Steve Smith: Hall of Famer?

Steve Smith turns in his retirement letter:

 

Was going say: Steve Smith was very good, great at times, but Fitzgerald was lights out better. Then i looked at their records. Fitzgerald was only first team all pro at wide receiver once same as Smith, who was an All Pro as a returner once as well.

Fitzgerald leads 10 to 5 in pro bowls in a shorter career, but pro bowl selections should be the only factor in Hof case.

 

This was sort of my argument, but it got dismissed almost out of hand. Fitzgerald was the better talent and has better stats in some categories, like touchdowns. But if you actually put them side by side they're more similar than you think. Similar enough to say, at least to me, that they'll both get in. Fitz will go in first, so how long he has to wait will have a lot of bearing on how long Smith has to wait.

 

The only thing that will affect Smith are the guys in front of him in the queue not named Owens and Moss.

Ellard, Bruce, Holt, Ward, Wayne, Megatron (assuming he doesn't unretire) and Andre Johnson, to say nothing of Anquan Boldin if he decides after this season to retire as well. Fitzgerald isn't the x-factor, it's where does Smith slot in for those other seven/maybe eight guys.

Bruce is a finalist for the first time five years before Smith has a chance to get in. It took him three years to be a finalist.
Ward made the semifinals on his first try.
Holt has been a semifinalist all three years he's been eligible.

By the time Smith is eligible, Bruce is probably going to be the only one of these listed in. Ward might but I doubt it. Megatron is not going in first ballot, based on what they've done to Owens and who knows what they will do with Moss, which means his second ballot is Smith's first.

 

Well I think it's fair to say Owens didn't go in first ballot bc of his personality, not his production. Same might keep moss out in first year but I doubt it. No such thing negatives are attached to megatron. He should be first ballot

 

I'll believe Megatron goes in on the first ballot when I see it. I almost want to say the same for Moss, just because of what the voters have shown they do with receivers. Terrell Davis is a finalist for the third time and not close to getting in. Tony Boselli is a finalist now for the first time in his 11th year. Kenny Easley is the senior finalist. They all compare to Megatron. I know the Earl Campbell comparison can be made.

I guarantee you some of those voters hold it against him that he just walked away as opposed to an injury ending his career.

 

If they do hold it against him, that's as dumb as not voting for schilling bc of his inane comments

 

Well I think it's pretty obvious there are voters who hold Davis' short career against him and Easley's short career has been held against him for decades to the point he's now a seniors pick. Boselli couldn't make the final 15 for a decade because of the length of his career.

Why should anyone believe that Megatron will be treated that differently with a first-ballot induction?