Last week, we here at Notinhalloffame.com had our mock Pro Football Hall of Fame Committee, where we debated came up with our Class of 2022, which consisted of Richard Seymour, Tony Boselli, LeRoy Butler, Devin Hester and Patrick Willis.

It was a transparent process, which you can see here, and like the actual Hall, we too, had previous shows where we debated who should reach the Semi-Finalists and Finalists. 

Tonight, the Pro Football Hall of Fame came up with a different five than we did, and they announced that during the NFL Honors.

Let’s get right into who they chose:

Tony Boselli:  Tackle: 1995-01 Jacksonville Jaguars & 2002 Houston Texans.  The career of Boselli was short but impactful, but he is believed to be the greatest Jaguar of all-time. The Lineman was a Finalist for six years in a row, and it was widely speculated that he would be the next Offensive Lineman to get in, which has now come to fruition.  Jacksonville now has Canton representation.  Ranked #36 on Notinhalloffame.com.

LeRoy Butler: Safety: 1990-01 Green Bay Packers.  Butler had 38 career Interceptions, won a Super Bowl and went to four Pro Bowls over his career.  Entering on his third straight year as a Finalist, Butler’s HOF momentum has been the most gradual of any other former player who made it to the Finals.  Ranked #69 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Sam Mills:  Linebacker: 1986-94 New Orleans Saints & 1995-97 Carolina Panthers.  A five-time Pro Bowler, Mills began his pro career in the USFL, it was a now or never situation for Mills who was in his last year of eligibility. It turned out to be “now”, and Mills will not have to enter the bloated senior pool.  Ranked #40 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Richard Seymour:  Defensive End/Defensive Tackle:  2001-08 New England Patriots & 2009-12 Oakland Raiders.  Seymour won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, went to seven Pro Bowls and was a three-time First Team All-Pro.  This was his fourth consecutive year as a Finalist.  Ranked #35 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bryant Young:  Defensive Tackle:  1994-07 San Francisco 49ers.  Young played his entire career with San Francisco where he won a Super Bowl as a rookie.  He went to four Pro Bowls, was a one-time First Team All-Pro and had 89.5 career Sacks.  This was arguably the biggest surprise, as his resume is not as strong as fellow Niner Finalist, Patrick Willis, but he is a worthy inductee.  Ranked #159 on Notinhalloffame.com.

The ten who did not make it:

Jared Allen: Defensive End:  2004-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2008-13 Minnesota Vikings, 2014-15 Chicago Bears & 2016 Carolina Panthers.  This was Allen’s second year of eligibility, and was a Finalist last year, and anyone who makes it as a Finalist in his first year of eligibility will make it to Canton eventually.  Allen led the NFL in Sacks twice (2007 & 2011) and had 136.0 in total.  He was also a five-time First Team All-Pro.  His bust is impending.  Ranked #24 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Willie Anderson:  Right Tackle: 1996-07 Cincinnati Bengals & 2008 Baltimore Ravens:  Anderson is a three-time First Team All-Pro, four-time Pro Bowler, and was a Finalist for the first time after being eligible since 2014.  The Bengals success this year may not have translated into a Hall of Fame for Anderson, but he is on people’s radar exponentially more than it was two years ago.  That being said, Joe Thomas is eligible next year, and takes over as the biggest name Offensive Lineman on the ballot.  Ranked #268 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Ronde Barber:  Cornerback/Safety:  1997-12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Barber is a former Super Bowl Champion and was the 2001 leader in Interceptions.  He has over 1,000 Solo Tackles with 47 career Interceptions.  Barber was a Finalist for the second time, and was in his sixth year of eligibility.  He will eventually join his teammates, John Lynch and Warren Sapp in Canton, but the arrival of Darrelle Revis on next year’s ballot will likely impact next year’s candidacy.   Ranked #10 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Devin Hester:  Wide Receiver/Returner:  2006-16 Chicago Bears. 2014-15 Atlanta Falcons, 2016 Baltimore Ravens & 2016 Seattle Seahawks.  Hester becomes a Finalist on his first year on the ballot, and he was the most feared returner of his day.  A three-time First Team All-Pro, Hester had 14,455 Return Yards and an all-time record 19 Return Touchdowns.  While he did not enter Canton this year, he will be the next Special Teams player to enter the Hall.  Ranked #103 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Andre Johnson:  Wide Receiver: 2003-16 Houston Texans, 2015 Indianapolis Colts 2016 Tennessee Titans.  Easily the best offensive player in Texans history, Johnson was a two-time leader in Receptions and Receiving Yards, and would amass 14,185 total Receiving Yards and 64 Touchdowns.  Johnson is a two-time First Team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl Selection and was a Finalist in his first year of eligibility.  As we stated before, nobody who achieved that failed to make Canton, so his time is coming, though he is one of many top flight Wide Receivers who are eligible.  Ranked #30 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Torry Holt:  Wide Receiver:  1998-08 St. Louis Rams & 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars.  Holt won a Super Bowl with the Rams, and he went to seven Pro Bowls with 12,832 career Receiving Yards.  Holt is now a four-time Finalist, but the Wide Receiver position is loaded with worthy candidates, and with no Wide Receivers getting inducted this year, he faces the exact same scenario as next year.  Ranked #6 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Zach Thomas:  Linebacker:  1996-07 Miami Dolphins & 2008 Dallas Cowboys:  Thomas led the NFL in Combined Tackles twice (2002 & 2006) and he is five-time First Team All-Pro.  He also has 1,727 career Combined Tackles.  Thomas is now a three-time Finalist, and many expected that this would be his year.  Ranked #21 on Notinhalloffame.com

