Tag: Hall of Fame

Fans will be able to bid on the plaques …

Fans will be able to bid on the plaques of Magic Johnson, Julius “Dr. J” Erving and ‘His Airness’ himself, Michael Jordan. Auction winners will get the 25-by-28-inch black-and-white portrait that was previously found on the Hall’s domed ceiling for every person inducted. Other portraits that can be bid on include Rick Barry, Bob Cousy, Patrick Ewing, Pete Maravich, Isiah Thomas, Shaquille O’Neal and Jerry West.

Peyton Manning ‘drops the mic’ in his case for Eli Manning to make Hall of Fame

“I don’t really know what that term, ‘drop the mic’ is, but I guess if there was one.”

We’ve been building to this for years, but now that Eli Manning will announce his retirement, the NFL punditry can finally dive in the deep end and have all the “Is Eli a Hall of Famer?” arguments they’ve been itching to have forever.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, well congratulations. Just read the below paragraph while smacking yourself in the face and you’ll understand what the next six months of sports radio will be like:

He won two Super Bowls! He took down the Patriots! He also was a perfect .500 as a starter! He threw a lot of picks! Maybe his playing in New York City gave him more attention than he deserved! But those Super Bowls! Helmet catch! HELMET CATCH!!!!

Anyway, Eli’s brother Peyton Manning has now weighed in on the topic, with an interview with the Broncos’ official team site. There he proclaimed not to know what “drop the mic” meant, then proceeded to drop the mic on the conversation.

Via the Broncos’ website:

“When you’re the Super Bowl MVP twice against the greatest dynasty of all-time, the New England Patriots, Tom Brady/Bill Belichick, and you join a list that includes Terry Bradshaw, Bart Starr, Tom Brady and Joe Montana, Eli Manning as the only (multiple) Super Bowl MVPs.

“I don’t really know what that term, ‘drop the mic’ is, but I guess if there was one. … There really is no ‘yeah, but’ after that. That kind of ends it. But if you want a, ‘yeah, but,’ yeah, but he also started 220-plus consecutive games. He’s sixth or seventh all-time in touchdowns. It wasn’t like he just played those two seasons.

Manning would go on to say this stuff doesn’t matter to him, and it doesn’t matter to Eli, though from the clear way he presented his argument, and the fact that he gave this interview, it’s pretty clear he does care, in some way.

And he should! It’s his brother! A brother who was a bit of a derp but by all accounts a nice guy who won two Super Bowls, and made some great throws doing it.

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Eli Manning should be a Hall of Famer for the same reasons Joe Namath is

Eli Manning won’t be Hall of Fame eligible until 2025, but his resume for Canton is similar, if not better than Jets legend Joe Namath.

What makes a player a Hall of Famer? Is it his stats, his rings (or lack thereof), his accolades, or a combination of all three? These are the questions voters will ponder over the next five years before Eli Manning is eligible for the Football Hall of Fame, and it will be debated by fans and analysts alike until then.

Manning, set to announce his retirment Friday, owns a resume that is solid on its surface. He owns decent — albeit not gaudy — numbers, having won exactly 50 percent of his games. He went to four Pro Bowls and won two Super Bowls in his 16-year career witht he Giants. Some will say that’s enough to make the Hall. Others will laugh at that notion and compare him to contemporaries like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Brett Favre and his brother, Peyton – all of whom are no-brainer Hall of Famers and were far better quarterbacks.

As the Manning Hall of Fame debate moves forward, here’s something to consider: his legacy is eerily similar to Jets legend Joe Namath’s, who is already enshrined in Canton.

Namath finished his career with fewer than 30,000 passing yards, a sub-.500 record, a 50.1 percent completion percentage and only 173 career touchdown passes. He ranks 64th in all-time passing yards, 178th in all-time completion percentage and 65th in passing touchdowns.   

Namath didn’t put up Hall of Fame numbers during his 12-year career. A lot of that can be attributed to his era and playing part of his career in the AFL, but other Hall of Fame quarterbacks from that era like Frank Tarkenton and Bob Griese finished with better stats after the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Tarkenton, Griese and other inductees like Johnny Unitas, Sonny Jurgensen, and Len Dawson all finished their careers with better stats than Namath. Only Griese had more titles, though.

