Pro Football HOF Class of 2011

[Big Sexy]

The 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame class has been released. 7 candidates will be inducted which is the max per year. The list consists of: Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Shannon Sharpe, Richard Dent, Les Richter, Chris Hanburger, and Ed Sabol. Richter and Hanburger were senior inductees and Ed Sabol was inducted as a contributor.

A few who didn't make the cut include Curtis Martin, Chris Carter, Willie Roaf, Andre Reed, Dermontti Dawson, and Jerome Bettis. All of those who didn't make it are deserving and will get in eventually but the biggest snub was easily Chris Carter. Martin, Bettis, and Roaf are all first timers and it's hard to get in on your first attempt. Tim Brown has been on the ballot 2 years now but many assumed it would take a few years for him to get in.

Chris Carter, however, should have been a first ballot guy and now he has been snubbed for the 4th straight year. When he retired Carter was second to only Jerry Rice in career receptions and receiving touchdowns. Since then Marvin Harrison has passed him in total receptions and TO and Randy Moss have passed him in td catches but he is still number 3 and 4 all time on those respective lists. No offense to Ed Sabol as he and his son Steve are the creators of NFL films but no way should a contributor be put into the Hall before a player the caliber of Chris Carter. With all the potential first timers this was one of the deepest classes in recent history and there really wasn't room for a contributor especially when two senior candidates were selected.

So, what do you think of the HOF class? Any snubs you thought should have gotten in? and Who should have they replaced?

 

[Theo Mays]

Call me a bitter homer, but I won't care about the Hall of Fame class until Cris Carter gets in. I expected him to miss the cut last year with Rice being eligible, so it wasn't a big deal for me as I expected him to get in since the WR class has gotten weaker. Yet the committee just pairs him into the group with Reed and Brown (who are great no doubt) and in essence the three cancel each other out. I don't know what it is. Carter early in his career had some off the field issues, so I guess in retrospect that should cost him a year, but now we are going on four and that is beyond ridiculous. And if this year indicates anything Andre Reed is likely to get in before him, as he made it into the second cuts, whereas Carter failed to get pass the first round of cuts. Until Cris Carter gets into the Hall I'm going to stop caring.

As for this year's class, they are solid. Deion is a no brainer. Shannon waited his time and deserves it, same with Richard Dent (bout freaking time he got inducted). I was iffy on Faulk, but he was the best overall talent of the RB and definitely deserves the honor. Senior class guys always get the nod and I'm vague on how good those guys where so I won't say yay or nay. But like you said Big Sexy, Ed Sabol shouldn't have gotten in. I get he has contributed to the NFL in the filming department, but to put him in over a player the caliber of Carter (or even the other snubs) is ridiculous. Hell if we are putting in contributors I'd put Tagliabue in before Sabol, as Tags is arguably the greatest commissioner in league history. Though he probably will never get in as I heard an interview with Mort saying the writers won't even bring him up to discussion. It is what is I guess.

 

[nick p]

Steve Sabol:"For nearly 50 years Big Ed and NFL Films have celebrated the National Football League

 

[Davi323]

I think its time that the Selection committee changes its rules. Tim Brown and Cris Carter are absolutely first ballot Hall of Famers, and should not have to wait at all. The whole 5 player maximum/7 with old timers rule is asinine. The problem is that it was a very heavily stacked potential class this year. Too many worthy players, not enough spaces. My concern is that next year will be stacked, the year after will be, and so forth, so that some of these guys will be excluded, and eventually forgot about. The rules must change to allow for classes as large as deemed worthy, not a set limit.

Marshall Faulk: I have a problem with Marshall Faulk going in. Not that he isn't a Hall of Famer, but the NFL has to put in Roger Craig before they put in Faulk. Without Roger Craig, there is no Marshall Faulk. It is a tragedy that Craig isn't in. His numbers aren't awe inspiring, but when someone says "receiving back", the first player that comes to my mind is always Craig. 4 time Pro Bowler, NFL Offensive player of the year (88), multiple Super Bowl champion, the first player to ever have both 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in the same season, (Faulk is the only other), retiring with over 13,000 total yards from scrimmage. This guy was Marshall Faulk before Marshall Faulk was. I absolutely think Faulk is a HOF'er...but not before Roger Craig. It's a matter of timing. As soon as Craig gets in, then put in Faulk. I know some people are going to somehow misinterpret this as an attack on Marshall Faulk, but it isn't. I just think that there is another back who needs to get in first, because he did the exact same thing Faulk did, before Faulk did, did it just as well, and has been excluded.

Richard Dent: About fucking time. One of the greatest omissions of all time is being corrected.

Deion Sanders: Prime Time was a guaranteed lock, even though he never learned how to tackle for shit.

Shannon Sharpe: This guy fucking dominated at the TE position. He was an absolute monster, almost unstoppable. Maybe the single greatest TE of all time, no offense to Tony Gonzalez. No issues at all.

