NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2014

[paragon11]

Yesterday, the 2014 potential HOF class was narrowed down to 15:

 

Michael Strahan, DE -- 1993-2007 New York Giants

Derrick Brooks, LB -- 1995-2008 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tim Brown, WR/KR -- 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Walter Jones, T -- 1997-2008 Seattle Seahawks

Jerome Bettis, RB -- 1993-95 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 1996-2005 Pittsburgh Steelers

Morten Andersen, K -- 1982-1994 New Orleans Saints, 1995-2000, 2006-07 Atlanta Falcons, 2001 New York Giants, 2002-03 Kansas City Chiefs, 2004 Minnesota Vikings

Kevin Greene, LB/DE -- 1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams, 1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers

Charles Haley, DE/LB -- 1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers, 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys

Marvin Harrison, WR -- 1996-2008 Indianapolis Colts

Aeneas Williams, CB/S -- 1991-2000 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 2001-04 St. Louis Rams

John Lynch, FS -- 1993-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004-07 Denver Broncos

Andre Reed, WR -- 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins

Will Shields, G -- 1993-2006 Kansas City Chiefs

Tony Dungy, Coach -- 1996-2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2002-08 Indianapolis Colts

Edward DeBartolo, Jr., Owner -- 1977-2000 San Francisco 49ers

 

Ray Guy and Claude Humphrey are both senior nominees up for election.

 

So, who do you have entering this year?

[The Comedian]

Honestly the least-deserving guy on that list is probably Dungy. I know he's universally well-liked, but an 11-year head coaching career with 1 Super Bowl win really doesn't scream HOF to me.

[hammerva]

So if Marvin Harrison does get in the Hall of Fame (which I don't see happening for some years) would his induction speech be the first time he has talked since we went all crazy in Philly after his retirement? 

 

Have to think that Tim Brown or Andre Reed is getting in this year.  Not both.  Hopefully it is Reed because I think he has waited more than enough.   I expect Strahan to be nominated but I don't really see him as a first ballot guy. 

 

The only guy I can see as locks is Debartolo. 

[Burgundy LaRue]

Honestly the least-deserving guy on that list is probably Dungy. I know he's universally well-liked, but an 11-year head coaching career with 1 Super Bowl win really doesn't scream HOF to me.

 

I can think of three people on this board alone who would shoot Dungy out of a cannon into a pit of vipers if they had the chance.

[RIPPA]

So if Marvin Harrison does get in the Hall of Fame (which I don't see happening for some years) would his induction speech be the first time he has talked since we went all crazy in Philly after his retirement? 

 

Have to think that Tim Brown or Andre Reed is getting in this year.  Not both.  Hopefully it is Reed because I think he has waited more than enough.   I expect Strahan to be nominated but I don't really see him as a first ballot guy. 

 

The only guy I can see as locks is Debartolo. 

 

Strahan is a lock. This isn't his first year - it is his second. People were stunned last year he didn't make and most attributed it to it being his first year.

 

Walter Jones is also a lock.

[The Comedian]

 

Honestly the least-deserving guy on that list is probably Dungy. I know he's universally well-liked, but an 11-year head coaching career with 1 Super Bowl win really doesn't scream HOF to me.

 

I can think of three people on this board alone who would shoot Dungy out of a cannon into a pit of vipers if they had the chance.

 

well OK, maybe not universally...

 

the bigger point i was making though was that putting Dungy in seems to me like saying, "if a head coach wins the Super Bowl, he goes in the HOF"...

 

although so many people have used the "it was Dungy's team" counterargument against Gruden that I think some people may be crediting the Bucs SB win to Dungy too...

[RIPPA]

Well specifically it's Dungy was the first African-American to win a Super Bowl

The problem with that is Tom Flores was the first minority period to win a Super Bowl and he won TWO.

And putting in Dungy over Jimmie Johnson is crazy

[The Man Known as Dan]

I'm going Straham, Jones, Brooks, Shields, and Williams. Defense and Lineman heavy, but they were all elite players for a very long time.

[Brian Fowler]

Honestly the least-deserving guy on that list is probably Dungy. I know he's universally well-liked, but an 11-year head coaching career with 1 Super Bowl win really doesn't scream HOF to me.

I can think of three people on this board alone who would shoot Dungy out of a cannon into a pit of vipers if they had the chance.

Oooh, oooh, pick me pick me!

[Assassin]

So if Marvin Harrison does get in the Hall of Fame (which I don't see happening for some years) would his induction speech be the first time he has talked since we went all crazy in Philly after his retirement? 

