Per PFT, there is a proposal to expand the HOF class to TWENTY to clear a backlog of senior candidates.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20...hall-case/

While the article focuses on Ken Anderson, this may impact Boselli's HOF candidacy as well.

If Boselli was a finalist last time, with a class of 20, he SHOULD be a shoe in.  He is certainly deserving under any sensible analysis.

Yet I get the nagging sense that even with an expanded class, the voters will engage in all sorts of logical contortionism to once again exclude him.

Then there will be the inevitable nonsense that would come with being admitted in such an abnormally large class.  Rightly or wrongly, there will be some who will argue many in that class were not truly deserving..  There's also the matter of inductees not getting the same moment in the spotlight other inductees received in the past.

Of course there's no guarantee the expansion will be approved, and Boselli being in is better than not.  Nevertheless, an expansion would have potentially negative repercussions for Boselli's induction.

Thoughts?

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Per PFT, there is a proposal to expand the HOF class to TWENTY to clear a backlog of senior candidates.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20...hall-case/

While the article focuses on Ken Anderson, this may impact Boselli's HOF candidacy as well.

If Boselli was a finalist last time, with a class of 20, he SHOULD be a shoe in.  He is certainly deserving under any sensible analysis.

Yet I get the nagging sense that even with an expanded class, the voters will engage in all sorts of logical contortionism to once again exclude him.

Then there will be the inevitable nonsense that would come with being admitted in such an abnormally large class.  Rightly or wrongly, there will be some who will argue many in that class were not truly deserving..  There's also the matter of inductees not getting the same moment in the spotlight other inductees received in the past.

Of course there's no guarantee the expansion will be approved, and Boselli being in is better than not.  Nevertheless, an expansion would have potentially negative repercussions for Boselli's induction.

Thoughts?

From what I heard on the proposal, the extra slots are really only for the Senior players, coaches, and other contributors. The modern era player HOF class would still only be 5. In that case, it would not really affect Boselli.

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I think they should just leave it alone and let it stand as it is today. It's really a backhanded compliment or just a bone being thrown for the sake of throwing one out there. Cheapens the induction in my opinion.

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"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

Per PFT, there is a proposal to expand the HOF class to TWENTY to clear a backlog of senior candidates.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20...hall-case/

While the article focuses on Ken Anderson, this may impact Boselli's HOF candidacy as well.

If Boselli was a finalist last time, with a class of 20, he SHOULD be a shoe in.  He is certainly deserving under any sensible analysis.

Yet I get the nagging sense that even with an expanded class, the voters will engage in all sorts of logical contortionism to once again exclude him.

Then there will be the inevitable nonsense that would come with being admitted in such an abnormally large class.  Rightly or wrongly, there will be some who will argue many in that class were not truly deserving..  There's also the matter of inductees not getting the same moment in the spotlight other inductees received in the past.

Of course there's no guarantee the expansion will be approved, and Boselli being in is better than not.  Nevertheless, an expansion would have potentially negative repercussions for Boselli's induction.

Thoughts?

From what I heard on the proposal, the extra slots are really only for the Senior players, coaches, and other contributors. The modern era player HOF class would still only be 5. In that case, it would not really affect Boselli.

Perhaps it wouldn't.  Are senior candidates voted upon separately, or can a modern day candidate be pitted against a senior candidate?
If senior candidates are separately considered, then Boselli may not ever get in.
I have heard media talking heads say Boselli could get in as early as next year (supposedly a weak class), but could also get in as a senior candidate in another decade or so.
But representing a small market team like Jacksonville, he could fade into obscurity in the minds of HOF voters.
I think the one way to avoid that fate is for Jacksonville to win a Super Bowl or two.
I think an inevitable association of Jacksonville and greatness that would come with winning a Super Bowl or two would enable HOF voters to consider Jacksonville players as Canton worthy.
Otherwise, Jaguars players will never get their due, no matter how great.

But after all that time, representing a small market team, I do

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

I think they should just leave it alone and let it stand as it is today. It's really a backhanded compliment or just a bone being thrown for the sake of throwing one out there. Cheapens the induction in my opinion.

