Football

Above from left: Jim Marshall, Walter Johnson (71). Below:  Alex Karras. Among defensive linemen missing from the Hall of Fame whose bust should have been added long ago is former Minnesota Viking Jim Marshall. In fact, while researching this post I was shocked that he wasn’t in. I had always assumed he was. He played 20 … Read More

Above from left: Maxie Baughan, Dave Robinson, Lee Roy Jordan. Linebacker is a position in football that requires many different skills, and a position that has evolved over the years. The best ones have to have the toughness and tackling skills of defensive linemen and the coverage skills of defensive backs. Linebackers who play in … Read More

Above, from left: Lester Hayes, Steve Atwater, Pat Fischer. The measuring stick for defensive backs in the NFL has always been interceptions, so ball-hawking type players like Dick “Night Train” Lane and Ken Houston basically walked into Canton when their time came. Ronnie Lott of the ’49ers is an example of a punishing physical player … Read More

Above from left: Bob Kuechenberg, Kent Hull, Jerry Kramer. Offensive linemen have traditionally been the players who grind it out in the trenches and get little or no credit for their team’s success. That may explain why there are so many deserving O-line Hall of Fame candidates who don’t ever get consideration. There are 2 glaring … Read More

Top Row: Shannon Sharpe (left), Pete Retzlaff. Second Row: Jerry Smith (left), Fred Arbanas. There aren’t many tight ends in Pro Football’s Hall of Fame, but then again it’s never been much of a “glamour” position in the NFL, although recent players like Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates are changing that perception. One tight end not … Read More

From left: Andre Reed, Chris Carter, Tim Brown. Wide receiver may be the position that causes the most controversy when it comes to debates over who belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There have been so many great ones over the years that it is hard to sort out which ones belong, and … Read More

Above from left: Roger Craig, Don Perkins, Bo Jackson, Timmy Brown. Running back is a position that is well represented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but there are still a few players who aren’t in yet that deserve consideration. The most glaring of the omissions has to be Roger Craig, who played for … Read More

Above, from left: John Brodie, Jim Plunkett, Ken Stabler, Below: Charlie Conerly, Jim Hart. The 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony is coming up soon, with 2 slam dunk picks for the hall, Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith, going in this season, among others. There is always a debate about players who belong … Read More

Famous football pep talks are a favorite subject of mine, and even though the famous Knute Rockne “Fight, fight, fight” speech is very inspiring, the ones I like best are the ones that are subtle. I guess if I were a player on a team, those are the kinds of speeches I would respond best … Read More