Manning currently sits seventh all-time in career passing yards (57,023) and passing touchdowns (366). Obviously, Manning played when quarterbacks threw significantly more than they did during Namath’s time, but outside of his two Super Bowl MVPs, he doesn’t have many personal accolades and his numbers lack when compared to his era’s elite. Namath, meanwhile, won back-to-back AFL Player of the Year awards from 1968-69.

This where one of the unwritten prerequisites of the Hall of Fame applies to Manning and Namath: Does Player X help tell the history of the sport?

For Namath, the answer is obviously yes. His grandiose Super Bowl guarantee combined with the Jets’ upset win over the NFL’s Baltimore Colts catapulted him to stardom. His celebrity status created an aura of intrigue and he played a crucial role in legitimizing the smaller AFL before its eventual merger with the NFL. He will forever be a part of NFL and Jets lore.

The same applies to Manning, at the very least least when it comes to telling the story of the organization he played for.

Much like Namath, Manning’s road to both his Super Bowl wins are the biggest reasons for his potential enshrinement. Neither the 2007 Giants nor the 2011 squad was behemoths of the NFC. Both played on Wild Card weekend, clawed their way to the Super Bowl as underdogs and, thanks to Manning, found ways to beat dynastic Patriots teams. Manning’s late-game scramble and the subsequent helmet catch by David Tyree in Super Bowl XLII will be remembered as one of the most amazing plays in Super Bowl history, and the game-winning touchdown to Plaxico Burress later in the drive ended the Patriots’ quest for 16-0. Four years later, Manning once again orchestrated a Giants comeback over the Patriots, this time with an 88-yard touchdown drive with less than four minutes to play.

Manning wasn’t otherworldly for his entire career, but he shined when the brightest lights were on him. He may not have the stats or the awards or even the skill that make him a slam-dunk candidate but he played consistently well enough and dominated in the moments that mattered most. That’s enough to earn a gold jacket. If that means he isn’t a first-ballot, so be it. Namath wasn’t enshrined until eight years after he retired.

Manning will partly be remembered for his meme-able face, quiet demeanor and mind-boggling interceptions, but the two rings he earned will always top the list.

Because of that, Manning will wind up in the Hall of Fame just like Namath. It’s just a matter of when.

News: Hot Boyz not just noise while Prescott team’s No. 1 priority

A few offseason Cowboys news and notes, including the Dak Prescott contract situation.

Is it really an offseason in Big D without the D standing for Drama? Dallas is in the news again, this time for a multitude of reasons. The Cowboys coaching changes already made huge waves throughout the NFL landscape, and with the new staff their seems to be more answers than questions at this early stage in the offseason. The offense should look similar, but the defense is due for an overhaul. The contract negotiations for stars Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, and Byron Jones are amongst some of the most important negotiations in the whole league. It isn’t an overstatement to say the season starts in free agency for Dallas this year, and they need to get off to a hot start.

Speaking of hot things, Hot Boyz leader Demarcus Lawrence found his way into some less pertinent news; a nickname dispute with the 49ers. Drew Pearson was recently in the news again, and a story on how Romo is living his best life, not on the field, but in the booth. Here’s the News and Notes.

53 Super Bowl Rings, 53 Stories :: ESPN

Here’s a look at every single Super Bowl ring that’s ever been handed out to the champions accompanied by a story from a player who holds it proudly. The Cowboys, of course, have five of them so nearly 10% of the list is out of Dallas. The best of the bunch belongs to the snubbed-again wide receiver Drew Pearson who tells the story of how he misplaced his 1977 ring at Studio 54.

–TT

Stephen Jones: Here’s where Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys will differ from Rod Marinelli’s defense :: USA Today

The Cowboys have been running largely the same defense in some form or fashion since Monte Kiffin’s arrival in Dallas back in 2013. His role was taken over by defensive line guru Rod Marinelli the year after and, while the defense has had some highs, it has struggled with making big plays. The offense under Mike McCarthy will likely remain in tact, but as the article outlines, expect sweeping changes on the other side of the ball as his staff seeks to turn that around.

–TT

Media Circus: How did these two men land gigs assisting Tony Romo and Jim Nantz? :: The Athletic

Tony Romo has never been more universally praised than he has been as the color man for Jim Nantz on the number one announcing team with CBS. However, his success isn’t solely because of his high football IQ and high enthusiasm, but to unsung help from a friend he met back at Eastern Illinois.

