Does Damon Allen belong in the Football Hall of Fame? Marino says no Moon, yes

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For those who don't know, he's the 43 year old brother of Marcus, has played QB in the CFL for an astonishing 22 years and is about to pass Warren Moon's record of 70,553 career passing yards.

It's the Pro Football Hall of Fame, not the NFL Hall of Fame or the CFL Hall of Fame," Moon said. "He is playing pro football right now and is about to become the all-time leader in passing yardage, so why wouldn't he be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame?"

Moon had to establish himself in the CFL before being accepted as a black QB in the NFL.

 

And Dan Marino is right.

 

Re: Does Damon Allen belong in the Football Hall of Fame? Marino says no Moon,

Yeah, Dan Marino is right.

If Damon Allen did what Moon did -- played great in the CFL for years, then come and also played great in the NFL for years too -- he'd have a shot.

The guy who will be a real question mark is Flutie.

 

If Flutie belongs, Allen certainly does.

My take on this is simple: if Allen isn't a candidate then they should rename it the "NFL Hall of Fame."

If it's the "Football Hall of Fame", Allen's a no-brainer.

Me, I'd change the name.

 

If it's the Pro Football Hall of Fame, then yes Allen ought to be there. Twenty-two years and the all-time passing mark should put him there, no questions asked.
They're two different games, with different styles and quarterbacks in the CFL have to have different skill sets and abilities. Just because it's north of the border, doesn't mean its shitty football -- it's different. But Allen has the numbers to rate consideration in a Pro Football Hall of Fame. If its strictly the NFL Hall of Fame, then call it that

 

BS

In pro football, the unquestioned best league is a league he couldn't play a single down in.

Charlie Batch is a more qualified candidate (kidding, but only partly)

 

Fine. Point taken. But it's the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And the CFL is pro football. Just as the Hockey Hall of Fame recognizes accomplishments outside the NHL and the Basketball Hall of Fame is not exclusive to the NBA.
Never been to Canton -- is it NFL exclusive or are there any displays acknowleging the AFL, USFL, WFL? Any recognition of the CFL whatsoever? Just asking

 

Flutie isn't a question mark for me. Moon was a very good and arguably great NFL quarterback. The only context in which I use CFL stats to his credit is that it is obvious he was a very good QB before he entered the NFL. I have no problem with using it as a tiebreaker in his favor.

Doug Flutie was an average NFL QB. He only had four seasons in which he started a majority of his team's games (1988, 1998, 1999 and 2001). He has a career QB rating of 76.3, 86 TD, 68 INT. He made one Pro Bowl (1998). Doug Flutie is the NFL equivalent of Erik Kramer or Gus Frerotte: a decent backup who can do all right for a few games while the starter is injured, but a guy who is not good enough to be an NFL starting QB. But because everyone remembers Flutie-to-Phelan and we want to see a 5-10 guy succeed, we remember him as being a good NFL QB. There is no way that Doug Flutie's career enables him to be considered for the Hall.

 

FYI: Doug Flutie had a 37-28 record as an NFL starter, including a 22-9 record in home games. That's a respectable .570 record overall, and a solid 709 as a starter at home.

Excellent stats considering he only started for one quality team, the Bills, and spent his prime playing in Canada because NFL GMs were too stupid to appreciate the fact that he was one hell of a football player.

It's also interesting to note - despite unsubstantiated rumors that he could be a clubhouse cancer - virtually every team he played for improved while he was there, and regressed afterward. He's the last starter for the Bills with a winning record.

 

Actually, the Bears were very good when Flutie got his shot in Chicago. The lack of a passing game is what held those Bears teams back.

 

Some of those leagues were a lot better than the CFL in terms of the talent in the league. Some guys who are superstars in the CFL, like "Pinball" Clemons, can't even make it in the NFL.

The USFL, for example, blew the CFL away in terms of talent. There was a wide receiver whose name I forget who played for the Houston Gamblers, who ran a run-and-shoot offense in the USFL. He was the No. 6 receiver on a team that started four wideouts.

Mid-way through the following CFL season, I caught part of a game on TV. That same stiff who could barely get on the field in the USFL was leading the league in receiving. That's when I learned how weak the CFL talent level really is.

 

Flutie got no legit shot in Chicago. He played in only four games, getting one start.

Flutie played 11 games, starting 9, for NE in 1988. The Patriots were 9-7
Next year, he started only three games, and they finished 5-11

From 1995-97, the Bills were 26-22 (.541) but descending as they went 6-10 (.375) in 1997. Flutie arrives, and the next three years they go 29-19 (.604). He leaves, and the next three years they go 17-31 (.354). Major improvement when he arrives, dropoff when he leaves.

From 1998-2000, the Chargers were 14-34 (.291). He arrives, and from 2001-03 they go 17-31 (.354). Not major improvement, but they were better.

Not pushin ghim for the HOF. But he won games.