Bettis NOT a Hall of Famer- Here's Why

[aa14]

Originally Posted by sluggermatt15

If this is your answer about Jerome, I'd LOVE to see your opinion on Ray Lewis being deserving of the HOF....

Easily one of the best players to ever play the game. He would make 1st or 2nd team all-time at his position. A laughable comparison.

[sw04ca]

That's an interesting argument. Personally, I feel that Bettis belongs. That kind of yardage, that kind of longevity, the kind of impact runs he made, the leadership he provided. I guess I can see why some people would argue that he wouldn't go in on the first ballot, and your argument could stand for those. But for me, the Bus should be in at some point, even if he has to wait for a few years.

[harrison'samonster]

Originally Posted by aa14

Easily one of the best players to ever play the game. He would make 1st or 2nd team all-time at his position. A laughable comparison.

I think you missed the "stab" at Lewis in the post you are responding too.

I wouldn't put Lewis down though, he'll get in and he belongs there. I think sluggermatt was making a joke. But it leads me to as how in the world Bettis getting in would hurt the integrity and standard of the HOF. It's not the Hall of Immortals. It's the Hall of Fame. People need to get over the idea that it's only for some untouchable godlike men who could do no wrong.

Bettis belongs there and he'll get there.

[RavenManiac]

I think Bettis gets in eventually. And I think he clearly should.

Next year though might be tough.

I see these 4 getting in (ahead of Bettis at least):

Michael Strahan
Derrick Brooks
Tony Dungy
Walter Jones

The 5th could easily be the Bus, though; he made the 2nd-to-last cut down to 10 this year. I think Charles Haley and Andre Reed also made the final 10 this year. One of them could go ahead of Bus in 2014, maybe. Aeneas Williams made the 10, but I don't see him going ahead of Bettis. Will Shields didn't make the final 10 this year, but that was a bit of a shock and might have been due to Larry Allen and Ogden crowding him out.

The thing going for Bettis, besides his steady solid performance over his career, is his personality. People like him, he is a good guy. While that technically shouldn't matter (bad guys do get in, and unlike the MLB Hall, the NFL Hall isn't supposed to care much about character), it is human nature for people to be more inclined to vote for people they genuinely like.

[lloydwoodson]

Originally Posted by aa14

Easily one of the best players to ever play the game. He would make 1st or 2nd team all-time at his position. A laughable comparison.

Sorry, Fanboy- Lewis isn't even a first or second team all-pro right now! Willis and Fletcher are better and so are Beason, Cushing, Timmons, Bowman etc. etc.

[aa14]

Originally Posted by lloydwoodson

Sorry, Fanboy- Lewis isn't even a first or second team all-pro right now! Willis and Fletcher are better and so are Beason, Cushing, Timmons, Bowman etc. etc.

I said all-time, smart guy. Lewis was holding on for dear life this last season. Pure heart.

[teegre]

Originally Posted by lloydwoodson

Sorry, Fanboy- Lewis isn't even a first or second team all-pro right now! Willis and Fletcher are better and so are Beason, Cushing, Timmons, Bowman etc. etc.

As much as I hate The Knife, he absolutely is a HOFer.

Is he the best right now? No... but neither was Jerry Rice in his final there seasons. (Make sense?)

[lloydwoodson]

Originally Posted by aa14

I said all-time, smart guy. Lewis was holding on for dear life this last season. Pure heart.

Sorry, Lewis wasn't even the best MLB of his generation. Junior Seau was better.

Butkus was the best MLB ever. I don't know who was next but it isn't Ray Lewis.

[lloydwoodson]

Originally Posted by teegre

As much as I hate The Knife, he absolutely is a HOFer.

Is he the best right now? No... but neither was Jerry Rice in his final there seasons. (Make sense?)

Jerry Rice made the Probowl at age 40. He had 92 catches for 1121 yards and 7 tds. If Rice was a normal person he would have retired earlier than 42.

The argument is not whether Lewis is HOF worthy but whether he is the greatest MLB of all-time. I don't think he is the best MLB of all-time though you apprently disagree by comparing Lewis to the best football player to ever play the game.

Seau played in 1 less Probowl than Lewis and he played his entire career with much less help on the defensive side of the ball. Leslie O'Neal and Rodney Harrison were the only great players Seau played with and they were not together at the same time.

Meanwhile the Ravens roster has been loaded with Probowl players and Woodson, Sanders, Ngata and Reed all belong in the HOF. Suggs, Boulware, McAllister, Sam Adams, Scott, Adalius Thomas and Michael McCrary all made the Probowl while Lewis was playing.

Make sense?

[VaDave]

Originally Posted by lloydwoodson

Jerry Rice made the Probowl at age 40. He had 92 catches for 1121 yards and 7 tds. If Rice was a normal person he would have retired earlier than 42.

The argument is not whether Lewis is HOF worthy but whether he is the greatest MLB of all-time. I don't think he is the best MLB of all-time though you apprently disagree by comparing Lewis to the best football player to ever play the game.

Seau played in 1 less Probowl than Lewis and he played his entire career with much less help on the defensive side of the ball. Leslie O'Neal and Rodney Harrison were the only great players Seau played with and they were not together at the same time.

Meanwhile the Ravens roster has been loaded with Probowl players and Woodson, Sanders, Ngata and Reed all belong in the HOF. Suggs, Boulware, McAllister, Sam Adams, Scott, Adalius Thomas and Michael McCrary all made the Probowl while Lewis was playing.

Make sense?

You left out Siragusa..... Adams and Siragusa were a tandem that made Lewis's early career, much like Ngata, and Cody do now, and allowed Lewis to flow to the ball.

One other point, the home town statitions ( pardon the spelling) greatlly aided Lewis's stats by giving credit for tackles and assits when Lewis flopped on players that were already down.