer Sweep that Lombardi popularized. He was named to a guard on the 50th anniversary all-time NFL team and is the ONLY player on that team not yet in the Hall of Fame. It is time, as Kevin Greene would say. He was a five-time All Pro, was the team’s placekicker for parts of three seasons and played in 129 regular season games despite 22 surgeries in his 11 years. He was also named to the Super Bowl anniversary team. With all that, this man should be in the Hall of Fame. I have read the great writings of Peter King, who has mused that perhaps Kramer has not been awarded this honor because the sportwriters of his time did not accord him that honor, so they are reluctant to overrule the peers who saw him play. I understand that, but I wonder if the very common human element of professional jealousy wasn’t a factor working against Kramer. He was an accomplished author WHILE a player and afterward, and perhaps the sports writers of that era did not like an athlete encroaching on their territory. In any case, I think his writings should bolster his inclusion in the hall as he explained things to me in his works that I didn’t get from the professional journalists (much like Jim Bouton’s baseball book, “Ball Four.”) As you ponder who to put in the hall, I would urge you sincerely to reconsider the last remaining Lombardi Packer (now that Dave Robinson has been justifiably added) who deserves this honor. Please give Jerry Kramer his yellow jacket.

YA

Last edited by YATittle
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Ghost written by SDPF...

 

I sent a letter today... Here's the address: Pro Football Hall of Fame... Attention: Senior Selection Committee... 2121 George Halas Dr. NW Canton, OH 44708.. Here's my letter: Here is the text of a letter I'm sending... to the senior committee:I am a Packer stockholder... a boy who grew up in the shadows of Lambeau Field... and watched the great Vince Lombardi coach his teams to five world championships... I realize that many of his players on those teams are already in the Hall of Fame... but I would urge you to step up and rectify an amazing injustice: the non-membership of the great Jerry Kramer... Kramer was famous for more than his key block on the game-winning touchdown play in the Ice Bowl... He was the pulling guard on the famous Packer Sweep... that Lombardi popularized.... He was named to a guard on the 50th anniversary all-time NFL team... and is the ONLY... player on that team not yet in the Hall of Fame... It is time... as Kevin Greene would say.... He was a five-time All Pro... was the team’s placekicker for parts of three seasons... and played in 129 regular season games... despite 22 surgeries... in his 11 years. He was also... named to the Super Bowl anniversary team. With all that... this man should be in the Hall of Fame... I have read the great writings of Peter King... who has mused that perhaps Kramer has not been... awarded this honor because the sportwriters of his time... did not accord him... that honor... so they are reluctant to overrule the peers... who saw him play. I understand that... but I wonder... if the very common human element of professional jealousy wasn’t a factor... working against Kramer. He was an accomplished author... WHILE... a player and afterward... and perhaps the sports writers of that era... did not like an athlete... encroaching on their territory. In any case... I think... his writings... should bolster his inclusion in the hall... as he explained things to me in his works... that I didn’t get from the professional journalists... (much like Jim Bouton’s baseball book, “Ball Four..) As you ponder... who to put in the hall... I would urge you sincerely to reconsider the last remaining Lombardi Packer... (now that Dave Robinson has been justifiably added)... who deserves this honor. Please... give Jerry Kramer... his... yellow... jacket.

Last edited by Shoeless Joe

Jerry gets hosed again.

Both nominees are deceased. Dick Stanfel was an OG. Here's a brief bio. Stanfel was also nominated by the Seniors Committee in 1993 and 2012 but wasn't picked for selection.

Richard Anthony "Dick" Stanfel (July 20, 1927 – June 22, 2015) was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of San Francisco and was drafted in the second round of the 1951 NFL Draft. He played for the Lions for four seasons from 1952–1955 and the Redskins for three seasons from 1956–1958. With the Lions, Stanfel won two NFL Championships (1952 and 1953) and earned two Pro Bowl selections (1953 and 1955). He was traded to the Redskins in 1956 and earned three straight Pro Bowl honors from 1956–1958.[1] He was named to the National Football League 1950s All-Decade Team and in 2002, he was named one of the 70 Greatest Redskins.

Better than #64? Doesn't sound like it. Jerry has made his peace with this, I feel bad for Alicia Kramer who has worked so hard on her father's behalf.

Last edited by ilcuqui

Nothing at all against Mr. Stanfel... but according to his Wikipedia bio, he played guard.  He is yet ANOTHER guard that played during the first 50 years of the NFL who is now likely to get in the Hall.  Jerry was voted by the Hall ITSELF as the outstanding guard in the first 50 years of the NFL, and he's not in.

 

Mr. Stanfel was a contributing member of two world championship teams.  Jerry was a contributing member of FIVE, and in one of those world title games (against the Giants for the 1962 title) and in addition to his line play, he personally outscored the opposing team with his kicking, as Jerry scored 10 points to the Giants' 7. And then, of course, there's the matter of a block that was made to seal the Packers' third straight world title that he had something to do with.

 

This is absurd.

 

The NFL Hall of Fame is becoming a joke with this.  There is no logic to this.  There IS, evidently, politics to this.  Which lowers the Hall's credibility to zero.

Hear hear, StarrtoDowler!

 

It really pi$$es me off.  And he has ended up being one fine ambassador for the game.  He does the commentary for the NFL Top 100 for Ray Nitschke, for example.

 

No axe to grind (to be revealed anyway).  Just an upstanding guy who deserves in.

Originally Posted by cuqui:

... I feel bad for Alicia Kramer who has worked so hard on her father's behalf.

We follow Jerry's son Daniel on Facebook. 

He was just writing about this a week or so ago, making suggestions on what (and what NOT) to include in a letter if you were going to write a letter to the election committee.

 

For those of you that do the Facebook thing, Daniel's page is an excellent one to follow. Lots of Jerry anecdotes, stories, and Packers history.

YATittle - thumbs up on your original post. 

 

One guy once said - and I forgot who it was - that if they put Kramer into the HOF they would have to take Lombardi out because they wouldn't need a coach. 

 

So while that sounded good at the time, everyone thinks of Kramer like a HOF member anyway.  Kramer has said he has been introduced as a member of the HOF.  And yet Lombardi remains in the HOF - so that doesn't hold water - so to speak. 

 

I agree Jerry Kramer should be in the HOF. 

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