 

Marvin Harrison has talked before?

[supremebve]

 

So if Marvin Harrison does get in the Hall of Fame (which I don't see happening for some years) would his induction speech be the first time he has talked since we went all crazy in Philly after his retirement? 

 

Marvin Harrison has talked before?

 

Who is this person that y'all are talking all wreckless about, because I want to let the world know that I've never heard of him.

[Ryan]

 

 

Honestly the least-deserving guy on that list is probably Dungy. I know he's universally well-liked, but an 11-year head coaching career with 1 Super Bowl win really doesn't scream HOF to me.

I can think of three people on this board alone who would shoot Dungy out of a cannon into a pit of vipers if they had the chance.

Oooh, oooh, pick me pick me!

 

You're being used to test fire the cannon.

[odessasteps]

I'll be next in line after Fowler.

It always intrigues me how Dungy's homophobia doesn't stick to his "nice guy" persona.

---

I doubt Eddie D gets in because of that mess that forced him out as owner.

I want Charles Haley elected just for the induction speech.

[EdA]

God, Andre Reed will get in before Tim Fucking Brown and Ray Guy will get shafted and Rippa is going to taunt me as the motherfucking Pats win the Super Bowl.

 

And yeah, Dungy is a joke.  Not only should he NEVER be considered, there is no way you can pretend to think about him before Jimmie Johnson.

 

Rippa and I chatted about this and we figure that it's going to be Strahan, Jones, Fat Fucking Useless Piece of Shit Bettis, Reed and Lynch and the other old-timer who isn't Ray Guy.

 

​Seriously, fuck the Hall of Fame.  Fuck football.

 

Oh and count me in as one who would LOVE to see the Haley induction speech.

[Tabe]

Tony Dungy never impressed me as a great coach either.  He won a ton of games - he averaged 11+ wins his last 12 seasons - but it seemed like his teams actually underperformed.  In Tampa, their offense was terrible and it felt like that came straight from Dungy.  In Indy, he had an incredible QB and could hardly make it out of the 1st round.  Dude was 5-10 in the playoffs other than the Super Bowl year. 

I'd say no on him.

[The Comedian]

Honestly Im just pissed Atwater didnt even make the finalists. Mainly because the next guy I'll be actively rooting for to make the Hall is BDawk, and seeing Atwater get screwed with makes me afraid I'm gonna have to wait forever to see Dawkins in there too...

[supremebve]

Tony Dungy never impressed me as a great coach either.  He won a ton of games - he averaged 11+ wins his last 12 seasons - but it seemed like his teams actually underperformed.  In Tampa, their offense was terrible and it felt like that came straight from Dungy.  In Indy, he had an incredible QB and could hardly make it out of the 1st round.  Dude was 5-10 in the playoffs other than the Super Bowl year. 

I'd say no on him.

Counter argument...

 

Tony Dungy averaged 11+ wins in his last 12 seasons.  He made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a contender with Trent Dilfer, Shaun King, and Brad Johnson playing quarterback.  Do we put all of his playoff failures in Indy on his shoulders when it isn't like Peyton Manning hasn't choked in the playoffs consistently since Dungy left.  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the worst franchise in history before he got there and ushered in a new culture of winning that started circling the drain soon after he left.  I know everyone is going to point to the Bucs winning the Super Bowl the year after he left, but Gruden essentially used Dungy's players to beat a team that he knew everything about.  I can't give Gruden full credit because he took one of the greatest collections of defensive talent of all time, to play against an offense he designed.  With that said, Dungy will probably make it in, but if he doesn't I won't care, I'm just bored at work.

[EdA]

 

Tony Dungy never impressed me as a great coach either.  He won a ton of games - he averaged 11+ wins his last 12 seasons - but it seemed like his teams actually underperformed.  In Tampa, their offense was terrible and it felt like that came straight from Dungy.  In Indy, he had an incredible QB and could hardly make it out of the 1st round.  Dude was 5-10 in the playoffs other than the Super Bowl year. 

I'd say no on him.

Counter argument...

 

Tony Dungy averaged 11+ wins in his last 12 seasons.  He made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a contender with Trent Dilfer, Shaun King, and Brad Johnson playing quarterback.  Do we put all of his playoff failures in Indy on his shoulders when it isn't like Peyton Manning hasn't choked in the playoffs consistently since Dungy left.  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the worst franchise in history before he got there and ushered in a new culture of winning that started circling the drain soon after he left.  I know everyone is going to point to the Bucs winning the Super Bowl the year after he left, but Gruden essentially used Dungy's players to beat a team that he knew everything about.  I can't give Gruden full credit because he took one of the greatest collections of defensive talent of all time, to play against an offense he designed.  With that said, Dungy will probably make it in, but if he doesn't I won't care, I'm just bored at work.

