Sapp is in the HOF and Strahan isn't?

[stevenidol]

Both will be in at some point, most likely soon, so I don't care. Does this really help you validate whether a player was great or not?

[HotCarl]

There is definitely a component to this, these days, that incorporates whether someone was a media star, a "colorful figure"

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Al, I have a question in the SuperBowl Q and A thread that needs answered. Reighters won't do it.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

But, but, but he wasn't a loudmouth asshole

[HotCarl]

No question Randle was better than Sapp.

[ImAWalkingCorpse]

Originally Posted by HotCarl

No question Randle was better than Sapp.

Well.. you never watched either play. So, I guess your opinion counts.

[lcarus]

Yeah I can see Sapp getting in over him for now. They're both great players. Strahan will get in eventually. Same with Shields and Ogden. Both great players. Shields will get in someday. Still though....14 seasons and never missing a game? Dude was a monster.

[Bump]

Sapp was a beast, he's deserving. But probably not over Strahan. I don't get it either.

[Gadzooks]

Sapp works for the NFL.
Strahan works for Kelly Ripa.
It all makes sense.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Randle was unquestionably the better player, but you have to remember that HOF voters don't actually use things like logic when making the majority of their decisions. Is Lynn Swann a HOF player? **** no. It's far more about creating compelling narratives than actually judging the merits of the player.

Sapp was better in the minds of writers, voters, and the lay fan because he was a cornerstone player on a Super Bowl winning defense.

Furthermore, Randle was every bit as colorful as Sapp, but he never cultivated the relationship with the media in the same way that Sapp did.

It's a sad but true commentary that the people whose jobs require them to inform us about sports figures are often the most deluded and ignorant. Given that, you can't help but have situations like this.

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Randle was unquestionably the better player, but you have to remember that HOF voters don't actually use things like logic when making the majority of their decisions. Is Lynn Swann a HOF player? **** no. It's far more about creating compelling narratives than actually judging the merits of the player.

Sapp was better in the minds of writers, voters, and the lay fan because he was a cornerstone player on a Super Bowl winning defense.

Furthermore, Randle was every bit as colorful as Sapp, but he never cultivated the relationship with the media in the same way that Sapp did.

It's a sad but true commentary that the people whose jobs require them to inform us about sports figures are often the most deluded and ignorant. Given that, you can't help but have situations like this.

This is where we will completely disagree.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

This is where we will completely disagree.

I understand, but you also have to consider where you exist in space. You're a Bucs fan. Similarly, it is hard for a lot of Chiefs fans, myself included, to look at a lot of our great players honestly.

For the vast majority of his career Sapp had great players around him on every level of the defense. Randle was a part of some talented Vikings defenses, but none of those units had anywhere near the help that Sapp did, and he still put up otherworldly numbers.

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

I understand, but you also have to consider where you exist in space. You're a Bucs fan. Similarly, it is hard for a lot of Chiefs fans, myself included, to look at a lot of our great players honestly.

For the vast majority of his career Sapp had great players around him on every level of the defense. Randle was a part of some talented Vikings defenses, but none of those units had anywhere near the help that Sapp did, and he still put up otherworldly numbers.

Sapp didn't have good fellow players on the D line until Simeon Rice came along. Sapp made Chidi Ahanotu, Brad Cullpepper, Marcus Jones, Reagan Upshaw, Anthony McFarland and others look like good players. Sapp was the reason that interior lineman never made it to the second level to hit Derrick Brooks, Hardy Nickerson, Sheldon Quarles, Jamie Duncan.... Sapp was the driving force of that great defense.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

I understand, but you also have to consider where you exist in space. You're a Bucs fan. Similarly, it is hard for a lot of Chiefs fans, myself included, to look at a lot of our great players honestly.

For the vast majority of his career Sapp had great players around him on every level of the defense. Randle was a part of some talented Vikings defenses, but none of those units had anywhere near the help that Sapp did, and he still put up otherworldly numbers.

Sapp made players around him better. He took away the middle of the field. I remember watching him push a pile of 3 guys, he was that good. Let's also not forget the defense Sapp played in. It's a D where your D-linemen are the only real pass rushers. Sapp had to beat blockers who knew what was coming.

Both terrific players. But the edge has to go to Sapp because he was a far more complete player than Randle was. It says a lot when opposing offenses would sometimes game plan to expose Randle's over-aggressiveness in rushing the passer. With Sapp, there was no solution -- he was going to beat your run defense or he was an elite pass rusher.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Randle was unquestionably the better player, but you have to remember that HOF voters don't actually use things like logic when making the majority of their decisions. Is Lynn Swann a HOF player? **** no. It's far more about creating compelling narratives than actually judging the merits of the player.

Sapp was better in the minds of writers, voters, and the lay fan because he was a cornerstone player on a Super Bowl winning defense.

Furthermore, Randle was every bit as colorful as Sapp, but he never cultivated the relationship with the media in the same way that Sapp did.

It's a sad but true commentary that the people whose jobs require them to inform us about sports figures are often the most deluded and ignorant. Given that, you can't help but have situations like this.

Great post. Lynn Swann being in is one of the biggest jokes of all time.

His regular season stats are not impressive at all. He basically got in because of a few highlight reel catches in Super bowls.