2020 HOF Selections: Who deserved it and who didn't?

[Cyphon25]

Title says it all. Give your thoughts, complaints, and sales pitches.

Edgerrin James
Isaac Bruce
Steve Atwater
Steve Hutchinson
Troy Polamalu

My thoughts:

Troy Polamalu was the most obvious choice on the list and doesn't even merit discussion. He was so good he arguably should have been put in before he was even eligible.

Steve Hutchinson is deserving but not over Alan Faneca. Just as a quick reference point to why Faneca had 9 Pro Bowls to Hutchinsons 7 and 6 All Pros to Hutchinsons 5. On top of that I think you could make a very real argument Faneca would have 1 more AP on his resume but there was a season the Steelers had him move from G to T and that was in one of his prime, AP type seasons. Oh yeah, and Faneca has an SB ring from beating Hutchinsons team. Both deserving but it is clear to me they just didn't want to put 2 Steelers in with the same class, especially with 2 other Steelers in the Centennial class.

Edgerrin James is the toughest evaluation for me because he certainly has a solid resume but when I think back to those days he just doesn't "feel" for me like a HoF guy. Take 1999 for example when he was rushing leader. 2 other backs at that time were Marshall Faulk and Emmitt Smith who are both very much deserving of the HoF. Is Edgerring James really in a class with those guys? Not in my opinion. Maybe I am pickier than most but I already think there are too many people in the HoF and James is just another really good player that doesn't quite meet what I would consider a transcendant player.

Isaac Bruce is an easy no for me, even when comparing him to the 2 other guys he was up against in this class. Let's take a look:

IB - 223 games / Rec - 1024 / Yds - 15,208 / TD - 91 / 4X Pro Bowl / 1X 2nd team AP / 1X NFL Receiving yards Leader

TH - 173 games / Rec - 920 / Yds - 13,382 / TD - 74 / 7X Pro Bowl / 1X 1st team AP / 1X 2nd team AP / 1X NFL Receptions leader / 2X NFL receiving yards leader / 2000’s All Decade team

RW - 211 games / Rec - 1070 / Yds - 14,345 / TD - 82 / 6X Pro Bowl / 1X 1st team AP / 2X 2nd team AP / 1X NFL Receiving yards leader

Isaac Bruce put up some nice stats but was never really recognized as a top receiver of his era. No 1st team AP's and only 4 Pro Bowls is pretty telling. I am not sure how I feel about the other 2 getting in or not but I think you could argue very easily that both are more deserving than Bruce.

Steve Atwater was before my time so I don't have a very good feel for him. I mostly just know him for the hit on Christian Okoye which admittedly was awesome. Again, my criteria for a guy getting in sort of revolves around needing to be a top 2 or 3 guy at your position for a good portion of your era of play. Was he one of those guys? I have no idea.


And just to be clear I don't really get up in arms over this stuff. Whoever gets in it is a really nice honor and I am not going to begrudge good players some extra joy in their lives. That being said, I am in the Deion camp of too many people being in and this year is definitely a good sticking point for me on that opinion.

[Carl]

Atwater was All Decade team, 8 time pro bowler and twice All Pro, won 2 Super Bowls and if not for TD was Super Bowl XXXII MVP. His game was more than stats, an uncompromising hitter. Do go watch some YouTube mate, your missing out!

[88horsepower]

Originally Posted by Carl

Atwater was All Decade team, 8 time pro bowler and twice All Pro, won 2 Super Bowls and if not for TD was Super Bowl XXXII MVP. His game was more than stats, an uncompromising hitter. Do go watch some YouTube mate, your missing out!

I don't know how anyone can legitimately argue against Atwater being in Canton. The man was one of the most feared safeties in the NFL for a decade and someone I would have inducted a few years ago. The only real travesty is that he had to wait as long as he did.

[myerscards]

It is getting more watered down every year.

[SleeperCards]

Everyone was deserving, but I probably would have put Faneca and Zach Thomas in before Edge and Bruce, but it doesn't really matter as they will be in eventually.

[SanAntonioSpurs]

They all deserved to get in but I was really glad to see Atwater finally get in finally.

[packman80]

Guys like Leroy Butler and Drew Pearsons need to get in. Both of these guys are the only players on the 1st team all decade teams not in the HOF. For guys like this to not get in it makes me think the voters have some kind of grudge held against them.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by packman80

Guys like Leroy Butler and Drew Pearsons need to get in. Both of these guys are the only players on the 1st team all decade teams not in the HOF. For guys like this to not get in it makes me think the voters have some kind of grudge held against them.

I don't see how this is a criteria when you say James doesn't belong and he was 1st team all decade. Being the best player in a decade means you played most of the decade. So that pretty much excludes half the players. I really don't give this any weight unless a particular position was loaded. For example who was better AP or Edge? Not really a serious question.

Drew Pearson may have made the 70s team, but he wasn't better than Paul Warfield, Fred Biletnikoff or Jon Stallworth. He was better than Harold Carmichael, but neither were Hofers in my mind. I don't think Butler or James belong either.

[packman80]

Originally Posted by rats60

I don't see how this is a criteria when you say James doesn't belong and he was 1st team all decade. Being the best player in a decade means you played most of the decade. So that pretty much excludes half the players. I really don't give this any weight unless a particular position was loaded. For example who was better AP or Edge? Not really a serious question.

Drew Pearson may have made the 70s team, but he wasn't better than Paul Warfield, Fred Biletnikoff or Jon Stallworth. He was better than Harold Carmichael, but neither were Hofers in my mind. I don't think Butler or James belong either.

Butler I think belongs you look at his stats he was among the first DB's to be part of the 20/20 club and not got hurt he would have been the first DB to be in the 40/20 club. Butler playing with Reggie he got over shadowed on those 90s teams. I say Lynch should not get it because he was a head hunter who took guys out. He never had great stats but always had the ESPN highlight play were he blew a guy up and people remember that. James I did say he was not HOF'er but he was an above average RB who ended up top 15 in rushing because others behind him are in I think that also played a part in him getting him.