 

 

I can buy that counter argument, insofar that I don't think Dungy was the worst coach ever.  But how much credit do you give him for the Bucs turnaround and how much do you give it to the Bucs GM/front office for cashing making the right picks with consecutive good draft slots?  I don't know, I really didn't pay THAT much attention to the Bucs during that rebuild time.  

 

Of course, using that argument, you could say Gruden should get in before Dungy for the Raiders turn-around of the late-90' THEN cashing on the Bucs.

 

All that said, Dungy shouldn't even be considered until Jimmy Johnson is in.

[supremebve]

 

 

Tony Dungy never impressed me as a great coach either.  He won a ton of games - he averaged 11+ wins his last 12 seasons - but it seemed like his teams actually underperformed.  In Tampa, their offense was terrible and it felt like that came straight from Dungy.  In Indy, he had an incredible QB and could hardly make it out of the 1st round.  Dude was 5-10 in the playoffs other than the Super Bowl year. 

I'd say no on him.

Counter argument...

 

Tony Dungy averaged 11+ wins in his last 12 seasons.  He made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a contender with Trent Dilfer, Shaun King, and Brad Johnson playing quarterback.  Do we put all of his playoff failures in Indy on his shoulders when it isn't like Peyton Manning hasn't choked in the playoffs consistently since Dungy left.  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the worst franchise in history before he got there and ushered in a new culture of winning that started circling the drain soon after he left.  I know everyone is going to point to the Bucs winning the Super Bowl the year after he left, but Gruden essentially used Dungy's players to beat a team that he knew everything about.  I can't give Gruden full credit because he took one of the greatest collections of defensive talent of all time, to play against an offense he designed.  With that said, Dungy will probably make it in, but if he doesn't I won't care, I'm just bored at work.

 

 

I can buy that counter argument, insofar that I don't think Dungy was the worst coach ever.  But how much credit do you give him for the Bucs turnaround and how much do you give it to the Bucs GM/front office for cashing making the right picks with consecutive good draft slots?  I don't know, I really didn't pay THAT much attention to the Bucs during that rebuild time.  

 

Of course, using that argument, you could say Gruden should get in before Dungy for the Raiders turn-around of the late-90' THEN cashing on the Bucs.

 

All that said, Dungy shouldn't even be considered until Jimmy Johnson is in.

 

Dungy and his Tampa 2 defensive scheme was basically the defensive scheme of the 2000's and the team was built around players who fit that scheme perfectly.  The GM/Front Office should get credit, but they were picking guys to play on a team that was built in Dungy's image.  The difference between his Buccaneer run and his Colts run was basically that the Colts couldn't afford to build the defense and keep their offense in tact.  Still they built a defense that was perfectly designed to play with a lead that was really effective in the regular season when Peyton and the boys were putting up a lot of points.  The failure of the defense in the playoffs reflects the failures of the offense because they were built to exploit teams that had to pass the ball to stay in the game, not to play the smashmouth stuff the run, grind it out games, that playoff games turn into. 

 

Oh, those Raiders teams were really good.and Gruden should get a lot of credit for it, but Bill Callahan in all of his infinite wisdom didn't change any of the schemes, terminology, or anything.  He basically was playing against himself, except his other self wasn't even try to win.  I would have really liked to see Dungy's Bucs and Gruden's Raiders in that Super Bowl and honestly I have no idea who would have won. 

 

Should John Lynch be in?  He was fun to watch, and played on a great defense, but he is at the very least the 4th best guy on those defenses.  I'd rather have Brooks, Sapp, Barber, and maybe Simeon Rice and McFarland over him if I was building a defense.  Brooks is probably the one guy on the list who I'd be pissed if he didn't get in, he was an incredible player who was always looked at like a 3rd banana when he was the best player on the team. 

 

Jimmy Johnson should be in before everyone except Derrick Brooks.

[EdA]

 

 

 

Tony Dungy never impressed me as a great coach either.  He won a ton of games - he averaged 11+ wins his last 12 seasons - but it seemed like his teams actually underperformed.  In Tampa, their offense was terrible and it felt like that came straight from Dungy.  In Indy, he had an incredible QB and could hardly make it out of the 1st round.  Dude was 5-10 in the playoffs other than the Super Bowl year. 

