Paige vs. Legwold

[TXBRONC]

As many of you know Woody Paige does a Mailbag (Q and A) for the DP in much the same way as Legwold does for the RMN. In Woody's latest addition he his asked if there is an east coast bias against former Broncos greats. He says he never thought there was when he was an elector but also threw out there that maybe the Broncos current representative didn't do his job. That just happens to be Jeff Legwold. Do you think that Woody could possibly be right in this one instance? :ponder:

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_11682689

woody's world
Mailbag: Sharpe's turndown bogus
Fan from Ohio senses anti-Broncos sentiment among Hall's selection committee
By Woody Paige
The Denver Post
Posted: 02/12/2009 12:30:01 AM MST

Denver Post sports columnist Woody Paige posts Woody's Mailbag on Thursdays.

Drop a question into Woody's Mailbag, or visit The Denver Post's Sports Page. Also, browse the archive of videos in Woody's World.

Woody - How is it possible that one of the best tight ends to ever play the game was not elected to the Hall of Fame? Is it only prejudice against all things Broncos or are there more sinister things working?
-- Bronncohowie, Columbus, Ohio

Shannon Sharpe called out to me from several feet away the day before the voting. I waved and gave him a thumbs-up, my indication that I was sure he would be in the Hall of Fame. I was wrong.

Shannon belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He will get in. It's just a matter of a year or two. Based on talking to several of the voters and my own history of being on the committee for 15 years, I believe a combination of things kept Shannon out this year. UNFAIRLY.

Sharpe was among the two or three best receiving tight ends in the history of the game. Kellen Winslow, in my mind, was No. 1, and maybe Ozzie Newsome was better. But Shannon has three Super Bowl rings, and his statistics are a natural for heading to Canton. But for some reason, the Hall of Fame hasn't been keen on tight ends. If I remember correctly, there are only six in the Hall. Mike Ditka was first, I think. It's not a position respected that much by some voters. UNFAIRLY.

They're more into wide receivers.

The second reason for omission is that the great majority of NFL players in the Hall didn't get in on the first ballot. I give you Gary Zimmerman who had to wait three or four years, and he was a slam dunk (sorry for the basketball reference).

John Elway got in (unanimously, I'm sure, although we were never told the exact results) his first year. Joe Montana, etc. But most have to wait. Lynn Swann waited until his last year of eligibility.
A couple of guys told me that they wanted to get a couple of people (Ralph Wilson, owner of the Bills) in before Cris Carter and Sharpe. Bruce Smith made it on first ballot, though, so Sharpe should have. I never saw any bias, and believe that's total bullhockey, that there is an anti-Denver sentiment. There is, as charged, a bias in favor of players in the East because a lot more voters (particularly the at-large members of the committee) who live in the East (New York, Washington, Boston, Philly, etc.).

Randy Gradishar, Dennis Smith, Steve Atwater, Louis Wright and now Sharpe belong in the Hall. Sharpe will get in next year or the following year. I fought every year to put in the maximum (seven). Some years, some buffoons on the committee vote for fewer men, which just backs up the system and makes it harder for worthy players to make it.

There's a stupid knock against Shannon that he wasn't a true blocking tight end. Winslow couldn't have blocked me and you. He changed the position from when Ditka and Jackie Smith (also in) blocked first, caught second. I am very p'd (perturbed) that Shannon wasn't elected.

I suppose you can add in another reason: Maybe the current Denver representative didn't do his job. Guys have gotten in strictly because of the nominating speeches made by the local rep. Guys have been left out for the same reason. You got to sell the player from your home team.
There's occasionally a sinister reason. Many of the old guys (and they're being replaced by younger committee members) wanted no part of punters and place kickers. Ray Guy belongs in the Hall of Fame, but a voter got up and said, "I will never vote for any punter."

Dan Reeves belongs in the Hall of Fame. He took three Denver teams and an Atlanta team to the Super Bowl. Marv Levy got in despite his Bills not winning a Super Bowl. It's not fair.

I would increase the committee by having an equal number (44?) of Hall of Fame players on the committee. Sports writers are not infallible, and they do have biases. But I never experienced an anti-Denver feeling. Gradishar is a real oversight, and I tried very hard, and failed, to help get him in. Shannon, though, will make it soon.

[JKcatch724]

IMHO there HAS to be some kind of bias. It just doesn't make sense otherwise. I know that there is naturally an east coast/large market bias (which is BS), but it seems Denver in particular has been snubbed multiple times. Shannon shouldn't have needed the lobbying of Legwold to get in.

[Nomad]

Someone has to lobby for these players unless they are a forsure in the HOF and I guess it would be the representative to persuade his fellow voters! I saw something about this on Outside The Lines a while back.

