First-time nominees Larry Allen, Morten Andersen, John Lynch, Jonathan Ogden, Warren Sapp, and Michael Strahan make this a highly-competitive HoF class, and they're joined by past finalists Tim Brown, Cris Carter, Roger Craig, Charles Haley, Bill Parcells, and Andre Reed.
Rounding out the semifinalists: Steve Atwater, Terrell Davis, Joe Jacoby, Albert Lewis (really?), Karl Mecklenburg, Will Shields, Steve Tasker, George Young. And, as Hall of Fame voters continue to do their very best to tarnish the institution they represent: Edward DeBartolo Jr., Art Modell and Paul Tagliabue.
Former Rams who did not make the cut to semifinalist:
Henry Ellard, Dick Vermeil, Chuck Knox, Ron Jaworski, Stephen Davis, Nolan Cromwell, Sean Landeta, Bud Carson, Clark Shaughnessy, Eddie Kotal. Former Cardinals Ottis Anderson and Neil Lomax and Rams OC Brian Schottenheimer's father Marty were also left out of the final 27.
The voters' insistence on keeping criminal and rule-breaking scum like DeBartolo, a civic traitor like Modell and a completely undistinguished and biased commissioner in Tagliabue alive this far into the balloting really goes beyond the pale while some of the classiest men and most important contributors in the history of the league are left behind them. Just from a quick look at the full list of candidates, Art Rooney Jr. and Gil Brandt are easily more worthy than any of those three. And the voters should be ashamed, and probably all disqualified, upon seeing that the late Steve Sabol didn't even get to this point of considerations.
More importantly, RamView is pretty insistent that this should be the year for several former Rams to be enshrined in the Hall. Bettis has been a finalist two years running and has obviously the best numbers of any RB eligible for the Hall. Greene arguably should have gone in over Chris Doleman last year and has the most sacks of any player not in the Hall. Aeneas Williams was one of the top five vote-getters not inducted last year and is head-and-shoulders the best DB of the class. But I don't expect the the HoF committee to show appropriate respect to any of the three.
My guesses for the 2013 class:
- Allen. Regarded by many to have been the greatest guard to play the game, but was versatile enough to excel at tackle as well. Having been a Cowboy won't hurt him, either. Will Shields will have to wait even though he was in more Pro Bowls.
- Strahan. #5 all-time in sacks, single-season record holder, and his on- and off-field personality and being from New York sure as hell won't hurt him. They'll continue to tick me off and vote people behind Greene on the all-time sack list into the Hall ahead of him.
- Carter. This an even better year to break the WR logjam waiting to make the Hall than last year. Five-time finalist, eight-time Pro Bowler. I believe Cris himself once said it best... C'mon, man.
- Haley. Haley will especially be a pick to tick off Rams fans because he has far fewer career sacks than Greene and would be getting a spot that could have gone to Bettis, Greene or Aeneas Williams. But he has been a finalist longer than either, has five Super Bowl rings and based on reactions to his omission last year, he'll have the media in his corner this year. The voters would have to break a recent trend to vote two players at the same position in the same class.
- Ogden. The voters proved last year they're not afraid to induct a lot of linemen. (Nor should they be. Just remember that when Orlando Pace comes up.) Ogden's 11 Pro Bowls outweighs Aeneas' 8. I know, Shields has 12, but I don't see the voters putting in two guards, and I bumped Allen ahead of him.
I was going to predict Aeneas Williams here, and he should finish ahead of a lot of folks. In last year's balloting, he finished ahead of I believe Reed, Brown and Craig, as well as Bettis and Greene. He has more Pro Bowls than Sapp. The problem with Parcells is that they want to be sure he's actually done coaching, and he almost took the Saints' interim job this year, remember? The problem with DeBartolo is that he's a f*cking criminal. Shields wasn't even a finalist last year. The only way Aeneas can get left off of the HoF's final ballots this year is for stronger first-time candidates (Allen, Ogden, Strahan) and sentimental favorites (possibly Haley). So naturally, this is a year where we could see a lot of that. And Carter's been on the waiting list longer. I'm looking for Aeneas to make it in 2014, when the only newly eligible player likely to jump ahead of him will be Marvin Harrison (another good reason to get moving on Carter).
For the record, my votes that won't count would be for Bettis, Greene, Williams, Carter and Allen.
-$-
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