The Hall of Fame induction ceremony for 2010 is now in the books, and the Hall of Fame preseason game has been played to officially kick off the new football season. Last week I blogged each day about players at each position who have been overlooked by the Hall voters. But I’ll close out the Hall of Fame posting today by sharing the classic photo above. In many ways, it’s like a “Where’s Waldo” puzzle. Yes, there’s something major missing from this photo. It’s a photo taken in 2009 at the ceremony in which Bills’ owner Ralph Wilson, Jr. and sack artist Bruce Smith were inducted into Canton. It’s a picture of all the members of the Bills who are in the Hall, with one glaring absence. That would be the team’s and the NFL’s one-time leading rusher, O.J. Simpson. Simpson was surpassed by Thurman Thomas as the team’s all-time leading rusher, and has dropped to 16th on the league’s all-time rushing yardage list. Unfortunately, “Juice” is seen more in the news in his orange prison jumpsuit in recent years than in his gold Hall of Fame blazer. That’s a real shame. Still, the photo is very memorable. The Bills Hall of Famers in the picture, starting from the left, are Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Marv Levy, Wilson, Joe DeLamielleure, James Lofton, Billy Shaw and Jim Kelly. One last note – the team with the most players in the Hall is one of the NFL’s oldest and most storied franchises, the Chicago Bears, followed by the Bears’ longest and fiercest rivals, the Green Bay Packers.
Final HOF Post – What’s Missing From This Picture?
09
Aug
1 Comment
Posted in Feature Stories, Football
Louise
August 11, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Just love this picture of the Bills’ all time greats! Too bad O.J. took such a different path in life. He should be among the most revered Bills players but instead is a pariah and outcast.