Gary Zimmerman is getting the HOF snub?!

[BroncoBuff]

HEY BRONCOS FANS!!! It's starting to piss me off that Gary Zimmerman is getting the HOF snub! I saw him on ESPN Classic last year - blocking for Steve Young w/ the L.A. Express of the USFL - must've been 1985.

It's hard to tell o-line from TV, but he was never backed up on pass protection - he was NAILS!

All-USFL for 2 years
All-Pro w/ Vikings I think twice in 4 years
Super Bowl and several All-Pros w/ us . . . what gives? You think he should've "opened up" a little more??

[SouthStndJunkie]

He will get in the Hall sooner or later. All decade team in the 80's and 90's speaks for itself. That is a rare feat.

SSJ

[BroncoBuff]

Thanks for that info - I'll be using that now!

[SouthStndJunkie]

Here is a good article on Zim's career. Some of the highlights:

http://registerguard.com/news/2003/01/22/1b.sp.bellamy.0122.html

Certainly, the talented and tough former offensive tackle has Hall of Fame credentials; if he's elected Saturday, maybe only Zimmerman will be surprised. Consider:


Zimmerman is one of just a few players to be named to two NFL all-decade teams, selected for the all-star squads of the 1980s and 1990s.

In his 12-year NFL career, Zimmerman earned first-team All-Pro honors five times from 1987 through 1996 and was chosen for seven Pro Bowls.

With Zimmerman blocking, Minnesota and Denver quarterbacks led their conferences in passing four times, while the Vikings won the NFC rushing title in 1991 and the Broncos led the AFC in total combined yards in 1995.
Zimmerman's career ended with Denver's Super Bowl victory over the Green Bay Packers in January 1998, but ask him the career accomplishment of which he's most proud, and he cites his string of 169 consecutive starts, which began when he was with the Vikings and didn't end until 1986 when, with the Broncos safely in the playoffs, he opted for shoulder surgery to be ready for the postseason.

"I think the thing that I cherished most is that I played almost every game," he said. "I missed two games my whole career, and that was after surgery after we already had the playoffs locked up. I could have played every game. That was quite a streak."

Several times, Zimmerman said, he had surgeries on Tuesday and played on Sunday. "Kind of the last of the Old Schoolers," he said, noting that when he got to the Vikings, there was a culture of toughness and durability, personified by Jim Marshall, who played an NFL-record 282 straight games, while teammate Mick Tingelhoff played 240 in a row.

[BroncoBuff]

Thanks, Southstands. I'm thinking - Broncos for HOF:

ZIMMERMAN
NALEN
SHANNON (really? NO KIDDING!)
MAYBE ELAM

I'm not sure whether Gradishar deserves it, but it seems like lots of those 70s and 80s Steelers and Bears got in "by association," if you know what I mean.

I'm not big on Atwater (for the Hall that is). And even for ME - the jury's out on TD. Now, THAT'S OBJECTIVE!!

[-Slap-]

The only way any Broncos are getting into that craphole is if they present such overwhelming dominance at their position (Elway, Sharpe) that its literally impossible to deny them. Anybody who can be considered remotely borderline, doesn't have a snowball's chance in Ray Wersching's shorts.

[Jason in LA]

Two things stick out about Zimm. 5 times All-Pro, and two All Decade teams. If a player can't get in with those honors than why is there even a HOF? I don't look at Pro Bowls. Fans stuff the box with their favorite players, and mostly players that they know well. I heard that the players vote is similar. They'll vote their teammate in as #1, then vote some nobodies in as two and three, giving their guy a better chance at making it. The Pro Bowl voting is a joke. But AP All-Pro is more objective. It's all sports writers. And there are less spots. To me it means a lot more to be All-Pro. And all decade. That means you were the best at your position for your era. When a player is the best in his era he's supposed to get in.

The problem with the HOF is that they are only letting a limited amount of players in. There are a number of deserving players, but it's like they are letting in two players a year. The past two years they've dug up some dead guys to go in. That's fine and all, but why weren't those guys in a long time ago? So it's like they are only letting two players in at a time. This year Young and Marino. Last year Elway and Sanders. And it seems like they are only letting the "star" players in. Would anybody say that Young was a greater player than Zimm? Not when looking at the list of accomplishments.

Who's up next year? A couple QBs, RBs, and WRs. This is starting to look like the Heisman voting. They can't let only two guys in a year, while digging up two dead guys. It's not fair to many of the guys that should be getting in.

[TexanBob]

Since we know Paul Zimmerman (SI) controls the HOF voting (or he likes to think he does), I would guess he is either pimping his namesake or keeping him down.

[-Slap-]

Since we know Paul Zimmerman (SI) controls the HOF voting (or he likes to think he does), I would guess he is either pimping his namesake or keeping him down.
When last spotted, Dr Zippy was trying to simultaneously jam his slippery phallus-like cranium into the nether regions of Harry Carson and every Dallas Cowboy who ever played.

[RaiderH8r]

When last spotted, Dr Zippy was trying to simultaneously jam his slippery phallus-like cranium into the nether regions of Harry Carson and every Dallas Cowboy who ever played.
Repworthy post.

I agree that Zim needs to be in the hall. Tougher than rawhide and a class act too. Maybe a quick double homicide rap and a coke deal will get him nominated by Dr. Zippy since he's so big on the Cowboys.

[-Slap-]

Repworthy post.

I agree that Zim needs to be in the hall. Tougher than rawhide and a class act too. Maybe a quick double homicide rap and a coke deal will get him nominated by Dr. Zippy since he's so big on the Cowboys.
I hate Paul Zimmerman as much as anybody involved in the sport. He's a poser with an all access laminate.

[epicSocialism4tw]

The only way any Broncos are getting into that craphole is if they present such overwhelming dominance at their position (Elway, Sharpe) that its literally impossible to deny them. Anybody who can be considered remotely borderline, doesn't have a snowball's chance in Ray Wersching's shorts.


Yep. That's it. The hall of fame is reserved for Giants, Cowboys, Steelers, and anyone else that cant be denied for obvious reasons. Good ol' boy for sure.

[Crushaholic]

He has two things going against him. First, he's not on any of the teams mentioned by other people in this thread. Second, he was a lineman. They don't get the love "skill position players" get from the Hall of Fame.