PATRIOTS NEWS Patriots announce 2012 Pats HOF candidates

[OhExaulted1]

One of the problems with the 70s and 80s guys is that a lot of the best ones were only here a short time (Haynes, Francis, Gray, etc)
I always have a hard time with whether a guy like Haynes who was here only half his career belongs in a team HOF.

That's kind of my thought on Rodney. Don't get me wrong, he was great in his short time for us but so wasn't Haynes. Another thing I ponder is when will coaches, execs and contributers et all get a plaque. Obviously BB, Scar and of course Kraft would be shoe-ins but there all still active. So far only Parcells has gotten consideration. What about Romeo, Charlie and Pioli?

I know theres a ton of stuff in exhibits recognizing them at The Hall (been there 3 times, most recently for the Bledsoe induction-watch the movie if you go). I think it would be a good idea as some others have mentioned to add a category or two like a vetrens and contributer commitee. There a number that deserve to have their day and take the podium.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I think they just took pity on the bereaved family of Houston Antwine and let Fred Marion take his place as the veteran that made it to the final round but had no chance of getting in this year.

With players from 2001 and on becoming eligible for the next several years there will be more intrigue in who the three nominees are than who actually gets voted in.

2011: Drew Bledsoe
2012: Troy Brown
2013: Tedy Bruschi
2014: Willie McGinest
2015: Rodney Harrison
2016: Matt Light
2017: Kevin Faulk

Some of those from 2014-17 may not be in the correct order, but it's likely to be between those four. It could be quite a while before Parcells, Ty Law, Mike Vrabel or anyone else get in. When Tom Brady and Bill Belichick become eligible that's going to push everyone else back a year as well.

It's a nice gesture by the team to leave the voting up to the fans, but collectively they are almost always going to vote for the players freshest in their mind. The longer a player is retired the less and less of a chance that he'll have of ever getting in.

The next veteran's committee choice is 2016 which would presumably be the time Houston Antwine finally gets in, though maybe Julius Adams, Russ Francis, Leon Gray or Raymond Clayborn could get the vote instead.

Think your order is indeed off and Law and Vrabel were impact level players (and Law and Harrison are borderline pro football HOF candidates and eventually Seymour will enter the debate) to the extent they will push Willie into the bubble category for a while to the extent he will be praying Tom and Bill hang in there for at least another 5-6. And given the local media presence on the committee Willie didn't do himself any favors this week because he caused them to rehash his career and impact here. If we manage to win a ring in Welker's tenure Willie may be waiting a decade.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

That's kind of my thought on Rodney. Don't get me wrong, he was great in his short time for us but so wasn't Haynes. Another thing I ponder is when will coaches, execs and contributers et all get a plaque. Obviously BB, Scar and of course Kraft would be shoe-ins but there all still active. So far only Parcells has gotten consideration. What about Romeo, Charlie and Pioli?

I know theres a ton of stuff in exhibits recognizing them at The Hall (been there 3 times, most recently for the Bledsoe induction-watch the movie if you go). I think it would be a good idea as some others have mentioned to add a category or two like a vetrens and contributer commitee. There a number that deserve to have their day and take the podium.

Without Rodney I'm not sure we win two of those rings. Had he not been injured in 2005 and re-injured and unavailable for the AFCC game in 2006 we might have at least gotten to one or two more.

They need to retool their approach to pre BB era veterans and contributors - maybe they add one every other or third year - because of the emergence of a dynasty and multiple impact two and three ring candidates thereafter with potentially a dozen or more legit candidates who will deserve first ballot selection and dominate the process in the coming decade.

It's a wonderful problem to have to solve, though.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Liked Fred Marion a lot but he not close to Troy as HOF material.

As far as I'm concerned Parcells shot his way out of the HOF because of the way he shot himself out of Foxboro to NJ. Will never forgive him for that.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Liked Fred Marion a lot but he not close to Troy as HOF material.

As far as I'm concerned Parcells shot his way out of the HOF because of the way he shot himself out of Foxboro to NJ. Will never forgive him for that.

The local media keeps pushing his case because to them he was a rock star and they bought in to the whole franchise savior blather and still do even as he failed to turn anything around in NY, Dallas, or Miami in the last decade and a half sans "Little Bill". Things here didn't even begin to turn around until he rejoined the Tuna entourage.

Someone was hyping his 2012 pre draft show on twitter and trying to ascertain the actual draft board in the background. Someone else tweeted why should we care - because of how well he drafted in Miami?? LOL Legends...when myth overshadows reality.

 

[jmt57]

Think your order is indeed off and Law and Vrabel were impact level players (and Law and Harrison are borderline pro football HOF candidates and eventually Seymour will enter the debate) to the extent they will push Willie into the bubble category for a while to the extent he will be praying Tom and Bill hang in there for at least another 5-6. And given the local media presence on the committee Willie didn't do himself any favors this week because he caused them to rehash his career and impact here. If we manage to win a ring in Welker's tenure Willie may be waiting a decade.

Perhaps you are correct. I was thinking Law would not be eligible until later than he will be, which would have given McGinest a prime opportunity to get in. Of course with enshrinement being determined by fan voting current popularity will unfortunately play a factor. McGinest being on television could be beneficial to getting in, or it could also hurt him if he says something unpopular.


Potential inductee's first year of eligibility:
2011: Drew Bledsoe, Bill Parcells
2012: Troy Brown
2013: Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Rodney Harrison
2014: Ty Law
2015: Mike Vrabel
2016: Matt Light

After that you have Kevin Faulk also becoming eligible in probably 2016 or maybe 2017, and Adam Vinatieri likely to first become eligible in about the same timeframe. Seymour is 32 so I'm guessing he'll keep playing for about three more years; that would put him at 2019 for his first year of eligibility.

The guys that played prior to 2001 are going to have no shot of getting in by the fan vote and will have to rely on the veteran's committee, which can currently only add a player once every five years (2016, 2021, etc.).