HOF Finalists

[gunns]

» Jerome Bettis, RB (1993-95 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 1996-2005 Pittsburgh Steelers)

» Tim Brown, WR/KR (1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

» Cris Carter, WR (1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins)

» Dermontti Dawson, C (1988-2000 Pittsburgh Steelers)

» Richard Dent, DE (1983-1993, 1995 Chicago Bears, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1996 Indianapolis Colts, 1997 Philadelphia Eagles)

» Chris Doleman, DE/LB (1985-1993, 1999 Minnesota Vikings, 1994-95 Atlanta Falcons, 1996-98 San Francisco 49ers)

» Marshall Faulk, RB (1994-98 Indianapolis Colts, 1999-2005 St. Louis Rams)

» Charles Haley, DE/LB (1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers, 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys)

» *Chris Hanburger, LB (1965-78 Washington Redskins)

» Cortez Kennedy, DT (1990-2000 Seattle Seahawks)

» Curtis Martin, RB (1995-97 New England Patriots, 1998-2005 New York Jets)

» Andre Reed, WR (1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins)

» *Les Richter, LB (1954-62 Los Angeles Rams)

» Willie Roaf, OT (1993-2001 New Orleans Saints, 2002-05 Kansas City Chiefs)

» Ed Sabol, Contributor (1964-1995 NFL Films)

» Deion Sanders, CB/KR/PR (1989-1993 Atlanta Falcons, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1995-99 Dallas Cowboys, 2000 Washington Redskins, 2004-05 Baltimore Ravens)

» Shannon Sharpe, TE (1990-99, 2002-03 Denver Broncos, 2000-01 Baltimore Ravens)

[Taco John]

Wow. Lot of well deserving names there.

[gunns]

I would expect the HOF to take Jerome Bettis and Curtis Martin who I don't believe are HOF, not yet anyway. That's the way they seem to roll.

[elsid13]

Bettis isn't a HOF running back. Sharpe should be in this time.

[Agamemnon]

Watch Sharpe get snubbed again...

[strafen]

Originally Posted by gunns

I would expect the HOF to take Jerome Bettis and Curtis Martin who I don't believe are HOF, not yet anyway. That's the way they seem to roll.

Me too.
Not this time around.
Shannon, however, has paid his due and needs to go in this time around as the 4th Bronco ever to make it to the HoF

[frerottenextelway]

Sharpe retired with having blown away almost every NFL record for the Tight End position. He changed the game and how that position is played today, and he won 2 Super Bowls here and 1 in Baltimore.

I expect he won't make it. The Peter Kings of the world choose this.

[Cmac821]

To young to have a complete grasp of the list but Sanders and Faulk should be locked in. Sharpe probably gets disrespected again, but he would have an entertaining induction speech at the least.

Andre Reed, wasn't he very good?

[loborugger]

Originally Posted by Taco John

Wow. Lot of well deserving names there.

That is the first thing I thought of, too. There is gonna be a lot of disappointed fanbases when this list is chopped down. Sharpe is a HOFer, he just needs to get the votes. I dont know when that year will come, but I hope it comes soon.

[strafen]

Originally Posted by Cmac821

To young to have a complete grasp of the list but Sanders and Faulk should be locked in. Sharpe probably gets disrespected again, but he would have an entertaining induction speech at the least.

Andre Reed, wasn't he very good?

Andre Reed played like in 4 SB's with the Buffalo Bills.
He was their number 1 receiver and a good one at the time...

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by loborugger

That is the first thing I thought of, too. There is gonna be a lot of disappointed fanbases when this list is chopped down. Sharpe is a HOFer, he just needs to get the votes. I dont know when that year will come, but I hope it comes soon.

Shannon Sharpe changed the position he played. He should've been a first-ballot guy. Now watch as he gets snubbed for the likes of Jerome Bettis or Curtis Martin. It's a joke.

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by strafen

Andre Reed played like in 4 SB's with the Buffalo Bills.
He was their number 1 receiver and a good one at the time...

Andre Reed was nowhere near the player that Sharpe was.

[loborugger]

Originally Posted by Agamemnon

Shannon Sharpe changed the position he played. He should've been a first-ballot guy. Now watch as he gets snubbed for the likes of Jerome Bettis or Curtis Martin. It's a joke.

No TE has ever been a first ballot HOFer. Even guys like Ditka and Winslow - who did a WHOLE LOT more to transform the position than Sharpe did - werent first ballot HOFers. I am not hating on Sharpe. But look at that list. Its stacked with talent. Now, I agree with you about Martin, I dont think he is a HOFer. Bettis, maybe. The rest of those names? I dont think anyone else on that list doesnt deserve to be in Canton. Unlike other players like Gradishar and TD, I am confident that Sharpe will get in. Its just a matter of when, not if.

