• Favre and Pace are no-brainers for me (though I will always consider Favre one of the most overrated players in-career that I watched; he was great and fun to watch but the John Maddens of the world were beyond ridiculous when it came to him). Both (to me) were among the top 3 or 4 players at their positions for at least 5 seasons (which to me is an eternity in the NFL for a player).
• TO makes it for me, despite all the nuttiness. I thought he fit the criteria I just stated above for Favre and Pace, but the behavior takes it down a notch for me from "no-brainer."
• I saw enough of Faneca, Greene, and Harrison to feel they were probably good enough to be considered HOF'ers, but to me none are no-brainer cases.
• Dungy is getting in whether you or I think he deserves it based purely on his accomplishments as a head coach. The reason is obvious and considering history I personally don't have a problem with it. He blazed a trail for other guys and that makes the NFL that much better for it, and so the value he brings in that regard makes him a worthy choice for the HOF in my opinion.
• Terrell Davis is the most interesting case of them all to me. The argument against is that his career was too short, but then you have the exceptions to that for Gale Sayers (who I agree is HOF) and Lynn Swann (who I think was lucky to get in). I'm on the side of putting him in based on him being the key player on a team that won 2 championships.
• I don't view any of the others as HOF'ers. I could tolerate seeing Morten Anderson, Don Coryell, Joe Jacoby, and Ken Stabler getting in but (other than Andeson) I never looked at any of them as being the best or even close to the best at their positions during their careers.
• Kurt Warner will probably get in some day, if not this year but he doesn't deserve it IMHO. Warner had 3 great seasons with the Rams and then was crap for the Giants. What he did in Arizona was nothing special in my opinion.
• DeBartolo will probably get in also but doesn't deserve it. I saw the Football Life about him and I remember his ownership, and someone has to explain to me what he personally did to contribute so much to the NFL to warrant induction. His father bought him the team because Dad didn't want Junior involved in the real family business (**cough**) and Dad put Carmen Policy out there with Junior to keep him from blowing too much dough and making a fool of himself (which he did eventually anyway).
• Steve Atwater and John Lynch were fine players, but don't deserve it either. Did Tampa or Denver really win a lot because of their special level of performance? I don't see it that way. I think they were in the right place at the right time and giving them serious consideration for the HOF is disappointing considering how many guys were truly more dominant during their times. For them to get this far and see Ty Law sitting there, a much much better player who did many more significant things is a shame.
• Edgerrin James doesn't belong in this conversation at all.
• With Ty Law getting stiffed again, I'd like to know who on the Pats team that won 3 in 4 years winds up getting in (I'm excluding Moss and others that came later, and focusing on the 2001 - 2005 period). I doubt Troy Brown and Tedy Bruschi will ever get in (because I don't think folks outside of Pats fans really appreciated them), but they certainly were key players for a dynasty. So if not them then who (besides BB and TB obviously)? Maybe the kicker? Rodney? Seymour? I have a feeling no one other than BB and TB will get in, and that is a travesty when you see they put in multiple Buffalo Bills who never won squat, Bettis, Warren Crapp, Cortez Kennedy, etc. who like with Atwater and Lynch were fine players but in no way were the best in the league for a prolonged period. The absurd levels of Patriots Derangement Syndrome come into play here too I think.