This is how I envision it would be received, even though there are several Canton worthy players that are not enshrined in the HOF, including:

L. C. Greenwood, DE, Pittsburgh

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/p...eeL.00.htm

Donnie Shell, S, Pittsburgh

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/p...elDo00.htm

Randy Gradishar, LB, Denver

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/p...adRa00.htm

Maybe Neil Smith, DE, KC

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/p...itNe00.htm

Lester Hayes

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/p...yeLe00.htm

Eric Allen, CB, Philadelphia

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/p...leEr00.htm

Joey Browner

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/p...owJo00.htm

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

I'm surprised they are trying to make it easier for senior players.  It was already easier to get in back when they retired because there were fewer eligible players.  They shouldnt allow senior players to begin with.  Keep it at 5.  If you dont quite make it you probably werent worthy anyways.

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________________________________________________
Scouting well is all that matters.  Draft philosophy is all fluff.

I'm surprised they are trying to make it easier for senior players.  It was already easier to get in back when they retired because there were fewer eligible players.  They shouldnt allow senior players to begin with.  Keep it at 5.  If you dont quite make it you probably werent worthy anyways.

I kinda get where you are coming from, but I don't see how you can argue against a guy like L.C. Greenwood.

Sometimes the Hall voters get it wrong.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

I'm surprised they are trying to make it easier for senior players.  It was already easier to get in back when they retired because there were fewer eligible players.  They shouldnt allow senior players to begin with.  Keep it at 5.  If you dont quite make it you probably werent worthy anyways.

I kinda get where you are coming from, but I don't see how you can argue against a guy like L.C. Greenwood.

Sometimes the Hall voters get it wrong.

That's what future classes are for. The Hall of Fame is not a participation trophy.

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I kinda get where you are coming from, but I don't see how you can argue against a guy like L.C. Greenwood.

Sometimes the Hall voters get it wrong.

That's what future classes are for. The Hall of Fame is not a participation trophy.

No it isn't, but when meritorious individuals are excluded, then it isn't about merit, either.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Rumor has it they are expanding to TWENTY to get Boselli in the HOF but his name will have an asterisk next to it ..... LOL  -- Joking aside, I think he deserves to get in.

The Process of having the candidates come to Canton each year, sit in a hotel, then be denied the vote time and time again is unbelievably idiotic !!

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Rumor has it they are expanding to TWENTY to get Boselli in the HOF but his name will have an asterisk next to it ..... LOL  --Joking aside, he deserves to get in.

The Process of having the candidates come to Canton each year, sit in a hotel, then be denied the vote time and time again is unbelievably idiotic !!

I imagine for some, it is like Linus in the pumpkin patch awaiting the arrival of the Great Pumpkin.

Idiotic and cruel-though I didn't know they went to Akron.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Pretty cool how he'd also be the 1st  Houston Texans Player to enter the HOF

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Rumor has it they are expanding to TWENTY to get Boselli in the HOF but his name will have an asterisk next to it ..... LOL  --Joking aside, he deserves to get in.

The Process of having the candidates come to Canton each year, sit in a hotel, then be denied the vote time and time again is unbelievably idiotic !!

I imagine for some, it is like Linus in the pumpkin patch awaiting the arrival of the Great Pumpkin.

Idiotic and cruel-though I didn't know they went to Akron.

I changed it just in time

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I think Fred Taylor night could sneak in along with Boselli

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That's what future classes are for. The Hall of Fame is not a participation trophy.

No it isn't, but when meritorious individuals are excluded, then it isn't about merit, either.

It's not merit-based if there's a quota each year.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

I think they should just leave it alone and let it stand as it is today. It's really a backhanded compliment or just a bone being thrown for the sake of throwing one out there. Cheapens the induction in my opinion.

Nah it's to clear a backlog and to celebrate the anniversary of the NFL.

Boselli will get in too

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I'm surprised they are trying to make it easier for senior players.  It was already easier to get in back when they retired because there were fewer eligible players.  They shouldnt allow senior players to begin with.  Keep it at 5.  If you dont quite make it you probably werent worthy anyways.

There's a lot of HOF worthy players who aren't in, which is why they're having one extra big class in celebration of the anniversary to help clear the back log some.  

There isn't really anyone who will be put in that will suddenly dampen the hall being an amazing achievement.

