Tag: 2020 Hall of Fame

Why the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame class is the best ever

Is this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame class the best ever? Charles Curtis thinks so

Is this year’s Basketball Hall of Fame class the best ever? Charles Curtis thinks so

Cowboys to face Steelers in 2020 Hall of Fame game

As expected the Dallas Cowboys have been awarded a fifth exhibition game to front end the 2020 regular season. Thanks to Cowboys legends Jimmy Johnson and Charlie Waters bring inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame ,Dallas has been chosen as one …

As expected  the Dallas Cowboys have been awarded a fifth exhibition game to front end the 2020 regular season.

Thanks to Cowboys legends Jimmy Johnson and Charlie Waters bring inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame ,Dallas has been chosen as one of two teams to play the Thursday before the ceremony. They will take on their longtime rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, on August 6.

Ranking the most egregious snubs of the 2020 Hall of Fame class

10 modern-era finalists were left out of the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Here, in order, is how odd each snub was.

The idea behind the Centennial Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, organized to celebrate the NFL’s 100th anniversary, was to induct five modern-era players, 10 Seniors (players who last played more than 25 years ago), three Contributors (an individual other than a player or coach) and two
coaches.

Seven modern-era players were finalists for induction for the first time in the 2020 class: Safety Troy Polamalu and receiver Reggie Wayne were first-year eligible candidates, while safety LeRoy Butler, wide receiver Torry Holt, linebackers Sam Mills and Zach Thomas, and defensive tackle Bryant Young were eligible before, but were finalists for the first time.

The final voting for modern players took place Saturday before the Super Bowl in Miami, and the five who made it in from the modern era were:

  • Steve Atwater, Safety – 1989-1998 Denver Broncos, 1999 New York Jets
  • Isaac Bruce, Wide Receiver – 1994-2007 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 2008-09 San Francisco 49ers
  • Steve Hutchinson, Guard – 2001-05 Seattle Seahawks, 2006-2011 Minnesota Vikings, 2012 Tennessee Titans
  • Edgerrin James, Running Back – 1999-2005 Indianapolis Colts, 2006-08 Arizona Cardinals, 2009 Seattle Seahawks
  • Troy Polamalu, Safety – 2003-2014 Pittsburgh Steelers

Of course, this means that 10 modern-era finalists were left out of the process this time around. Some for the first time, and some who have waited too long. Here’s how we see the relative egregiousness of the 2020 Hall of Fame snubs.

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News: Woodson snubbed again by HoF, Garrett decision still looms

A Dallas assistant may be a college coordinator candidate, several players head to Las Vegas, and the original Hail Mary is up for a vote.

Day 4 of the Jason Garrett-Dallas Cowboys lovefest standoff was seeming to come to an uneventful close, and then ESPN happened. One assistant sat down with a rival team to talk about their head coaching job and another staffer is being touted as the frontrunner for a college coordinator gig.

Also, a yellow-jacket snub for a Cowboys legend, end-of-year bonuses for two defensive standouts (and a career decision in the offing for one), and a call for votes regarding the most famous play in team history. Next year’s opponents have been finalized, this year’s offensive prowess is put into painful perspective, and an early look at free agency puts the talents of two Cowboys on display.

All that, plus a posse of starters take the Vegas Strip, the best audio captured during Week 17’s big win, and a former Cowboys coach says goodbye to the game. That’s on tap in this edition of News and Notes.

ESPN joins speculation Jason Garrett will not be part of Cowboys future

Ed Werder said something, ESPN bosses claimed he said more than that and Thursday morning arrived with Jason Garrett still on the Cowboys’ payroll.

Giants interview Cowboys coach Kris Richard for HC gig :: Giants Wire

Kris Richard has had a sit-down session with the New York Giants about their head coaching position. The Cowboys’ passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach met Thursday with Giants president John Mara, general manager Dave Gettleman, and team vice president Kevin Abrams as the team begins its search for Pat Shurmur’s replacement.

Dallas has won the last six meetings with Big Blue; Richard has been on the Cowboys’ coaching staff for the past four. Richard’s unit helped hold New York to under 275 yards in two of those games, and 18 points or less in three of them.

Past/Present: Hall of Fame finalists set :: The Mothership

The list of Modern-Era finalists to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame has been announced. Cowboys Ring of Honor safety Darren Woodson, the franchise’s all-time leading tackler, was one of 25 semifinalists. Once again, though, the five-time first-team All-Pro did not make the cut.

