When it comes to Hall Of Fame inductions, some things are a given.
Montana was enshrined as a 49er, Walter Payton as a Bear, and Favre
will be enshrined along with his # 4 Packers jersey.
Next comes
the on-the-fence group, where players have to select which teams
uniform to be enshrined with. Nick Buoniconti is a classic example.
Buoniconti played in five AFL All-Star games as a Patriot and was a fan
favorite. He also played in a few Pro Bowls as a Miami Dolphin, and a
few Super Bowls.
At his HOF induction he stated "I also want
to thank my Patriot teammates who were so great. We were a team that
went on the field and we played. And the AFL was a just great time in
our lives. No one had any money. Matter of fact, one time we took off
from Boston, stopped off in Buffalo, and picked up the Buffalo Bills on
the same plane because we were trying to save money." Then he added "But, the Patriots didn't like me enough. They decided they were going
to ship me off to Miami. Now, who the hell wants to play in Miami? It's
100 degrees, 100 percent humidity and you're not supposed to play
football - you're supposed to go to the beach. But, I got lucky."
Buoniconti
felt unwanted by the Patriots after they traded him, but never publicly
criticized the Boston organization for it. He eventually opted to enter
Canton's Hall Of Fame as a Miami Dolphin, after an illustrious career.
Then there's Deion
Sanders. The choice will be his alone as to whether he's inducted as
a member of the Falcon, 49ers, Cowboys, Redskins or Ravens. With a
personality that was made for "prime time", Sanders was arguably the
very best cornerback to ever play in the league, and a fan favorite on
every team where he donned a jersey. Fans in each of these cities can
only hope that Sanders embraces their franchise and shows his
appreciation as a representative of their team.
Which brings us to the far end of the spectrum.
I
read a small, paragraph long article on a player that is pondering life
after the NFL, when that day finally comes. That player is none other
than Terrell Owens. Owens was snubbed by the Pro Bowl voters in 2006
for... well, for being T.O.
..... ;;;;;;; ;;;;;;; Once upon a time - loved in San .... ... ........ . ...Francisco and hated in Dallas.
He has become a team player over
the last 2 seasons with Dallas, and the voters rewarded his model
citizen efforts by actually voting the gifted receiver into the 2007
Pro Bowl Class. Hating on T.O. had/has always come easy to so many NFL
fans.
... ... At least the honeymoon was sweet
A kinder, team friendly Terrell Owens has presented
himself in a favorable light entering his contract year? What gives?
The man that played his personal contract issues out in public air
throughout his career, says that's all behind him.
"For sure, I definitely want to end my career with the Dallas Cowboys,
and go into the Hall of Fame as a Dallas Cowboy," said Owens. He went
on to say "I'm going to let God fight that battle for me. There was a
situation where the contract didn't work out in Philly. With this, I'm
going to let it play out and not try to be a distraction."
.. .. ... ... ... ... T.O... Trying to not be a distraction
These remarks were all made promoting his upcoming Wednesday, March 14
appearance on the MyNetworkTV sitcom Under One Roof. He's been
contemplating acting in his life-after-football.
Maybe he'll be the first player in NFL history not associated with any team's jersey, as he was caught here between his stints in Philly and Dallas
I'm
not debating whether or not he's got the HOF stats and numbers, that's
not the direction I'm going. Rather - I can only see one angle here.
Could he be the first HOF inductee to have a mass protest staged in
front of the Hall Of Fame over choosing ANY city?
I'd like
some opinions of Owen's place in NFL history as it pertains to the Hall
Of Fame. I'm sure the mud, dirt and rotten tomatoes will come flying.
And that's just my point. If we go with the assumption that he puts up the numbers he
has in the past, for a couple of more years, he's likely to get that
induction. What team/city will embrace him?
Personally... My fondest
memory of T.O. was the hit George Teague put on him for attempting to
dance on the Star at Texas Stadium.
The dude is a hell of a ball player... He is also one of the most self centered people I believe I've ever seen. His history as a teammate is terrible. Maybe he finally realized that his act was down to it's last stop and he better cool it. If the Cowboys for some reason have problems and lose a few games this season, I think we'll see the old T.O. come popping out of his current mannerly persona...
Here's hoping for your sake that doesn't happen, Midnight...
Concerning the likelyhood of T.O. in the Hall? Don't think he'll be worrying about which team to represent...
Midnight--Favre wore #4 not #5--great post--T.Owens is a freak of nature if he could only catch every ball thrown his way the guy has to mnay drops wonder how many he had last year I know some where at crucial times of games..
