2013 HOF Finalists; Update - Andre Reed did not make it

[Alphadawg7]

Here are the players who failed to make it as finalists:

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/11/pro-football-hall-of-fame-finalists-announced/

 

"Those who did not advance included: Kicker Morten Andersen, safety John Lynch, cornerback Albert Lewis, safety Steve Atwater, coach Don Coryell, running backs Roger Craig and Terrell Davis, tackle Joe Jacoby, linebacker Karl Mecklenburg, former commissioner Paul Tagliabue, special teamer Steve Tasker and executive George Young."

 

How Roger Craig isnt in is beyond me as well. He was a beast and his stats were only hurt by the fact he played with Rice, Taylor, Joe, Rathman, Clark, Jones...etc

 

Steve Atwater too also deserves it...he was one of the best safeties in the game his entire career and a guy people feared. He changed games.

 

 

That being said, I do think Carter and Reed deserve to get in before them, and Reed first simply because he has been eligible longer.

[2003Contenders]

This cancelling out thing among the WRs is silly. Assuming Manning and Brady are on the ballet at the same time, do you think they will "cancel each other out"? For some reason receivers just do not get their due. Look how long it took to get guys like Stallworth, Swann and Monk in the Hall. Carter and Reed both deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, period. When each of them retired, they ranked just behind Jerry Rice in many career stats. Andre also made his living the hard way, going across the middle and playing in often less than ideal weather conditions. Maybe the Carter contingent and the Reed contingent should get together to pool their votes to get BOTH of them in. The Hall allows a max of 7 players each year. I do not see 6 guys on that list more deserving than Reed and Carter.

 

I think part of what hurts Andre is that the Super Bowl highlight reels get played just before the final voting takes place. Overall, Reed played reasonably well in those games -- but he had some untimely drops in the first one (right after the safety, when the Bills could have all but put that game with the plodding Giants' offense unlikely to be able to come back from a potentially 3-score deficit) and the infamous helmet slinging temper tantrum before the half against Washington. That is a shame, because Andre was a significant player in getting the Bills to 4 Super Bowls, and (as I said) played pretty well in them.

[Matt in KC]

I think this is the best chance Reed has had yet. I think he gets in this year.

[Mango]

http://www.pro-footb.../R/ReedAn00.htm

 

are his stats elite? granted he was a huge contributor on a very good team. on paper nothing is really incredible other than durability. i will back the andre over curtis martin last year idea.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Mango

[Dragonborn10]

Ogden and Allen are the best of this bunch and are sure first ballet HOF's. I think this is Andre's best but perhaps shot as the rest of the class is not that impressive and more WR's are coming soon. Parcells should be in but they may wait another year or two to make sure he doesn't take one more GM job. Andre, Carter, and Brown were all as good or better at their postion as any of these other players. Strahan is 60 sacks short of Bruce Smith. Greene was not a complete LB. Williams ehh. Shields good/great player but no way three OL make it. Bettis was never as good a RB as those three WR's were at their position. Unfortunately I just don't think Reed makes it.

 

Here is my list

 

1. Ogden

2. Allen

3. Sapp

4. Carter

5. Brown

[EasternOHBillsFan]

Two things everyone should keep in mind when evaluating Reed's HOF candidacy:

 

1. The presence of Thurman on the team suppressed Reed's overall career numbers. We're talking about one of the best pass-catching RB's in NFL history on what was actually a run-first offense.

 

2. Reed just missed out on this pass-oriented era in NFL history that really took hold at the turn of the century, so his career numbers should also be interpreted based on the time in NFL history in which he played.

 

3. Reed played as a slot receiver, when most Pro Bowl receivers played outside to get their numbers, making his feat all the more impressive.

[Mango]

This cancelling out thing among the WRs is silly. Assuming Manning and Brady are on the ballet at the same time, do you think they will "cancel each other out"? For some reason receivers just do not get their due. Look how long it took to get guys like Stallworth, Swann and Monk in the Hall. Carter and Reed both deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, period. When each of them retired, they ranked just behind Jerry Rice in many career stats. Andre also made his living the hard way, going across the middle and playing in often less than ideal weather conditions. Maybe the Carter contingent and the Reed contingent should get together to pool their votes to get BOTH of them in. The Hall allows a max of 7 players each year. I do not see 6 guys on that list more deserving than Reed and Carter.

 

I think part of what hurts Andre is that the Super Bowl highlight reels get played just before the final voting takes place. Overall, Reed played reasonably well in those games -- but he had some untimely drops in the first one (right after the safety, when the Bills could have all but put that game with the plodding Giants' offense unlikely to be able to come back from a potentially 3-score deficit) and the infamous helmet slinging temper tantrum before the half against Washington. That is a shame, because Andre was a significant player in getting the Bills to 4 Super Bowls, and (as I said) played pretty well in them.

 

wasn't there a chest bumping of the ref late in his career that got him tossed from a game. i don't think it's important in HOF voting, but a lot of little things add up. id be pumped if he gets in

[mousetrap08]

It would be great if he got in he sure does deserve to be.

[Chris in Syracuse]

I really hope this is the year.

[Rubes]

I hope so too, but I don't see it happening.

[HeHateMe]

Probably not, why is this year any different?

