tk13
02-06-2005, 02:06 AM
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascitystar/sports/10828014.htm
THOMAS LEFT OUT OF HALL
Chief comes up short in first chance
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Former Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas sacked Steve Young four times and Dan Marino once.
Despite those sacks and 129 others Thomas made in his 11-year career, he fell short of joining Young, Marino and two other men as members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2005 on Saturday.
Marino, the most prodigious passer in NFL history during his 17 years with the Miami Dolphins, and Young, one of the most efficient passers and effective runners for the San Francisco 49ers, were joined by two senior committee nominees from the 1920s and 1930s — quarterback Benny Friedman and running back Fritz Pollard, who was the league's first black head coach.
Thomas, who died in 2000 as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident, was one of 15 finalists for enshrinement and was in his first year of eligibility. Former University of Missouri and St. Louis Cardinals cornerback Roger Wehrli also was a finalist for the first time.
“Obviously we're disappointed,” said Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson, who in his first year as the club's top executive took Thomas in the first round of the 1989 draft and built one of the league's top defenses around him.
“I thought he had a real good shot to get in,” Peterson said. “We hope next year it will work out. I'm a little surprised there were only four elected when there's a maximum of six, and I'm personally surprised that both old-timers got in, but whoever presented them did a great job.”
Indeed, the groundswell of support among the board of selectors for the two senior candidates might have cost Thomas a shot at being a finalist. Thomas survived the cut from 15 to 10 but was dropped when the group was whittled from 10 to six.
Dallas wide receiver Michael Irvin, also in his first year on the ballot, and New York Giants linebacker Harry Carson, in his 12th year, made it to the final six but failed to get the required 80 percent of the votes in the final ballot.
“It was a great group of 15, and a great case was made for Derrick, and there is no shame in not making it in your first year, especially with the caliber of candidates this year,” said Mark Gaughan, a voter from The Buffalo News. “I think Derrick is going to get in one day. He was truly dominant. He forced 45 fumbles; Lawrence Taylor forced 33. Lynn Swann had to wait 14 years.
“You look at these two old-timers. They were unbelievable candidates. If Fritz Pollard isn't in the Hall of Fame, there shouldn't be a Hall of Fame.”
The surge in support for the senior candidates, said Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News, stemmed from “historical mistakes the sport has made by not putting these guys in.”
Also, the abundance of pass rushers on the ballot might have hurt Thomas' chances. Richard Dent, Claude Humphrey and L.C. Greenwood also were part of the 15-man ballot.
“If you had just one or two, it's easier to sort it out,” Gosselin said. “Those guys all got knocked out pretty quick. None of the pass rushers made the final six. I think there was almost some confusion. Derrick made it to 10, which is great in your first year. You look at the 1990s, and this was maybe the greatest pass rusher of the '90s.”
However, some voters saw Thomas as only a pass rusher.
“I think there was a sense by some people that maybe he was too much of a pass rusher and not enough of an all-round player,” said Ron Borges of The Boston Globe. “That was the only question that came up about him in the room. I'm pretty sure he's going to make it one day.”
The Chiefs conducted an active letter-writing campaign on Thomas' behalf, including letters from several Hall of Famers and current coaches such as Bill Walsh, Marv Levy, Bill Cowher, Marty Schottenheimer, Mike Shanahan, John Elway, Jim Kelly, Jackie Slater, Marcus Allen and Warren Moon, said Peterson. Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt also sent letters to the voters.
“It was gracious of them doing it,” Peterson said. “We're going to be optimistic for next year.”
Next year could be even more difficult for Thomas, considering first-time candidates will include quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Moon, running back Thurman Thomas and the late defensive end Reggie White.
Bob Gretz of the Chiefs' flagship radio station, KCFX-FM, serves as Kansas City's representative on the board of selectors, but had no comment on Saturday's election.
Others were surprised Thomas didn't make it.
“I was shocked, ‘' said Edwin Pope of the Miami Herald. “I thought he'd make it. He was a great player for a long time. He had more sacks than anybody in the 1990s. But there was sentiment for two real old-timers, and that probably cost him.”
Mike Chappell of The Indianapolis Star said: “I voted for him. The impact he had, and what he did, I thought he merited it. My biggest conflict was Derrick Thomas or Michael Irvin. I thought Derrick Thomas made more of an impact.”
Thomas, a nine-time Pro Bowler, made 126 1/2 sacks in the regular season, which ranks 10th all-time, plus 7 1/2 more in the postseason. In Thomas' 11 years, the Chiefs enjoyed 10 winning seasons, made the playoffs seven times, won three AFC West titles and reached the AFC championship game in 1993.
Thomas also set an NFL record with seven sacks in a 1990 game against Seattle and had six sacks in a 1998 game against Oakland.
“When you had to talk about guys like Derrick Thomas, he was like a Lawrence Taylor, and you had to figure out how to block him, especially on the road when you know you weren't going to be hearing snap counts,” Young said. “But when you're talking about the players in the Hall of Fame, you're talking about the smallest percentages of guys who ever played the game.
“You take that list of 15 and ask, ‘How do they go from here?' These are all the greatest players who ever played.”
Both Marino, who passed for more yards (61,361) and threw more touchdown passes (420) than anyone in league history, and Young, who led the league in passing six times and is the highest-rated passer of all time, paid homage to Pollard and Friedman — and their contributions to the game.
“We stand on their backs, and it's particularly important for Fritz Pollard and what he meant to the game and means to the game today,” Young said. “There's a foundation there, and we both appreciate and honor the people who came before and played football in a different era, for not nearly as much money — not even close. You talk about truly having a passion for football.”