I'd say no on him.

Counter argument...

 

Tony Dungy averaged 11+ wins in his last 12 seasons.  He made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a contender with Trent Dilfer, Shaun King, and Brad Johnson playing quarterback.  Do we put all of his playoff failures in Indy on his shoulders when it isn't like Peyton Manning hasn't choked in the playoffs consistently since Dungy left.  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the worst franchise in history before he got there and ushered in a new culture of winning that started circling the drain soon after he left.  I know everyone is going to point to the Bucs winning the Super Bowl the year after he left, but Gruden essentially used Dungy's players to beat a team that he knew everything about.  I can't give Gruden full credit because he took one of the greatest collections of defensive talent of all time, to play against an offense he designed.  With that said, Dungy will probably make it in, but if he doesn't I won't care, I'm just bored at work.

 

 

I can buy that counter argument, insofar that I don't think Dungy was the worst coach ever.  But how much credit do you give him for the Bucs turnaround and how much do you give it to the Bucs GM/front office for cashing making the right picks with consecutive good draft slots?  I don't know, I really didn't pay THAT much attention to the Bucs during that rebuild time.  

 

Of course, using that argument, you could say Gruden should get in before Dungy for the Raiders turn-around of the late-90' THEN cashing on the Bucs.

 

All that said, Dungy shouldn't even be considered until Jimmy Johnson is in.

 

Dungy and his Tampa 2 defensive scheme was basically the defensive scheme of the 2000's and the team was built around players who fit that scheme perfectly.  The GM/Front Office should get credit, but they were picking guys to play on a team that was built in Dungy's image.  The difference between his Buccaneer run and his Colts run was basically that the Colts couldn't afford to build the defense and keep their offense in tact.  Still they built a defense that was perfectly designed to play with a lead that was really effective in the regular season when Peyton and the boys were putting up a lot of points.  The failure of the defense in the playoffs reflects the failures of the offense because they were built to exploit teams that had to pass the ball to stay in the game, not to play the smashmouth stuff the run, grind it out games, that playoff games turn into. 

 

Oh, those Raiders teams were really good.and Gruden should get a lot of credit for it, but Bill Callahan in all of his infinite wisdom didn't change any of the schemes, terminology, or anything.  He basically was playing against himself, except his other self wasn't even try to win.  I would have really liked to see Dungy's Bucs and Gruden's Raiders in that Super Bowl and honestly I have no idea who would have won. 

 

Should John Lynch be in?  He was fun to watch, and played on a great defense, but he is at the very least the 4th best guy on those defenses.  I'd rather have Brooks, Sapp, Barber, and maybe Simeon Rice and McFarland over him if I was building a defense.  Brooks is probably the one guy on the list who I'd be pissed if he didn't get in, he was an incredible player who was always looked at like a 3rd banana when he was the best player on the team. 

 

Jimmy Johnson should be in before everyone except Derrick Brooks.

 

 

I can buy that about Dungy, I guess.  I have no dog in this race, but I just don't find Dungy an exciting (or even good) choice whatsoever - and clearly, we are all on the same page, he wasn't even the best coach on the semi-finalist list.

 

Lynch is also a headscratcher in that I think we all could probably name at least 10 safeties better than him who aren't in the HOF.  But...dare we mention he is a finalist for the opposite reason that Dungy is?

 

And yeah, the less said about Bill Fucking Callahan the better for my blood pressure.  Grrr.

[Kuetsar]

One would think Andre Reed is due; nine years eligible and a finalist every fucking year. Maybe Peter King and his cronies can take their heads out of their collective asses long enough to put him in.  Kelly, Thomas, Bruce and Marv Levy are in, and Andre deserves to join them. . . 

[Bear Wyatt]

I wonder if the Raiders had won that Super Bowl instead of the Bucs if we'd be saying "Bill Callahan won it with Gruden's team!" like we do with Gruden and Dungy.

 

Gruden made Rich "Journeyman" Gannon into an MVP.  He deserves a ton of credit for getting that Bucs team over the top.

[Kuetsar]

Reading Simmons latest column on the games last weekend, I just had the mind blowing idea: Someone, someday is going to make a credible case for Andy Reid making the Hall of Fame. It won't be me, but someone will. How scary is that?

[Brian Fowler]

Lost a lot of home playoff games a favorite, is a homophobe, I don't like him, and I don't think he has the resume.

[Brian Fowler]

Hell, that list of qbs Dungy had includes two Super Bowl winners.