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Introducing the CHFF Hall of Awesome!
Cold, Hard Football Facts for August 3, 2007
By the Cold, Hard Football Facts staff
 Give us two free afternoons and a moderately priced hotel room, and there’s nowhere we’d rather be than Canton, Ohio.
Well, OK, maybe we could come up with a few other places. But Canton would be in the top five for sure, and it's not for the food. It's for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a/k/a Disney World for us CHFF trolls.
However, it's a love-hate relationship.
We've railed for years against the Hall of Fame's imbalance between offense and defense, and we're still railing. We've wondered just exactly how the decisions are made and whether the Hall voters are a good electoral college for our sport's greatest honor.
But generally, we've sided with love.
Then Charlie Sanders happened, and we decided all bets were off.
If you missed it, Sanders, a tight end for the Lions in the late-60s and 70s, is going into the Hall of Fame tomorrow – and setting the bar at a new low for Canton recognition.
The case for Sanders is very sketchy, and the fact that he made it to Canton from the Senior pool – anyone who played the game from 1920 through the 1980s – is just inexcusable.
Sanders made seven Pro Bowls for the non-competitive Lions and made the all-70s team along with Dave Casper. Good achievements, for sure.
But Sanders, over 10 seasons (all as a starter), averaged the following:
33.6 catches, 482 yards, 3.1 touchdowns
And … cue the consolation music from "The Price Is Right." Sorry, Charlie. Thanks for playing.
Even in the Dead Ball Era, those are NOT the numbers of a Hall of Famer. In a decade where the tight end was rarely a factor, Sanders was a clear No. 2 to Casper – who had more catches and yards and 20 more TDs. Oh, and he played for winning teams, while Sanders' Lions didn't make the playoffs even once.
Did the Hall Board of Selectors think they were electing Barry Sanders (again)? It's not too late to change the vote, guys!
Anyway, as you can see, the selection of Charlie Sanders singed our shorts pretty good.
So, in angry response, we decided it was time to start our own Hall – the Cold, Hard Football Facts Hall of Awesome. We were also prompted by a thread in the Football Forum to create our own CHFF Hall of Fame. Well, this is it.
We were going to call it the "Hall of Better Than Charlie Sanders," but we don't want to make a perfectly nice man a scapegoat just because he doesn't really deserve to be in Canton.
Our Hall of Awesome will be updated periodically with players that we feel are worthy of Canton, and we hope our fearless Forum burns up with Hall of Fame/Hall of Awesome talk.
We start the H of A with an initial class of 17 people selected by our staff; our class is the same size that the "real" Hall inducted back in its opening year of 1963.
In addition to the main Hall (currently housed in the supply closet at a Wendy's in Wichita, Kansas), we'll have three Hall of Awesome wings to honor three types of NFLers that aren't well-represented in Canton.
- The Special Teams Wing will be for ... well, special teamers, since only one full-time special teamer is currently in the Hall (kicker Jan Stenerud).
- The Lifetime Achievement Wing will be for men who didn't have Hall of Fame playing careers or coaching/administrative/media careers, but left an indelible mark on the game.
- Finally, the Badasses Wing will honor the players that floated our collective boat. These guys weren't all-time greats, but had something special that made us feel all tingly inside.
So, with great fanfare (and apologies to Charlie Sanders), we present ...
The Cold, Hard Football Facts
HALL OF AWESOME
INAUGURAL CLASS OF 2007
KEN ANDERSON, QB
6-2, 212 Augustana College
Drafted by Cincinnati, 3rd round, 1971
Played for Cincinnati, 1971-86
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Lifetime passer rating of 82.4 second only to Roger Staubach among 1970s-era QBs. Led Bengals to Super Bowl after 1981 season, almost rallying them from 20-0 halftime deficit. In six playoff games, had passer rating of 92.6. Made four Pro Bowls.
Why he’s in the Hall of Awesome: A longtime favorite in the CHFF dungeons, Anderson had an incredibly underappreciated career. He led the league in passer rating four times (only Steve Young and Bart Starr topped that) and was one of the most accurate quarterbacks ever. He had seven winning seasons in 13 as the Bengals starter; they've had three more in the 20 years since he's been retired.