DeMarcus Ware:  Linebacker:  2005-13 Dallas Cowboys & 2014-16 Denver Broncos:  Ware is a four-time First Team All-Pro and two-time Sack leader who had 138.5 Sacks overall.  Also, a nine-time Pro Bowl Selection, Ware helped Denver win Super Bowl 50.  He was a Finalist on his first year of eligibility, and of all the first time Finalists, we thought Ware would have the best shot, but he will have to wait.   Ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Reggie Wayne:  Wide Receiver:  2001-14 Indianapolis Colts.  A six-time Pro Bowl and one-time Super Bowl Champion, Wayne has 14,345 Receiving Yards with 82 Touchdowns.  Wayne is now a Finalist in his first three years on the ballot, so he is likely to get in.  The question is just whether he gets in before, or in the same group as Holt and Johnson.  Ranked #9 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Patrick Willis:  Linebacker:  2007-14 San Francisco 49ers.  Willis played his entire career with San Francisco, and was a five-time First Team All-Pro Selection, went to seven Pro Bowls, and twice led the NFL in Tackles. He was in his third year of eligibility and was a Finalist for the first time, but the induction of Young should help him.  Ranked #15 on Notinhalloffame.com.

The five chosen will join:

Cliff Branch: Wide Receiver:  1972-85 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders.  Branch was this year’s Senior Candidate and finally enters after first being eligible in 1991.  A game-breaker for the Raiders, Branch led the NFL in Receiving Yards in 1974, and helped take his team to three Super Bowl wins.  Ranked #11 on Noinhalloffame.com.

Dick Vermiel: Head Coach:  Vermiel had a career record of 120-109, and was known for turning horrific teams into championship contenders.  He won Super Bowl XXXIV, leading the Rams to their first Super Bowl win.

Art McNally:  Referee:  Finally, a referee enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with McNally earning his spot as this year’s Contributors Nominee.  He was the Director of Officiating from 1968 to 1991, with the game becoming more complex and the need for competent officials skyrocketing.

We will now begin our revision of our Notinhalloffame.com Football List, which will involve the following:

Removing the six former players who were chosen.

Add those who are eligible in 2023.

Adjust ranking based on your votes and comments.

As always, we thank you for your support!

A very significant retirement has taken place in sports, as Boston Bruins Goalie, Tuuka Rask, announced today that he was retiring from the NHL.

From Savonlinna, Finland, Rask was drafted in the First Round (21^st Overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he never played there as he was traded to Boston for fellow Goalie, Andrew Raycroft.  It was a deal that historically would favor the Bruins, the team in which Rask played his entire career.

Rask was first called up in 2007, but was not the regular back-up until the 2009-10 Season, a year in which he led the NHL in Save Percentage and Goals Against Average.  Rask would finally take over from Tim Thomas as the Bruins lead Goalie, bringing the Bruins back to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2013.  They lost to Chicago, but Task established himself as one of the best in the game.  The season after, he won the coveted Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top Goalie.

Rask had his ups and down afterward, dealing with injuries, but again led the Bruins to another Cup Final in 2019, the same season he was named a Second Team All-Star.  Boston again lost, this time to St. Louis, who captured their first Title.

Rask had an upper-body injury that kept him on the sideline going into this season, but he came back to rejoin the Boston, appearing in four games as Linus Ullmark’s backup, but he cited that he physically was not at the level he needed to be.

Internationally, Rask represented Finland multiple times, with his greatest success coming in the 2014 Olympics, where he backstopped his nation to a Bronze Medal.

Rask leaves the games with a record of 306-163-66 with a 2.28 GAA.

