Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Coaches:
Don Coryell
Bill Cowher
Tom Flores
Mike Holmgren
Jimmy Johnson
Buddy Parker
Dan Reeves
Dick Vermeil

Players:
Cliff Branch
Harold Carmichael
Jim Covert
Roger Craig
Bobby Dillon
LaVern Dilweg
Ox Emerson
Randy Gradishar
Cliff Harris
Winston Hill
Cecil Isbell
Alex Karras
Verne Lewellen
Tommy Nobis
Drew Pearson
Donnie Shell
Duke Slater
Mac Speedie
Ed Sprinkle
Al Wistert

Contributors:
Bud Adams
Ralph Hay
Frank "Bucko" Kilroy
Art McNally
Art Modell
Clint Murchison
Steve Sabol
Seymour Swihoff
Paul Tagliabue
George Young

9 of the 20 are "super seniors"

good news

Hope that ratio holds when they inductees
are picked

JohnTurney wrote:9 of the 20 are "super seniors"

good news

Hope that ratio holds when they inductees
are picked

Agreed. Decent list, compared to what it could have been. Can't complain about an approximate 50-50 ratio of super seniors to more modern seniors. Let's see how the final voting goes.

Ken Crippen wrote:

JohnTurney wrote:9 of the 20 are "super seniors"

good news

Hope that ratio holds when they inductees
are picked

Agreed. Decent list, compared to what it could have been. Can't complain about an approximate 50-50 ratio of super seniors to more modern seniors. Let's see how the final voting goes.

Maybe the committee caught the vision. They can put in guys like Cliff Harris or Branch in next year, in normal process.

The super seniors---this may be their only chance---I didn't realize the final list wouldn't come out until next summer

I think the list is much better than I expected. The major surprise to me is no quarterbacks on the list. I was a bit puzzled by Donnie Shell, who made the top 15 list in the HOF balloting one time, as opposed to LC Greenwood, who twice was a finalist; I don't think either of them would have had much of a chance getting selected in this class but Greenwood probably would have had a better chance in my opinion. The recently deceased Seymour Siwoff was also a surprise. One has to wonder if the candidates who are not selected from this group will move to the head of the class for future Seniors selections over those who weren't selected, such as Ken Anderson, for example.

Gotta say, this is pretty good news. All of Dilweg, Lewellen, Slater, Emerson, Wistert, and Speedie got through, which is the best possible outcome one could expect. Isbell and Sprinkle are pretty marginal and I wouldn't enshrine either, but it does suggest a really strong emphasis on getting in some of the real old-timers.

Happily surprised to see Bobby Dillon here, and too bad he just died.

Kind of surprised Winston Hill is on the list instead of Jim Tyrer. This was by far the best chance to get the latter in, and they whiffed. Hill is certainly deserving, though.

Not surprised to see Cliff Branch and Drew Pearson here, both deserving. Harold Carmichael instead of Harold Jackson is a little surprising, though the former is on the 70s all-decade team. They're pretty comparable, but Jackson has more career bulk than the other three. Also a bit surprised to see Roger Craig instead of Joe Klecko, though again the former is on an all-decade team.

Most of the player choices are deserving. I wouldn't put in Isbell, Sprinkle, or Covert from this group, and am dubious about Craig and Nobis. But it could have been worse -- a lot worse.

The biggest whiff on the coaches side is Clark Shaughnessy. Personally, I think he's more deserving than any of the others nominated. I'm not high on Tom Flores, but not surprised he got through.

Glad to see Ralph Hay get nominated on the Contributor side. A little surprised Robert Kraft didn't make the list, and guys like Murchison, Adams, and Modell did. The other Contributors are fine.

I say give them credit -- they did pretty darned well.

bachslunch wrote:Gotta say, this is pretty good news. All of Dilweg, Lewellen, Slater, Emerson, Wistert, and Speedie got through, which is the best possible outcome one could expect. Isbell and Sprinkle are pretty marginal and I wouldn't enshrine either, but it does suggest a really strong emphasis on getting in some of the real old-timers.

Happily surprised to see Bobby Dillon here, and too bad he just died.

Kind of surprised Winston Hill is on the list instead of Jim Tyrer. This was by far the best chance to get the latter in, and they whiffed. Hill is certainly deserving, though.

Not surprised to see Cliff Branch and Drew Pearson here, both deserving. Harold Carmichael instead of Harold Jackson is a little surprising, though the former is on the 70s all-decade team. They're petty comparable, but Jackson has more career bulk than the other three. Also a bit surprised to see Roger Craig instead of Joe Klecko, though again the former is on an all-decade team.

Most of the player choices are deserving. I wouldn't put in Isbell, Sprinkle, or Covert from this group, and am dubious about Craig and Nobis. But it could have been worse -- a lot worse.

The biggest whiff on the coaches side is Clark Shaughnessy. Personally, I think he's more deserving than any of the others nominated. I'm not high on Tom Flores, but not surprised he got through.

Glad to see Ralph Hay get nominated on the Contributor side. A little surprised Robert Kraft didn't make the list, and guys like Murchison, Adams, and Modell did. The other Contributors are fine.

I say give them credit -- they did pretty darned well.

im curious bachs who would you replace sprinkle isbell covert nobis and craig with

rewing84 wrote:im curious bachs who would you replace sprinkle isbell covert nobis and craig with

Hmmm, good question. Maybe Chuck Howley, Billy Howton, Maxie Baughan, Del Shofner, and Jim Tyrer.

Some of the top names that didn’t make the cut include:

Del Shofner
Chuck Howley
Eddie Meador
Maxie Baughan
LC Greenwood
Billy Howton
Bob Kuechenberg
Harold Jackson
Joe Klecko
Jim Tyrer
Ken Anderson


Feel free to add more and I’ll edit the list.

Lemar Parrish
Jake Scott
Bobby Boyd
Lester Hayes
Deron Cherry
Jimmy Patton
Nolan Cromwell
Larry Grantham
Joe Fortunato
Walt Sweeney
Ed Budde
Joe Jacoby
Tom Sestak
Gene Lipscomb

boknows34 wrote:Some of the top names I think that didn’t make the cut include:

Del Shofner
Chuck Howley
Eddie Meador
Maxie Baughan
LC Greenwood
Billy Howton
Drew Pearson
Bob Kuechenberg
Harold Jackson
Joe Klecko
Jim Tyrer
Ken Anderson

Feel free to add more and I’ll edit the list.

Pearson did made it. I would replace him with Lemar Parrish.