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Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalists

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Della9250, Nov 22, 2011.

  1. Blitz

    Blitz Active Member

    From the Canton website, I count 8 centers in the Hall.
    Five of them are true centers while the other 3 also played other positions.
    Chuck Bednarik went both ways and he's the epitome of a HoF-er, in my opinion.
    Red Grange, Thorpe and Baugh - those types of wonderboys.
    It seems we've gotten to where we have to have a certain number added to the various sports Halls, per decade or so.
    Adding for the sake of adding.
    And I don't like that.
    Dawson had a solid career as did Roaf. Neither belongs in the sacred Hall, though, in my opinion.
    That's space reserved for Johnny U, Blanda, Otto and the select others who went above and beyond.
    There were many who took a play off, here and there.
    And many more who simply didn't measure up no matter how hard they played.
    There's lots more of those types (great players, mind you) than there are true HoF-ers.
     
  2. dreunc1542

    dreunc1542 Active Member

    What your post seems to imply is that as far as offensive players go, only skill players should get in the Hall.
     
  3. outofplace

    outofplace Well-Known Member

    Let's just say that given your initial response to Dawson, I question your grasp on just how good he was.

    Dawson wasn't just great at a center's job (line calls, taking on the big boys in the middle and getting a push even though he has to start each play with his hand up between his legs), he was truly special because of his ability to move. While I think Webster and Stephenson were better overall, I don't think there has ever been a center who could pull and block on the move like Dawson. I'm not sure if I've ever seen anybody come close.
     
  4. Versatile

    Versatile Active Member

    So you want to take people out of the Hall of Fame, then? Based on your standards, you'd have to.
     
  5. Blitz

    Blitz Active Member

    No, I don't want to take anybody out.
    Was proud to see Rickey Jackson finally get the Saints a Hall of Fame spot.
    And will be proud for Louisiana collegian Roaf if he gets in.
    I just think the standards began getting dumbed down about the same time the country, as a whole, started dumbing down many of its once-acceptable standards.
    Like, for instance, discipline in schools and in law enforcement/judicial matters.
    But that's another thread or two for another day.
    Congrats to all who get enshrined. They will have had, no doubt, great grid careers.
     
  6. dreunc1542

    dreunc1542 Active Member

    You're a weird dude, Blitz.
     
  7. Versatile

    Versatile Active Member

    Ace Parker was a 1972 inductee to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
    Rabbit Maranville was a 1954 inductee to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
    Jim Pollard was a 1978 inductee to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

    I'm not trying to cast those players in a poor light. But none was exactly a Johnny Unitas-, Babe Ruth- or George Mikan-level star.
     
  8. Blitz

    Blitz Active Member

    And again, let me say, I want to grandfather in all of those and anyone who's been enshrined thus far.
    All have my congrats. They were almost certainly high performers in their respective sports.
    I am just notating a trend I've noticed or at least think I've noticed where the standards to gain entrance to Halls aren't as high, across the board, as they once were, across the board.
     
  9. Blitz

    Blitz Active Member

    Back at you, bitch.
     
  10. Versatile

    Versatile Active Member

    I disagree entirely. Most of the worst players in the halls of fame were inducted years ago. It's particularly noticeable in baseball, where we can best compare players from various eras.
     
  11. Blitz

    Blitz Active Member

    And I respect your opinion.
    If it's a trend that's been around for years, so be it.
    I don't know what could be done about that.
    My idea of a sports Hall has always been a sacred area reserved for the real gamers, the moxey guys who led by example and had great stats and just distanced themselves, naturally, from the rest of their peers.
    Center, too, is a trickier position to be vetted. Maybe Dawson will be voted in.
    There is no argument that Dawson and all those nominated had stellar careers.
    Most on that list, though, don't belong in the Hall of Fame.
     
  12. cyclingwriter

    cyclingwriter Active Member

    I know Kenn has never come close...can't say for sure about Van Note since he was a little before my time.

    Kenn was a perennial pro bowler in the early 1980s, and then fell of the radar in the late before pulling in a first-team all-pro season in 1991. He simply didn't get better again over night. He was good, but mired on bad teams all those years. Falcons won some games in 1991, so he was back at All-Pro.

    I know Dr. Z was a big fan, but I think he was always pushing for other guys notably Bob Kutchenberg (sp?) and Chuck Howely. Bisher would have supported Kenn, but like you noted, he had more guns to fire for Nobis so pushed him.

    Lobbying happens, but that player has to have some support to get up there most of the time. The only really out of the blue lobbying I ever heard about that worked was from Ed Pope. He got Jim Langer elected in 1987, which was his first year. Pope pretty much read his stats, said Langer was a hell of a great guy, but face it wasn't even the best center in his team's history. Dwight Stephenson was. Then added they were already electing Csonka that day and wouldn't it be nice...etc.

    Two guys I have met over the years shared that story separately, but with caveats. One said Pope had rarely ever spoken in meetings and when he did it kind of threw everyone so they voted for Langer. The second was Pope's word was so well respected that they voted for Langer. Both of the guys said looking back, Langer was a mistake.

    Gene Upshaw and Joe Greene were first year guys in the class, and Len Dawson and Don Maynard went in as well...so it wasn't like they had a dearth of names. Langer is in. Outside of major Dolphins fans, though, I think people would be hard pressed to know who he was.
     
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