3 Man Hall of Fame Class?!?!?!

[tukafan21]

2 minutes ago, Santee_Panther said:

Yeah, you could have all 7 guys split 71% each and get stuck with three man classes. 
 

At least the top seven go straight to the final next time. 

I’m not worried about Luke getting it eventually but Smith’s numbers are going to look less impressive down the road in a pass happy league. (Fitzgerald goes to the top of the group next year, still stuck with Holt and Wayne for votes).

Yea, guys like Smith, Holt, Wayne, etc are screwed, they now have almost no shot at getting in through the normal process, they're going to need ones like Sharpe this year with the senior committee.  

Just will be too many vote splitting, especially when you get into the years where there are a clear group of 2-4 1st ballot guys, because then the other few guys in the final 7 will all get split votes and likely come up just short of the 80%

Like in a couple of years in 2027, you'll have Gronk, AP, and Roethlisberger as guaranteed 1st ballot guys, likely will get 100% of the vote in the final 7.  Those other 4 players are all going to be so HOF worthy due to this new system that they're bound to split enough of the vote to keep at least 1 of the possible 2 other spots from getting to the 80% mark, quite possibly both of the other two spots.

[tukafan21]

The worst part about it is I guess they changed the rules because players already in the HOF wanted to make it more exclusive.

So.... basically a bunch of guys who were either always going to be HOFers or guys who probably wouldn't have gotten in if under these rules, changed it to now keep out worthy players to make themselves feel like part of an even more exclusive club.

[OneBadCat]

2 hours ago, tukafan21 said:

Uh.... what now?!?!

I can't remember ever not seeing 5 modern era selections, with such a back log of worthy candidates, why did they only put 3 guys in this year?

Kuechly is a 1st ballot guy who I could see not giving 1st ballot due to the shorter career, but not if they only selected 3 modern era players, I could have understood him getting bumped into next year, but this is baffling for him to get bumped with a not full class.

Reggie Wayne and Torry Holt are a clear HOFers, how is neither getting in with 2 open spots?  That also seems like it's a bad sign for Smitty's chances of ever getting in, if they leave 2 spots open and don't put either of those guys in either, I'm not sure he'll be able to get across the line when more HOF worthy WRs start becoming eligible each year moving forward.

This whole thing is total bullshit. What MLBs would you honestly take over Luke? Maybe Ray Lewis? Even then I think you could make the argument that Luke dictated the game better than anyone before him. He put mediocre players in positions for success. He was in total control. 
 

Steve Smith is a top 10 WR of all time and had he’d been given the same amount of targets that Wayne, Holt, and Fitzgerald had he would have totally embarrassed their numbers. Had Smitty played any stretch of his prime with Manning, Warner, or Brady he would have had a 2k yard season. He was pound for pound better than everyone else not named Moss, Calvin Johnson, or TO. The shear ignorance clouding his career is baffling. 
 

Smith was an all time badass who never played with an offense that could maximize his talent until he was past his peak. 

Edited 7 hours ago by OneBadCat

[panther252]

Embarrassing. They probably didn't want Luke to get in just yet because he's too young. He would've been the youngest Hofer beating out Sayers. 

[tukafan21]

8 minutes ago, panther252 said:

Embarrassing. They probably didn't want Luke to get in just yet because he's too young. He would've been the youngest Hofer beating out Sayers. 

I doubt that's it, my guess is that he was only a few votes short of making it in because of his short career.

All it takes is 10 of the 49 voters to keep you from the 80% mark and my guess is at least 10 of them voted for Anderson or Holt over Kuechly because they've been waiting and are overdue or Vinatieri because they felt his long career and SB's were more deserving of a 1st ballot than Kuechly with the shorter career and no SB.

But this is the problem with the new system, even in years with no clear cut first ballot type to get 100%, every person could get like 72% of the vote or something and then only the top 3 get in, even though there is a backlog of guys who should clearly be in the HOF.  

Every year they don't put 5 in it just adds to the list of guys who should be in, so dumb, no need to make this HOF more exclusive, it's already so hard to get into.

[Car123]

How the heck did Andre Johnson get in last year?

[Lame Duck]

NFL overall is becoming WWE.  Need to get Goodell out.  The game went from battle of the gladiators to fake scripted poo.

Edited 2 hours ago by Lame Duck

[KillerKat]

Yeah that new rule sh!t just screws up everything.

[CRA]

9 hours ago, tukafan21 said:

If you had asked me 20 minutes ago, I'd say there was a 100% chance he gets in next year if he didn't this year.

But I'm not so sure now, as there are at least 2 guaranteed 1st ballot guys next year in Brees and Fitzgerald, which only leaves 3 more spots open and still a big backlog of guys who clearly should be getting in.  If Kuechly's short career kept him from being a 1st ballot in a 3 man class, I'm not so sure he's a sure thing next year now.

with the 80% rule less will get in next year too I would guess.  As you said, Brees and Fitz will be givens....then too much vote splitting with the rest given how many there are. 

[CRA]

1 hour ago, Lame Duck said:

NFL overall is becoming WWE.  Need to get Goodell out.  The game went from battle of the gladiators to fake scripted poo.

Never forget the NFL is legally recognized as an entertainment business. 

25 years from now KC fans when the KC/Mahomes ref cheating scandal is revealed.....

[mrcompletely11]

I've watched football for 45 years and I can honestly and objectively say luke is one of the best linebacker i have seen.   Travesty hw didn't get in.  

[Car123]

5 hours ago, Car123 said:

How the heck did Andre Johnson get in last year?

His most memorable play is beating up Cortland Finnegan.

No wide receiver 5’10’’ or under comes close to the numbers Steve Smith has. 
 

I wish Steve Smith played one more season instead of retiring. 600 more yards would have placed him 4th in career yardage.

Edited 16 minutes ago by Car123

[kungfoodude]

https://thelandondemand.com/news/2025/feb/07/inside-the-hall-of-fame-voting-process/

 

Doesn't look like there was much chance Luke was going to get in. I mean, at all. Look at the debate length.