–TT

Cowboys contracts: ‘No. 1 priority’ is Dak Prescott extension, team wants to avoid franchise tag :: CBSSports

Ask any Cowboy fan what the most pressing offseason move for the ‘Boys is as you should get the same answer all around; retaining Prescott one way or another. Prescott had his best season in 2019 under first-year offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, and Mike McCarthy made a point to retain Moore in his role.

The Cowboys have discussed this deal many times in the last year and a half. These discussions led to reports that Dak turned down an extension in the $35 million dollar range; a contract that would be on par with fellow 2016 draftee Jared Goff. If the Cowboys can’t get a deal done soon, they may turn to the franchise tag, but even that would most likely just be a bridge until a longer extension is agreed upon. Jerry Jones knows the value Prescott adds to this team, and it’s really hard to imagine the sides not coming to terms.

–AH

Will McClay: “It’s going to be a tough deal”, on re-signing current free agents :: ProFootballTalk

The Cowboys front office made it very clear that Prescott and Amari Cooper are their first and second free agent priorities. After the two offensive stars the decisions get tougher to make; most notably on unrestricted free agent CB Byron Jones. Will McClay, the Cowboys VP of personnel, talked the challenges a team this talented can have trying to re-sign their important free agents while also keeping your cap space flexible.

— AH

Cowboys and 49ers defenses involved in nickname dispute :: Forbes

While most recent news pertaining to the 49ers is about their run to the Super Bowl, San Francisco LB Kwon Alexander made different news after trying to trademark the term “Hot Boyzz” and similar terms as a name for the SF defense.

You don’t even have to be a Cowboys fan to know that the Cowboys defense, more specifically the D-Line, had already been using the term “Hot Boyz” since the 2018 season. Cowboys branded Hot Boyz merchandise has already been sold for the past year. Demarcus Lawrence, the originator of the phrase in Dallas, was the first Cowboy to speak up on social media defending their nickname. Lawrence said the Cowboys had already trademarked the term and he was getting updates from the NFL regarding the situation.

This isn’t the biggest story of the offseason, but a legal nickname dispute is a unique NFL news story that we haven’t happen many times before this.

— Asa H

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John Wall, Bradley Beal, Wes Unseld. …

John Wall, Bradley Beal, Wes Unseld. That’s how the Wizards’ all-time scoring list reads from No.’s three through five after Monday’s Wizards win over the Pistons, as Beal moved into sole possession of fourth place with a good chance of passing Wall before the season is over. Unseld remains the most accomplished player in Wizards/Bullets franchise history as an NBA champion, 1977-78 Finals MVP, 1968-69 league MVP and rookie of the year plus a Hall of Fame induction. But Beal passing him is another reminder he already has a place among Wizards and Bullets luminaries.

4 Bears that could be next in line for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Jim Covert and Ed Sprinkle are the latest Bears to be named to the Hall of Fame. But who will be the next? We take a look.

The Chicago Bears have a rich history of talent in their 100-year history, which is epitomized by their NFL-most 28 Hall of Famers. That number increased to 30 following the additions of two more Bears to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Offensive lineman Jim Covert and defensive end/linebacker Ed Sprinkle will be the latest Bears inducted into the Hall of Fame, as they were voted to the 2020 centennial class as part of the senior inductees.

But who will be the next Bears inducted into the Hall of Fame?

Here are four Bears players that could be the next to be enshrined:

1. Devin Hester

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

When you’re the best to ever play your position, that should be an automatic bid to the Hall of Fame. Devin Hester was the best kick returner to ever play the game. Not only does he have the stats, he affected the game in a significant way.

Hester, who was a three-time first-team All Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, has an impressive resume. He has more punt returns (14) than anyone in NFL history with 14; his 20 total non-offensive touchdowns are also the most in league history; and he has the highest average yards per punt return among those with at least 300 returns in NFL history.

The only problem is special teamers rarely get inducted into the Hall of Fame. In fact, there are only three: kickers Morten Andersen and Jan Stenerud and punter Ray Guy.

Will Hester be one of the exceptions? Guess we’ll have to wait and see starting as early as 2022, when Hester is first eligible for the Hall of Fame.

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WATCH: Dan Marino jokes he could pass for 6,000 yards in a season

Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino went on FS1’s “First Things First” this week to discuss the current state of quarterbacks in the league and who has impressed him most.