[truth on hold]

I think it is much deserved and I hope this is the year. I watched the comeback game against the Oilers on the 20th Anniversary -- one of the things that it helped me to remember is what a tough player Reed was. Brown and Carter were primarily stretch the field receivers. Reed did it all. He was willing to cut across the middle and did so often. He had great hands. He got yards after the catch. He was every bit as important to the Bills offensive success as Kelly and Thomas. I would hope whoever is responsible for promoting his credentials can properly frame this side to his career and help voters to look beyond just the numbers.

Well said. He's being penalized for being on a team that losdt 4 bowls when many guys in the HoF never even played in one. Contrary to some misheld views BILLS were not stacked at WR during this time. Lofton was old and didn't stay for the 4 years, Beebe no where near a star. So for all those years reed was really the only major force at WR.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Joe_the_6_pack

[NoSaint]

This cancelling out thing among the WRs is silly. Assuming Manning and Brady are on the ballet at the same time, do you think they will "cancel each other out"? For some reason receivers just do not get their due. Look how long it took to get guys like Stallworth, Swann and Monk in the Hall. Carter and Reed both deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, period. When each of them retired, they ranked just behind Jerry Rice in many career stats. Andre also made his living the hard way, going across the middle and playing in often less than ideal weather conditions. Maybe the Carter contingent and the Reed contingent should get together to pool their votes to get BOTH of them in. The Hall allows a max of 7 players each year. I do not see 6 guys on that list more deserving than Reed and Carter.

 

I think part of what hurts Andre is that the Super Bowl highlight reels get played just before the final voting takes place. Overall, Reed played reasonably well in those games -- but he had some untimely drops in the first one (right after the safety, when the Bills could have all but put that game with the plodding Giants' offense unlikely to be able to come back from a potentially 3-score deficit) and the infamous helmet slinging temper tantrum before the half against Washington. That is a shame, because Andre was a significant player in getting the Bills to 4 Super Bowls, and (as I said) played pretty well in them.

 

do you really think that brady or manning are the same discussion as these 3? i equate those two closer to say jerry rice as a group that isnt even really voted on - just inducted.

 

this would be more like big ben and eli and brees splitting votes (i guess, those names rolled off the finger tips as the notch behind the gimmes that are manning and brady).

 

 

 

Haley's in that group of guys who has been shunned because he was not friendly to the media when he was a player. Not fair for sure but then again, life isn't fair.

 

Warren Sapp is an interesting case. He's very polarizing.

 

not friendly is a very friendly way of saying what hes done in locker rooms. i encourage people not familiar to look up the stories on google, but some may be better left for away from work.

Edited January 11, 2013 by NoSaint

[Rob's House]

The NFL HOF is only slightly less of a joke than the baseball HOF. Too many of the voters have no greater expertise than your average TBD poster & many suffer from a severe case of cranial rectumitis.

 

I understand the idea of keeping the bar high, but when you're keeping out all-time greats b/c you weren't really a fan, or because they weren't media friendly, you really don't deserve a vote. But you may deserve an ass whoopin for so flippantly weilding a power you don't deserve.

[26CornerBlitz]

@JohnMurphyShow

He's a finalist for the HOF again. #Bills great @Andre_Reed83 joins us tonight at 7pm to talk about his chances

 

Bet Andre would love to hear from Bills fans on his twitter.

Edited January 11, 2013 by 26CornerBlitz

[Nitro]

Reed, Carter and Brown are worthy of the HOF but will not make it. The top QBs of that era are in but the WRs are not. Why? Think about...one throws, the others catch. Last year on NFL network a talking head said that their stats were padded by the rule changes that opened up the passing game. That thinking should have applied to the QBs too. Reed made Jim Kelly as much as Jim made him. The HOF voters will vote in a guys like Larry Allen and Charles Haley and omit the WRs.

[Chandler#81]

I've just resigned myself to think it won't happen. He was the less-visible of the Bills' version of the triplets and didn't blow everyone away with the numbers (not that they aren't good enough). I don't even remember any huge or memorable plays that he was a part of that would help people remember who he was.

 

To me, he put up solid numbers year after year after year. He came up big in the comeback game (3 TDs), but was always there getting the first downs, making key receptions to keep drives alive, and a general force over the middle of the field.

 

One thing that jumps out at me is that Tim Brown or Cris Carter never made it to a Super Bowl. Yes, Reed had Kelly, Thurman, & Bruce to help him, but it's not like Reed didn't contribute to that goal.

 

Maybe I'm a tad more fanatic, but I recall many memorable Reed plays. '89 @ Houston catching and juking his way to the game winning TD in OT; flying' down the field for a 70 yd TD vs Eagles '90; juking his way through 4defenders to score vs Patriots; juking his way to a 60 yd score @ Seattle on MNF '89; 2 TD performance vs KC in Playoff '91; 1 handed TD stab @ Indy when Kelly got crunched from Ballard missing a block; 2 TD performance vs Miami in Playoff '90 in the snow.. I really could go on and on and on..

 

Best wishes, Andre. You ARE deserving!

[judman]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...

 

Dan Dierdorf referred to him as a "future hall of famer" during a broadcast on at least one occasion back in the day. That should be good enough for damn near anyone.

[Dean Cain]

My list:

1) Strahan

2) Brown

3) Ogden

4) Carter

5) Greene

 

Reed & Brown are going to be caught by the next gen of receivers soon.

[Mark Vader]

My list:

1) Tim Brown

 

2)Charles Haley

 

3) Jonathan Ogden

 

4) Andre Reed

 

5) Aeneas Williams.

Edited January 12, 2013 by Mark Vader