Why he’s not in the “real” Hall: He had the bad fortune of being a great, accurate quarterback in the Dead Ball Era. His teams were good but not great, and were always overshadowed by the Steelers and Raiders.
Chances that he’ll be “promoted” to Canton: 10 percent. He'd have to get in by the Senior route at this point, and while it's certainly possible (hello, Charlie Sanders!), it's highly improbable.
The final word: Quiet but deadly, like a CHFF troll after the taco bar, Anderson was unduly shafted by the shortsighted folks in Canton. He was a finalist twice, but that was as far as he got. Meanwhile, big-number guys like Dan Fouts and Warren Moon breezed in. So much for subtlety. Anderson has had a similarly quiet post-football career – he's been an assistant coach for the last 15 years and is currently charged with getting Ben Roethlisberger right as the QB coach in Pittsburgh. He might never make it to the Hall, but we're proud to have him in the Hall of Awesome. Throw us a beer, Ken! Nice. Right on the money.
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 STEVE ATWATER, S
6-3, 210 Arkansas
Drafted by Denver, 1st round, 1989
Played for Denver, 1989-98; N.Y. Jets, 1999
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Made seven straight Pro Bowls from 1990-1996. Member of the all-1990s team. Had an unofficial count of 1,356 tackles over 11 seasons. Was unofficial defensive MVP of Super Bowl XXXII after collecting six tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Consensus all-NFL twice.
Why he’s worthy of the Hall of Awesome: A team leader and fierce hitter, Atwater's eight Pro Bowls and all-decade team mention carry a lot of weight with us. He was on some great Broncos teams (two losing seasons in 10 years), and was the defensive counterpart to John Elway in Denver's two Super Bowl wins. A similar career on the offensive side of the ball, and we're talking an easy Hall nod.
Why he’s not in the “real” Hall: Safeties and the Hall of Fame don't mix – Ronnie Lott is the only safety of the last three decades to make it to Canton. In addition to that unfortunate and unjust handicap, Atwater played for a team that played a lot of 4 p.m. ET games in an era when the AFC was nothing. He just wasn't visible enough. Also, he never played for a great defense – only the first of his three Denver Super Bowl teams was led by the defense, and it lost 55-10 to the 49ers that season.
Chances that he’ll be “promoted” to Canton: 5 percent. Like Deron Cherry, Kenny Easley and other top safeties of the past 25 years, Atwater isn't getting much support. He didn't even make the list of 25 semifinalists in 2006 or '07, and with no obvious numbers to back him up, he seems like a real long shot.
The final word: Eight Pro Bowls, an all-decade team and two Super Bowl rings. Even for a free safety, that's impossible to ignore. The Facts have spoken! Steve Atwater might not be Famous, but he's definitely Awesome.
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ROGER CRAIG, RB
6-0, 224 Nebraska
Drafted by San Francisco, 2nd round, 1983
Played for San Francisco, 1983-90;
Oakland, 1991; Minnesota, 1992-93
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Had over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in 1985, something only Marshall Faulk (1999) has also done. All 11 of his teams finished with winning records. Won three Super Bowls. Had 13,100 yards from scrimmage (No. 30). Had 566 catches, in top 65 all-time. His 8,189 yards rushing is 32nd all-time. Made the all-1980s team.
Why he’s in the Hall of Awesome: Let us start with the obvious stuff: He was the featured running back for three Super Bowl 49ers teams, all winners. Even though two of the Super Bowl games were blowouts and Craig watched a good part of the second halves from the bench, he averaged 141 yards from scrimmage a game and had four touchdowns. Read it again. Take that in. That's almost enough alone to win a trip to Canton, yet he hasn't even been close. Over his five-season peak (1983-1987), Craig was as good an all-around back as any of the Super Bowl era. Craig had an average of 1,670 yards from scrimmage a season and 8.5 touchdowns. His teams made five playoff appearances and won two Super Bowls. He played fullback, tailback, caught passes like crazy and picked up countless blitzes for Joe Montana.
