Serious question of the week. “What’s going on….” In this case, would you subscribe with the name Steve Smith Sr.? I’m unbelievably upset, furious, really!! , can you please explain the Hall of Fame “selection” process in plain language? I understand (I think) the way the process is written. But somehow that process doesn’t treat Steve Smith Sr. fairly. The name of the poll this year is fine, but no one can say better than Smith. If you don’t mind, please update the process and then add the “Old Guy” insight as to why he was snubbed. I really need to know — Sleepless in Carolina, aka Howard, Star NC
I have two questions here. One is the process I can describe and the other is the result I’m struggling with.
Smith has been one of the semi-finalists in each year’s Hall of Fame ballot for the past two years (usually 25, but this year it was a tie, with 28 on the list). This is the first selection from her list of 125 or so.
The list is sent to each member of the hall’s selection committee. A group of 49 voters and I am one of them. It’s mostly veteran writers and broadcasters, one from each city he’s a popular voter who has decades of experience and takes them very seriously. In recent years, the Hall of Fame has added a group of Hall of Famers to its commission, including Tony Dungey, Bill Polian, Dan Fouts and James Lofton. We electronically cut the 28 lists down to 15, setting up an example of Roman democracy where presentations are made and (presumably) wise men and women vote for each candidate. That’s the mechanics.
Now, I don’t know how this year’s list of 28 will turn into 15 without Smith.
Part of the problem is the clogged pipes in the wide receivers of Reggie Wayne, Andre Johnson and Torry Holt. They were former finalists and now the committee had the same problem as Chris Carter, Andre Reid and Tim a few years ago. brown. None come out until one comes out the other side of the spigot (and eventually he came out in 2013, 2014 and 2015). Also, since the receiver is only one of the positions the committee is considering, it would be difficult to produce a representative sample of the game each year if he cleared a particular traffic jam.
But if you limit this year’s list of 28 semifinalists to just seven receivers (Wayne, Johnson, Holt, Smith, Anquan Boldin, Hines Ward, and Henry Ellard), look at what Smith has done in his career. , it becomes reasonable to think that he should. It contains.
Smith is the eighth-most receiving yards list in league history (14,731), and every player ahead of him on that list is already in the hole, with the exception of Larry Fitzgerald. But Wayne is his 10th, Johnson his 11th, and Boldin (14th), Ellard (15th) and Holt (17th) are not far behind. Ward is 27th.
See list of receptions and Boldin’s ninth 1,076. Followed by Wayne (1,070), Johnson (1,062) and Smith (1,031). Ward’s 14th (1,000), Holt’s 22nd (920), Ellard’s 34th (814 at another time).
This is a numerical way to say that all of these guys are good enough to sue. It’s that he’s five to nine years old and has never played with a Hall of Fame quarterback like Wayne and Holt (and Ward, Someday).
Smith won the Triple Crown (leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns) in 2005. That team ran the ball his 487 times. They threw it 449 times. They were coached by John Fox, quarterbacked by Jake Delorme, and the other receivers were Keely Colbert and Ricky Prowl, 37, who each caught 25 balls.Smith said he went 103-1,563-12. selected.
Since the 1970 merger, the other three Triple Crown winners have been guys named Jerry Rice (with Joe Montana), Sterling Sharp (Mike Holmgren and Brett Favre) and Cooper Cup (Sean McVay and Matt Stafford).
Those situations are different.
Every finalist deserves it, but frankly, I’m pretty sure he’s better at football than Steve Smith in the next debate. And for Wayne, a similar case can be made, albeit somewhat less strongly. Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning were very good in Hall’s case. Johnson was similar to Smith in having to carry a team, but it’s easier to carry something big when you’re a six-foot-three monster than when you’re a small angry person.
So it goes a long way to say a few things: 1) It’s really hard to get into the Hall of Fame. 2) It should be. 3) Players with fantasy football stats have to be put in other positions as well. 4) Many receivers are discussed. 5) But a]Smith is better than most of them and b) his time will come even if he or I aren’t in the timeline he or I prefer.