Patriots HOF finalists: Burton, Coates, Morgan

[pats1]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/

June 02, 2007
Hall finalists

The three finalists for induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame will be announced later today. Fans will have the final call, with voting taking place on Patriots.com -- the Patriots official website -- starting on Monday.

The three finalists are:

Ron Burton
Ben Coates
Stanley Morgan

One of the three will be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame. Fan voting will take place over the next two months. We'll have some more on each player later in the day.

Posted By: mreiss | Time: 10:55:42 AM

 

[SeanBruschi54]

I'd say its definitely going to be Coates out of that group.

 

[DaBruinz]

Stanley Morgan should get in before Coates or Burton.

 

[italian pat patriot]

i am for Stanley Morgan too

 

[Pats Fanatic]

Why just one, that is ridiculous. All three should be inducted and couple more I can think off also(Darryl Stingley and Sam Cunningham).

 

[DarrylS]

Why just one, that is ridicules. All three should be inducted and couple more I can think off also(Darryl Stingley and Sam Cunningham).

I agree one per year is a bit slow, and think that Darryl Stingley should be automatically be put in the HOF.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

I know Coates had some great yrs, but believe it or not was not as consitant as Stanley the Steamer.. It should be Morgan by a landslide..

 

[Pats Fanatic]

I agree one per year is a bit slow, and think that Darryl Stingley should be automatically be put in the HOF.

Exactily, just think how long it will be to put in the great players from the Super Bowl years(that is still going).

 

[Jimke]

This is a public relations stunt to get your attention for the next

several years. The Pats have already had my attention for 47 years.

 

[PatsRI]

I disagree, having just one a year makes it that much more of an honor to be voted in. Perhaps you are right that when this current crop retires they may have to increase it but for now I like the 1 a year and it should be Morgan.

 

[PonyExpress]

There is something crass about subjecting these greats to the vagaries of online voting. The majority of fans never saw Burton, and many missed out on Morgan. I don't like this publicity stunt. Just put the deserving people in and be done with it.

 

[PatsRI]

There is something crass about subjecting these greats to the vagaries of online voting. The majority of fans never saw Burton, and many missed out on Morgan. I don't like this publicity stunt. Just put the deserving people in and be done with it.

I would agree if the names thrown out there were arbitrary. The panel of 40 journalist etc. narrow it down though so I think that leaving the final decision in the fans hands in this case is fine.

Also I never saw Burton play whereas I did see Morgan and Coates. I would vote for Burton before Coates in any case. I think the majority of fans are aware enough of Pats history to do a good job.

And my one question about this being a stunt is; who are they trying to draw in that isn't already on board? Most of the fans will go to the HOF whether they vote or not, The Pats.com website is one of the top ones in the NFL so I'm not sure the lure is to get hits there for adv. $, pub about the team is at an alltime high on radio/internet/newspapers. I just think it's another example of the team making fans enjoy the product.

 

[AzPatsFan]

I hope this Pats HOF is also a good time to clean up the nonsense of retired numbers. ONLY inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame should be candidates to have their numbers retired and then some of them that played the majority of their careers elsewhere shoulf not be automatic retirees.

I have followed the Pat since their beginnings and quite frankly are puzzled by some of the retired numbers.

Tommy Addison?... For what? Why?? Over Nellie, Rembert, Vince Brown, not to mention Andre or Nick?

Jim Lee Hunt over... Houston Antwine ? Why??

Steve Nelson over ...Andre Tippett? or Nick Bouniconti?? Why??

Where's ... Jim Nance, Julius Peppers, Sam Bam, Stanley Steamer, Curtis Martin, yada yada...

How come no linemen besides Hawg? ... What happened to Armstrong? Leon Gray, Tommy Neville, and Jon Morris not to mention Drs. Lenkaitis and Brock and Holloway

No QBs?.... Grogan? Bledsoe, Plunk and Babe?

No DBs? ...Where's Law, Clayborn, Fox, Burton? Marion?

there should only be three possible numbers retired and currently there are only two... Who wore #s 40, #73 and # 85 ??

 

[PatsSteve1]

Stanley's getting my vote. 19.4 yards a catch on 534 catches. That's almost 2 - 1st downs a catch -

 

[lapatsfan]

Stanley Steamer gets my vote!

 

[bronk37]

definitely Stanley. Is this the first round of candidates for Pats Hall of Fame or are others like Hannah,Tippet,Grogan already inducted? Also the whole retired #'s thing is cool but there going to run out of numbers, I think they should just take a Jersey with the players name give him an induction ceremony and call it a day. I mean there will most likely be a plaque describing the players accolades and the jersey will have the name so the player is remembered, all these retired jerseys mean there are no numbers available for the next generation of players.

 

[dhamz]

Not even a tough choice - it is Morgan.

Every summer people whine that Art Monk desn't get in the NFL HoF. Stanley caught more TDs in 2 fewer seasons, averaged 6 more yards per catch, and more yards per game. Stanley might be in the NFL HoF had he palyed on better teams. The Pats HoF is a no-brainer.

 

[BradfordPatsFan]

I never saw Morgan play but in doing some research, it is clear he is the next one in. Coates, the only one of the three I saw play, could get in down the line but no way, no how over Morgan.

 

[RayClay]

Morgan fine, otherwise a total farce.

Burton had five mediocre seasons topping out at an astounding 540 yards rushing with 108 his last year.

Antwine had 6 pro bowls and is in the AFL hall of fame.

Coates has 5 Probowls, but no way he deserves to go in before Antwine.

Jon Morris deserves it too.

If you're going to have some sort of political committee awarding entrance for charity work you might as well disband it. It was a joke before and I can see it will be more of a joke in the future.

After leaving professional football, this former child of poverty became an eminently successful motivational speaker who then made a major financial and emotional gift to needy children.

This is so wonderful. Let's nominate all the motivational speakers and the hell with the football players

 

[RayClay]

By the way, Antwine deserves to be in already more than approximately 40-50%

of current players.

BTW 4 time pro bowler Larry Garron won't be nominated, but he had twice the career of Burton.

1960 bos | 4 | 8 27 3.4 0 | 1 8 8.0 0 |
| 1961 bos | 14 | 69 389 5.6 2 | 24 341 14.2 3 |
| 1962 bos | 11 | 67 392 5.9 2 | 18 236 13.1 3 |
| 1963 bos | 14 | 175 750 4.3 2 | 26 418 16.1 2 |
| 1964 bos | 14 | 183 585 3.2 2 | 40 350 8.8 7 |
| 1965 bos | 10 | 74 259 3.5 1 | 15 222 14.8 1 |
| 1966 bos | 14 | 101 319 3.2 4 | 30 416 13.9 5 |
| 1967 bos | 14 | 46 163 3.5 0 | 30 507 16.9 5 |
| 1968 bos | 4 | 36 97 2.7 1 | 1 4 4.0 0 |
| TOTAL | 99 | 759 2981 3.9 14 | 185 2502 13.5 26 |