Belichick probably surpasses Alan Page

[JohnTurney]

as biggest first-ballot snub. Tarkenton up there, too. I am sure there are others, but to me those are now the big 3

[Brian wolf]

I still would go with Lenny Moore, Page and Dick Lane in retrospect, though Belichick is close. In the past he would wait till 2029? ... Ditka, Schmidt, Eller, Tunnell, Johnson, Taylor, Adderley, Bell, Robinson, Harrison, Youngblood, Haynes, Christiansen, Casper and Gates had to wait as well.

[rewing84]

I still would go with Lenny Moore, Page and Dick Lane in retrospect, though Belichick is close. In the past he would wait till 2029? ... Ditka, Schmidt, Eller, Tunnell, Johnson, Taylor, Adderley, Bell, Robinson, Harrison, Youngblood, Haynes, Christiansen, Casper and Gates had to wait as well.

dont forget about Tom Mack

[JohnTurney]

I still would go with Lenny Moore, Page and Dick Lane in retrospect, though Belichick is close. In the psast he would wait till 2029? ... Ditka, Schmidt, Eller, Tunnell, Johnson, Taylor, Adderley, Bell, Robinson, Harrison, Youngblood, Haynes, Christiansen, Casper and Gates had to wait as well.

some are close, but Tark broke Johnny U.'s records, Page was on Rushmore of DTs---of your list Schmidt, Tunnell and Lane stand out, but still think BB, and the Vikes are up a bit higher

[JohnTurney]

I still would go with Lenny Moore, Page and Dick Lane in retrospect, though Belichick is close. In the past he would wait till 2029? ... Ditka, Schmidt, Eller, Tunnell, Johnson, Taylor, Adderley, Bell, Robinson, Harrison, Youngblood, Haynes, Christiansen, Casper and Gates had to wait as well.

dont forget about Tom Mack

Don't see him as first-ballot, just not consensus AP often enough...but that's me

[readjack]

as biggest first-ballot snub. Tarkenton up there, too. I am sure there are others, but to me those are now the big 3

I'm looking at those two classes and I want to know how the voting worked. In '84, the year Tarkenton came on the ballot, Willie Brown was elected first-ballot and only two other moderns (Charley Taylor and Mike McCormack) got in. The PFHOF media guide doesn't list cut-downs so I don't know where Tarkenton fell.

In '87, the year Page came on the ballot, somehow they elected six moderns including three on the first ballot: Mean Joe, Jim Langer and Gene Upshaw. The other three were Csonka, Len Dawson and Maynard.

[rewing84]

as biggest first-ballot snub. Tarkenton up there, too. I am sure there are others, but to me those are now the big 3

I'm looking at those two classes and I want to know how the voting worked. In '84, the year Tarkenton came on the ballot, Willie Brown was elected first-ballot and only two other moderns (Charley Taylor and Mike McCormack) got in. The PFHOF media guide doesn't list cut-downs so I don't know where Tarkenton fell.

In '87, the year Page came on the ballot, somehow they elected six moderns including three on the first ballot: Mean Joe, Jim Langer and Gene Upshaw. The other three were Csonka, Len Dawson and Maynard.

if i recall Csonka Got Elected on his 3rd try Dawson 7th try and Maynard 9th try can anyone confirm

[Brian wolf]

No argument from me John. As you say, everyones picks are just as good. If anything though, Tarkenton's career, like John Unitas, was where the voters took into the ideas of longevity and sustained excellence.

People then werent looking at compiled statistics like we take for granted now. Still, even up until 1973 when Tarkenton finally led a team to a conference championship game, he was viewed as a great QB, but not a potential HOF QB, despite 12 years in the league. Going to that SB, changed alot of perceptions about him.

He, like Drew Pearson, are great examples of what I believe ... that a player has to take advantage of their talent level and get the most out of it. There are many talented HOF players that took their talent for granted, and didnt lay it all out on the field.