I am definitely going if he gets in. I went to the Hall of fame game back in 92 when we played the eagles. We have not been in the game since, but if Martin gets in maybe we will play this year. When do tickets for the game go on sale?
RE: #11 from the 28 reasons why Martin should be elected After the 2008 season I looked at all the RBs with at least 7,000 scrimmage yards. Martin had the 12th highest average. Jerome Bettis did not make the top 38. I do not have the spreadsheet saved to my home computer. All I have is a print out of the top 38. It looks like I used 80 scrimmage yards per game as the cutoff. Anybody below 80, such as Bettis, was deleted. Updated through the 2008 regular season, here are the career leaders in scrimmage yards per game among RBs (minimum 7,000 scrimmage yards)- 125.50- Jim Brown 122.53- LaDainian Tomlinson 119.63- Billy Sims 118.89- Barry Sanders 113.94- Terrell Davis 111.92- Walter Payton 111.08- Clinton Portis 109.69- Edgerrin James 108.83- Marshall Faulk 105.45- Eric Dickerson 105.16- Steven Jackson 103.75- Curtis Martin 103.41- Ricky Watters 101.51- Tiki Barber 99.89- Ricky Williams 99.23- William Andrews 99.10- O.J. Simpson 98.50- Priest Holmes 97.52- Jamal Lewis 95.48- Emmitt Smith 94.24- Brian Westbrook 94.18- Tony Dorsett 90.84- Thurman Thomas 89.84- Eddie George 89.21- Shaun Alexander 88.81- Earl Campbell 87.72- Lydell Mitchell 87.69- Corey Dillon 87.37- Fred Taylor 86.83- Wilbert Montgomery 84.56- Warrick Dunn 83.54- Chuck Foreman 83.28- Franco Harris 83.11- Curt Warner 82.76- Robert Smith 82.05- Chuck Muncie 82.00- George Rogers 81.96- Larry Brown Edit- prior to the 2008 season, I made a list of retired RBs who averaged at least 75 scrimmage yards per game Scrimmage Yards Per Game 125.5 Jim Brown 119.6 Billy Sims 118.9 Barry Sanders 113.9 Terrell Davis 111.9 Walter Payton 108.8 Marshall Faulk 105.5 Eric Dickerson 103.8 Curtis Martin 103.4 Ricky Watters 101.5 Tiki Barber 99.2 William Andrews 99.1 O.J. Simpson 98.5 Priest Holmes 95.5 Emmitt Smith 94.2 Tony Dorsett 92.1 Gale Sayers 90.8 Thurman Thomas 89.8 Eddie George 88.8 Earl Campbell 87.7 Lydell Mitchell 87.7 Corey Dillon 86.8 Wilbert Montgomery 83.5 Chuck Foreman 83.3 Franco Harris 83.1 Curt Warner 82.8 Robert Smith 82.5 Bo Jackson 82.0 Chuck Muncie 82.0 George Rogers 82.0 Larry Brown 79.6 Garrison Hearst 79.5 Marcus Allen 79.4 Roger Craig 78.7 Jerome Bettis 78.6 Terry Allen 78.4 Jim Taylor 78.4 Lenny Moore 77.0 Neal Anderson 76.9 Lawrence McCutcheon 76.8 John Riggins 76.6 Freeman McNeil 75.2 Gerald Riggs
That is correct. Ollie Matson is another RB who was a 1st ballot inductee without having played in a playoff game.
Curtis is my favorite Jet and favorite football player of all time.. I really hope he gets in 1st ballot. With so many good current players deserving this year, i hope they relax the 2 slots for seniors, and put Sabol (who definitely deserves it) in as a contributor not counting toward the 7 slots.
Unfortunately, there is not a separate category for Sabol. If he gets in it will be at the expense of a player.
I think you are right, although it doesn't make sense. I still think Sabol should get in though. The man is responsible for documenting the history of the sport, and in turn, growing the popularity and appeal of the NFL. And Curtis Martin, to me, is what the NFL is all about. Faulk was a great player as well, and has a much higher profile including his work at NFL network. Having 2 RB's get in out of 4 slots is not likely. Of course, i'd choose Martin
I also believe Sabol (and later his son) belongs in the Hall of Fame. It just sucks that in order for him to be enshrined some player is going to have to wait an extra year. Then that will cause somebody in 2012 to have to wait an extra year and so on and so forth. If he doesn't get in this year, then it has got to be next year for Martin. It'll be absurd if he has to wait till his 3rd year of eligibility or later. Thurman Thomas got in on his 2nd year of eligibility. Did he have a better career than Martin? I don't think so. The following is something I wrote in another Martin thread. I think it is interesting enough to post again. Bettis could get inducted before Martin for the fame aspect but it won't be because he won a ring as a backup. That's just ridiculous. I don't think the Hall voters are that silly about it. There are plenty of HOFers who did not get a ring (in a team sport for crying out loud) but still were enshrined on the first ballot. Ollie Matson, John Hannah, Warren Moon, Ken Houston, Bruce Matthews, and Larry Wilson are some examples. Ring winners who had to wait at least a year include Lynn Swann, John Riggins, Fred Biletnikoff, Rayfield Wright, Jim Taylor, John Stallworth, Lenny Moore (the Marshall Faulk of the 50s and 60s), Michael Irvin, Mel Renfro, Joe Schmidt, Bob Griese, Joe Namath and Larry Csonka. Hey, that's a good one- Larry Csonka. He got in on the third ballot. No way can I say Bettis was better than Csonka.
It does suck that it is at the expense of a player. But the guy is 94...they shouldn't wait until he passes to enshrine him. He will get in eventually anyway. they should do it now. Good points. Bettis deserves to get in too, but it won't be immediately. Having a ring as a RB isn't the end all. Show me the RB who has continued success on bad teams, and even more impressed. One guy without a ring you didn't mention is Earl Campbell, who may just have been the best RB i've ever seen (and did it on very avg teams).
My prediction is that Ed Sabol will make it in tonight. I don't have an issue with Bettis getting in someday, but I would be pissed if it is this year. During the Campbell era (1978-84), the Oilers had problems with the QB position. Dan Pastorini (1978-79), Ken Stabler (1980-81) and Archie Manning (1982-83; only 9 games total) were not good. Gifford Nielsen (1978-83; 7 starts in 1983) was pedestrian at best. Warren Moon arrived in 1984 and started all 16 games that season, but Campbell was traded to New Orleans after Week 6 for a first round draft pick.
I would not expect Martin to get in this year, although I think he deserves it. The class is too stacked. I would be shocked if Bettis gets in before Martin, though. And if he does, that would be an injustice. Martin was simply a better football player than Bettis. Period. Bettis got a ring, but he was at the end of his career and played a very limited role on that team.
Apparently, the Steelers have not made it- http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11036/1123401-100.stm My official prediction was Carter, Faulk, Hanburger, Martin, Sabol, and Sanders, so at least I was correct about Bettis and Dawson not getting in this year. Martin deserves to go in this year or next. I am hoping and thinking that a good case was made on his behalf today.