Step aside, young quarterbacks of the NFL. There’s an old gunslinger back in town.

Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino went on FS1’s “First Things First” this week to discuss the current state of quarterbacks in the league and who has impressed him most.

When asked about today’s NFL and how passing numbers have skyrocketed in recent years, Marino joked that he could pass for 6,000 yards and 60 touchdowns in a season if he played now:

The passing leaders for the 2019 regular season were Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson with 36 touchdown passes and Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston with 5,109 passing yards, so that would still be quite a jump even for today’s era.

Marino clearly made the claim in jest, but wouldn’t you like to see him try anyway?

Watch: Former Rams WR Torry Holt makes case for Hall of Fame

Torry Holt explains why he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

The Rams could potentially add two former players to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year with both Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce being finalists for the 2020 class. This is Bruce’s fourth year as a finalist, but Holt is getting his first taste of being one.

This week, Holt went on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” to stake his claim for Canton, explaining why he deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. His numbers are enough of a case for him to be enshrined in Canton, but he doesn’t want to leave it just up to his stats.

“I do,” Holt said when asked if he thinks he’ll be inducted. “I feel like I’m definitely getting the respect that I worked for. And I do feel like I’ll be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Will it happen this year? I hope so, it’d be great. But I’m a finalist. It’s just a matter of when now.”

Holt would love to get inducted in the same year as Bruce, going to Canton together. But at the same time, playing with so many great players with the Rams may hurt Holt’s case for the Hall of Fame.

“When you look at us separately, I’m actually in a different era than those guys,” he said. “I think back to my 1999 draft class, and I was doing some research, and the Rams sent me over some stuff. I outpaced the 1999 draft class by 3,000 more yards than any receiver in that draft class. Just that draft class. That in itself is pretty phenomenal, I think. That sounds yellow jacket-y. And then I was playing in an era with Marvin Harrison, Isaac Bruce, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Steve Smith, Hines Ward – and I was on the All-Decade team with those guys. So that just goes to show the level I was playing.

“It’ll be great if me and Isaac go in together, he’s definitely deserving. He’ll go in – hopefully it’s this year, clear a way for myself and some others.”

Holt finished his career with 13,382 yards, 74 touchdowns and seven Pro Bowl appearances. He was named a first-team All-Pro once and ranks 16th all-time in receiving yards.

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Drew Brees turns 41 ahead of critical 2020 Saints offseason

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is celebrating his 41st birthday in Washington, D.C., supporting former teammate Steve Gleason.

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is celebrating his 41st birthday in Washington, D.C., where he’ll be supporting former teammate and Saints living legend Steve Gleason during a ceremony at Capitol Hill. Gleason is receiving the Congressional Gold Medal for his efforts in raising awareness of and promoting research in ALS, the degenerative nerve disease that he’s battled since 2011.

Brees and Gleason are two icons in Saints history, and the legacy Brees will leave behind when he steps away from the game is something that’s often been on his mind in recent years. He’s made a point to reach out to younger athletes ranging from LSU Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow and New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson to rising tennis phenom Madison Keys, doing what he can to recognize the next generation of star talent.

It all precedes what could be a tumultuous offseason in New Orleans. The Saints have suffered three frustrating playoffs exits in the twilight of Brees’ career, finally finding a winning formula after spending much of the 2010’s in mediocrity. Brees has admitted he’s playing on borrowed time right now, and is acutely aware that his window to win another elusive Super Bowl is closing.

All three Saints quarterbacks — Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, and Taysom Hill — will be free agents in March, barring contract extensions with the team. It’s possible the Saints find ways to retain each of them, but it won’t be easy. As always, the Saints are pressed for salary cap space, and Bridgewater can’t be expected to wait forever to take the reins once Brees hangs up his cleats. The team could be forced to make some dramatic personnel decisions in the months ahead.

But for now, we’ll focus on the greatness Brees has brought to New Orleans. He’s played 216 regular season games (and 15 playoff matchups) at a Hall of Fame-worthy level, putting himself among the greatest passers of all time. He delivered the first championship title in Saints history, seeing the team through a period of sustained success that past generations of fans could only dream about. On the occasion of his birthday, he’ll rightly take some time to reflect on how he’s gotten here, and what may be in store for him in the future. Saints fans should take that same approach and be thankful that they’ve even gotten here.

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