by Tony | Nov 28, 2009 | Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010 Semifinalists were announced on Saturday, with four players who are eligible for the Hall for the first time joining 21 others who have all been semifinalists at least once before. The list was culled from an original list of 131 players, coaches and contributors.
The four first timers include WR Jerry Rice, RB Emmitt Smith, WR Tim Brown and CB Aeneas Williams.
Looking back at last year’s list of semifinalists, only two players not elected last year fell off the list–G Bob Kuechenberg and QB Kenny Stabler, both of whom failed to make the cut last year in their final year of eligibility, and now can only be elected by the senior committee (Kuechenberg last played in 1983, but was on injured reserve for the 1984 season).
Also making it back to the list of semifinalists this year are WR Cliff Branch, Coach Don Coryell, and LB Rickey Jackson.
No big surprises on the list, from where we stand–Branch and Coryell being minor surprises, along with possibly the omission of Gary Anderson (in some people’s eyes)–and at this point, all of our 2010 finalist guesses and actual inductee predictions are still in the running.
What were everyone else’s thoughts/surprises from the list?
by Tony | Oct 28, 2009 | Hall of Fame
We’ve had a lot of good Pro Football Hall of Fame debates here, and I’m sure these names have come up in the comments before, but I thought I’d give them their own thread…
So, for some reason, I’ve got a Google Alert set up to notify me whenever they find pages related to Hall of Fame stuff. I get a lot of junk, but every once in a while, there are some interesting nuggets.
Case in point…
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by Tony | Sep 24, 2009 | Hall of Fame
Jerome Bettis was a pretty good NFL running back (some might say great–I’m not sure I’d go that far). And he hasn’t been horrible as an NFL analyst since he retired, working with NBC and the NFL Network.
Somewhere along the way, he’s even gotten himself a column on Sports Illustrated’s Website, called Bus Stops (or Buss Stops, when the editors are too busy wading through Peter King’s latest weekly novel).
This week, amongst some tidbits about the Raiders pathetic QB situation (that’s going out on a limb), and theorizing that the Titans should have paid Jim Schwartz like a head coach (which only would have worked if money was all that mattered to him), Bettis graces us with his Class of 2010 Hall of Fame thoughts.
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by Andy | Sep 21, 2009 | Hall of Fame
All-time NFL greats Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith were the biggest names on what had to be one of the most star-studded nominee lists in the NFL Hall of Fame history. The list of 131 players, coaches, and contributors eligible for the 2010 NFL Hall of Fame class was made public Saturday in Canton, Ohio.
Smith is the all-time leading rusher with 18,355 yards. Rice is the leading all-time receiver with 22,895 yards.
From this preliminary list of modern-era nominees, Hall of Fame selectors will choose 25 candidates to advance as semifinalists, according to a Hall of Fame press release. Those names will be announced on November 27.
A mail ballot will reduce the list to 15 finalists who will be announced January 7. The Class of 2010 will be selected from 15 modern-era finalists and two senior candidates (Floyd Little and Dick LeBeau) during voting held the day before Super Bowl XLIV.
We encourage you to continue debating the merits of these Hall of Fame candidates as you have been at Zoneblitz.com. However, the Hall is taking feedback from fans at the Van Heusen Fan’s Choice Web site, where you can vote for the players you’d like to see enshrined or interact with other football fans.
When I checked the site this evening, the early leaders were the obvious ones. Rice and Smith are virtual shoe-ins to be inducted in 2010. Cris Carter and Shannon Sharpe are next in the fan balloting followed, surprisingly (in my opinion), by Ray Guy.
The site also claims to have some big-ticket items to give away, so while we hope you keep coming back here, it could benefit you to check in there once in awhile as well.
We’re working on learning more about the site, such as whether or not the fan vote will have any sway in who does get inducted next summer. As soon as we know more we’ll post an update.
In the meantime, who do you think should join Smith and Rice as members of the class of 2010?
by Tony | Aug 25, 2009 | Hall of Fame
Former Detroit Lions cornerback and famed assistant coach Dick LeBeau and former Denver Broncos RB Floyd Little were named as the first finalists for the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010 by the senior committee earlier today (special thanks to commenter boardgame for bringing it to our attention).
Write ups on both LeBeau and Little follow the jump…but before we get into those details, while both Little and LeBeau were on the list of possible 2010 Senior Candidates assembled by Tony P. back in January, I’m not sure if either would be at the top of my list today. Little embodies to me the type of player who apparently you had to see play to want in–his statistics alone don’t do much for me, and simply “saving a franchise” doesn’t do much for me in terms of the Hall of Fame. LeBeau was a solid player who never won much in terms of post-season honors, and has probably been bumped up a level with his defensive coaching record. Overall, I’d say they are two ok selections, but probably not the best–and I’d be surprised if both made it in next winter.
Let us know what you think in the comments.
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by Andy | Aug 24, 2009 | American Football League, Hall of Fame
I consider myself fairly well read on the history of the National Football League. I’ve been watching games since I was six and have long been fascinated by the game and the league’s history pretty much ever since.
I think remembering and recognizing the great personalities and players that made the league what it has become today is important for fans and hope it is important to today’s players, who are benefiting from the work done by their older brethren.
That said, as the 50-year anniversary of the American Football League comes along, I have realized I’m not as well read on the NFL’s former rival league. Sure, I knew about the merger and about some of the personalities – Joe Namath, George Blanda, Len Dawson, et al.
And I’d guess I’m not alone. With the merger that followed and the years that have since passed, the AFL has sadly become a footnote in some fans’ minds.
But not everyone has forgotten. Angelo Coniglio has created a Web site, www.remembertheafl.com, aimed at celebrating the AFL’s history and its contributions to the league that resulted from the merger. He established an AFL Hall of Fame that recognizes more than 120 players, owners, and other contributors to the league’s success. And he’s passionate about informing and reminding today’s fans of the impact the AFL had on what the NFL has become today.
Mr. Coniglio agreed to answer some questions from Zoneblitz about his Web site and his memories of the AFL.
Zoneblitz: On your site you recognize something around 125 players, coaches, owners and other officials at the AFL Hall of Fame – describe how you got started on this project?
Coniglio: I remember the Buffalo Bills of the All-America Conference – a league that was scoffed at by the NFL, which did not accept the Bills when the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) folded. But the Cleveland Browns of that “inferior league” won the NFL championship in their first year in the league, and dominated it for years. When the AFL came along, I became a Bills and an AFL fan, and heard the same disparaging remarks about the AFL by the established league that they had made about the AAFC, and I figured they were just as wrong. (answer continued)
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Robert we’ll miss you but I do have a point though maybe I’ll take a hiatus from posting here for…
Andy Can we please move on its getting old and stale because you wont stop on this topic im done…
I feel bad for all the voters who were removed
If only if Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft had been elected then these changes wouldn’t have happened
The Pro Football Hall of Fame will never be the same after these changes