How in the name of God does Phil Hansen...

[San Jose Bills Fan]

I'm not saying we're crapping on the players or even ourselves in this thread. People are suggesting the Bills are crapping on other players by honoring someone else.

 

GO BILLS!!!

This is a discussion about issues like fairness and the things that make one person more deserving than another.

 

I haven't seen where anyone in this thread is saying the Bills are crapping on players because those players have been passed over…unless you're equating "injustice" or "unfairness" with being crapped on.

 

Like I said, this has been a pretty civil discussion. The problem with lowering the bar and honoring players who are maybe less-deserving than others is that it cheapens the whole idea of a WOF, IMO. The team and committee open themselves up to much second guessing.

 

Anyways, for better or worse, Phil Hansen will be the 26th member of the Buffalo Bills to be put on the Wall…ahead of Lou, Cookie, Polian...

 

 

[dwight in philly]

This is a discussion about issues like fairness and the things that make one person more deserving than another.

 

I haven't seen where anyone in this thread is saying the Bills are crapping on players because those players have been passed over…unless you're equating "injustice" or "unfairness" with being crapped on.

 

Like I said, this has been a pretty civil discussion. The problem with lowering the bar and honoring players who are maybe less-deserving than others is that it cheapens the whole idea of a WOF, IMO. The team and committee open themselves up to much second guessing.

 

Anyways, for better or worse, Phil Hansen will be the 26th member of the Buffalo Bills to be put on the Wall…ahead of Lou, Cookie, Polian...

who goes up first?, polian or saban?

[K-9]

bennett was an amazing player who did everything he was ever asked to do. i remember when bruce was out for most of the season. i think it was 91 or 92. cb moved inside and was in on bloody everything. he held that d together.

 

in a different defense, he would have had derrick thomas numbers of sacks. the guy was so good at covering tight ends and even receivers at times that they fell in love with dropping him into coverage. i think he is the most underrated linebacker of his era.

 

No doubt Bennett was one of the best to ever play his position. He was an impact player in every sense. A true game changer.

 

But I wouldn't say he did everything they asked him to do. He balked and sulked when the Bills wanted to move him to ILB.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[nucci]

who goes up first?, polian or saban?

Saban should have been up years ago.

[jumbalaya]

No doubt Bennett was one of the best to ever play his position. He was an impact player in every sense. A true game changer.

 

But I wouldn't say he did everything they asked him to do. He balked and sulked when the Bills wanted to move him to ILB.

 

GO BILLS!!!

This answer is White vs Black. Bennett was an incredible player. Hansen was a very good player.

 

If Andre Reed were white he would be in the H0F already.

 

If Steve Tasker were black no one would say he belongs be in the H0F.

[billsfreak]

go up on the Wall before Cornelius Bennett. Phil Hansen was a nice player, but he played in 0 Pro Bowls. Bennett? Try 5 Pro Bowls, 3 FIRST TEAM NFL ALL-PROS, 1990's All-Decade team, 1988 AFC Defensive player of the year. All of this w/ the Bills. I hate to say it, but you could bring up the race card on this one and I'd be hard-pressed to argue w/ it. Not to mention, Bennett played before Hansen. It's kind of crazy. And yes I know, Lou Saban and Cookie Gilchrist as well.

 

Maybe next year we put up Jeff Wright and Glenn Parker.

No, YOU could bring up the race card on this one. Ralph is so old he doesn't even know the difference between races these days. Ralph might be the cheapest most worthless owner in the NFL, but racist? By my count, 4 of the last 5 and 5 of the last 7 players put on the Wall of Fame were African Americans. Anyone is entitled to their own opinions about anything, but you just sound stupid if anything else by bringing race into it. I am not saying Biscuit wasn't an awesome player, but Hanson might just be the second most underrated player the Bills have had (next to Talley)since the early 80's. He wasn't going to make a Pro Bowl with Bruce Smith on the other side getting all the media attention, how many times has a pair of defensive ends made the Pro Bowl, my guess is not often if ever.

Edited May 5, 2011 by billsfreak

[San Jose Bills Fan]

I doubt race has to do with any of this but that's just my opinion.

 

Anyways, the crap has started flying...

[metzelaars_lives]

No, YOU could bring up the race card on this one. Ralph is so old he doesn't even know the difference between races these days. Ralph might be the cheapest most worthless owner in the NFL, but racist? By my count, 4 of the last 5 and 5 of the last 7 players put on the Wall of Fame were African Americans. Anyone is entitled to their own opinions about anything, but you just sound stupid if anything else by bringing race into it. I am not saying Biscuit wasn't an awesome player, but Hanson might just be the second most underrated player the Bills have had (next to Talley)since the early 80's. He wasn't going to make a Pro Bowl with Bruce Smith on the other side getting all the media attention, how many times has a pair of defensive ends made the Pro Bowl, my guess is not often if ever.

 

Wow, 5 of the last 7 players are African-Americans (4 1/2 to be exact). What percentage of football players are African-American!?! Let's please not make this into a race issue.

 

Very convenient by the way. You failed to mention that the next six prior to those were in fact white. So after Phil Hansen, 9 1/2 of the last 14 will have been white.

Edited May 5, 2011 by metzelaars_lives

[K-9]

This answer is White vs Black. Bennett was an incredible player. Hansen was a very good player.

 

If Andre Reed were white he would be in the H0F already.

 

If Steve Tasker were black no one would say he belongs be in the H0F.

 

Sherman White was a much better player for the Bills than Avion Black.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Sherman White was a much better player for the Bills than Avion Black.