Reasons he’s not in the “real” Hall: Craig is a victim of the NFL's great numbers era. So many players were putting up production that it's easy to get lost in the shuffle. But Craig went beyond numbers – as much as you rely on them to measure greatness, some players are "you had to be there" types of superstars. He was one of those.
Chances that he’ll be “promoted” to Canton: 50.1 percent. We just have to believe that in a just society, Roger Craig will end up in the Hall of Fame. How his greatness has eluded Canton voters is as puzzling as anything us football deep thinkers can imagine.
The final word: He should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Even though we're obsessed with the lack of defenders in the Hall, we challenge any Hall of Fame voter to come up with an argument against Craig to Canton. Anyone? Anyone?
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 RICHARD DENT, DE
6-5, 263 Tennessee State
Drafted by Chicago, 8th round, 1983
Played for Chicago, 1983-93, 1995;
San Francisco, 1994; Indianapolis, 1996; Philadelphia, 1997
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Had 10-plus sacks in all five years of Bears' mid-80s prime. His 137.5 sacks were third all-time when he retired. Four Pro Bowls, six All-Pro mentions. Won MVP award in Super Bowl XX. In his 10 years as a starter, he averaged 12.35 sacks a season.
Why he’s in the Hall of Awesome: The Bears' defense, which was just about as good as its incredible hype, was keyed by three men: Mike Singletary, Richard Dent and Dan Hampton. Hampton and Singletary were first-ballot Hall of Famers, while Dent is still waiting. A great pass rusher, he was consistently great for a decade, never turning in a bad season. If the Bears had won one more Super Bowl, Dent would have been in on the first try.
Reasons he’s not in the “real” Hall: He only made four Pro Bowls, and never stacked up next to Reggie White and Bruce Smith. Still, those are two of the unquestioned greats, and Dent's numbers were right in the ballpark over their primes. Dent had 123.5 sacks over his 10-year peak, Smith had 115 (White had 145).
Chances that he’ll be “promoted” to Canton: 50 percent. Dent was a finalist in his first two years of eligibility, missed in 2006, and was back as a finalist in 2007. He's in the mix and has a good chance to get there.
The final word: Dent did what every great player is supposed to do: put up huge numbers for one of the great teams ever (17 sacks for the Super Bowl Shufflers in 1985) and produce over a long span. The Bears' defense of the 1980s was one of the best ever, and Dent was one of its stars.
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 CHUCK HOWLEY, LB 6-3, 228 West Virginia
Drafted by Chicago, 1st round, 1958
Played for Chicago, 1958-59; Dallas, 1961-1973
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Played 13 seasons for the Cowboys. From 1964-1973, Howley and the Cowboys had scoring defenses in the top seven league-wide. Made six Pro Bowls during that run. Was MVP for losing Cowboys in Super Bowl V. Tom Landry, the man who essentially invented modern defenses with the development of the 4-3, called him the best linebacker he'd ever seen.
Why he’s in the Hall of Awesome: Look at that picture. He reeks of Awesomeness. With that chiseled jaw, all of his success, all of those years in the league for a high-profile team, how can that guy not be in Canton? Oh, right. He played defense. There aren't many stats to judge Howley by, but the ones we have are pretty remarkable. In two Super Bowls, he picked off three passes and recovered a fumble. He was the No. 2 man behind Bob Lilly on the Dallas defense and one of the great speed rushers of his era.
Reasons he’s not in the “real” Hall: He didn't make the all-1960s team. Why, we're not sure – he was consensus all-NFL in 1966, 1968, 1969 and 1970. Perhaps the problem was that OLBs didn't get the respect that the great middle men did – Green Bay's Dave Robinson, who made the all-decade team, is likewise not in the Hall. Also, he was out of the league as a first-round washout before the expansion Cowboys took a chance on him and made him into an All-Pro.
Chances that he’ll be “promoted” to Canton: 10 percent. Trusting the Veterans Committee is a mistake (hello, Charlie Sanders!), but we'd like to think they'll see the light on Howley, one of the first inductees into the Cowboys Ring of Honor.
The final word: Howley was a happy-go-lucky hick with incredible wheels and a knack for the big game. He'd have been a legend in baseball, but he came of age in an NFL that was still looking for exposure, and his crowd-pleasing plays were missed by most. He has everything a Hall of Famer is supposed to have: a long, decorated career, a key role on a great team, and shining moments on the game's biggest stage.
