Nominees for New England Patriots 2015 Hall of Fame

Tough year. 5 of them are first ballot Patriot Hall of Famers in my book. It would be a shame to exclude them but unfortunately it is going to happen like it did to Clayborn last year.

Jimke said:

If the Patriots had not been screwed by the officials, Fairbanks would have produced the first
Superbowl victory. They had routed the Raiders earlier in the year. How could Fairbanks co-exist
with Chuck Sullivan? GM Fairbanks re-signs his two star lineman, Hannah and Gray, and Chuck
steps in and negates the contracts. Hannah and Gray hold out and the Patriots get off to a bad
start and miss the playoffs. Having said this, he would not be one of my choices this year.
P.S. Glad to see Houston Antwine added by the veteran's committee. Good player.

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Damn, I'm wicked pissed at myself for forgetting the details of what happened with Hannah & Gray.
Thanks!

AzorianPats said:

Actually I take back what I said about Vrabel being the most underrated. Rodney was. I'm actually disgusted he's not in the Hall yet.

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To be fair, for Harrison to already be in the hall then he would have had to have got in over either Tedy Bruschi or Ty Law. It's difficult to make a case for that to have happened.

On the other hand, Rodney has yet to make it to the final three. He has a good chance this year.

Here are the most recent finalists; the first player listed in bold was the one voted in over the other two.

McGinest. The defensive leader of the dynasty teams, three rings and he still holds the record for play off sacks. Not easy but that's my vote. The Patriots really need to reconsider how they allow players into their Hall. At this point pre 1990 is over 25 years, it's a different game and the logjam of players from the Belichick/Brady years is going going make it extremely difficult for great players from the Pre 90 era's to get elected. e.g...Gray and Clayborn should be Old Time votes, and they are going to find it increasingly difficult to get the pre-Kraft Patriots in unless the alter the rules for entry.

Patriot Missile said:

Tough year. 5 of them are first ballot Patriot Hall of Famers in my book. It would be a shame to exclude them but unfortunately it is going to happen like it did to Clayborn last year.

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I still say Clayborn. Except for the newest fans, people should be aware of our 1985 SB team, no? There's no doubt not enough living people to give Antwine a chance, though I tried.

To be honest, Sam Cunningham was a decent consistent player, but having the great good fortune too look at John Hanna's butt every game and a catchy nickname got him in more than anything.

Starting with Clayborn, I could find a number of players as outstanding as cunningham in those years.

RayClay said:

I still say Clayborn. Except for the newest fans, people should be aware of our 1985 SB team, no? There's no doubt not enough living people to give Antwine a chance, though I tried.

To be honest, Sam Cunningham was a decent consistent player, but having the great good fortune too look at John Hanna's butt every game and a catchy nickname got him in more than anything.

Starting with Clayborn, I could find a number of players as outstanding as cunningham in those years.

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How can a guy like Clayborn, who has the team career record for interceptions (along with Law), not be in the Patriots Hall of Fame? Hard to think that a QB who held the team career record for TD passes or total yardage, or a linebacker who had the team career record for sacks, would be excluded from the HOF. Maybe he has to die, like Houston, before he is admitted.

NormZauchin said:

How can a guy like Clayborn, who has the team career record for interceptions (along with Law), not be in the Patriots Hall of Fame? Hard to think that a QB who held the team career record for TD passes or total yardage, or a linebacker who had the team career record for sacks, would be excluded from the HOF. Maybe he has to die, like Houston, before he is admitted.

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I am not in favor of him dying, by that award.

Pats Hall of Famer on Clayborn against Miami in the playoffs. For newer fans, Marino, Clayton and Duper were probably the best QB-WRs combination in a couple decades.

“Clayborn could match up with their two great receivers, Mark Duper and Mark Clayton,” recalled linebacker Steve Nelson, who was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 1993. “He was unbelievable that day. We left him in man coverage against whichever receiver they sent to his side. Raymond shut down everyone he was up against. I don’t think anybody caught a ball on that side of the field all day.”

