Sapp is the reason anyone expects big things from suh and Gerald mccoy and the like, ends were supposed to hit the QB but Sapp made it normal to expect a DT to hit the QB

I think the selections were good. Modell should never get in. I'm from Cincinnati and we have a natural rivalry with Cleveland but what Modell did to Cleveland was wrong. He should never get into the hall of fame after that.

Oh, and Jerome Bettis not a hall of famer. Of all of the times I saw him play I never thought to myself "he is one of the best RBs in the NFL."

maybe its b/c you're from cincinnati?

6th all-time in rushing, but he and Riggins (16th) are the only two in the top 20 to average less than 4 yards per carry. Riggins is in. I'm guessing Bettis will get in. Also, he was a fucking Steeler. The HOF loves The Steelers.

I don't think Bettis should be a HOFer.

Just for fun let's rank 90s and 00s RBs. My list is probably leaving some good ones off.

Barry Sanders
Marshall Faulk
Emmit Smith
LaDanian Tomlinson
Thurman Thomas
Curtis Martin
Adrian Peterson
Edgerrin James
Jerome Bettis
Terrell Davis (toughest person on here to rank)
Jamal Lewis
Fred Taylor
Ricky Williams
Steven Jackson
Corey Dillon
Eddie George

Bonus: Kenneth Davis

Reasons?

Just a personal opinion. He was never (or at least not for any considerable length of time) one of the very best RBs in the game. Yes, longevity gets points I suppose, and his yardage total is quite impressive. But I think it's also deceiving. How many "great" years did he have? Looking at his numbers on a season by season basis '93, '96, '97, and '01 (only 11 games) were his best seasons. The yardage totals those years were 1,429; 1,431; 1,665, and 1,072. Those were also the only 4 times he averaged over 4 yards a carry, which isn't the line between very good and great, it's more like the line between okay and good. And while each of those seasons is very good, I don't know that they are Hall of Fame good.

My personal opinion is that HOFers should be among the very best of their era at their position. I don't think Bettis was, even with the gaudy rushing total. He can go in the Hall of Very Good, though.

For the record, 4/5, rankings aren't fun.

Personally, I agree with your assessment. But 6th all-time in rushing + 94 TDs + Steeler = HOF.

Obviously I'm biased, but I'd have him above Bettis and the Edge. Maybe even on par with Martin--I never did understand why he was so highly regarded.

On a related note, I can understand and live with the case against TD for the Hall of Fame. However, someone involved with the pioneering zone blocking system of the late 90s Broncos needs to make it in. If not TD, then your options are Tom Nalen, Mike Shanahan, or maybe Alex Gibbs. Zimmerman doesn't count, since he was already highly regarded beforehand with the Vikings.

Yeah, I get that. It wouldn't be a crime if he got in by any means, I just wouldn't vote for him.

Alex Gibbs should definitely be in the HoF, along with Coryell since they both had such a big impact on the game.

I am biased, but even if I wasn't a Buffalo fan, I couldn't come up with any good reason why Andre Reed doesn't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. If Marvin Harrison makes it in before Andre, I'll blow up the hall myself.

6th all time in rushing, yet I can name 20 backs from his era I'd rather have

With Sapp getting in this year, Derrick Brooks and John Lynch are eligible next year. Think either of those two are HOFer's? DB should get in, but what about Lynch?

The short tenures that both Lynch and Dawkins had on the Broncos have made me biased in their favor.

brooks should get in, lynch should not. lynch was good, but brian dawkins was great. dawkins will be in the hall.

I fear what your reaction would be if Lynch gets in before Dawkins.

will he be eligible before dawk? i wouldnt be too upset, bc it would mean dawkins is a definite

If Sapp got in on the first ballot, I think Brooks has to. It wouldn't surprise me if Lynch never made the Hall. He was a beast, but not at h same level as Sapp and Brooks.