More Like The “Hall Of Average”! Am I Right, People? Is This Thing On?

The list of 2008 Hall of Fame hopefuls was released yesterday and, at 124, sure has a lot of names on it. Wow. You'd think that if a guy is even being considered for the Hall that he'd be a player whose accomplishments are well known and someone who really made an impact on the game. Most of these guys... not so much.

Danny White? Wasn't he the Cowboy who didn't win a Super Bowl? Although, I have to admit that it was because of White that I thought all quarterbacks also had to punt in the early 80s. So, at best White should be in my own personal Hall of Misunderstandings.

Dwight Clark? Does a guy get to go in now because of one game? If so, someone tell Frank Reich he should be expecting a call anyday now.

Reggie Roby? He was on the good Dolphins teams of the 80s, but he only shined because Dan Marino glowed so brightly that everyone else around him looked good, too. Is it because Roby's dead now? Is it because he has an alliterative name? It can't be because of his punting.

Of interest to Buccaneer fans are Doug Williams, Lomas Brown, Hardy Nickerson, Randall McDaniel and Roby, none of whom will sniff the Hall. I love Doug and would really like to see him make it, but unless he goes in because he was the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl, he doesn't have the numbers. His sub-50% career completion rate and his 100 TDs to 96 INTs will probably outweigh his leadership skills and toughness. I think in the Hall of Fame, you have to have it all. Brown played a long time and helped run-block for Barry Sanders, so that helps. But offensive linemen are generally overlooked in the Hall. Same goes for McDaniel, even though he was the better player. Nickerson has the best argument to admission because he played consistently excellent throughout his entire career and was a major part of the 1999 Buccaneer defense. But my bet is that no Buccaneer makes it into the Hall until five years after Derrick Brooks retires.

Nominees where it shouldn't even be up for debate: Roger Craig, Cliff Branch, Art Monk, Russ Grimm, Joe Jacoby, Gary Zimmerman, Sam Mills, Derrick Thomas, Lester Hayes, Darrell Green, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Don Coryell and Ed Sabol.