Senior nominee tomorrow, Contributors next week

[Gary Najman]

Any other good GM candidates otherwise? I can’t think of any.

What about Ernie Accorsi? I'm not saying that he is deserving, but giving the fact that the PFHOF love to induct only Owners/GMs recently, that he has been interviewed many times for NFL Network shows and he's still alive it would be a possibility...

[Gary Najman]

Shorty Ray is the only official-type enshrinee. I’m actually hard pressed to think of a pure game official in NFL history who would be the equal to, say, Bill Klem in baseball (he is in the BBHoF). I mean, look — it’d be easy to toss out a name like Ed Hochuli just because he’s pretty recent and relatively high profile. Realistically, who would be deserving in this category, and more importantly why? I’m open to suggestions.

The top one has to bee Art McNally, who is Still alive at 92-93 years old. He has been active in the league at some capacity (like Dick LeBeau) since 1959, but his main contribu¿tion/innovation is that he became the first one to standarized officiating. Previously, there were not former officials as Supervisors (former player/Nick Skorich was one of them) and the signals (and then the use of microphone) were different from one official to another (at the time many of them still worked College Football, and many NCAA conferences called or marked the penalties different). McNally was the Supervisor from 1968-1990: the microphone and instant replay (withj all their flaws, of course) were first developed under him. And for me, just for that, he is HOF deserving as a true innovator.

[JuggernautJ]

Thomas, as I think Bryan rightly suggested, would be a pretty surprising story if he got in. But I can’t think of another viable possibility other than him once you get past Young and Kilroy in this category. He has a lot of baggage, but did have a distinguished career in some ways — kind of like Art Modell, perhaps, in that regard.

Joe Thomas ordered that the historical records of the San Francisco 49ers be destroyed when he took the helm as, apparently, before him there was no 49ers history.
As historians that should be anathema to us and it is to me.

I would be very, very, very disappointed in the Hall of Fame if they ever elected that... person.
I don't want to sink into hyperbole here but such an election would really (really, really) devalue the Hall of Fame for me. I'm not sure I would ever visit it again while his bust sullied the Hall.
And I am not sure I would ever again take seriously any historical opinion from anyone who would vote to enshrine such a reprobate.

On a happier note, I am overjoyed Johnny Robinson is the senior nominee.
I sincerely hope he is enshrined in Canton.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... biJo00.htm

[Retro Rider]

Joe Thomas ordered that the historical records of the San Francisco 49ers be destroyed when he took the helm as, apparently, before him there was no 49ers history.
As historians that should be anathema to us and it is to me.

I would be very, very, very disappointed in the Hall of Fame if they ever elected that... person.
I don't want to sink into hyperbole here but such an election would really (really, really) devalue the Hall of Fame for me. I'm not sure I would ever visit it again while his bust sullied the Hall.
And I am not sure I would ever again take seriously any historical opinion from anyone who would vote to enshrine such a reprobate.

On a happier note, I am overjoyed Johnny Robinson is the senior nominee.
I sincerely hope he is enshrined in Canton.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... biJo00.htm

I'm not a Joe Thomas fan either. I remember watching a Lost Treasures episode with John Brodie and he briefly mentioned what Thomas had done to the 49er's archives back in the '70's. You could tell that Brodie did not like Thomas. I also recall Colts linebacker Mike Curtis calling Thomas a jerk back in the '70's ...

After a knee injury sidelined Curtis for most of the 1975 season, he was left unprotected for the 1976 NFL Expansion Draft due to a personality conflict with general manager Joe Thomas. "I heard indirectly that I was in the expansion draft because Joe Thomas hated my guts," Curtis said. "Thomas could have had a first-round draft choice or better for me if he had wanted it." The move was made despite the objections of head coach Ted Marchibroda.

https://gatorrick15.wixsite.com/bmoresportsnest/mad-dog

The only other time that I remember hearing about a front office executive or owner destroying historical property of a professional football team was when Nelson Skalbania had most of the Montreal Alouettes artifacts thrown into dumpsters after he filed for bankruptcy in 1982. I won't count the Broncos public burning of their verticle striped socks in '62 or Hank Stram burning game film after the Saints lost to Tampa Bay in 1977.

Very happy to hear about Johnny Robinson getting the Senior's nomination. Long overdue!

[Bryan]

6 Chiefs from a one-time SB winning defense.
Buchanan
Culp
Bell
Lanier
Thomas
Robinson

True, but I would put Robinson alongside Buchanan in terms of HOF worthiness. Both were great players who probably should be in. I think Bobby Bell is a no-brainer, and I think Willie Lanier is possibly a slightly stronger candidate than Buchanan and Robinson. I was very surprised when Emmitt Thomas and Curley Culp were enshrined...I didn't think either of them deserved it, TBH.

[Bryan]

I also recall Colts linebacker Mike Curtis calling Thomas a jerk back in the '70's ...

After a knee injury sidelined Curtis for most of the 1975 season, he was left unprotected for the 1976 NFL Expansion Draft due to a personality conflict with general manager Joe Thomas. "I heard indirectly that I was in the expansion draft because Joe Thomas hated my guts," Curtis said. "Thomas could have had a first-round draft choice or better for me if he had wanted it." The move was made despite the objections of head coach Ted Marchibroda.

I like Curtis, but I don't think any NFL team would be giving up a 1st round choice for him after the 1975 season. I would be interested to know what the Redskins gave the Seahawks to acquire Curtis in 1977.

I thought Joe Thomas did a good job rebuilding the Colts. They were an aging team in 1972, and Thomas decisively got rid of the veterans and invested heavily in young players. I'm not sure if many GMs would have had the resolve to send away popular veterans like Unitas, Mackey, Bubba Smith, etc.