 ALEX KARRAS, DT
6-3, 270 Iowa
Drafted by Detroit, 1st round, 1958
Played for Detroit, 1958-62, 1964-70
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Was a dominant interior lineman for 12 seasons, achieving All-Pro status in nine different seasons. Missed only one game due to injury. Was suspended for the 1963 season for suspected gambling. Was named to the all-1960s team.
Why he’s in the Hall of Awesome: Three times, Karras was consensus all-NFL, beating out guys like Olsen, Big Daddy Lipscomb and Roger Brown. And he was good for his entire career – he was all-NFL in 1960, and as late as 1969, when he was 34 years old. The Lions were terrible while he played for them, but it wasn’t really Karras’ fault – in the five years of his prime (1960-62, 64-65), the Lions were 3rd, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd and 5th out of 14 in defense.
Reasons he’s not in the “real” Hall: Part of it could be because of the 1963 season he missed due to gambling allegations (but it didn't stop "Golden Boy" Paul Hornung). Karras was a star, though he did toil with the Lions. And he was an all-1960s team member – one of three linemen, alongside Bob Lilly and Merlin Olsen. Perhaps his exclusion stems from always being the third wheel in that debate: He only made four Pro Bowls.
Chances that he’ll be “promoted” to Canton: 40 percent. We don't have feelings here at CHFF headquarters, so we don't trust them. But we do have the slightest tingling sensation in our left knee that suggests Karras would be a likely Senior candidate in the near future. At 72, he's waited long enough. Will Webster co-star Emmanuel Lewis deliver his introduction?
The final word: Karras is the all-time great that got away. NFL historians would probably be fairly shocked that he's not in Canton – even Karras must wake up some mornings and say: "Hall of Fame? Hell, I gotta be in that, don't I?" One of the oddest omissions in Hall lore, and another blow for defensive football. Is it any wonder that his most memorable post-football move was punching out a horse?
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 JERRY KRAMER, G
6-3, 263 Temple
Drafted by Green Bay, 4th round, 1958
Played for Green Bay, 1958-68
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Starting guard on the NFL's 50th anniversary team chosen in 1969. Three-time consensus all-NFL team. Started on all five Packers title teams.
Why he’s in the Hall of Awesome: As Luke Wilson said after getting his arm ripped off in Anchorman, "This is ri-goddamn-diculous!" Kramer has been a losing finalist for Canton 10 times – TEN TIMES. That's the most of any player, and in our book, it should add up to an automatic berth. Kramer was a pivotal cog in the greatest NFL play, the Packers sweep. And as the cherry on top, his "Instant Replay" is considered one of the best sports biographies ever.
Reasons he’s not in the “real” Hall: About the only strike against Kramer is that he only made it to three Pro Bowls. In fact, that's probably the number cited most often in the roundtable discussions that have kept Kramer out all these years. It is a low number for a Hall of Famer ... but it wilts from the glow left by his proud playing career.
Chances that he’ll be “promoted” to Canton: 75 percent. Kramer has waited long enough. He'll go in some time in the next five years.
The final word: Like Alex Karras, Kramer did the heavy lifting and did it incredibly well – and above and beyond Karras, he did it at the highest stage. If teammate/Golden Boy Paul Hornung deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame – and we're not saying he doesn't – Kramer deserves it more.
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 BIG DADDY LIPSCOMB, DT
6-6, 300 no college
Played for L.A. Rams, 1953-55; Baltimore, 1956-60; Pittsburgh, 1961-62
Cold, Hard Football Facts: All-NFL mention from 1959-1962. Hall of Fame finalist. Was hitting his stride with his third Pro Bowl when he was found dead at 31; drugs are usually cited as the factor.
Why he’s in the Hall of Awesome: He was the biggest, baddest player on the planet during the 1950s, coming from nowhere to be the most dominant defensive player of his era. His size (6-6, 300) and speed were unprecedented at the time. Despite his self-destructive ways – and despite being a black star in 1950s America – he was an unstoppable force. There's got to be a Big Daddy Lipscomb movie in the works, doesn't there?
