Throwback Thursday: Should Be In

Seeing a list of players that have been overlooked by the Hall of Fame voters is reason alone for booting most, if not all, of the voters. They are clearly failing at honoring the players and the history of the game. Sometimes I think that the players themselves should have some say in the election process. They know far better than the writers which players were truly great. Maybe my pals with the Pro Football Researchers Association should have a say. This organization is far more concerned with getting football history right than filling quotas and agendas.

Here are some players that I think should be in Canton:

Cris Carter
Receiver
Vikings, Eagles, Dolphins
-as long as Carter is out, Canton is incomplete
Jerry Kramer
Guard
Packers
-5-time All-NFL, Kramer's absence is probably reasoned by voters as due to the large number of Packers from his era already in the Hall. The greatness of those Packers teams is the reason for the large number of Packers. Kramer was a huge part of that success.

Alex Karras
Defensive Tackle
Lions
-I've long felt that Karras' absence was due to his gambling suspension in 1963. If true, the voters are hypocrites as well as stupid. Paul Hornung was also suspended for gambling in '63 and his bust is in Canton. The Rooney and Mara families got their financial starts in gambling. Hearing Lions' opponents speak of Karras is the source of my feelings that players should have a say in the process. They rave about him. He was a nightmare for offenses. I compare Karras' play to that of Warren Sapp. Absolutely disruptive in the middle of the line. Sapp will likely be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Mac Speedie
Receiver
Browns
-Only Chuck Long might have had a better football name. Speedie provided the bang to the fantastic Browns offenses of the '40s and early '50s. A tremendous deep threat. As with Kramer, voters may feel that too many Browns of that era are in the Hall. "They couldn't possibly have been that good." They were and Speedie should be in Canton.

Don Coryell
Coach
Cardinals, Chargers
-Coryell's offenses still impact the league nearly thirty years later. Ask any offensive coach now who influenced him, and Coryell and Bill Walsh will be mentioned.

Claude Humphrey
Defensive end
Falcons, Eagles
-There are players that some people just assume are in the Hall but they aren't. I've run across people that honestly believe that Humphrey is in. He isn't and he should be.

Glenn Presnell
Back
Portsmouth Spartans, Lions
-One of the most versatile backs of his time. He could do everything extremely well. Run, catch, defense, kick. He kicked a 54-yard field goal when the ball rarely traveled half that distance.

Charley Conerly
Quarterback
Giants
-Another player that many assume is already in the Hall. Led the Giants to the 1956 title. He was the heart behind the great Giants teams of the '50s.

Otis Taylor
Receiver
Chiefs
-I've checked the Hall of Fame website so many times to verify that Taylor isn't there. Its truly shocking. The Chiefs of the late '60s were awesome. The Vikings first Super Bowl loss was to Taylor's team. He gashed them. There are many Chiefs in Canton. Otis Taylor should be one of them.

Lavvie Dilweg
End
Milwaukee Badgers, Packers
-Considered the best all-around end of his time. Starred on the Packers three championship teams 1929-31.

Maxie Baughan
Linebacker
Eagles, Rams, Redskins
-A coach on the field. Could diagnose plays before they happened. 9 Pro Bowls.

Ken Kavanaugh
End
Bears
-If not for World War II and Don Hutson, Kavanaugh might be considered the greatest end of the first 30 years of the league.

Verne Lewellen
Halfback
New York Yankees, Packers
-One of the best backs of the '20s. In an era when punting was critical, Lewellen was one of the best. Packers won three titles during his career.

Mick Tingelhoff
Center
Vikings
-Tingelhoff seems to suffer from voter animosity towards players on teams that fail to win championships. It seems that players that never get to the championship game have a better shot than those that get to the game but lose. Tingelhoff was the starting center on four Super Bowl teams. He also started an incredible 240 consecutive games. Tingelhoff did in the NFL in the '60s what Raiders center Jim Otto did in the AFL. They had similar postseason honors and recognition. Otto's Raiders also failed in the Super Bowl. Jim Otto is in the Hall of Fame. He should be but Tingelhoff is deserving as well.

The list goes on.