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5 CHFF favorites up for Hall honors
Cold, Hard Football Facts for January 16, 2008
By the Cold, Hard Football Facts staff
Way back in the summer of 2007, the Cold, Hard Football Facts inducted the inaugural class of our very own " Hall of Awesome," a list of the 17 men we felt most deserved to be enshrined in the "real" Pro Football Hall of Fame.
We selected this astounding group of all-time greats after weeks of debate, sifting through as many Cold, Hard Football Facts as could be found. We looked at grainy old film, filed through boxes of Topps football cards and crunched more numbers than H&R Block, finally whittling our list down to a meaningful 17.
Some of
the members of the CHFF Hall of Awesome might never get to Canton -- their day has passed, and in the end they will likely have to settle for our respect and admiration.
But
five of our main men have a shot to get called up to the majors this year, having made the list of Hall of Fame Class of 2008 finalists: Richard Dent, Derrick Thomas, Gary Zimmerman, Randall
McDaniel and Andre Tippett.
The complete list of 2008 finalists (links go to bios of each courtesy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame):
- Cris Carter – Wide Receiver – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins
- Fred Dean – Defensive End – 1975-1981 San Diego Chargers, 1981-85 San Francisco 49ers
- Richard Dent – Defensive End – 1983-1993, 1995 Chicago Bears, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1996 Indianapolis Colts, 1997 Philadelphia Eagles
- Marshall Goldberg – Back – 1939-1943, 1946-48 Chicago Cardinals
- Randy Gradishar – Linebacker – 1974-1983 Denver Broncos
- Darrell Green – Cornerback – 1983-2002 Washington Redskins
- Russ Grimm – Guard – 1981-1991 Washington Redskins
- Ray Guy – Punter – 1973-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
- Bob Kuechenberg – Guard – 1970-1984 Miami Dolphins
- Randall McDaniel – Guard – 1988-1999 Minnesota Vikings, 2000-2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Art Monk – Wide Receiver – 1980-1993 Washington Redskins, 1994 New York Jets, 1995 Philadelphia Eagles
- Andre Reed – Wide Receiver – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins
- Paul Tagliabue – Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League
- Derrick Thomas – Linebacker – 1989-1999 Kansas City Chiefs
- Emmitt Thomas – Cornerback – 1966-1978 Kansas City Chiefs
- Andre Tippett – Linebacker – 1982-1993 New England Patriots
- Gary Zimmerman – Tackle – 1986-1992 Minnesota Vikings, 1993-97 Denver Broncos
Darrell Green and Cris Carter are significant first-timers that are expected to breeze in -- it'd be hard to argue against either as all-time great players.
But no one else on the list a lock. Almost all of the other finalists have been this far before and fallen short -- including all five of our Hall of Awesome candidates.
Good luck to all of the finalists, who are all greats in our book even if they never make it to Canton.
 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.
Links:
 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.
Link:
 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.
Links:
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, they would probably both have one of those ugly yellow jackets in their closets at home.
 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.
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