HoF Semifinalists Announced

[Mox]

If Hines Ward gets in before TO they should abolish the Hall of Fame.

[Forge]

14 minutes ago, Bullet Club said:

If Hines Ward gets in before TO they should abolish the Hall of Fame.

I'd argue if Ward gets in before TO, Moss, Bruce, Holt and probably a few others they should abolish the hall of fame lol. 

He was a nice player, but there are so many others who deserve to be in first, and he resides in a rather large group that if he gets in, they probably need to get in as well. I don't have an issue if he eventually gets in, but it shouldn't be any time soon. 

[Danger]

1 hour ago, Adrenaline_Flux said:

Here is an idea: Don't have a hard opinion on a player you have never heard of.

What you're upset because I don't think a guy who had an incredibly short career and wasn't really that highly regarded in hindsight isn't hall of fame worthy? 

[Forge]

10 minutes ago, Danger said:

What you're upset because I don't think a guy who had an incredibly short career and wasn't really that highly regarded in hindsight isn't hall of fame worthy? 

Where are you getting this from? I have never heard anyone say that about Boselli. In hindsight, he still seems extremely well regarded. I wouldn't put him at Jones / Ogden level even when all were healthy (I think that they were better pass protectors), but the bolded seems to stem from you never having heard of him before,  which is more on you. 

[showtime]

31 minutes ago, Danger said:

What you're upset because I don't think a guy who had an incredibly short career and wasn't really that highly regarded in hindsight isn't hall of fame worthy? 

You seem like a pretty young person.  I'm saying that because the stuff you're saying about Tony Boselli doesn't line up with things that people say who actually have watched him play or know about him.

[Danger]

45 minutes ago, showtime said:

You seem like a pretty young person.  I'm saying that because the stuff you're saying about Tony Boselli doesn't line up with things that people say who actually have watched him play or know about him.

I'm 25. Sure I didn't watch football until 2001 or 2002. Even Forge above said "I wouldn't put him at Jones/Ogden level" coupled with the fact that his career was so short puts him the hall of very good in my opinion, but not the hall of fame. As for the "Highly regarded" comment. It's not to say he wasn't a good player, but he doesn't belong in the hall of fame when he was outshined by a handful of his peers and he only played for 7 seasons. If he had played for 3-4 more years, OR he was superior to Jones, Ogden, and Roaf, then I'd say he had a case for th HoF. If you all think he's worthy, then by all means. In my book, he falls short.

[.Buzz]

5 minutes ago, Danger said:

I'm 25. Sure I didn't watch football until 2001 or 2002. Even Forge above said "I wouldn't put him at Jones/Ogden level" coupled with the fact that his career was so short puts him the hall of very good in my opinion, but not the hall of fame. As for the "Highly regarded" comment. It's not to say he wasn't a good player, but he doesn't belong in the hall of fame when he was outshined by a handful of his peers and he only played for 7 seasons. If he had played for 3-4 more years, OR he was superior to Jones, Ogden, and Roaf, then I'd say he had a case for th HoF. If you all think he's worthy, then by all means. In my book, he falls short.

Except he wasnt.

This was some seriously amazing years for OTs. During the time these guys played, they are all neck and neck. Just because @Forge puts him above during therr playing does doesnt mean its across the board.

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=w2zbDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT259&lpg=PT259&dq=walter.joes+i+want+to.be+boselli&source=bl&ots=DRP5kmB0EI&sig=RPCjbTNksUVAEKA9Ucs7rq070T8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjP24vFlNPXAhWqr1QKHU5ZA2EQ6AEIMTAE#v=onepage&q=walter.joes i want to.be boselli&f=false

Hopefully that links you to Turley's quote.

Munoz said he was one of the best LT's he's ever seen on tape.

Yes, his career was cut short, but there are exceptions for it and deservedly so. Boselli is one of those exceptions.

[Forge]

Just now, .Buzz said:

Except he wasnt.

This was some seriously amazing years for OTs. During the time these guys played, they are all neck and neck. Just because @Forge puts him above during therr playing does doesnt mean its across the board.