 

GO BILLS!!!

On the other hand, the Bills just drafted Johnny White who is black, and Chris White, who is white.

 

I think it's pretty obvious what's going on here.

 

 

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

It's all about race?? gotta keep the white man down.

 

some of you guys need to get real.

[K-9]

On the other hand, the Bills just drafted Johnny White who is black, and Chris White, who is white.

 

I think it's pretty obvious what's going on here.

 

Just remember, two Whites don't make a Wong. Or is that Wang?

 

GO BILLS!!!

[RyanC883]

Bennett, Saben and Gilchrest should all go up before Hansen. Hansen deserves it, but every ceremony makes a small part of me want to puke when I think of the deserving players and coaches who are not on the wall because of Ralph's personal motives. The guy is certainly one to hold a grudge.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

With regards to Polian…it is said by both men that Wilson and Polian have buried the hatchet.

 

In view of this, why hasn't Polian been recognized on the Wall?

 

He was the undisputed architect of some of the greatest teams in recent NFL history…for a franchise which has had a VERY MEDIOCRE existence.

 

Ask yourself this, Mr. Wilson: Where would the franchise be without Lou Saban and Bill Polian?

 

I know (we all do) that this is Mr. Wilson's call. A member of the committee told me only a few years ago that Saban and Gilchrist are excluded for personal reasons. I didn't need to be told this because it's kind of obvious…there could be no other reason, considering their contributions.

 

That's fine…it's Mr. Wilson's Wall, after all. But if that's the case, then why even have a committee?

[eball]

3rd all-time in sacks. Unsung hero. Model citizen. Lifetime Bill. I don't know what all the fuss is about. Congrats Phil.

[Buftex]

This thread is rediculous...

[San Jose Bills Fan]

3rd all-time in sacks. Unsung hero. Model citizen. Lifetime Bill. I don't know what all the fuss is about. Congrats Phil.

I can only speak for myself.

 

HIstory is important. Accurate history even more so. And in a results-based business in a private enterprise like an NFL football team, some people make far larger contributions than others.

 

I'm not saying that Phil Hansen isn't deserving but when decisions like this are made that defy the historical record of who came first, who made a greater contribution, etc…then The Wall becomes something more akin to a club and much less like an accurate historical accounting of who did what.

 

I mean for God's sake, Bill Polian drafted Phil Hansen.

 

There were a lot of excellent football players who played on some very poor Buffalo Bills teams. On the other hand, Phil Hansen had the good fortune of playing on some great Bills teams. Hanson's probably one of the top 50-75 players I've seen suit up for the Bills.

 

There are 27 honorees on the Bills Wall of Fame. Only 20 of them are players who are there for their playing excellence.

 

For people who put great value in things like historical accuracy and significance, fairness, justice, and related concepts, the idea of honoring someone like Phil Hansen before other much more deserving people is offensive at worst and annoying at best.

 

And again, it speaks to Mr. Wilson's hierarchy of values…he'd rather have a compliant, cooperative employee than one who has brought much greater glory to the organization.

 

Again that's Mr. Wilson's prerogative…but even in this he is wrong.

 

Mr. Wilson's football team and his fortune have been built on the toils of those people who worked for him (Saban, Polian, Gilchrist) and the fans who have paid to see the excellence that those men contributed to the team.

 

 

 

[billsfreak]

Wow, 5 of the last 7 players are African-Americans (4 1/2 to be exact). What percentage of football players are African-American!?! Let's please not make this into a race issue.

Very convenient by the way. You failed to mention that the next six prior to those were in fact white. So after Phil Hansen, 9 1/2 of the last 14 will have been white.

Are you serious? Telling me not to make it a race issue? Who is the one who started this thread as a race issue? Oh yeah, you were! I was disputing your opinion that it was a race issue, now you are telling me not to make it a race issue? They might not be racist (and they might be?), but you have some real issues without a doubt.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

And again, I do not believe race has anything to do with this.

 

I do believe that there are far more deserving honorees than Phil Hansen.

 

Someone else brought up the name Butch Byrd.

 

"Byrd holds the Bills' career records for interceptions (40), interception return yards (666) and interceptions returned for touchdowns (5). He was a five-time American Football League All-Star, and was selected for the second team, All-Time All-AFL. Byrd is a 1980 inductee of the Boston University Hall of Fame, and in 2008 was selected to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame."

I don't think anyone would argue that Saban, Gilchrist, and Polian are more deserving than Phil Hansen. How about Butch Byrd? Pretty damn strong case.

[st. pete gogolak]

First, it's an absolute shame and travesty that Lou Saban and Cookie Gilchrist weren't honored by being added to the Wall during their lifetime. It's a joke that Polian isn't on the Wall.

 

Second, Phil Hansen was one of my all-time favorite Bills. Terrific player but I'm shocked that he's going on the Wall. Like they say about the baseball hall of fame, it's not called the Hall of the Very Good.

 

The most intriguing part of this thread is the discussion of Cornelius Bennett. I always thought Bennett was a great player, borderline HOF but he seems to be totally forgotten as a player. You never hear a peep about him on HOF voting. I think the Bills played him out of position. Maybe they thought they had the next Lawrence Taylor. He wasn't (never had 10 sacks in a single season). He would have been, I'm convinced, one of the best, if not the best, all around 4-3 linebackers of his age. Bruce Smith playing DE and Daryl Talley and Bennett playing OLB in a 4-3 combined with a really good D coordinator = multiple Super Bowl wins and probably a HOF for Bennett.