Peter King On The Next HoF Class
Who will the Hall call next?
Thursday, Aug. 3
4:20 p.m.
Houston
Earlier this morning I was standing on the sidelines at the Houston Texans practice with P.R. man Tony Wyllie. He was peppering me with questions about who should and shouldn't be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It's amazing how many times during the course of a year that, apropos of nothing, I'll have a 45-minute conversation with somebody about the Hall of Fame. Wyllie must have ripped off 50 names to me, asking if this guy or that guy belonged. He was amazed at how many guys I said no to.
"Terrell Davis," he said at one point.
"No way," I said. "Didn't play long enough."
I won't bore you with the different names and my opinion on them. But with only one probable Hall of Famer who is new on this year's ballot -- offensive lineman Bruce Matthews -- it's a good year to correct a lot of the injustices of the last few years. It's time for Michael Irvin to get in; he was an irreplaceable part of a three-time Super Bowl champion. Thurman Thomas should be in because he and Jim Kelly took an offense of above-average talent to four straight AFC titles. Those are the only two locks in my ballot box next February when we vote in Miami, but I would like to see Andre Tippett -- who had 100 sacks while fending off tight ends on the strong side on a bad New England defense -- get a fair hearing.
Thursday, Aug. 3
4:20 p.m.
Houston
Earlier this morning I was standing on the sidelines at the Houston Texans practice with P.R. man Tony Wyllie. He was peppering me with questions about who should and shouldn't be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It's amazing how many times during the course of a year that, apropos of nothing, I'll have a 45-minute conversation with somebody about the Hall of Fame. Wyllie must have ripped off 50 names to me, asking if this guy or that guy belonged. He was amazed at how many guys I said no to.
"Terrell Davis," he said at one point.
"No way," I said. "Didn't play long enough."
I won't bore you with the different names and my opinion on them. But with only one probable Hall of Famer who is new on this year's ballot -- offensive lineman Bruce Matthews -- it's a good year to correct a lot of the injustices of the last few years. It's time for Michael Irvin to get in; he was an irreplaceable part of a three-time Super Bowl champion. Thurman Thomas should be in because he and Jim Kelly took an offense of above-average talent to four straight AFC titles. Those are the only two locks in my ballot box next February when we vote in Miami, but I would like to see Andre Tippett -- who had 100 sacks while fending off tight ends on the strong side on a bad New England defense -- get a fair hearing.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:01 PM
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