Ed Sabol: As far as I am concerned, the Sabols and NFL films should have their own wing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Sabols have done more to promote the NFL than just about anybody in the history of the league. True story: my all-time dream job is to work for NFL Films. No issues at all. I am sure that Steve Sabol will find his way to the Hall as well.

I don't know anything about either of the two old timers, so I won't comment on them.

 

[Chardee Macdennis]

I totally agree that Chris Carter needs to get in, like...ASAP. I'm really getting irratated that Dermonti Dawson continues to have to wait. Like Theo said, it may be the "homer" in me, but that man is easily in the top five Centers of all time, possibly in the top 3. Also, he changed the position, which is supposed to be part of the criteria. How many Centers did you EVER see pulling on a run play, before Dirk Dawson? He did it better than most Guards ever could have. If he doesn't get in soon, I'll be done watching the Hall of Fame selections.

 

[Stormtrooper]

Cris Carter is the biggest snub every year, except this year. My complete and utter bias says that Curtis Martin (AND JEROME BETTIS) should BOTH have been first ballot guys. the 2 of them are easily among the best all time at the position, and to not be first ballot when every other top-10 rushing yards guys are (or will be in Tomlinson's case) is asinine.

The difference between first and second ballot is infinitely higher then the difference between any other year, and as such I feel that Curtis and Jerome were bigger snubs.

THANKFULLY, 2012 is a weak class of new guys, and so guys like Carter (who should have gotten in right away), Martin (same), and Bettis (again, same) will all get what they should have gotten already. Guys like Dent could have waited another year, no big deal, and even Shannon Sharpe could have.

On the topic of Ed Sabol, he should have been in the Hall forever ago. NFL films is the single best thing to ever happen to football. And I'm not all that upset about him getting in this year. The guy is 95 years old, and when you get that old, the chances of being around the following year lessen. Ed Sabol deserved to at least know that he's a Hall of Famer.

 

[Big Sexy]

Cris Carter is the biggest snub every year, except this year. My complete and utter bias says that Curtis Martin (AND JEROME BETTIS) should BOTH have been first ballot guys. the 2 of them are easily among the best all time at the position, and to not be first ballot when every other top-10 rushing yards guys are (or will be in Tomlinson's case) is asinine.

The difference between first and second ballot is infinitely higher then the difference between any other year, and as such I feel that Curtis and Jerome were bigger snubs.

THANKFULLY, 2012 is a weak class of new guys, and so guys like Carter (who should have gotten in right away), Martin (same), and Bettis (again, same) will all get what they should have gotten already. Guys like Dent could have waited another year, no big deal, and even Shannon Sharpe could have.

On the topic of Ed Sabol, he should have been in the Hall forever ago. NFL films is the single best thing to ever happen to football. And I'm not all that upset about him getting in this year. The guy is 95 years old, and when you get that old, the chances of being around the following year lessen. Ed Sabol deserved to at least know that he's a Hall of Famer.

I could have seen Curtis Martin possibly as a first ballot guy but no way is the Bus a first ballot HOFer. He does belong in the HOF but he isn't in the elite class and doesn't have the numbers a first ballot guy needs. Chris Carter is easily a bigger snub then both guys.

I agree that Ed Sabol should be in and should have been in a while ago but I don't agree with the fact that he is taking a players spot. The HOF needs new rules to make it so contributors are put in separately and not part of the 7 players that get in.

 

[Stormtrooper]

I could have seen Curtis Martin possibly as a first ballot guy but no way is the Bus a first ballot HOFer. He does belong in the HOF but he isn't in the elite class and doesn't have the numbers a first ballot guy needs. Chris Carter is easily a bigger snub then both guys.

I think we're in agreement for the most part. I think Curtis is a better back then Bus, and I'm letting my Bus Bias (and the whole all the Top-10 rushing yards guys being 1st ballot) get in the way. I can't help Bettis going to Notre Dame, and as such earning my eternal bias.

And the way I put it was that, because this was Curtis and Bus' ONLY chance to be a First Ballot guy, I felt that was a bigger snub. All things equal, Cris Carter is a bigger snub, since he should have been a first ballot guy, and still isn't in on the 4th (or so, I lost count) try.

I agree that Ed Sabol should be in and should have been in a while ago but I don't agree with the fact that he is taking a players spot. The HOF needs new rules to make it so contributors are put in separately and not part of the 7 players that get in.

This we're in 100% agreement on. The NFL needs to add a 3rd voting committee exclusively for contributors. They already have one for players/coaches, and one for the old folks, so they can just as easily be their own thing. Plus this way they can put 1 contributor in each year, and maybe we can see them finally put a ref or 2 in (there HAS to be some refs that deserve it). Oh, and they can do the unprecedented and put Gus Johnson in, even though he's young and active still.