Linebacker and Texas native Zach Thomas, who played one year in Dallas  after a 12-year stint with the Dolphins, was named one of the 15 Modern-Era finalists.

Several other former Cowboys are 2020 finalists for Canton in various categories. Jimmy Johnson and Dan Reeves are finalists in the Coaches category, while Drew Pearson and Cliff Harris are among the Senior finalists. Team founder Clint Murchison is a Contributors finalist.

The 2020 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame will be announced February 1.

Sean Lee will wait on career decision :: The Mothership

Tight end Jason Witten was the one noticeably shaking hands with teammates at the end of 2019’s season finale, but he’s not the only longtime Cowboy who may have played his final game in a Dallas uniform. Linebacker Sean Lee may decide to hang up his cleats or even move on to different NFL pastures.

After agreeing to a reduced role in 2019, Lee played in all 16 games for the first time in his 10-year career. But the game has taken a toll, and the Penn State alum says he’ll have a decision to make.

“I’m going to take some time, talk to the wife, talk to the family and see where I’m at physically in a month or two and make a decision then,” he said.

Lee is set to be a free agent in March.

Sean Lee, Jeff Heath earn 2019 bonuses :: ESPN

According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, veteran linebacker Sean Lee netted a million-dollar incentive bonus for playing in 59.1% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2019. Safety Jeff Heath collected $250,000 for playing more than 65% of the snaps.

Archer also notes that the team ended 2019 with approximately $19.5 million in cap room that can be carried over to 2020, citing NFLPA figures.

Cowboys exceptionally bad at being good :: Cowboys Wire

Fans still looking for answers on exactly how the Cowboys’ season could possibly be over won’t find any helpful answers in this piece. That’s because if you look at just the numbers, this Dallas squad ranks among the best ever in a few select categories.

Take, for example, teams since 1960 with the most wins of 30+ points, 400+ yards, and a 10+ point differential in a season. In other words, teams who had a habit of demolishing their opponents. Of the 14 teams atop that list, the 2019 Cowboys are the only bunch to not make the postseason. Most went quite deep into the playoffs. Take away Dallas, and the average team of that group boasted a 13-win record.

Crunch the numbers with Tony Thompson and see precisely where these Cowboys rank among 8-8 teams throughout history.

Five names to know in Washington’s offensive coordinator search :: The Seattle Times

“Here’s your frontrunner.”

That’s what they’re saying in the Pacific Northwest about Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and the open OC slot at the University of Washington. Chris Petersen, Moore’s collegiate head coach at Boise State, stepped down as the Huskies’ coach in early December, and now new coach Jimmy Lake has let go of his offensive coordinator after UW defeated Boise State in the school’s recent bowl game.

Moore, who grew up in the state of Washington, would certainly be an attractive candidate after boosting the Cowboys offense to big numbers in the 2019 season, his first as an OC at any level.

Sounds from the sideline :: The Mothership

In the season’s final installment of this popular segment, listen in as microphones pick up on-the-field chatter during the Cowboys’ blowout win over Washington.

Among the highlights are linebacker Sean Lee doing some coaching up of the defensive unit, great team reactions to wideout Michael Gallup’s acrobatic second touchdown catch of the day, and running backs coach Gary Brown offering some heartfelt proclamations to his guys in the midst of his own uncertain future with the organization.

Cowboys 2020 schedule: List of home, away, AFC and NFC, 2nd place opponents :: Cowboys Wire

Dallas’s list of 2020 opponents is set, based on the Cowboys’ second-place finish in the NFC East as well as the rotation of divisional pairings across the league.

At home in AT&T Stadium, Dallas will host Philadelphia, Washington, the New York Giants, Arizona, San Francisco, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta.

The Cowboys will travel to take on Philadelphia, Washington, the New York Giants, Seattle, the Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota, Cincinnati, and Baltimore.

Dates for the games will be announced in April.

Cowboys’ ‘Hail Mary’ up for Greatest Moment in NFL History :: NFL.com

As part of the league’s centennial celebration, fans are being asked to help choose the single greatest moment in NFL history. Each team has one signature moment in the running, with an online vote to help narrow things down round by round.

The 32 clips make for the ultimate highlight reel: John Elway’s helicopter run, The Ice Bowl, The Immaculate Reception, The Catch, the Patriots’ 28-3 Super Bowl comeback, the Chargers-Dolphins Epic in Miami in the 1981 playoffs, David Tyree’s helmet catch, and the Music City Miracle, to name just a few.