Reasons he’s not in the “real” Hall: Undrafted free agent dominates league, dies of a heroin overdose while still in his prime. Doesn't exactly sound like a Hall of Fame story, and maybe it's what has kept Lipscomb out. Plus, he didn't play on great defenses and went through three teams in his 10 seasons.
Chances that he’ll be “promoted” to Canton: 5 percent. He's been dead for 45 years now, so it's incredibly doubtful that momentum on his behalf would ever get going.
The final word: We'll leave it to Hunter S. Thompson: "Gene 'Big Daddy' Lipscomb was arguably the cruelest pass rusher in NFL history. He was a violent junkie who invented the dreaded roundhouse whack upside the head – directly on the ear hole of his victim's helmet – that often burst both eardrums of any hapless offensive lineman he could reach. Big Daddy weighed 300 pounds and he really wanted to hurt people." Welcome to the Hall of Awesome, big fella. Don't hurt anybody.
 RANDALL McDANIEL, G
6-3, 281 Arizona State
Drafted by Minnesota, 1st round, 1988
Played for Minnesota, 1988-1999; Tampa Bay, 2000-01
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Member of the all-1990s team. Started 11 Pro Bowls, appeared in 12. Over his 14-year career, his teams had just one losing record. Consensus all-NFL six times for Vikings: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998.
Why he’s in the Hall of Awesome: How is it possible that a man starts 11 Pro Bowls and then has to wait to get into the Hall of Fame? Here's how many players in NFL history have started 11 Pro Bowls: one. Randall McDaniel. You'd think that was an instant ticket to the Hall, but this year, in his first year of eligibility, he only made the semifinal round of 25. This for a man who was voted the best guard in the NFL six times. Six times! We know that offensive linemen are low-profile, but what's a guy got to do?
Reasons he’s not in the “real” Hall: Other than bias against non-skill players, we're not sure. Few players have shown more dominance than McDaniel did. So, it's got to be the position. You could also argue that he never won a Super Bowl (or got to one), but that's splitting hairs.
Chances that he’ll be “promoted” to Canton: 99.9 percent. We'll leave that tenth of a percent live, like Michael Jordan used to, but there's no way McDaniel doesn't get there – probably in 2008.
The final word: He wore a dark visor, spoke softly and dominated the interior for a decade-and-a-half. But because he was "just" a guard, he didn't get his rightful place in the Hall of Fame as a first-ballot guy. He won't have to wait much longer. See you in Canton next year.
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 ED & STEVE SABOL, FILMMAKERSUndrafted visionaries behind NFL Films
1962-present
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Ed Sabol founded NFL Films in 1964 after winning over the league by filming the 1962 NFL championship game. His son, Steve, is the face of the organization today. Ed Sabol was a record-setting swimmer in high school and college before serving under Patton in Europe during WWII, which earns him eternal praise in our book. (Ironically, the famous musical scores that add texture to NFL Films are recorded in Hitler’s old stomping ground of Munich.) NFL Films has won 92 Emmy Awards. Steve Sabol played running back at Colorado College. He is alleged to be just one of nine people who have attended all 41 Super Bowls – many of them as a working cameraman.
Why they’re in the Hall of Awesome: Their poetic, romanticized vision of pro football coincided with the rise of the game as the undisputed king of the American sporting landscape. Plus, these are the guys who filmed and wrote stuff like “The Autumn Wind."
‘Nuff said.
Reasons they’re not in the “real” Hall: The NFL has a provision for “Contributors” – men who helped build the NFL but who were not players. Seventeen men have entered Canton this way, and almost all are team owners or league commissioners. It seems that Hall voters never really thought of considering a couple of filmmakers as key contributors. They should. Ed and Steve Sabol have certainly done more to popularize pro football than Hall of Famer Charles Bidwill Sr., who owned the Cardinals franchise – the worst in sports today – from 1933 to 1947.
Chances that they’ll be “promoted” to Canton: 50 percent. We’re going to make it our life mission to get these guys into Canton. That's gotta count for something.
The final word: There’s a good chance you love the NFL because of Ed & Steve Sabol.
