Nine of this year’s 15 modern-era finalists for enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame are first- or second-year eligible players.
Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald highlight the list of first-year eligible candidates, which is rounded out by Frank Gore and Jason Witten.
Second-year eligibles up for enshrinement include Luke Kuechly, Eli Manning, Terrell Suggs, Adam Vinatieri and Marshal Yanda.
The modern-era candidate list includes: (more…)
The Pro Football Hall of Fame unveiled their list of 26 modern era players (the result of their being a tie for the 25th spot on the list) that are finalists to be inducted into the class of 2026 this morning.
On the list include:
QB Drew Brees – 1st time as semifinalist, first year eligible
QB Eli Manning – 2nd time as semifinalist, Finalist in 2025
QB Philip Rivers – 1st time as semifinalist, first year eligible
RB Frank Gore – 1st time as semifinalist, first year eligible
RB Fred Taylor – 7th time as semifinalist, Finalist in 2025
WR Larry Fitzgerald – 1st time as semifinalist, first year eligible
WR Torry Holt – 12th time as semifinalist, Finalist in 2025
WR Steve Smith Sr. – 5th time as semifinalist, Finalist in 2025
WR Hines Ward – 10th time as semifinalist
WR Reggie Wayne – 7th time as semifinalist, Finalist in 2025
TE Jason Witten – 1st time as semifinalist, first year eligible
OL Willie Anderson – 6th time as semifinalist, Finalist in 2025
OL Lomas Brown – 1st time as a semifinalist
OL Jahri Evans – 4th time as semifinalist, Finalist in 2025
OL Richmond Webb – 2nd time as semifinalist
OL Steve Wisniewski – 3rd time as semifinalist
OL Marshal Yanda – 2nd time as semifinalist, Finalist in 2025
DL Robert Mathis – 5th time as semifinalist
DL Vince Wilfork – 5th time as semifinalist
DL Kevin Williams – 1st time as semifinalist
LB Luke Kuechly – 2nd time as semifinalist, Finalist in 2025
LB Terrell Suggs – 2nd time as semifinalist, Finalist in 2025
DB Rodney Harrison – 5th time as semifinalist
DB Earl Thomas – 2nd time as semifinalist
DB Darren Woodson – 10th time as semifinalist
K Adam Vinatieri – 2nd time as semifinalist, Finalist in 2025
Lomas Brown and Kevin Williams are the only first time semifinalists that are not in their first year of eligibility. The list was culled form a list of 128 nominees announced in September, and will now be cut to a group of 15 finalists later this year, before being debated along with Coaches, Contributor and Senior nominees in advance of Super Bowl LX. Between four and eight new members will be elected, per the HOF bylaws, announced at NFL Honors show in February, and inducted in Canton next August.
Well, at least it’s now a contest.
Andy took it in the shorts last week, losing his three big bets, but saving a little bit of face on his upset pick, but finishing down a whopping $3,700 for the week. Tony managed to go 3-1, but his one loss was his biggest bet, for a net gain of $267.
That pulls Tony within $1,000 of Andy–or rather drops Andy to within $1.000 of Tony–for the season.
And we’re back at it again…
Here is where we stand:
| Last week | Last week $ | Overall | Overall $ | Bankroll | |
| Andy | 1-3 | – $3,700 | 24-31-1 | – $6,224 | $ 3,776 |
| Tony | 3-1 | + $267 | 26-29-1 | – $6,954 | $ 3,046 |
With the end of the season in sight, there’s some antsy-ness setting in. They look like they might be ready to ramp things up a notch as we pass the final quarter pole. (more…)
The Baltimore Ravens sailed to a 9-2 start to the 2012 season, nearly locking up the AFC North with a month left in the campaign. Four losses in five games dampened Baltimore’s momentum and in the middle of that stretch, coach John Harbaugh made the decision to change offensive coordinators.
That gutty move along with the emotion of Ray Lewis’ retirement announcement energized the Ravens heading into the postseason. The rest is history. Joe Flacco had a monstrous run up through the Super Bowl and Lewis and Matt Birk got to go out as champions.
So can Baltimore repeat? There’s been a ton of turnover, primarily on the defensive side of the ball. But some of the new faces represent younger, more athletic and more affordable options to the pieces they replaced. And with 12 draft picks in his arsenal, don’t discount Ozzie Newsome’s chances of putting together another competitive team, says Tony Lombardi, founder of Russell Street Report.
Zoneblitz: The Ravens had some ups and downs during the season but got it done with a championship in the end. How would you describe the 2012 ride? (more…)
Jeff Saturday & Matt Birk
Matt Birk announced his retirement today meaning that the 2012 season was the last for two of the NFL’s most prominent centers over the last decade and change.
Birk joins Jeff Saturday in hanging up his cleats. The Vikings and Ravens center goes out on top, having helped Baltimore to its second Super Bowl championship. It was his only ring despite having played for 15 years.
In addition to winning the Super Bowl once, Birk finishes his career with six Pro Bowl appearances. Saturday leaves the league after a 14 year career that was primarily spent in Indianapolis. He made six Pro Bowl appearances, though the last one this season (with Green Bay) was earned despite his having been benched toward the end of the season. Saturday adds two appearances on the Associated Press NFL All Pro First Team.
So, where do these two greats fall on the all-time list of NFL centers? Both of them were very good to great players but I’m uncertain whether they belong in the Hall of Fame. Using Pro Bowls as a comparative stat has its shortcomings because of fan involvement and all the guys these days who are getting appearances due to superior players pulling out of the game. But offensive linemen are particularly difficult to judge, so comparing their postseason profiles with respect to Pro Bowls and AP All Pro appearances with counterparts who were on the last three NFL All-Decade teams seems a logical place to start. (more…)
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