The Cowboys’ moment? The original “Hail Mary” pass from Roger Staubach to Drew Pearson that moved Dallas past the favored Minnesota Vikings in the 1975 playoffs, advancing them to the NFC championship game and, eventually, Super Bowl X.

Voting is open now. The Greatest Moment in NFL History will be revealed during Super Bowl LIV.

The top 10 non-quarterback free agents on offense of the 2020 season :: Pro Football Focus

Dallas wideout Amari Cooper tops this list of free agents who don’t play quarterback. Despite a memorable number of drops, a frustrating dip in output in away games, and an apparent laundry list of minor maladies that kept him operating at less than full capacity, the quantifiable lift Cooper still brings to the team’s offense “is the best explanation for quarterback Dak Prescott’s increase in production and Cooper’s spot atop the offensive free agent list.”

A polarizing Cowboy also leads the list of best defensive free agents. “Many will point to [cornerback Byron] Jones not picking off a pass over the last two years, but his 74.1 coverage grade in single coverage is 11th-best during that time and Jones has also shown the ability to match up against tight ends when called upon.”

Cowboys players heading to the desert :: @rjochoa (Twitter)

The season is over, the lockers are cleaned out, the offseason has begun. And for a group of Cowboys starters, it’s getaway time.

Cowboys fans are hoping what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. And off TMZ.

Lions DC Paul Pasqualoni steps down amid staff shake-up :: ESPN

Paul Pasqualoni has stepped down in Detroit. The 70-year-old defensive coordinator, one of coach Matt Patricia’s first hires when he took over in the Motor City, says he is stepping away from football.

Pasqualoni spent time on the Dallas coaching staff over his storied career. He served as tight ends coach in 2005 and is credited with helping to guide a young Jason Witten to his second straight Pro Bowl that season. In 2006, he moved to linebackers coach and was instrumental in DeMarcus Ware’s development as a second-year player. He left Dallas after the 2007 season, but returned for 2010 as the team’s defensive line coach. When head coach (and defensive coordinator) Wade Phillips was fired halfway through that season, Pasqualoni was tapped to serve as interim DC for the remainder of the season… under interim head coach Jason Garrett.

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Broncos legend Randy Gradishar a finalist for 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar is among the finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Former Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar is among 38 finalists for a special Centennial Slate 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Former coach Dan Reeves (who coached in Denver from 1981-1992) is also a finalist.

Gradishar was a key member of the Broncos’ defense from 1974–1983. During that time, Gradishar earned seven Pro Bowl nods and Defensive Player of the Year honors (1978). He helped Denver’s famous “Orange Crush” defense lead the Broncos to the Super Bowl in 1977 and is a member of the team’s Ring of Fame.

The Hall of Fame’s selection committee has put together a list of eight coaches, 10 contributors and 20 senior finalists for next year’s class. Of those finalists, 15 members will be selected to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio.

In addition to those 15 members, five modern-era players will be part of the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Safeties Steve Atwater and John Lynch are among the modern-era semifinalists. Earlier this year, late owner Pat Bowlen and cornerback Champ Bailey were part of 2019 class.

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Darren Woodson lone Cowboys star named 2020 Hall of Fame Semifinalist

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced their list of 25 semifinalists for the 2020 induction ceremony Tuesday. The list, comprised of players who have been removed from the game for at least the previous five seasons is the second step in …

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced their list of 25 semifinalists for the 2020 induction ceremony Tuesday. The list, comprised of players who have been removed from the game for at least the previous five seasons is the second step in determining the class for the NFL centennial celebration.

Among those included are just two players who have direct ties to the Dallas Cowboys. The first, linebacker Zach Thomas, only suited up in the star for one season at the tail end of his career. The other, safety Darren Woodson, is a Cowboys legend through and through.

A vital part of the 90’s dynasty that captured three titles in four years, Woodson is the franchise’s all-time leader in terms of tackles. He was a first team All-Pro on four separate occasions and joined the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2015, more than a decade after he last suited up for the team.

This is Woodson’s fourth time as a finalist since he became eligible as he looks to join a 25 person list of those associated with the Cowboys organization to be enshrined in Canton, OH. Most recently, personnel guru Gil Brandt joined the hallowed club when he was presented by owner and gold-jacket-owner Jerry Jones.

If history is any indication, the finalists will be revealed in early 2020.

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