Centennial Hall of Fame Class
Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2020 11:34 pm
A week has passed since the announcement and maybe everything that needs to be said has been said. But since the Hall of Fame is one of the most popular topics on this forum and maybe THE most popular, here’s two more cents.
Excellent: Karras, Slater, Speedie
Good But Could Have Been Better: Dillon, Harris, Shell
Not-So-Good: Hill
Inexplicably Bad: Carmichael, Covert, Sprinkle
Slater: I went back and looked at his honors and they’re better than I remember. He made at least one first team all-pro team in five seasons and second team in a sixth. So while I’ve heard, “His honors are a little light but that’s likely because he missed some he should have gotten because of racism, so let’s put him in” I don’t agree. I do agree he very likely missed some honors because of racism but disagree his honors are light.
Karras: Many of us figure his gambling suspension has hurt him all these years and I think it did. I wonder if his angry departure from the game after being cut in training camp in 1971 was also a factor. Joe Schmidt was a long-time teammate who played right behind him and thus the perfect kind of guy who might have pushed for him for the HOF. However, Schmidt was also his head coach in 1971 and Karras was especially pissed at him as I remember it. Not saying Schmidt badmouthed him; not at all. But he may not have advocated for him the way he might have otherwise.
Speedie: No secret I’m a big supporter. I was very surprised when he got elected, especially after the first three they announced were Hill, Covert and Carmichael. Had you told me the night before that only three pre-1955 candidates would make it and that one of them would be Sprinkle, I would have said no way Speedie gets in.
Dillon, Harris and Shell: If Dilweg, Emerson, Gradishar and Wistert had gotten in along with Karras, Slater and Speedie, and Dillon, Harris and Shell were the final three, I’d be delighted. But putting Dillon, Harris and Shell in and leaving Dilweg, Emerson, Gradishar and Wistert out leaves a sour taste.
All-Decade teams: Somehow, the Forum and the PFRA should combat the ridiculous idea that every single player who made an all-decade team has to be in the HOF. Once upon a time, I remember hearing it in regards to Jack Butler: He’s one of only x-number of guys from the 1950s team who’s not in the HOF. Okay. But the fact he made the 1950s doesn’t in and of itself mean he belongs in the HOF. Making an all-decade team is one bit of evidence in his favor. Now make the rest of your case.
Much of the noise in recent years that will now grow ever louder concerns Drew Pearson. Since the HOF selectors seem unduly obsessed with all-decade teams, we need to highlight that that’s just ONE piece of evidence. We also need to point out that lots of mistakes were made: Covert, Sprinkle, Butler, Carl Banks, Bobby Walston, Howard Mudd, Bednarik at center instead of LB in the 1950s, Jim Parker at guard in the 1950s.
Excellent: Karras, Slater, Speedie
Good But Could Have Been Better: Dillon, Harris, Shell
Not-So-Good: Hill
Inexplicably Bad: Carmichael, Covert, Sprinkle
Slater: I went back and looked at his honors and they’re better than I remember. He made at least one first team all-pro team in five seasons and second team in a sixth. So while I’ve heard, “His honors are a little light but that’s likely because he missed some he should have gotten because of racism, so let’s put him in” I don’t agree. I do agree he very likely missed some honors because of racism but disagree his honors are light.
Karras: Many of us figure his gambling suspension has hurt him all these years and I think it did. I wonder if his angry departure from the game after being cut in training camp in 1971 was also a factor. Joe Schmidt was a long-time teammate who played right behind him and thus the perfect kind of guy who might have pushed for him for the HOF. However, Schmidt was also his head coach in 1971 and Karras was especially pissed at him as I remember it. Not saying Schmidt badmouthed him; not at all. But he may not have advocated for him the way he might have otherwise.
Speedie: No secret I’m a big supporter. I was very surprised when he got elected, especially after the first three they announced were Hill, Covert and Carmichael. Had you told me the night before that only three pre-1955 candidates would make it and that one of them would be Sprinkle, I would have said no way Speedie gets in.
Dillon, Harris and Shell: If Dilweg, Emerson, Gradishar and Wistert had gotten in along with Karras, Slater and Speedie, and Dillon, Harris and Shell were the final three, I’d be delighted. But putting Dillon, Harris and Shell in and leaving Dilweg, Emerson, Gradishar and Wistert out leaves a sour taste.
All-Decade teams: Somehow, the Forum and the PFRA should combat the ridiculous idea that every single player who made an all-decade team has to be in the HOF. Once upon a time, I remember hearing it in regards to Jack Butler: He’s one of only x-number of guys from the 1950s team who’s not in the HOF. Okay. But the fact he made the 1950s doesn’t in and of itself mean he belongs in the HOF. Making an all-decade team is one bit of evidence in his favor. Now make the rest of your case.
Much of the noise in recent years that will now grow ever louder concerns Drew Pearson. Since the HOF selectors seem unduly obsessed with all-decade teams, we need to highlight that that’s just ONE piece of evidence. We also need to point out that lots of mistakes were made: Covert, Sprinkle, Butler, Carl Banks, Bobby Walston, Howard Mudd, Bednarik at center instead of LB in the 1950s, Jim Parker at guard in the 1950s.