[SixtiesFan]

Thomas, as I think Bryan rightly suggested, would be a pretty surprising story if he got in. But I can’t think of another viable possibility other than him once you get past Young and Kilroy in this category. He has a lot of baggage, but did have a distinguished career in some ways — kind of like Art Modell, perhaps, in that regard.

Joe Thomas ordered that the historical records of the San Francisco 49ers be destroyed when he took the helm as, apparently, before him there was no 49ers history.
As historians that should be anathema to us and it is to me.

I would be very, very, very disappointed in the Hall of Fame if they ever elected that... person.
I don't want to sink into hyperbole here but such an election would really (really, really) devalue the Hall of Fame for me. I'm not sure I would ever visit it again while his bust sullied the Hall.
And I am not sure I would ever again take seriously any historical opinion from anyone who would vote to enshrine such a reprobate.

On a happier note, I am overjoyed Johnny Robinson is the senior nominee.
I sincerely hope he is enshrined in Canton.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... biJo00.htm

A few years ago I read somewhere that soon after Joe Thomas became Baltimore Colts general manager in 1972, a team employee walked by a trash bin outside the team offices and saw the film records of the 50's and 60's Colts had been dumped there. It was Thomas' doing. The employee managed to save them.

Joe Thomas wanted to do with the Colts what he later did with the 49er films and archives.

Maybe people interested in pro football history should forget Joe Thomas ever existed.

[Retro Rider]

I also recall Colts linebacker Mike Curtis calling Thomas a jerk back in the '70's ...

After a knee injury sidelined Curtis for most of the 1975 season, he was left unprotected for the 1976 NFL Expansion Draft due to a personality conflict with general manager Joe Thomas. "I heard indirectly that I was in the expansion draft because Joe Thomas hated my guts," Curtis said. "Thomas could have had a first-round draft choice or better for me if he had wanted it." The move was made despite the objections of head coach Ted Marchibroda.

I like Curtis, but I don't think any NFL team would be giving up a 1st round choice for him after the 1975 season. I would be interested to know what the Redskins gave the Seahawks to acquire Curtis in 1977.

I thought Joe Thomas did a good job rebuilding the Colts. They were an aging team in 1972, and Thomas decisively got rid of the veterans and invested heavily in young players. I'm not sure if many GMs would have had the resolve to send away popular veterans like Unitas, Mackey, Bubba Smith, etc.

The Redskins signed free agent Mike Curtis after Seattle had put him on waivers in 1977:

Redskins Put Curtis On Roster

Leonard Shapiro, Washington Post Staff Writer
September 10, 1977

Mike Curtis, the former all-Pro middle linebacker and a veteran of 12 National Football League seasons, signed with the Washington Redskins yesterday and was in uniform for last night's preseason game against the Jets. Curtis, 34, placed on waivers by the Seattle Seahawks last Tuesday, was considered a free agent after all 27 other teams failed to claim him off the waiver list. Curtis signed a one-year contract with no option clause for a salary reportedly in the $70,000 to $80,000 range.

http://www.beckys-place.com/curtis2.html

Agree that Curtis did not have the trade value after 1975 that he expressed in the Baltimore sports article. Joe Thomas made some good moves rebuilding the Colts but his Trump-sized ego (ok, maybe not THAT big) created a lot of drama and discord with others. He wanted to axe Ted Marchibroda in 1976 and a year later fired the popular Monty Clark in San Francisco:

https://www.si.com/vault/1977/04/18/627 ... a-lynching

[Bryan]

Joe Thomas made some good moves rebuilding the Colts but his Trump-sized ego (ok, maybe not THAT big) created a lot of drama and discord with others. He wanted to axe Ted Marchibroda in 1976 and a year later fired the popular Monty Clark in San Francisco:

Thomas is such a fascinating mix of ego and insecurity. His 'modus operandi' was to find a neophyte NFL owner (Joe Robbie, Bob Irsay, Eddie DeBartolo Jr.), sell himself as being a top notch 'football guy', then take over the operation. Thomas did it over and over. I can't tell if it was Thomas needing the limelight that led him to leave places and fire coaches, or if once those teams acquired other knowledgeable coaches and front office staff, Thomas was afraid that his fraudulent nature would become apparent.

I think the nebulousness of Thomas' accomplishments (and of all GMs to some degree) makes it more difficult to categorize the 'real' Joe Thomas. I can't really say what exactly he did in Minnesota and Miami. He seemed to have more direct influence in Baltimore, did well in acquiring new talent, but wore out his welcome rather quickly. His time in San Fran wasn't good at all (although I've read that DeBartolo forced the OJ Simpson trade on Thomas).

[Halas Hall]

As a Cowboy fan, I agree that Gil Brandt should not be in the Hall of Fame.

Here are the solid players Brandt drafted from these eleven drafts 1978-1988:

1978 - Todd Christensen (Raiders), Dennis Thurman

1979 - Doug Cosbie, Ron Springs, Bruce Thornton, Garry Cobb (Eagles)

1980 - Kurt Petersen, Gary Hogeboom, Tim Newsome

1981 - Mike Wilson (49ers), Glenn Titensor, Ron Fellows

1982 - Phil Pozderac

1983 - Jim Jeffcoat, Mike Walter (49ers)

1984 - Steve DeOssie

1985 - Crawford Ker, Herschel Walker

1986 - Mike Sherrard, Thornton Chandler

1987 - Jeff Zimmerman, Kelvin Martin, Kevin Gogan

1988 - Mike Irvin, Ken Norton, Chad Hennings

To be fair, there were some great free agent signings (Downs, Walls, Tunei), but these are not Hall of Fame drafts.

Landry winning the Division title in 1985 was a testament to his coaching, and Jimmy Johnson deserves a lot of credit for the 1992 and 1993 Super Bowls.