More HOF: Alexander out, Easley automatically a finalist

[byau]

Last week the 94 modern-era HOF nominees were cut down to 26.

First-time eligible Shaun Alexander didn't make the cut to 26. Not surprised since he is never considered a sure HOFer and the discussion has always been whether or not he will get there. So not a sure HOFer means no first-ballot.

Fortunately the guy a lot of us would like to see go in (ME SO INCLUDED HERE) will automatically get on the finalist ballot. Kenny Easley being a nominee of the senior committee automatically bypasses all these cuts and goes straight to the February ballot.

In January, the 26 semi-finalists will be cut to 15 finalists to be voted on. At that point those 15 will join the three senior nominees (two publicists and KENNY EASLEY!) for the final vote of who gets in

Oh man, here's hoping!



http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... ifinalists

 

[sutz]

Kenny definitely deserves a shot IMHO. His only real knock is that his careeer was cut short by injury, well and the fact that he played for Seattle. At least that one is going away, finally.

Shaun is not surprising. Loved the guy while here, and he has a lot of the stats he needs, but between the Seahawks "hate" and his lack of rings, it wouldn't surprise me if he never gets in.

 

[byau]

Shaun is not surprising. Loved the guy while here, and he has a lot of the stats he needs, but between the Seahawks "hate" and his lack of rings, it wouldn't surprise me if he never gets in.

Besides all the stories about the selfishness, besides the hindsight look at his career of him leaving too much meat on the bone [which I think has bordered into the unfair because we are now comparing him with Marshawn Lynch who is in a class of his own], he definitely has some numbers. If he had a ring, I'd say he'd likely get in at some point. Without the ring, his numbers aren't spectacular enough to get him in, and that's when all the other intangibles will either make the voters like you or not like you. And I agree, that's why he likely won't get in.

Kenny definitely deserves a shot IMHO. His only real knock is that his careeer was cut short by injury, well and the fact that he played for Seattle. At least that one is going away, finally.

In the same vein of the "without the ring and numbers, all the other intangibles kick in" idea: I think that's why some advocates came out strongly for Easley and why the senior committee chose him. His intangibles are other-worldly. He doesn't have numbers because of a short career, just the interception numbers. And safeties in general don't get a lot of numbers, nature of the position. And no ring. But the intangibles are there: those who remember seeing him play, the respect he holds of so many other players including other HOFers, and that we are all still talking about him, it's all those things that make for a great senior nominee. Everyone is rooting for him.

I really hope he gets it.

 

[Sports Hernia]

Go Kenny GO! :2thumbs:

 

[Sports Hernia]

Go Kenny GO! :2thumbs:

 

[nash72]

I always thought Alexander needed 2 more 1000 yrd seasons to make it in. I'm blaming it all on Hutch.

 

[Seahawk Sailor]

Easley has a decent shot, and I'm hoping like hell he makes it in. One of my favorite players ever. Sure, his career was cut short by injury, but he's got guys like Ronny Lott saying he was one of the best players ever to play his position. That says something!

Alexander is of course not going to make it the first couple of times. One note, though: those that saying "all he needed was to get a ring to make it" should take into account that perhaps many people feel he and that 2005 Seahawks team were absolutely screwed out of their ring by the referees. That could count for more than just "not having a ring" when it comes to voting.

 

[BlueThunder]

I always thought Alexander needed 2 more 1000 yrd seasons to make it in. I'm blaming it all on Hutch.

Speaking of Hutch, throw Walter Jones in there. I still say Alexander's numbers were bloated as a result of having an embarrassingly awesome O-line. I wonder what Beast-mode would have done behind that line? Mind-boggling to think about... 3000 yards?

 

[Rat]

Alexander absolutely has Hall of Fame numbers. His problem is that so many RBs have been enshrined recently, and now there's a little pushback to the position.

At the very least, he's much more deserving than Jerome Bettis was.

 

[Seanhawk]

Alexander absolutely has Hall of Fame numbers. His problem is that so many RBs have been enshrined recently, and now there's a little pushback to the position.

At the very least, he's much more deserving than Jerome Bettis was.

He may get in with the senior committee, much like Easley. People will come to realize that with RB careers getting shorter and shorter, that he really does have HOF numbers like you said and "oh crap, Alexander is the only player with 100+ TDs not in the HOF".

 

[RolandDeschain]

I'd vomit if Alexander got in but Beast Mode didn't.

 

[BlueThunder]

I'd vomit if Alexander got in but Beast Mode didn't.

+1!!!!!!

 

[Bigpumpkin]

Kenny was well like by most of the players. I think that he will be enshrined someday.

 

[byau]

Kenny was well like by most of the players. I think that he will be enshrined someday.

Well, I think this almost his best and last shot. Some interesting facts/numbers I crunched when I was looking at the senior nominees

1) about 80 total senior nominees since they started
2) about 75% of them make it into the HOF (yay!)
3) 100% of the nominees in the last 8 years made it in *eventually* (YAY!)
4) of the 80 or so nominees, of the ones that didn't make it in, about three of them were nominated a second time (3 out of about 25) (good? bad? not sure?)
5) The three that were nominated a second time all got in the second time

This is from memory, don't count it as fact, those are some fuzzy memories

As a whole, I think this is likely his very best shot to get in, and from all the facts and numbers I see about the senior committee, he is likely to get in (YAY)

More HOF stuff

4 minimum and 8 maximum inductees per year
Need 80% of the vote
Some contextual rumblings that with lack of some skill players in the coming years, might be time to get some underrepresented positions in there (like safeties!)

Considering all that: you have to look at the list of nominees and see if there are 8 people ahead of Easley.

Here's an article on NFL.com by Gil Brandt as he outlines his thoughts on the final 26 modern era finalists:


The best chance to make it in 2017:


LaDainian Tomlinson, running back
Terrell Owens, wide receiver
Kurt Warner, quarterback
John Lynch, safety
Torry Holt, wide receiver
Tony Boselli, offensive tackle
Morten Andersen, kicker
Terrell Davis, running back
Joe Jacoby, offensive tackle


Other Finalists that won't make it

Steve Atwater, safety
Brian Dawkins, safety
Alan Faneca, offensive line
Ty Law, cornerback
Don Coryell, coach
Edgerrin James, running back


Semi-finalists that don't make the cut to final 15

Isaac Bruce, wide receiver
Jason Taylor, defensive end
Hines Ward, wide receiver
Chris Hinton, offensive lineman
Jimmy Johnson, coach
Darren Woodson, safety
Kevin Mawae, offensive lineman
Mike Kenn, offensive tackle
Karl Mecklenburg, linebacker
Roger Craig, running back
Clay Matthews, linebacker


http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... ifinalists


GO KENNY GO!