NFL 2011 HOF class and who did not make it.
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There were 15 modern-era candidates and two seniors committee candidates to choose from on the final ballots. The list of who did make it followed by my whining of who did not make it below:
RB Marshall Faulk, CB Deion Sanders, DE Richard Dent, TE Shannon Sharpe and NFL Films founder Ed Sabol are the regular class of 2011. LB Les Richter and LB Chris Hanburger got in as this year’s seniors candidates.
Ok, Cris Carter, Andre Reed, Tim Brown..where is this years WR? Why were any of these three deserving receivers snubbed for the love of Pete? Why do the voters have a hard on against the receiver position? Only 21 are enshrined in the Hall. For me, this is one of the best positions to watch during a game. The ones that have the nads to ‘go across the middle’ are incredible and have no fear. Oh, and they will get nailed by some big defensive player when they do, bet on it. On the voters problem with the wide receiver’s going into the Hall, especially Cris Carter, from ESPN:
When Carter retired in 2002, he ranked second on the NFL’s all-time list of receptions (1,101) and touchdowns (130). He was one of the top receivers of his generation, but on Saturday he missed the selection committee’s first cut for the second consecutive year. Former Buffalo Bills receiver Andre Reed made the first cut but was dropped after the second.
Second, Carter seems to have been caught in a glut of receivers each year. Former Oakland Raiders receiver Tim Brown was also a finalist this season, and Sports Illustrated’s Peter King — who is also a voter — tweeted: “My sense is Reed, Carter, Brown canceling each other out. A shame, but I can tell you it’s an honest disagreement by voters.”
Andre Reed has been a finalist five freaking times and went to four straight Super Bowls. You don’t have to remind me the Bills lost all four, that wasn’t Andre’s fault, but it’s still a friggin record. There are already five, count em five, of Andre’s team mates from those four Super Bowls in the HOF: Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, James Lofton, Bruce Smith and Coach Marv Levy. Why not Reed gents? Why Not Reed?
Also, For the record, I can’t stand Peter King, no matter what sport he is waxing poetic on. If that man fell into a hole, he couldn’t pay me enough to pull him out of it. His ‘sense’? The man hasn’t got the sense God gave a friggin grapefruit. Full Disclosure: I was a Buffalo Bills fan during that time in my life. So sue me if I seem a tad biased. Great is great and besides, their damn kicker blew one of those games. But we aren’t here to talk Super Bowls are we?
Also screwed over this year was Jerome Bettis. The Pittsburgh Steelers made one helluva deal when they got him from St. Louis on a draft day deal. The Rams wanted…wait for it..Lawrence Phillips. I know..it’s a laugher to end all laughers..but lets concentrate on The Bus here. For eight years out of his thirteen, Bettis topped a thousand yards. If you enjoy..nee, if you love football, you know how hard and physically punishing that is for a running back to accomplish. To do it in cold-ass Pittsburgh is this side of friggin amazing.
But he was up against Marshall Faulk in this years voting, another great running back. No one can deny Faulk’s greatness. They just better not deny Bettis either. Faulk btw, played half his games in a dome.
Alrighty then..I think I am done bitching. At least for now about this years crop of non-inductee’s. I really do not wish to slander those that made it into the HOF. All of them are worthy in some form or fashion for the way they did their job on the gridiron.
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Tim Brown should have made it.
You didn’t even mention Curtis Martin who has 3 (that’s right 3) people ahead of him on the all time rushing list. He ran for 1,000 yards for 10 straight seasons (matching the record of Barry Sanders) and was the oldest player ever to lead the league in rushing at 32. I guess he never won a super bowl, but you can’t blame him for that. He ranks in the top 5 rushing list for 2 different teams. What more can he do? People obviously still hold a grudge against Carter because of the drug issues in the past, but really people, it’s time to get past that. It was certainly a stacked list this year and since they are limited to 5 modern players, I can’t really argue against those who were inducted. Except maybe Richard Dent. I would have preferred either Carter or Martin or for that matter Tim Brown.