Andre Tippett deserves to be in Canton
January 28th, 2008 by Cliffy
We’ve discussed this a little bit in the past, but as an unapologetically biased Patriots fan all my life, I’ve long felt that Andre Tippett was quite deserving of induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. I could try to piece together a supporting thesis, but I came upon this synopsis that does it better than I could hope to (scroll down to Andre Tippett, if the link starts you at the top of the article):
http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Article.php?Page=362
Bottom line, he was the LT of the AFC in the 80s. Put him in. Now. Please… and thank you.
January 28th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
How well are offensive linemen represented in Canton? Not really on topic, just wondering to what degree the football HOF prizes general excellence versus appearances on highlight reels.
January 29th, 2008 at 7:07 am
Found this list of HoFers, by position:
http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/positions.html
To answer your question, I’d say offensive linemen are surprisingly well-represented. For example, there’s more modern-era offensive linemen (32) than there are quarterbacks (23). Now, yes, there are five offensive linemen to every one quarterback, per team - but still… I think its fair to say that, historically, quarterbacks have gotten at *least* five times the exposure that offensive linemen have.
When you look at pre-modern era, it gets a little trickier given (a) the proclivity for two-way play, and (b) the way the game was played… but still, nice representation there.
Good to see.
February 2nd, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Well, you got your wish today - congrats!
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:39 am
Yup… saw that - very, very pleased. Andre Tippett is clearly deserving of this honor, and by all accounts, is a HoF person as well as a HoF player. Very, very happy for him.
I like the class on whole: Darrell Green (no-brainer), Art Monk (what took him so long), Fred Dean and Gary Zimmerman (a couple other guys that perhaps should’ve gone in a bit sooner). Terrific class, led by Andre Tippett.