No, but seriously. He's right there...I'd definitely put Jones slightly above Boselli, but that could be slightly more biased because I saw him playing more since I'm a 49er fan. He was just the greatest pass protecting tackle I've ever truly watched (there were some guys when I was younger, but I didn't exactly know what was going on at that time) and he was never called for penalties to boot.  Ogden and Boselli a little below that, I think. Pace is an interesting guy as well, because the system he played in under Martz for a time period wasn't ideal for always looking the best. So for me, it's Jones, bit of a gap, then Ogden / Pace / Boselli and I could get the argument for any of them on a "how good are they when healthy" scale, though I'd slide Ogden slightly higher than the other two, I think. 

[JAF-N72EX]

Who I think should get in
1) X - Was snubbed last year as he should have been a first ballot. 

2) Lewis - I have no doubt that the best linebacker of all-time(imo) will get in this year and rightfully so. How he went out with a bang is still fresh on people's minds after coming off an already extraordinary career.

3) Moss - He is a first-ballot HoFer and I see no legit reason why he shouldn't get the nod this year, and the selection committee knows it too. But I'm not sure that it'll happen because of TO, unfortunately. The committee knows damn well that the public knows why they have kept TO out of the HoF and why he has ultimately been blacklisted(in a sense). Now they may be afraid of looking like complete idiotic, hypocritical, morons if they put Moss in before TO. They don't wanna put TO in the HoF because of his on-the-field antics and the 'locker room cancer' stigma that followed him his entire career, and rightfully so. But if they let Moss in before him then it looks like they care more about on-the-field issues than they do off-the-field, and that wouldn't be a good look for them. Especially nowadays. 

The only way for them to rectify this in a way that is better for every party involved, in my opinion, is to break the cycle of two WR's not getting selected in the same class and induct them both this year. But again, I don't see it happening. 

4) TO - Read above. Say what you want about the man....but you could never say that he didn't ball out.

5) Tony Boselli - He should definitely get in this year. The fact that he has stayed close to the game since retirement only helps him. 

----------
Other notes about a few others on this list: 

Holt/Bruce/Ward/Ocho(not on list) - Read above: Good luck getting in any time soon until Moss and TO do. The same with any of their other contemporaries. 

Jimmy Johnson - Shoot me if you want, but still and til this day, I don't think he was as good a coach as most believe he was. He's known for his titles in the '90's but I think -(whats-his-name, I forget)- was right when he wrote in his book about how "any coach could've taken over that team and accomplished just as much". Now what he did for the game in terms of his inspiration and help putting it on the map, he did that, no argument here. But in terms of coaching, I still think he gets way more credit than he deserves. 

Brian Urlacher - I love me some Urlacher....he no doubt deserves to be in the hall, but not this year he don't. Not over Lewis anyhow. Even me, one of his biggest supporters and fans, would break something if he got in before Lewis did and they're certainly not going to select 2 linebackers in the same class.

John Lynch - Same as Urlacher in the sense that you can't put him in while Dawkins is still waiting - that would be unjustified. Plus, and I know that this may not be a popular opinion but outside of his leadership and hard-hitting style he was somewhat overrated. Yes, his hits were brutal, and I don't mean 'brutal' as in today's 'brutal'....I mean as in completely flattening some of the strongest runners in the game and that's how he made a name for himself. (his style would get you the James Farrior treatment nowadays as we saw towards the end of his career when he started getting fined for his hits). However, I feel like that moniker alone had started to become the sole reason why he was voted to the pro-bowl on many undeserving occasions. He was a hard hitting leader that made highlight reels who constantly benefited from playing with alongside good/great front 7's and other secondary players. 

Rhonde Barber - Sorry, but he is not a first ballot HoFer. He shoudl eventually get in but it won't be this year, nor should it. 

Leslie Oneal - It's about damn time for one of the most under-appreciated players of all-time. Although he most likely won't get in this year and I agree with that part, but his recognition is long over-do. He was not only one the most versitile players to ever play but he had success at every position. I understood why Kevin Greene recieved votes as early as he did and thought that he should have been inducted earlier and before Oneal did, but the fact that it has taken this long for Oneal to make this far in votes is a travesty itself. 