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by loborugger

No TE has ever been a first ballot HOFer. Even guys like Ditka and Winslow - who did a WHOLE LOT more to transform the position than Sharpe did - werent first ballot HOFers. I am not hating on Sharpe. But look at that list. Its stacked with talent. Now, I agree with you about Martin, I dont think he is a HOFer. Bettis, maybe. The rest of those names? I dont think anyone else on that list doesnt deserve to be in Canton. Unlike other players like Gradishar and TD, I am confident that Sharpe will get in. Its just a matter of when, not if.

How did Ditka and Winslow do more to change the TE position than Sharpe? Sharpe was the pototype of what receiving TEs are now. There had never been a TE with his athleticism and hands previously (Kellen Winslow came closest).

[randomtask]

I'd guess that Cris Carter, Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders, Willie Roaf, and Shannon Sharpe get in this year.

[Hamrob]

Great List. Faulk and Sanders are definitely in. After that...Sharpe is right there. He should go in this year! There aer many other great players on this list...but, none that you could legitimately say was better than Shannan Sharpe!!!

[Jason in LA]

I have a big problem with seeing Bettis and Martin on the list. Very good for a very long time but never great. They weren't anywhere near as good as Terrell Davis. Even with TD's short career he accomplished way more than those two guys. I think longevity should be a factor, but in some cases it means more than it should.

And I feel the same way about Tim Brown. Very good, but never great. He, like Bettis and Martin, played so long that they compiled a boat load of stats. To me that doesn't make a player great.

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by Jason in LA

I have a big problem with seeing Bettis and Martin on the list. Very good for a very long time but never great. They weren't anywhere near as good as Terrell Davis. Even with TD's short career he accomplished way more than those two guys. I think longevity should be a factor, but in some cases it means more than it should.

I completely agree. Neither of those guys ever played at the level TD did. Neither of them carried their team to back to back Super Bowls. Neither of them are the greatest postseason back of all-time. It's kind of sad...

[brncs_fan]

» Tim Brown, WR/KR (1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

» Marshall Faulk, RB (1994-98 Indianapolis Colts, 1999-2005 St. Louis Rams)

» Willie Roaf, OT (1993-2001 New Orleans Saints, 2002-05 Kansas City Chiefs)

» Deion Sanders, CB/KR/PR (1989-1993 Atlanta Falcons, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1995-99 Dallas Cowboys, 2000 Washington Redskins, 2004-05 Baltimore Ravens)

» Shannon Sharpe, TE (1990-99, 2002-03 Denver Broncos, 2000-01 Baltimore Ravens)

[Requiem]

Originally Posted by Jason in LA

And I feel the same way about Tim Brown. Very good, but never great. He, like Bettis and Martin, played so long that they compiled a boat load of stats. To me that doesn't make a player great.

He was a nine time Pro-Bowler and had nine seasons in a row where he had over 75 catches and a 1,000 yards. ~20,000 All-Purpose yards in his career. 100 touchdowns.

Some of the best numbers all-time, and it really doesn't have to do with the time he played. After his rookie season, he didn't do much for a few years. It is that 9 year stretch that accumulated almost everything of worth for Troy and he did that consistently from age 27 to 35.

He is absolutely deserving of the Hall of Fame.

[epicSocialism4tw]

Originally Posted by Jason in LA

I have a big problem with seeing Bettis and Martin on the list. Very good for a very long time but never great. They weren't anywhere near as good as Terrell Davis. Even with TD's short career he accomplished way more than those two guys. I think longevity should be a factor, but in some cases it means more than it should.

And I feel the same way about Tim Brown. Very good, but never great. He, like Bettis and Martin, played so long that they compiled a boat load of stats. To me that doesn't make a player great.

Longevity has its place, but its certainly placed behind greatness. Good points.

[KipCorrington25]

Bettis is so overrated in my opinion, for being a big fat slob he was fairly athletic but he never really threw his weight around like they seem to say. I'd take a healthy Iron Head Heyward in his prime over Bettis anyday.

[TheReverend]

I wish they'd yank that stupid 5 person limit and just start putting in the people who deserve to be in, whether its 12 or 1

[Goobzilla]

Originally Posted by randomtask

I'd guess that Cris Carter, Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders, Willie Roaf, and Shannon Sharpe get in this year.

All broadcasters except for Roaf. Fair or not, keeping your name out there after football seems to help at selection time.

[Natedog24]

Originally Posted by KipCorrington25

Bettis is so overrated in my opinion, for being a big fat slob he was fairly athletic but he never really threw his weight around like they seem to say. I'd take a healthy Iron Head Heyward in his prime over Bettis anyday.

But Bettis is a Steeler so we can all throw numbers and common sense out the window....