THOMAS LEFT OUT OF HALL
Chief comes up short in first chance
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Former Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas sacked Steve Young four times and Dan Marino once.
Despite those sacks and 129 others Thomas made in his 11-year career, he fell short of joining Young, Marino and two other men as members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2005 on Saturday.
Marino, the most prodigious passer in NFL history during his 17 years with the Miami Dolphins, and Young, one of the most efficient passers and effective runners for the San Francisco 49ers, were joined by two senior committee nominees from the 1920s and 1930s — quarterback Benny Friedman and running back Fritz Pollard, who was the league's first black head coach.
Thomas, who died in 2000 as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident, was one of 15 finalists for enshrinement and was in his first year of eligibility. Former University of Missouri and St. Louis Cardinals cornerback Roger Wehrli also was a finalist for the first time.
“Obviously we're disappointed,” said Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson, who in his first year as the club's top executive took Thomas in the first round of the 1989 draft and built one of the league's top defenses around him.
“I thought he had a real good shot to get in,” Peterson said. “We hope next year it will work out. I'm a little surprised there were only four elected when there's a maximum of six, and I'm personally surprised that both old-timers got in, but whoever presented them did a great job.”
Indeed, the groundswell of support among the board of selectors for the two senior candidates might have cost Thomas a shot at being a finalist. Thomas survived the cut from 15 to 10 but was dropped when the group was whittled from 10 to six.
Dallas wide receiver Michael Irvin, also in his first year on the ballot, and New York Giants linebacker Harry Carson, in his 12th year, made it to the final six but failed to get the required 80 percent of the votes in the final ballot.
“It was a great group of 15, and a great case was made for Derrick, and there is no shame in not making it in your first year, especially with the caliber of candidates this year,” said Mark Gaughan, a voter from The Buffalo News. “I think Derrick is going to get in one day. He was truly dominant. He forced 45 fumbles; Lawrence Taylor forced 33. Lynn Swann had to wait 14 years.
“You look at these two old-timers. They were unbelievable candidates. If Fritz Pollard isn't in the Hall of Fame, there shouldn't be a Hall of Fame.”
The surge in support for the senior candidates, said Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News, stemmed from “historical mistakes the sport has made by not putting these guys in.”
Also, the abundance of pass rushers on the ballot might have hurt Thomas' chances. Richard Dent, Claude Humphrey and L.C. Greenwood also were part of the 15-man ballot.
“If you had just one or two, it's easier to sort it out,” Gosselin said. “Those guys all got knocked out pretty quick. None of the pass rushers made the final six. I think there was almost some confusion. Derrick made it to 10, which is great in your first year. You look at the 1990s, and this was maybe the greatest pass rusher of the '90s.”
However, some voters saw Thomas as only a pass rusher.
“I think there was a sense by some people that maybe he was too much of a pass rusher and not enough of an all-round player,” said Ron Borges of The Boston Globe. “That was the only question that came up about him in the room. I'm pretty sure he's going to make it one day.”
The Chiefs conducted an active letter-writing campaign on Thomas' behalf, including letters from several Hall of Famers and current coaches such as Bill Walsh, Marv Levy, Bill Cowher, Marty Schottenheimer, Mike Shanahan, John Elway, Jim Kelly, Jackie Slater, Marcus Allen and Warren Moon, said Peterson. Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt also sent letters to the voters.
“It was gracious of them doing it,” Peterson said. “We're going to be optimistic for next year.”
Next year could be even more difficult for Thomas, considering first-time candidates will include quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Moon, running back Thurman Thomas and the late defensive end Reggie White.
Bob Gretz of the Chiefs' flagship radio station, KCFX-FM, serves as Kansas City's representative on the board of selectors, but had no comment on Saturday's election.
Others were surprised Thomas didn't make it.
“I was shocked, ‘' said Edwin Pope of the Miami Herald. “I thought he'd make it. He was a great player for a long time. He had more sacks than anybody in the 1990s. But there was sentiment for two real old-timers, and that probably cost him.”
Mike Chappell of The Indianapolis Star said: “I voted for him. The impact he had, and what he did, I thought he merited it. My biggest conflict was Derrick Thomas or Michael Irvin. I thought Derrick Thomas made more of an impact.”
Thomas, a nine-time Pro Bowler, made 126 1/2 sacks in the regular season, which ranks 10th all-time, plus 7 1/2 more in the postseason. In Thomas' 11 years, the Chiefs enjoyed 10 winning seasons, made the playoffs seven times, won three AFC West titles and reached the AFC championship game in 1993.
Thomas also set an NFL record with seven sacks in a 1990 game against Seattle and had six sacks in a 1998 game against Oakland.
“When you had to talk about guys like Derrick Thomas, he was like a Lawrence Taylor, and you had to figure out how to block him, especially on the road when you know you weren't going to be hearing snap counts,” Young said. “But when you're talking about the players in the Hall of Fame, you're talking about the smallest percentages of guys who ever played the game.
“You take that list of 15 and ask, ‘How do they go from here?' These are all the greatest players who ever played.”
Both Marino, who passed for more yards (61,361) and threw more touchdown passes (420) than anyone in league history, and Young, who led the league in passing six times and is the highest-rated passer of all time, paid homage to Pollard and Friedman — and their contributions to the game.
“We stand on their backs, and it's particularly important for Fritz Pollard and what he meant to the game and means to the game today,” Young said. “There's a foundation there, and we both appreciate and honor the people who came before and played football in a different era, for not nearly as much money — not even close. You talk about truly having a passion for football.”