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Oversaturating the inductions takes away from the prestige of what should be reserved for the very best to play the game.

I think Vic has said that halls are not defined by who gets in, but by who is not in. There are so many guys that have gotten in recently that are ok, but not legendary or central to the tale of the game's history.

I can remember going to the Hall as a kid, and being amazed at the hall of heads, legends upon whose shoulders the sport was formed.

I now walk past guys like Cris Carter, Willie Roaf, Curtis Martin, and think to myself, "Are these guys really legends in the sport?" Do they belong in the same room as Jim Brown, John Unitas, Anthony Muñoz?

Forgive me for being conservative. If Tony (or Fred, though unlikely) makes it in, I will be happy for them. I just don't want it to be due to a technicality, an asterisk forever associated with their recognition.

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Oversaturating the inductions takes away from the prestige of what should be reserved for the very best to play the game.

I think Vic has said that halls are not defined by who gets in, but by who is not in. There are so many guys that have gotten in recently that are ok, but not legendary or central to the tale of the game's history.

I can remember going to the Hall as a kid, and being amazed at the hall of heads, legends upon whose shoulders the sport was formed.

I now walk past guys like Cris Carter, Willie Roaf, Curtis Martin, and think to myself, "Are these guys really legends in the sport?" Do they belong in the same room as Jim Brown, John Unitas, Anthony Muñoz?

Forgive me for being conservative. If Tony (or Fred, though unlikely) makes it in, I will be happy for them. I just don't want it to be due to a technicality, an asterisk forever associated with their recognition.

Oversaturating inductions for one year only matters if it's filling the HOF with non worthy players. 

The HOF isn't going to lose prestige by letting in people who should be in. The entire goal of a HOF is the pursuit of the above i.e that the best players in its history are remembered as such

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I think they should just leave it alone and let it stand as it is today. It's really a backhanded compliment or just a bone being thrown for the sake of throwing one out there. Cheapens the induction in my opinion.

Nah it's to clear a backlog and to celebrate the anniversary of the NFL.

Boselli will get in too

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I'm surprised they are trying to make it easier for senior players.  It was already easier to get in back when they retired because there were fewer eligible players.  They shouldnt allow senior players to begin with.  Keep it at 5.  If you dont quite make it you probably werent worthy anyways.

There's a lot of HOF worthy players who aren't in, which is why they're having one extra big class in celebration of the anniversary to help clear the back log some.  

There isn't really anyone who will be put in that will suddenly dampen the hall being an amazing achievement.

If it's to clear a backlog then it's ultimately circling back to what I was saying. They're just throwing a bone out there for the sake of throwing one out there. I understand where you're coming from. They're just trying to glamorize and cash in some more since it''ll mark 100 years from 1920 to 2020 next year since the NFL was founded. 

The Hall of Fame itself though will be entering it's 56th or 57th year of existence with this next class coming up. The NFL could have helped with these previous "backlogs" by setting up additional marks at 25, 50, 75 or 20, 30, 40, 50, etc. to pile more players into Canton. It's a business though. So it's understandable. They'll do what they have to do to bring attention to itself and more income to itself like any business would. 

But the majority of fans will always be divided over anything being changed marginally or majorly to accommodate a certain idea. It does feel like a participation trophy is being thrown around now. And I understand that inductees wouldn't be mentioned if they were not worthy. But that also backhands some of the TRULY elite, game changing, game defining, game innovating players, coaches and owners that left a huge mark for the better in the NFL. 

We have a handful of great players that have come and gone throughout the NFL. And then we have a group of truly remarkable players that did things nobody else was doing during their respective eras. It's really another backhanded move to those guys who got in based on just that.

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"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

No it isn't, but when meritorious individuals are excluded, then it isn't about merit, either.

It's not merit-based if there's a quota each year.

Quota and Merit do not have to be mutually exclusive of one another.

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That's what future classes are for. The Hall of Fame is not a participation trophy.

No it isn't, but when meritorious individuals are excluded, then it isn't about merit, either.You 

You would think Merit and character would be the only reasons for being inducted into the hall of fame, but just like politics, there's backroom lobbying that is always is in favor of the darling franchises I don't need to list them we all know who they are.  One only need to what the NFL channels OTA camps coverage to see who I was alluding too.

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