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 DERRICK THOMAS, LB
6-3, 247 Alabama
Drafted by Kansas City, 1st round, 1988
Played for Kansas City, 1989-99
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Member of the all-1990s team. Made the Pro Bowl in each of his first nine seasons. Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1988. Had 126.5 sacks in 11 seasons. Keyed two No. 1-ranked scoring defenses. Consensus all-NFL, 1990-91. Forced 45 fumbles. Died at 33 in 2000 after a car accident.
Why he’s in the Hall of Awesome: It was pretty clear to anyone who saw Derrick Thomas play that he was an all-time great. Fast, tough, a team leader, big numbers, plenty of all-league recognition. He was the defensive equivalent of Brett Favre, a guy who could take over a game just by sheer will, and did it at a high level for years. Sacks aren't the only measure of a linebacker, but Thomas had more in his 11 seasons than Lawrence Taylor did in his first 11.
Reasons he’s not in the “real” Hall: He played for the Chiefs, who were mostly a boring bunch under Marty Schottenheimer in the 1990s. But while Canton voters were napping through those Chiefs games, they missed some mean defense; in Thomas and Schottenheimer's decade together, they were in the top 10 in scoring D seven times. Ah, but there's that word again: defense. Is it one of the seven words you can't say on television or something?
Chances that he’ll be “promoted” to Canton: 85 percent. He's been a finalist three times and has plenty of chances left. He'll get in.
The final word: Here’s a guy whose life was saved by football – grew up hard but survived because he loved the game and wanted to play it. He never took it for granted and was a pillar of the community as a pro (if you disregard his seven kids by five different women). The January 2000 car accident that would kill him occurred on his way to the airport. This Chiefs legend was heading to the NFC title game in St. Louis. Just wanted to be there. Days later, he was dead of a blood clot. Kansas City GM Carl Peterson probably put it best: "He had so much love for the game, for his teammates and for our town ... A light has gone out.” It's a light that deserves more than our Hall of Awesome, for sure.
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ANDRE TIPPETT, LB
6-3, 240 Iowa
Drafted by New England, 2nd round, 1982
Played for New England, 1982-93
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Tippett is a member of 1980s All-Decade Team (voted on by the same committee that votes in Hall of Fame members). Five of the LBs on the All-80s team are in the Hall of Fame (Harry Carson, Ted Hendricks, Jack Lambert, Mike Singletary, Lawrence Taylor). He recorded a then-record 35 sacks over two seasons (1984-85) and made five Pro Bowls.
Why he’s in the Hall of Awesome: Even if he didn’t warrant consideration for his on-field performance, he’d get in via our affirmative action policy: Tippett might be the only black Jew (he converted) from Alabama in NFL history. Plus, he’s a 240-pound black belt in karate. You tell him he doesn’t belong. The truth is that Tippett’s often dominating play as a pass-rushing specialist OLB was one of the reasons the 3-4 came into vogue in the 1980s.
Reasons he’s not in the “real” Hall: He’s the poster boy for the HOF’s bias against defensive performers: Of all the linebackers who have joined the NFL since 1977, only two (Mike Singletary and Lawrence Taylor) are in Canton. Tippett also played for New England teams that, with the exception of the 1985 Super Bowl team, were generally bad to mediocre. His brilliance was overshadowed by the hype that surrounded his contemporary LT (1981-93), who played in the middle of the New York media bubble and won two Super Bowls. Their production, however, was incredibly close: Taylor averaged 5.91 tackles and 0.77 sacks per game; Tippett averaged 5.15 tackles and 0.66 sacks per game. Taylor forced 20 turnovers in 12 years; Tippett forced 18 turnovers in 10 years (he missed the 1989 season with an injury). Each scored two defensive TDs.
Chances that he’ll be “promoted” to Canton: 25 percent. Tippett started getting some recognition last season, becoming a Hall of Fame semifinalist for the first time – perhaps thanks in some small part to the Cold, Hard Football Facts, which have lobbied for his inclusion over the past two years. His future may hinge on ardent Tippett advocate and disgraced former sportswriter Ron Borges – who somehow remains one of the 40 HOF voters. If Borges is dumped as a voter, which it doesn’t appear he will be, Tippett’s odds may decline sharply.