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http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20150402/SPORTS/150409775/13988?rssfeed=true

Clayborn for sure

yes...tough year

Have been waiting for Julius Adams to get consideration for a while now.. he played well for about 16 years, was also on the 50 year anniversary team...

DarrylS said:

Have been waiting for Julius Adams to get consideration for a while now.. he played well for about 16 years, was also on the 50 year anniversary team...

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Yeah, for a team Hall of fame he is deserving. I do think Clayborn should be in now, he shouldn't be ancient history for real Pats fans.

Julius will probably be a vets nominee if anything, though.

patfanken said:

I can't agree with you more. When are the mediot pukes ever going to learn that REAL Pats fans know the "real" Bill Parcells. He was barely a .500 coach who's PR was always better than his capabilities.

There are so many reasons why he doesn't belong in the Pats HOF listing them all would be redundant. We all know what they are. Yet the media pukes keep nominating him ahead of so many more worthy participants. I wonder when they are going to get the message that they are insulting every decent Pats fan every time they do it.] and just simply STOP IT.

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Thanks for the support. The way some people gush over Parcells, even here at times, I was beginning to think I dreamed all of it.

Another thing that irks me are the lies and distortions that the mediots hand out as facts. We keep hearing that Belichick came from the Parcells coaching tree, but the truth is that Belichick was a product of the Ray Perkins tree, and may have already been with the Giants when Parcells arrived.

Parcells true strengths were working the media and the players and picking his spots to coach. After he left the Giants he took over a 2-14 NE team, Rich Kotite's 1-15 Jets team (probably the strongest 1-15 team in NFL history) and a 5-11 Dallas team. He also had a brief stint as a GM for Miami. No great shakes there either.

Oh, and one last strength of his was to hang onto Bill Belichick's coat tail for as long as possible. Parcells never won a thing without him.

Edit: I went on after this post and saw that Parcells has been named to the final three times to Raymond Clayborn's one. It made me sick to see that.

patfanken said:

I can't agree with you more. When are the mediot pukes ever going to learn that REAL Pats fans know the "real" Bill Parcells. He was barely a .500 coach who's PR was always better than his capabilities.

There are so many reasons why he doesn't belong in the Pats HOF listing them all would be redundant. We all know what they are. Yet the media pukes keep nominating him ahead of so many more worthy participants. I wonder when they are going to get the message that they are insulting every decent Pats fan every time they do it.] and just simply STOP IT.

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Parcells has achieved legendary status... while in reality most of it is a media fabrication, his antics after the trip to the Superbowl in 1996 are enough to be permanently banned..

When he moved to the Dallas Franchise the fans were approaching nirvana, told them he would give them false hope and then quit on them, which he did after posting a 4 year 34-30 record..

In many ways he was a media darling who played along well with the press, who at one time were the top of the local sports food chain.. then along came Belichick, Doc Rivers, Terry Francona etc. who ascended to the throne. But the press longs and pines for the rhetoric of Bill as they found him entertaining..

Parcells was a good HC who was also very lucky. He had a pretty standard formula for success.

1. To get a job a a franchise that has been horrible for a few years. (ie Giants, Pats Jets)

2. You reap the benefits of those high draft picks, so you know while you don't have a great team, you do have some decent talent. Plus the previous har had been set so low, almost any result the first few years would look like a miracle. It is MUCH MUCH harder to "maintain" success, and Parcells NEVER managed to be able to do that. When the going got tough, Parcells like the bully his is, simply got going

3. Hire the best assistant talent around and make sure your buddies in the press give most of the credit for their good works to you

4. Build your team on a strong running game and a great defense.;

5. Make yourself the team's identity. Give the mediots what that want. Easy and entertaining pressers so they don't have to work hard, and they'll follow you around anywhere and say exactly what you want to say.