...Just my opinion.

[AlexGreen#20]

You spend enough time around old NFL lineman guys, you hear some incredible stories about Tony Boselli. Almost to the point they sound completely ridiculous. @palmy50 is the originator of most of these stories and he can probably correct me on these because I'm sure I'm telling them wrong.

+++++++++++

Kevin Colbert (Steelers GM) used to do a thing when he was looking for network scouts:

He would put the game film of USC vs. Arizona State on from the 1992 season. He would let them watch the full game tape and then ask them who the 4th year All-American was. Boselli kicked so much *** in this game that if you said anybody but him, you were basically disqualified because you didn't know what you were doing looking at big guys if you couldn't see that he was exceptional. Only thing was that game was Boselli's freshman season. The 4th year All-American was Shante Carver, the DE that Boselli was going up against. Shante was never really well known because he was a bust in the pros, but he had 41 career sacks and Shante's Inferno at Arizona State was a legit *** defense.

+++++++++++

I've heard that there's another guy in Pittsburgh who keeps the VHS of Boselli's senior year tape on the mantle above his fireplace in his living room. 

+++++++++++

All quotes approximate***

One of the Packers scouts was once asked who his favorite player to scout was. He said Joe Thomas, because he was the only player in his experience that was both the best run blocker and pass blocker in his draft class.

The guy was then asked if that was the only time something like that had happened.

He said, "Sort of, before he was scouting professionally back in 1994/1995 Tony Boselli was the best run blocker and pass blocker in the class. He said he only watched the tape because he'd heard it was so amazing from older scouts.

He was then asked if he watched the whole class to make the distinction and his response was, "No, but he's a better run blocker and pass blocker than anybody I've seen in any class I've scouted so far, so I feel safe making that call."

 

 

[AlexGreen#20]

2 hours ago, Bullet Club said:

If Hines Ward gets in before TO they should abolish the Hall of Fame.

Or at least paint it yellow and black and throw up Steelers decals everywhere.

[Kip Smithers]

40 minutes ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

Or at least paint it yellow and black and throw up Steelers decals everywhere.

Don't worry the Steelers cavalry will be on its way soon to address these comments on Hines Ward...

[JiffyJag]

5 hours ago, Danger said:

If I'm 100% honest, I'd never even HEARD of this guy before he was mentioned in this thread. 

 

5 hours ago, Danger said:

There are a whole plethora of players who deserve to get in before Boselli, if he does get in it's going to be a LONG time.

lol

[Adrenaline_Flux]

1 hour ago, Danger said:

I'm 25. Sure I didn't watch football until 2001 or 2002. Even Forge above said "I wouldn't put him at Jones/Ogden level" coupled with the fact that his career was so short puts him the hall of very good in my opinion, but not the hall of fame. As for the "Highly regarded" comment. It's not to say he wasn't a good player, but he doesn't belong in the hall of fame when he was outshined by a handful of his peers and he only played for 7 seasons. If he had played for 3-4 more years, OR he was superior to Jones, Ogden, and Roaf, then I'd say he had a case for th HoF. If you all think he's worthy, then by all means. In my book, he falls short.

How can you say any of this when 24 hours ago you had somehow never heard of the guy?

[LaserFocus]

3 hours ago, Forge said:

I'd argue if Ward gets in before TO, Moss, Bruce, Holt and probably a few others they should abolish the hall of fame lol. 

He was a nice player, but there are so many others who deserve to be in first, and he resides in a rather large group that if he gets in, they probably need to get in as well. I don't have an issue if he eventually gets in, but it shouldn't be any time soon. 

 

36 minutes ago, Kip Smithers said:

Don't worry the Steelers cavalry will be on its way soon to address these comments on Hines Ward...

The HOF should only be about performance, not whether or not that player is from a team which is liked or not. Ward wasn't a nice player, but a valuable cog in a two time SB champ, and one of the NFL's top organizations during the 2000s. It's going to happen, and whether it's next year, or 2027, the case is a strong one.