Initial 2013 Football Hall of Fame nominees

I'm unsure what you mean here, Turski. Players? I can think of Elway, Floyd Little and Gary Zimmerman. I do believe Randy Gradishar is deserving.

With all due respect to Mr. Bowlen, he doesn't have the credentials for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Relatively speaking - I repeat - relatively speaking, Bowlen hasn't owned the Broncos
all that long. He and some siblings bought the team in, what, the mid-1980s?

 

With due respect, I will refrain from divulging some memories, but I don't think he would have minded the following:

1. He truly respected Howie Long. Admired Long's motor and never taking a play off. He felt much the same way about Joe Klecko.
2. He hated some of the showboat crap that was going on, specifically Joe Horn's cellular telephone bullshit.
3. Despised Pac-man Jones' off-the-field antics.

I regret never asking him about practice battles with his own nose tackle, Jeff Wright. Don't know why other than the best Kent Hull was when Kent Hull was doing the talking.

 

Forgot Little. One of the main reasons he got in was because of an intense lobby from one of the Denver writers (his name escapes me) for years.
But six Super Bowls, numerous playoff teams with great players and only three HOFers? Look at every franchise with those credentials and you'll see the disparity.
Davis is out because everyone feels he didn't play long enough and people whine about the offensive line, which was great. But didn't Emmitt Smith benefit tremendously from his line? Dude was barely touched until 3 or 4 yards past the line of scrimmage.
Rod Smith was a great receiver, but he's on the outside national radar because what he did was great for Denver but not the league. He's one of the best, if not the best, free agent wideouts to ever play. He blocked, ran great routes, went across the middle, could go deep and was one of the Broncos best threats for years.
Dennis Smith and Steve Atwater were two of the best safeties of their time, but nationally, do they get the credit they deserve?
Gradishar, to Broncos fans and some nationally, should be in, but isn't and probably won't be for a long time if ever. Same with Mecklenberg.
That's the theme with Broncos players of the past, they don't get the recognition nationally for all the great teams they had. Elway got all the credit for the Super Bowl teams of the 80s and it was reflected by national media.
How do the Broncos have all these teams who reach the playoffs and six Super Bowls without any great players, or ones HOF worthy (except Elway and Zimmerman), not be recognized?

 

Liut, thanks. Just enough.

I know a few stories about those Bills teams I wouldn't divulge here, either. All good.

 

I thought Atwater would be in by now, but safety to Canton is third base to Cooperstown.

 

The guys on the Denver defenses are handicapped by the 136 points they gave up in their first three Super Bowls. Not fair, but that's how it is.

 

No way on John Lynch. Overrated. If Atwater and LeRoy Butler don't get, neither should Lynch.

 

Randy Gradishar is one of those strange cases where you wonder why he isn't in the hall of fame. Was a defensive MVP, and five time all-pro and seven pro bowls. I have never heard a legitimate reason or theory. Only thing I can figure is he somehow falls in the Johnny Bench/Ted Simmons and Rickey Henderson/Tim Raines debate when compared to Jack Lambert whereas he has all the numbers of a Hall of Famer, but is overshadowed by a direct contemporary, who redefined a position.

As for other Broncos in the Hall...Sharpe will soon get in. I think Champ Bailey makes it as well.

And there are reasons he is not in the Hall, but I would be happy to see Lionel Taylor, their star receiver from the early 1960s get in.

 

Champ Bailey was the best cornerback in the NFL for almost a decade. I think you could make a really good argument that he's the best ever. He should be a first-ballot entrant.

 

But does he get the credit for it? I am being serious about that. I think most writers see that, but I don't think the casual fan knows that as well. Early in his career, Charles Woodson was more famous and Darrelle Revis in the past few. I don't Bailey gets his due some times. And that is a personal feeling.

 

The casual fan isn't voting on the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And 11 Pro Bowls indicate some awareness, though how he only made three AP all-pro first teams is beyond me.

 

True on that. He is this generation's jimmy johnson. Overshadowed by mel blount and mel renfro, but still in their class as a player.