I don't know what to think of TO. His number scream first ballot Hall of Famer. However, isn't a Hall of Famer supposed to be one of those special players that makes players around him better and benefits the team?
I don't think there has ever been a gap in the history of the NFL between a player's talent and numbers and what that talent and stats translates into for the good of the team.
I personally can't stand him and while I admit he is an unbelievable talent, I would love nothing more than for him to retire so I don't have to listen to that circus anymore.
I gotta go with StreetCred here. The Hall is about stats, but it is also about what you brought to the game and in T.O's case, what you left the game. And so far he's left nothing but the wreckage of Philly and San Fran behind. I realy dont think the 49ers or Eagles would want the honor. If he does the same in Dallas he may have to go in shirtless
Things might be going well in Big D now, but their's no garuntee it will stay that way. Don't forget, the 49ers really liked TO when he first got there. They even let Rice go because they wanted to make TO a bigger part of the offense. In '98 he made one of the most rememberable catches in 49er playoff history that's reffered to as "The Catch 2" among 49er fans. But eventually he wore out his welcome. He's young enough that he can still play for several more years and their's still plenty of time for him to upset the Cowboys just like he has the 49ers and Eagles. That's my secret hope. I'ld love it if no team wanted him to wear their jersey in the Hall.
Dwindy - Yeah he's a helluva player. It's bittersweet as a Cowboy fan. You know he's going to do a TD celebration stunt at least once a game, with no regard for the team's penalty on the ensuing kick-off. I think he wants to stay team friendly, but there's a rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in.
JW - He had 10 drops last year. 4-way tie for most in NFC. 15 TD's can nullify that.
Street - That's more MVP criteria. You're the numbers guy. How often does a great player on a bad team get voted in anyway?
He will definitely go to the Hall in a Cowboy uniform...too many bridges burned with 49ers and Eagles. I would like to see a lot less dropped passes though. He's just one of those guys who commands the spotlight and gets it.
Art Monk was never like that and I think that's why it took sooooooooooo long for his induction. I would've hoped for Jimmy Smith to stay in the league a few more yrs so he would get considered one day...shame.
Rev - Thanks for the remarks. I visited a couple of Niner sites where he surprisingly still garnishes respect, as an athlete anyway. That was a bit surprising.
No argument from me. It's tough to hate on a guy that puts up those kind of stats. Still it's impossible to forget the antics as a Niner at Texas Stadium.
moseby - Yeah Woodson is another example where several cities that actually love the player. 3 Super Bowls with 3 different teams.
B@O - Exactly. The jury is still out in Dallas. There's the reason for his toe-the-line behavior.
urnext - Actually in NFL years, he's anciently old at 35. Then again he's perhaps the most chisled and conditioned athlete in the league, and that will keep him around 2-3 more years, barring injury.
ATTITUDE70 - Yeah I agree and that's my point for T.O. "making nice" at this stage of his career. As for Monk - Long overdue!
T.O. is a lot of things, but I dont think he is bad for the game. There is no telling what he will do next...Definitely off the chain. An ####? Is he? He might be a tad nuts, but crazy people need love too!.......LOL..Cboy
How can a Dallas fan watch that YouTube clip and still cheer for this guy? That's today's sports environment, I guess... everyone is really a free agent in the end... that clip gives me the chills... that is not the act of an "OK Guy"...
Carl - Yeah the 1st TD he made with a star on his helmet made everything OK?
beef - You are very real. He's got some great skill which is respectable, but he's easy to hate. I think he's become a happy camper in his old age (NFL years).
deuce - He outran Teague, knowing he was gonna get waxxed when he touched the star at middle field (a second time). Cheap shot?? Were you even born then??
I hail from a large family where after school we went in 7 different directions, to either play or coach in every sport available. As a child I got in free to the Cowboy games at the Cotton Bowl as a tag-along to my Dad's credentials. It was the ultimate childhood dream scenario to play football there, under the lights with the kids of other players and personnel after the games. I have been a Cowboys fan since those days in the 60's and like Willie Nelson says "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys". I've witnessed a few Stars Stanley Cup games and I have been a Mavericks fan since day one. Hopefully, in the future, G.W. Bush will re-take control of the Texas Rangers and they will once again become competitive.
games as a Patriot and was a fan
favorite. He also played in a few Pro Bowls as a Miami Dolphin, and a
few Super Bowls. 