Should Rask’s retirement hold up, and he does not play in Europe, he will be Hall of Fame eligible in 2026.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Tuukka Rask the best in his post-playing career.

A week after Ring of Honor announced that the Briscoes (Mark & Jay), the wrestling promotion announced that Bryan Danielson will also be part of the inaugural class.

Danielson competed in the main event of the first ever ROH event in 2002, and three years later “The American Dragon” defeated James Gibson for the ROH World Championship.  He would make 38 Title defenses before losing to Homicide, ending a 463-day reign as champion.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Bryan Danielson for this impending honor.

The Cincinnati Bengals will complete the most remarkable turnaround in NFL history when they compete in Super Bowl LVI on February 13. 

At the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the Bengals take on the Los Angeles Rams inside their opponents’ home venue aiming to win their first Super Bowl at the third attempt.

To get a sense of how unlikely their play-off run has been, the Bengals were quite low in Bovada NFL odds to reach the Super Bowl in pre-season. Those odds were issued following a 2020 season in which Cincinnati won just four games, and after a 2019 when they delivered an NFL-worst two wins. 

So, how did one of the worst franchises in the NFL transform itself in record time to now being one win away from lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy?

Joe Burrow

There is no need to overcomplicate the biggest reason for Cincinnati’s turnaround. The 2019 season may have entered the Bengals into the NFL Hall of Shame, but it did guarantee the franchise the first draft pick in 2020. 

The Miami Dolphins wanted Joe Burrow so badly that they were willing to give up multiple first round picks in exchange, but the Bengals never wavered and every Cincinnati fan will be delighted they didn’t.

Burrow has had an enormously transformative impact on the Bengals. The 25-year-old has been immense in leading the Bengals offense this season, both throughout the regular season and more so in the playoffs. 

His brilliance has been even more impressive given the deficiencies of the offensive line which is meant to protect him: Burrow is the 55^th QB in NFL history to be sacked more than 50 times in one season – but is the first to lead his team to the Super Bowl. 

Off the field, Burrow has been just as influential. His swagger and confidence have permeated throughout the Bengals franchise and the wider football community in Cincinnati to the point where the collective mentality has completely shifted.

Once again, a lot will rest on Burrow’s shoulders to deliver the Super Bowl. Not that he will be fazed one bit.

Ja’Marr Chase

It’s incredible to think back now to how much criticism the Bengals received for drafting Ja’Marr Chase with the No 5 pick, when all logic pointed to the franchise needing an offensive lineman. As it turned out, reuniting Chase with his LSU teammate Burrow has proved a masterstroke.

The 21-year-old wide receiver has scored 13 touchdowns and caught 81 passes for 1,455 yards in his debut season, and the synergy he has with Burrow has been key in elevating Cincinnati’s offense to the level that has guided the team to the Super Bowl.

Chase’s 266-yard performance against the Kansas City Chiefs – which comprised three touchdowns and 11 catches – was one of the all-time great rookie performances by a receiver, and he has more postseason receiving yards than any rookie in NFL history.

Cincinnati’s offensive line may still be the team’s weak spot but no one is doubting the decision to recruit Chase now. 

Defense

While much has been made of the offensive line’s shortcomings, the same accusations cannot be directed at the defensive line. 

The signing of Trey Hendrickson as a free agent has proved a shrewd move by the Bengals and the 27-year-old defensive end has delivered with 14 sacks this season – the fifth most in the NFL.

The arrivals of B.J Hill and Larry Ogunjobi – the former from the Giants, the latter after being released by the Browns – further enhanced Cincinnati’s defensive ranks and both players have made big plays during the playoffs.

Also added to the Bengals’ defensive roster this year were Mike Hilton, Chidobe Awuzie, Tre Flowers, Vernon Hargreaves III, and Eli Apple. On the surface, it may seem like an odd mix of talent, but defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has done an excellent job in turning the Cincinnati defense into a cohesive unit.

Clutch Kicking

The kicker is often the most overlooked player on the roster but is regularly thrust into the spotlight at clutch moments to decide the final moments of a game. That has certainly been the case for Cincinnati this season, so thankfully the Bengals can call upon Evan McPherson.

The 22-year-old fifth round draft pick from Florida converted 84.8 percent of his field goal attempts in the regular season, but he has been flawless in the playoffs with 12 from 12, including three successful attempts from more than 50 yards. 

While Burrow, Chase, and the defense have been instrumental in guiding the Bengals to the Super Bowl, the team wouldn’t be there were it not for McPherson’s accuracy and calmness under pressure in the walk-off wins over the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans.

Will the Bengals go all the way in next Sunday’s game and make history overcoming all the odds? It’s unsure, but nonetheless it does not delete an incredible season they had.