Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

I guess the HOF has never given rings and jackets to deceased players. I suppose this includes Len Ford, Dick Stanfel, and Junior Seau and Ken Stabler and others.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=c ... ing+jacket

now there is a mini controversy. My feeling is that the squaeky wheel gets the grease and the bad PR will cause HOF to give up the ring. I don't think it's money, Kay supplies rings and some jacket company the coats, but but why change the policy.

Is the HOf for a ring and jacket? the Bust? or for the recognition?

The bad PR is what caused them to televise Seau's daughter's interview after the induction. They abandoned that practice again with Stabler and Stanfel. Now, as you mentioned, they will probably be forced to give Stabler's family a ring and jacket.

You need to be consistent. If you have a policy, regardless of whether the policy makes sense, you have to be consistent. If you change the policy for one inductee, you have to do the same for all others. If I were the family of Richter, Stanfel and Stabler, I would be upset that Seau's daughter could make a statement, but they are not worthy of the same consideration. Are some HOFers and their families more worthy of special considerations than other HOFers?

Agree with Ken. They shouldn't give in on this just because one family squawked. And if they do, they should retroactively do this for every other family that didn't benefit.

What do the Stabler family want with this all of a sudden anyway? They presumably knew about this ahead of time.

Very well stated, Ken.

I read a few of the "stories" written about the "controversy" and was unimpressed with thr arguments of the writers. One suggested that if the HOF is concerned about families fighting over the posessions, they should never give away jackets or rings, since every HOF player will die someday. That misses the point entirely.

The rings and jackets are meant to be worn. By the Hall of Famer. That is why they are given out.
Former Raiders exec Amy Trask called on the HOF to do the right thing and change their policy. Well, maybe if AL Davis and the Raiders hadn't run a private smear campaign against Stabler, he would have been inducted while he was still alive.
(Note. I do believe his candidacy was helped by his death, but I also think he would have been inducted years ago if Al Davis hadn't held such a grudge. A HOF voter recalled talking with Al Locasale, amd every the time the writer asked about Stabler and his HOF worthiness, Al would brush him off and keep talking about how great Jim Plunkett was.)