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- How did Rudy G
auy not make it? I hear constantly from coaches and talking heads that they way to win championships is with defense and running. Control the clock, win the battle of field position, and don’t let those silly quarterbacks lose the game. Super Bowls have been won and entire coaching careers built around that notion. Well, punters are field position. A good punter can reverse, all by himself, a bad field position situation. A bad one can make you defense defend a very short field. So if field position is so important, and punters are the primary weapon for creating advantageous field position, how come the consensus greatest punter ever can’t get into the Hall of Fame?
- I am a bit surprised that Tagliabue didn’t make the cut. Yes, I realize that his legacy is not complete until the effects of his last CBA are determined, but, really, unless that CBA destroys the League, how could it possibly hurt his reputation that much. There used to be a Big Four of professional sports in the United States. Now there is just the NFL and a bunch of also-rans. Tagliabue managed that transition. The NFL became the money making machine that is is today in large part because of Tagliabue. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame
- The selection process is dumb. A list of finalists is determined and then forty media people meet one day before the Super Bowl and debate about who should be allowed into the Hall. Voting is usually arranged so that there is one paring down and then another round of debate. That’s all fine with me. My problem is with the voting — only a certain number of people can get in each year. So instead of a Hall of Fame, we have a Hall of People Who Fit Into an Arbitrary Number of Allowed Entrants in a Given Year of Eligibility. The idea that any year’s class of eligibles can only produce a certain number of entrants is silly. Greatness is greatness, not matter if it stands alone at the vote or with ten other great players. Each finalist should get a straight yes or no vote.
February 4th, 2007
Sports, NFL |
4 comments
Rudy Gay? NFL?
Comment 2/4/2007
OK, now that I’m not on my laptop where I can only cut and paste entries due to excess Coke spilled on keyboard..
I am unaware of any NFL punter named Rudy Gay. Perhaps you meant Ray Guy, the Oakland punter. I suppose the fact that you got the guy’s name wrong is a subtle indicator as to why punters don’t make the Hall. I doubt you would forget Joe Montana’s name.
I think the reason punters don’t make it is because they are not considered real players by most people in football. Their lack of football skills are exposed whenever they {or place kickers) try and tackle an opposing player. And while a punter can hurt a team with a shank or fumble, they really can’t help their team very much. No kicker can consistently pin the opposition inside the 10 (the best thing a punter can do) - to do so requires a good coverage team and/or a lucky bounce. On a typical punt, the difference between a pro bowl punter and the last guy in the league, on average, is less than ten yards. The difference between an average punter and the best is typically less than 5 yards.
Put another way, how many punters are selected in the first round of the draft? Since the merger of the leagues, the answer is 1 (the aforementioned Ray Guy). This speaks to the fact that punters are the least valued players on the team.
Comment 2/5/2007
Ted
yes, I meant Guy, thanks.
Ask a lineman to run back a kickoff. Ask a QB to catch a pass. Heck, ask a QB or running back to make a tackle. I think that, in the modern game, everything is hyper-specialized. You are right that punters need the help of coverage people, but QBs need the line to block and receivers to catch the ball. The yardage difference is more compelling, but it might just be a sign of how subtle the differences in football are. 5 yards can mean a lot.
I would actually prefer the outlawing of punting, honestly, but as long as they are part of the game, they should be considered for the hall.
Comment 2/5/2007
Kevin, defensive linemen are pretty damn fast these days. And virtually all QBs are excellent all-around athletes. Some of them can run like a running back, and they all have good hands so they can all catch passes. And running backs can generally tackle - they certainly don’t avoid contact. The thing is, on average, these guys (linemen, QBs, running backs) played both ways in high school because they are excellent athletes. Not so much with punters, and even less so with place kickers (although one place kicker has made the Hall so far).
Stats-wise, consider this. Guy’s career average was 42.5 yards per punt. That’s a tick below the current average. And lots was made of his hang time - which should translate into superior net yards numbers. But his net yards average was more than four yards below the current average. Things have changed over the years (more emphasis on special teams for one) so it is somewhat unfair to compare his averages to modern averages, but even that works against punters in that by the time they are eligible for Canton, their stats are diminishing wrt current guys.
but don’t feel too bad for the pro punters who labor without any real chance of enshrinement. At least they have an excellent chance of retiring from football without sustaining significant permanent physical damage.
Comment 2/5/2007