The final word: Tippett was the Mario Lemieux to Lawrence Taylor’s Wayne Gretzky. If a sport allows into the Hall of Fame only its singular best performer at each position, it would be a small Hall indeed. If Tippett and Taylor had traded teams, we’d probably be talking today about why LT belongs in the HOF alongside Tippett.
 GARY ZIMMERMAN, T
6-6, 294 Oregon
Drafted by N.Y. Giants, 1st round, 1984
Played for Minnesota, 1986-92; Denver, 1993-97
Cold, Hard Football Facts: Left tackle was a member of the all-1980s team AND the all-1990s team. Made the Pro Bowl seven times. Retired on top after winning Super Bowl with Denver at the age of 36. Also started two years for the USFL's L.A. Express. Was all-NFL tackle with HOFer Anthony Munoz in 1988-89 and again in 1996 with Willie Roaf.
Why he’s in the Hall of Awesome: Zimmerman looked like a Viking, with a pudgy white body, light hair and cheesy mustache. But there was no one you'd rather have protecting your blind side. Prior to Zimmerman joining the Broncos in 1993, John Elway had only cracked 80 on the passer rating chart once. In five years with Zimmerman, Elway's rating never dipped below 85. With the Vikings, he impressed the league enough to get voted to the all-decade team despite entering the 80s midstream (1986).
Reasons he’s not in the “real” Hall: Ummm … lineman? The guy was on TWO all-decade teams! Isn't that enough? He even went out with a championship with Denver in 1997 – a championship characterized by remarkable offense. If anyone in Canton wants to fill us in on what we're missing, the phone lines are open.
Chances that he’ll be “promoted” to Canton: 50 percent. Zimmerman has been a finalist four times now, but that's certainly no guarantee – just ask Jerry Kramer (10), Art Monk (7) or Johnny Robinson (6).
The final word: We hate to sound like a broken record (and a country and western one at that), but the Gary Zimmerman song is a sad one. While the Seniors Committee is making amends by adding linemen to the Hall just about every year, the new guys are getting shafted. Zimmerman is just another example of the Hall's flash over smash concept.
HALL OF AWESOME
Wings of Honor
Special Teams:
BILLY “WHITE SHOES” JOHNSON
A 15th-round draft choice out of Division III Widener in 1974, Johnson averaged 27.1 yards per kick return in his rookie year. The following season, he averaged 15.3 yards per punt return while taking three in for TDs, a mark surpassed only twice.
Johnson's total of four return TDs in 1975 tied a league mark that stood until broken by Chicago’s Devin Hester last year.
The Hall of Fame voters – the same group that is paying him little attention these days – named Johnson the punt returner on the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team in 1994.
There's no question that Johnson was a deadly return man, an effective receiver and an all-around cool dude of such awesomeness that he’s known for the color of his cleats and his patented end zone dance moves. And we like people who can boogie the way we do.
 Lifetime Achievement:
BUCKO KILROY
A two-way lineman who was All-Pro on both sides of the ball. A general manager and director of player personnel. An innovator. A legendary scout. The man who invented the Scouting Combine.
Bucko Kilroy lived professional football for 64 years – he was professional football. He was still an active scout for the Patriots when he passed away just two weeks ago.
And while Kilroy is an unlikely choice to ever make the real Hall, we think that a life in football – without stardom, but with tremendous accrued success – can add up to true greatness.
 NFL Badasses:
MAC SPEEDIENo less an authority than Tom Landry credited Mac Speedie with bringing the 4-3 to the NFL – Speedie was so unstoppable that they needed an extra linebacker just to have a chance.
The Cleveland Browns pass catcher dominated the AAFC, averaging almost 1,000 yards a season from 1946-49 and winning four titles. This despite being a 26-year-old rookie thanks to WWII.
Speedie and the Browns won three more titles in three years after joining the NFL, and Speedie was an all-NFL end in 1950 and 1952. But he hated coach Paul Brown and, in true badass style, chose to end his career in Canada rather than play for him.
Speedie did have three shots at the Hall of Fame, but failed in his three appearances as a finalist in the 1970s. He died in 1993.
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