Once the early games are played, most of these voters go do something else rather than watch the late games (west teams), unless it's one of the elite teams worth watching. Just my Guess!!

[TXBRONC]

IMHO there HAS to be some kind of bias. It just doesn't make sense otherwise. I know that there is naturally an east coast/large market bias (which is BS), but it seems Denver in particular has been snubbed multiple times. Shannon shouldn't have needed the lobbying of Legwold to get in.

JK I think one of reason's that there is writer to represent each team is so that they can lobby for their guy.

[56crash]

woody has it half right SW should have 1/3 of the say the HOF players should have 2/3 of the say .

[BroncoJoe]

woody has it half right SW should have 1/3 of the say the HOF players should have 2/3 of the say .

Mike and Mike talked about that on the radio the other day. They felt it would be even more biased if HOF members voted. Guys they played with who aren't HOF material would get in because they're friends or whatever. Same bias would exist if the public could vote. 2/3 of the population is East of the Mississippi.

[JKcatch724]

JK I think one of reason's that there is writer to represent each team is so that they can lobby for their guy.

Right, but I'm just saying our representative shouldn't have had to do anything more than get up in front of everybody and just say, "Shannon Sharpe" and proceed to pig out on muffins at the breakfast bar.

[56crash]

Randy Gradishar, Dennis Smith, Steve Atwater, Louis Wright and now Sharpe belong in the Hall.

woody got that list light I would add TD with out TD there would be no SB rings for anyone in Bronco land

[TXBRONC]

Right, but I'm just saying our representative shouldn't have had to do anything more than get up in front of everybody and just say, "Shannon Sharpe" and proceed to pig out on muffins at the breakfast bar.

Yes it should have been a no brainer unfortunately it wasn't. That being said, should Legwold have argued harder for Sharpe assuming that he did understand things weren't looking good?

[JKcatch724]

Yes it should have been a no brainer unfortunately it wasn't. That being said, should Legwold have argued harder for Sharpe assuming that he did understand things weren't looking good?

Of course. If he thought things weren't looking so hot he should have pulled out all the stops. Come to think of it, how long has this guy been the Broncos representative? Does he ever say, "Oh hey, by the way guys... there's been some pretty good Broncos."

[TXBRONC]

To be fair we don't how vigorously Legwold lobbied for Sharpe. We'll never know. The only thing we do know is that Sharpe isn't in and who knows if or when Hall of Fame selectors do the right thing.

[Fan in Exile]

To be fair we don't how vigorously Legwold lobbied for Sharpe. We'll never know. The only thing we do know is that Sharpe isn't in and who knows if or when Hall of Fame selectors do the right thing.

But we do know how he responded after the voting and his writing about Sharpe then wasn't very inspiring. He said something like Tight Ends never get in on the first round and he wasn't so good at blocking.

I wrote then about how I thought it was his fault Sharpe wasn't in, and not a bias issue.

[TXBRONC]

But we do know how he responded after the voting and his writing about Sharpe then wasn't very inspiring. He said something like Tight Ends never get in on the first round and he wasn't so good at blocking.

I wrote then about how I thought it was his fault Sharpe wasn't in, and not a bias issue.

The way Legwold responded in his mailbag concerning Sharpe not getting could very easily lead one to think that he may not have been as vigorous as he could have been.

[Lonestar]

IMHO there HAS to be some kind of bias. It just doesn't make sense otherwise. I know that there is naturally an east coast/large market bias (which is BS), but it seems Denver in particular has been snubbed multiple times. Shannon shouldn't have needed the lobbying of Legwold to get in.

Unless you have lived out there it is hard to understand.. not saying it is right but most of those east coast cities are NFC ones at that.. So those writers Only see our broncos every so often.. I lived in Syracuse for two years and saw them only when they played a NY/PHL team.. Twice in those two years..

Therefore if they are not seen but perhaps 2 times a years verses all of those east coast teams listed as many as 7-8 times a year.. they are much more inclined to vote for someone they have seen.. It is not all just stats..

And frankly folks the past 10-15 years this team has not been stellar on Nationally televised games especially those NIGHT games..

[Dean]

I believe that without a doubt Shannon deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, He deserved to be in on the first ballot but he wasn't chosen.

Gradishar has deserved to be in on the first ballot, second ballot, etc and he is not in. The same can be said for Wright, Tombstone Jackson, Smith, and on and on. They have not been inducted. What does that say about a Bronco, any Bronco, getting in?

[TXBRONC]

I believe that without a doubt Shannon deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, He deserved to be in on the first ballot but he wasn't chosen.

Gradishar has deserved to be in on the first ballot, second ballot, etc and he is not in. The same can be said for Wright, Tombstone Jackson, Smith, and on and on. They have not been inducted. What does that say about a Bronco, any Bronco, getting in?

It stinks that's for sure. :sad: