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Todd Christensen: HOFer?

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by CD Boogie, Sep 5, 2019.

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Todd Christensen: HOFer?

  1. Yes

    2 vote(s)
    50.0%
  2. No

    2 vote(s)
    50.0%
  1. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    Here's a name I never hear mentioned as a potential Hall of Famer: Todd Christensen. He twice led the NFL in receptions and held the season record for the position (95) until Jason Witten nabbed 110. He was a five-time Pro Bowler, two-time All Pro and two-time Super Bowl champ. How does he fly under the radar in these discussions?

    The accomplishments of later TEs like Shannon Sharpe, Tony Gonzalez, and Antonio Gates probably diminish what Christensen accomplished. But he compared pretty damn well to other HOF tight ends before Gonzalez came along

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    Todd Christensen Stats | Pro-Football-Reference.com
     
  2. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    Christensen was considered an undersized tight end and not the blocker of the guys below him who did not have as many career receptions.

    I don't think Sanders belongs int he Hall of Fame. I say that as a football crazed child who had lived in Greensboro and was therefore a Sanders fanboi because he went to high school there.
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2019
    cyclingwriter2 likes this.
  3. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    He was drafted by the Cowboys out of BYU as a running back and was converted to TE by the Raiders
     
  4. Della9250

    Della9250 Well-Known Member

    I think if you wanted to make him a peak candidate guy, he'd have a shot -- he's only got five years of playing at least 12 games and double-digit catches but also two second-team all-pros to go with the two first-team selections. In a 10 year career, his first three years are full of literally nothing and his last year is next to that.

    He can't even make the initial list of candidates, which shows how much people think of him. The tight ends last year on the list of 120 were Mark Bavaro, Tony Gonzalez, Brent Jones, Jay Novacek and in 2017 it was Bavaro, Ben Coates, Ferrell Edmunds!! and Novacek
     
  5. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    off to Google Ferrell Edmunds. No joke, never heard of him.

    That's astounding that he can't even make the top 120.
     
    cyclingwriter2 likes this.
  6. CD Boogie

    CD Boogie Well-Known Member

    WTF. Now I remember him. I don't remember the late 80s, early 90s as a fallow throwing period. He had Dan freaking Marino throwing to him and he topped out with 32 receptions? GTFO, he has no business being on that list ahead of Christensen or even Paul Coffman.

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  7. cyclingwriter2

    cyclingwriter2 Well-Known Member

    On paper, Christensen has the numbers and the career that would/should warrant election. As stated, he gets dinged because was not considered a good blocker (which was a major factor still in that era) and he had a short career outside of his prime.

    He also loses points for:
    — coming after Dave Casper, who was a HOFer because of his overall game. He was a great blocker on the line and downfield.
    — He played at the same time as Kellen Winslow (who wasn’t a blocker), but was almost anointed from his second season as the best in the league.
    — he also shared the AFC with Ozzie Newsome, who a great blocker and good catch.
    — I was once told that “the only reason he caught all those passes was because the raiders had crap receivers and quarterbacks.” The idea that he only looked good because everyone else sucked is an odd one, but the insinuation was (to the voters at least) he wasn’t a star, he was just a safety net. Anyone could have done it. That he was Larry Centers.
    — some people said he was a jerk to the writers and teammates, but I’ve heard from others that he was a great teammate and a fun interview. So who knows?
     
  8. Della9250

    Della9250 Well-Known Member

    To say nothing of Jerry Smith, who I think has a pretty good case
     
  9. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    He was into poetry and literature, which probably made him more of an oddity than a jerk. I vaguely remember him as a broadcaster, he wasn't a Madden "BOOM!" type. Maybe if he had been more of a standout for a longer time in the booth, his career would have gotten a closer look in retrospect. Died way too early.
     
    cyclingwriter2 likes this.
  10. heyabbott

    heyabbott Well-Known Member

    Bob Tucker 422 Rec. 5421 yds 27 TDS. First TE to lead the NFC in receptions. In the 70s for a TE he put up good numbers and he was better thanChristiansen
    2nd team All-70s team by Football Reference.
    Played on horrific Giants teams in the early to mid 70s.
     
  11. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    Christiansen was a hell of a lot better than Centers, but he is also well behind Newsome and Winslow, two of his contemporaries. I don't think his peak was long enough, especially for a guy who wasn't much of a blocker. It's a joke that anybody would put Edmunds ahead of him and he belongs ahead of Coatses, too, but I don't think Chrstiansen belongs in the Hall of Fame.
     
  12. 3_Octave_Fart

    3_Octave_Fart Well-Known Member

    I don't think so either, but a very good player.
    Didn't wear stardom particularly well, said a lot of stupid things as a player and broadcaster.
    There is a moment in the 1983 Raiders America's Game where he admitted he did not present himself well all the time.
     
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