6. Create a persona that his harsh enough to quickly turn around bad team cultures, yet corrosive that it has about a 4-5 year life span. Then look to move every 4-5 years

7. Then you have to get lucky to win a superbowl you probably had no business winning (wide right), to cement the legend

8 Then try and run out on EVERY contract you ever signed, from the Giant's (twice) Pats, Jets, Cowboys, and Dolphns

And in the last 3 jobs of your career, leave every team you worked for WORSE off for the pleasure

Man Bledsoe is lucky he retired when he did. Going to be a logjam with the dynasty Patriots. I originally thought Wes would make it but going to be hard for zero ring players like him and Mankins where they would for an average franchise.

RayClay said:

Yeah, for a team Hall of fame he is deserving. I do think Clayborn should be in now, he shouldn't be ancient history for real Pats fans.

Julius will probably be a vets nominee if anything, though.

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I'm starting to think you believe Clayborn should be in the Patriots Hall of Fame.

patfanken said:

I can't agree with you more. When are the mediot pukes ever going to learn that REAL Pats fans know the "real" Bill Parcells. He was barely a .500 coach who's PR was always better than his capabilities.

There are so many reasons why he doesn't belong in the Pats HOF listing them all would be redundant. We all know what they are. Yet the media pukes keep nominating him ahead of so many more worthy participants. I wonder when they are going to get the message that they are insulting every decent Pats fan every time they do it.] and just simply STOP IT.

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Fundamentally, this is a question of who deserves it most, not do they deserve to be inducted in a vacuum.

In general, Parcells deserves induction for a host of reasons related to his role in turning around a moribund franchise, and for his work coaching the team to the 1996 Super Bowl.

But, Parcells was a destructive force unlike anyone since his time with New England. He publicly humiliated players - Terry Glenn in particular, who struggled with mental health issues but who still delivered two 1,000+ yard receiving seasons for the Patriots (1996 and 1999). Parcells publicly humiliated staff - Director of Player Personnel Bobby Grier who did a good job in several roles with the Patriots and was a minority NFL executive. Parcells was insubordinate with Robert Kraft publicly with the whole "shop for the groceries" press conference.

All of this makes Parcells less worthy of induction than other men on the list, especially people like Willie McGinest, Rodney Harrison and Lawyer Milloy who have represented the Patriots with grace and respect. Milloy, in particular stands out as someone who struggled with his release, as his teammates and we all did, but who, over time, has been mature and classy in reflecting on his contribution to the Patriots and the realities that led to his release.

Parcells is a fascinating character, but until the list of options has no one who has represented the Patriots better than he did, he does not get in.

Rodney, Willie, & Ray got my votes. Parcells and Lawyer will not ever get my vote.

Imagine if Rodney had played in the AFCCG against the Colts. That come back would not have happened and the Patriots would have played an awful Bears team in the SB. The cheap shot by the Titans cost us #4 IMO.

flasox27 said:

Don't blame the worst roster on Parcells. You can thank Bobbie Grier for the drafting debacle which included two extra first round choice that produce the talent less group that BB fixed.

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I'm not blaming it on him, I am dismissing the claim that he deserves credit for building the dynasty.

Jimke said:

If the Patriots had not been screwed by the officials, Fairbanks would have produced the first
Superbowl victory.

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Yuo are handing the guy who never won a playoff game a guaranteed win in the AFCCG and another in the SB? Interesting.

They had routed the Raiders earlier in the year. How could Fairbanks co-exist
with Chuck Sullivan? GM Fairbanks re-signs his two star lineman, Hannah and Gray, and Chuck
steps in and negates the contracts. Hannah and Gray hold out and the Patriots get off to a bad
start and miss the playoffs. Having said this, he would not be one of my choices this year.
P.S. Glad to see Houston Antwine added by the veteran's committee. Good player.

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Gray and Hannah held out at the start of 1977. Farbainks QUIT ON HIS TEAM on the eve of the playoffs in 1978