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Tony Boselli 2017 HOF Debate

Tony Boselli 2017 HOF Debate
02 Feb
2017
Not in Hall of Fame
Here we are in the National Football League playoffs but for us that it means it is time to discuss the potential class of the 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame.  The Finalists have been announced, and along with regular contributor, Spheniscus, we will go back and forth with each candidate and openly debate as to which player would be a worthy Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.

Committee Chairman: Spheniscus, do we have our first Pro Football Hall of Famer to represent the Jacksonville Jaguars?  Tony Boselli was a hell of a player, but do we have the Terrell Davis of Offensive Linemen here?  Boselli was only in the league for seven years, had three great ones and two good ones, but is this enough?

Frankly, I am surprised he made it to the final round this year.

Spheniscus: The four letter sports network that will not be named recently ran a “who is the next Hall of Famer to wear the cap of each MLB team” post. Which was really interesting. Figuring out the next Jaguar to go into the Hall is not as interesting. Kind of like finding your 50th greatest Florida Panther that you posted this week.

Mainly because it has to be Boselli, doesn’t it? Jimmy Smith and Fred Taylor are the only other players even in the conversation and they are 21st and 17th in yards at their positions respectively all time. (Speaking of which, did you realize that Frank Gore is now 8th on the all-time rushing list? And that he is within an 1100 yard season of overtaking Curtis Martin for 4th? He is ahead of Tony Dorsett, Marshall Faulk, Jim Brown, Marcus Allen, and a whole lot of other people you figure are just much better than him, but I digress).

Unlike Smith and Taylor though, there aren’t really measurables for Boselli. Nor is there longevity. Smith had 11 seasons and Taylor 13. Boselli only the seven. And it’s not going to help that he played for what is really the most non-descript franchise in the league. The Jaguars may list him on their website as the greatest player in franchise history, but what does that really mean?

He may be a finalist, but there doesn’t seem to be much else going for him in terms of momentum. Particularly with three other OLs in the final 17.


Committee Chairman: You mean people weren’t riveted when Rhett Warrener was named the 50th greatest Florida Panther of all time? I guess this also means that when I get to the Top 50 Jacksonville Jaguars, I already know who #1 is. Of course, I didn’t need the Jags site to tell me that.

Going back to Tony Boselli, I am in agreement as to what does being the greatest Jacksonville Jaguar mean? To the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it means more already than I thought it would because here is as a Finalist, though I am calling it right now that he doesn’t make the first cut.

With all due respect to Tony Boselli and all four fans of the Jags, Boselli might be the greatest Jaguar ever but like you said he isn’t the greatest Offensive Lineman here.

Do you think he makes it to Finals next year? Yes, I am going with the assumption he doesn’t make it this year.

Spheniscus: As I said before, I’m not sure how your Florida Panthers list wasn’t just Scott Mellanby 49 times and a rubber rat for #50.

Boselli isn’t getting this year, it will likely be Faneca. That means that Mawae will still be around and perhaps Joe Jacoby in what will be his last year of eligibility. Plus Steve Hutchinson becomes eligible for the first time. So it is possible Boselli is back, but I wouldn’t necessarily count on it.

A better question is whether or not he would be a candidate if he wasn’t the 2nd pick in a thoroughly mediocre draft. I mean Ki-Jana Carter was the first pick! Philadelphia drafted Mike Mamula 7th! I watched BC football religiously (pun intended) at that point and my flabber was gasted that he got drafted that high. As a matter of fact, the only team that seemed to know what it was doing was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who drafted Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks, the only two Hall of Famers picked in the first round of that draft. Not too bad.

The only other Hall of Famer from that draft? Patriots third round pick Curtis Martin. The Pats’ top pick that year? Boselli’s fellow finalist Ty Law. 

Committee Chairman: Damn, what will you do when we work on the Las Vegas Golden whateverthehell they are called?


Seriously, I have been thinking about whether I need to do the Top 50 after one year, and how that will work. As for that rubber rat, he probably has more personality than half of the NHL players. Seriously, when the camera is on, I can’t think of anyone I want to hear talk than ANYBODY active in the National Hockey League.

Anyway, we both agree that Tony Boselli is no Pro Football Hall of Famer, at least for this year. I would not argue about his star in regards to the draft you mentioned, but will he ever be a Pro Football Hall of Famer?

Not this year, in regards to my pretend vote and the actual one from those who matter.

Spheniscus: He might, but I think it is more likely that you will be working on the Top 50 London Jaguars before Boselli is working on his induction speech.

Committee Chairman:  Or the London Sillynannies.  That had such a great ring to it.  Thank you Seth McFarlane!


Last modified on Monday, 10 April 2017 21:23
Committee Chairman

Kirk Buchner, "The Committee Chairman", is the owner and operator of the site.  Kirk can be contacted at [email protected] .

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