Makeup class of 17

[bachslunch]

How many candidates were finalists in multiple years?

I think there’s only one Senior who was a multi-time finalist as such and didn’t ultimately get in — Marshall Goldberg. Best I can tell, he’s not at all deserving, either. I sure hope he isn’t one of the options.

There are several folks who were regular finalists more than once who never got in either as regular or Senior candidates: Duke Slater, Charlie Conerly, Mac Speedie, Clark Shaughnessy, Gene Lipscomb, L.C. Greenwood, Ken Anderson, Lester Hayes, Bob Kuechenberg, Paul Tagliabue, Randy Gradishar, Art Modell, and Joe Jacoby are those who fit that description and aren’t regularly eligible players or coaches anymore, best as I can tell. I’d actually be fine if all (except Conerly and probably Modell) got in eventually, though I’m not sure some of these should get first priority (Slater, Speedie, and Shaughnessy are those I think should be highest priority from the list, though Gradishar and Anderson rank near the top of my personal snub list also). No idea if any of them will actually be among the 10 Senior candidate list.

[rewing84]

would you be ok if slater was on there but not speedie

[JohnTurney]

Time will tell, but I am getting the feeling that most of the 10 seniors will be more "modern" with All-Decade guys getting extra push. Aside from Slater, and this is my speculation, but Drew Pearson may be closest to a lock as one can get. Probably Gradishar, too (though not All-Decade). But getting feeling it could be 6-7 moderns and 3-4 the kind of guys we as a forum have been pushing. I was hoping at least a 50-50 split...but here's hoping

I unfortunately think that this is what is going to happen. A token guy or two pre-1950 (to make it look like they are looking at the history of the game), then load it up with modern players.

I would bet that is what will occur. Hope not... but it's their party.

[bachslunch]

would you be ok if slater was on there but not speedie

Yes. Would prefer both, of course, but if only one of the two, it would be Slater.

[Ken Crippen]

Straw poll from Seniors Committee: https://footballmaven.io/talkoffame/nfl ... tW5fmkBIQ/

[rewing84]

agreed 100% on the straw poll favorites of baughan and slater two of my top seniors

[bachslunch]

Straw poll from Seniors Committee: https://footballmaven.io/talkoffame/nfl ... tW5fmkBIQ/

Thanks for posting the link.

The names coming up seem to be Slater and Baughan most strongly (fine by me), followed by Karras and Branch (deserving) and Riley (ugh!), and support also for Wistert, Howley, Gradishar, Harris, Pearson (deserving) and Klecko (passable) and Nobis (eh). It’s fortunately a straw poll among Senior voter types who may or may not even have a say depending on how the committee shakes out. Not that Klecko is extremely undeserving, but he’s very new to the Senior pool and can wait a bit.

The biggest blunder is omitting Dilweg, of course. He’s number one on my list of 75(!) Senior snubs. Dump Riley, Nobis, and Klecko and add Dilweg, Speedie, and Emerson and you’ve got a great bunch of inductees.

It’s also unfortunate that Seniors who are really old, still alive, and very deserving (Shofner, Howton, Dillon, Jim Ray Smith) aren’t getting any notice. But with only ten options, that’s a hard decision to make. Wish there were more. At least the extremely old and extremely deserving Baughan and Howley are drawing attention.

It’s not going to be perfect, but it may not be a total train wreck either. One can hope, anyway. Five of the 12 names brought up are in my top ten Senior snubs.

[JeffreyMiller]

I am worried that it might be the last best hope for some AFL players as well. I think there are a handful of AFLers who deserve at least a good second look, but the three I am hoping they will seriously consider are Otis Taylor, Tom Sestak and Gino Cappelletti.

Among the leatherheads, I would love to see Slater and Dilweg, but again, I think Swede Youngstrom and Tony Latone deserve a hard discussion.

I have been a big proponent of Karras and Pearson or years, so kudos on their consideration!

I have noticed also that Roman Gabriel, Harold Jackson and Stanley Morgan have not been mentioned, which I think is unfortunate.

[bachslunch]

I am worried that it might be the last best hope for some AFL players as well. I think there are a handful of AFLers who deserve at least a good second look, but the three I am hoping they will seriously consider are Otis Taylor, Tom Sestak and Gino Cappelletti.

Among the leatherheads, I would love to see Slater and Dilweg, but again, I think Swede Youngstrom and Tony Latone deserve a hard discussion.

I have been a big proponent of Karras and Pearson or years, so kudos on their consideration!

I have noticed also that Roman Gabriel, Harold Jackson and Stanley Morgan have not been mentioned, which I think is unfortunate.

Looked again at my ranked Senior snub list, and while some AFL players are on it, the only one who ranks very high up is Jim Tyrer at #10. Following them, I’ve got Winston Hill (#21), Dave Grayson (#24), Art Powell (#42), Larry Grantham (#44), Tom Sestak (#45), Houston Antwine (#48), Earl Faison (#51), Mike Stratton (#58), Lionel Taylor (#64), and Jerry Mays (#75). George Saimes is probably just off my top 75, and if 7-10 Seniors on my list get in, he’ll move onto it for sure. Otis Taylor isn’t that far behind, and Gino Cappelletti is a tough sell for me. YMMV.

Harold Jackson is high on my snub list, ahead of every other WR except Billy Howton, and at #8 overall. No idea why he gets forgotten about. Stanley Morgan will probably go in my top 75 assuming a bunch of folks are cleared out this year. Roman Gabriel and John Brodie would be distant seconds behind Ken Anderson for me, but they wouldn’t be undeserving, either.

[JeffreyMiller]

Looked again at my ranked Senior snub list, and while some AFL players are on it, the only one who ranks very high up is Jim Tyrer at #10. Following them, I’ve got Winston Hill (#21), Dave Grayson (#24), Art Powell (#42), Larry Grantham (#44), Tom Sestak (#45), Houston Antwine (#48), Earl Faison (#51), Mike Stratton (#58), Lionel Taylor (#64), and Jerry Mays (#75). George Saimes is probably just off my top 75, and if 7-10 Seniors on my list get in, he’ll move onto it for sure. Otis Taylor isn’t that far behind, and Gino Cappelletti is a tough sell for me. YMMV.

Interesting … I was involved in a debate about Otis Taylor with a hard-line AFL guy on the Remember the AFL site who couldn't believe I compared Powell favorably to Taylor. Taylor gets the nod IMO mainly because he won two AFL titles and played well in SBIII, but if you compare them side-by-side, including stats and body type, they are very closely matched.

Tyrer, unfortunately, will never get in for obvious reasons. Hill might have an outside chance. However, I think Sestak has a higher level of respect among voters than any of the others we have mentioned. I might be mistaken, but maybe John Turney could comment on that.

I like Cappelletti not only for being the AFL's all-time leading scorer, but I consider him a standard bearer for the league along the lines of Jim Otto … plus he was a five-time All-Star and a POY … Not trying to build a case here, just my reasons for liking him.