1982 Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project Class.

Here we are!  Again!!

If you have been following our Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project, you know we have asked the rhetorical question: What if the PFHOF began in January 1946?

After soliciting and obtaining a passionate group of football fans and historians, we sent out a ballot for a Preliminary Vote, in which we asked each voter to give us 25 names as their semi-finalists and 5 in the Senior Pool. We then asked the group to vote for their 15 Finalists in the Modern Era and 3 in the Senior Category. The final stage was to vote for their five Modern Era inductee and one Senior inductee.

This is the result of the 37th official class. 

Below are the final results of this project based on 33 votes.

Remember that we have reverted back to the top five candidates entering the Hall in the Modern Era

This is for the “Modern Era”

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1982:

This is for the “Senior Era”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1982.

This is for the “Coaches/Contributors”, 

*Bold indicates they have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Class of 1982.

About the 1982 Inductees:

Merlin Olsen, DT, RAM 1962-76: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1982 on his 1st Ballot.  Inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982.

The Outland Trophy winner from Utah State, Merlin Olson, was the third overall pick in the 1962 Draft, and as a rookie, he would go to the Pro Bowl.  That was the first of fourteen straight Pro Bowl appearances for Olsen, which set a record that has since been tied but not surpassed.  Olsen would anchor the Rams' defense, where he was part of the greatest group of Defensive Linemen of the 1960s, "The Fearsome Foursome," consisting of Olsen, Deacon Jones, Rosey Grier, and Lamar Lundy.

Not only was Olsen good, but he also seemed to be good forever.  In addition to those 14 Pro Bowls, he would be considered an elite performer for most of those seasons.  Olsen was named a First Team All-Pro five straight seasons (1966-70) and was a Second Team All-Pro another four times.  So respected was Olsen that in 1974, he would become the Bert Bell Award winner (becoming the second defensive player to do so), which is presented by the Maxwell Football Club to whom they deem the MVP.  Realistically, if Olsen was going to win this award, it should have been in an earlier year, but in true Olsen fashion, he thanked all defensive players.  This man was indeed a class act!

A member of both the 1960s and 1970s All-Decade Team, Olsen would go on to have a successful career as an actor and broadcaster.  The Rams retired his no. 74, and in 2020, he was posthumously named to the NFL 100th Anniversary Team.

Eddie Meador, DB, RAM 1959-70: Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1982 on his 7th Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In the 1960s, the Los Angeles Rams defense was primarily known for its "Fearsome Foursome" Defensive Line, but there was a star in their Secondary by the name of Eddie Meador, who would be chosen for six Pro Bowls.  Meador came from Arkansas Tech and would become the starting Left Cornerback in his second season.  That year (1960), he was named to the Pro Bowl, but when he moved to Right Safety in 1964, he was in a better spot for his skill set.  Meador would go to five straight Pro Bowls (1964-68) and was a First Team All-Pro in both 1968 and 1969.

As of this writing, Meador is still the Rams' all-time leader in Interceptions (46), and he would be named to the 1960s All-Decade Team.

Billy Howton, E, GNB 1952-58, CLE 1959 & DAL 1960-63.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1982 on his 14th Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Billy Howton was the all-time leader when he retired in 1963.  He has dropped considerably since then.

A top receiver for the Green Bay Packers throughout the 1950s, Howton was a constant fixture for years in every receiving category.  When he became the all-time leader in receptions and yards, he took that slot from the legendary Don Hutson.

A huge force works against him (for the actual Hall) as he was cast off from the Green Bay Packers when the most iconic figure in professional football, Vince Lombardi, arrived in the tundra.  Many speculated that if he wasn’t good enough for Lombardi, he couldn’t possibly be good enough for Canton.  That is a compelling argument.  While we acknowledge that fact, Howton helped lay the groundwork for today's modern Wide Receivers, and that also can't be dismissed, as acknowledged here.

Tom Sestak, DT, BUF, 1962-68.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1982 on his 9th Ballot.  Was never inducted into the actual Pro Football Hall of Fame.

One of the most dominating Defensive Tackles of the AFL, Tom Sestak, joined the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League in 1962, where he quickly became the team's defensive anchor.  Sestak was an AFL All-Star in his first four seasons, and in years two through four, he was a First Team All-Pro and was in the top ten in Approximate Value.  The Bills won the 1964 and 1965 AFL Championship, and during that timeframe, Sestak and the Buffalo Defense would hold opponents without a rushing touchdown in seventeen straight games, a record that still stands.  Knee problems would force an early retirement after the 1968 Season, but his play was strong enough to make the AFL All-Time Team.

Abe Woodson, DB, SFO 1958-64 & STL 1965-66.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1982 on his 11th Ballot.  Was never inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Abe Woodson’s regular role was at Cornerback, where he would accumulate 19 Interceptions over his career, but it was his returning ability that would see him gain five straight Pro Bowl selections (1959-63)

Drafted in the 2^nd Round from the University of Illinois, Abe Woodson's best seasons were with the San Francisco 49ers.  Woodson, who was also a two-time First Team All-Pro, would record 6,850 Return Yards and would average a whopping 28.7 Yards per Kick Return.  He would have four straight years where he had at least 1,000 All-Purpose Yards.

Weeb Ewbank, Coach, BAL 1954-62 & NYJ 1963-73.  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Revisited Project in 1982 on his 6th Coaches/Contributor Ballot.  Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

Weeb Ewbank would win four championships under Paul Brown as an Assistant Coach with Cleveland, and under his learning tree, he was able to thrive as a Head Coach, first with the Baltimore Colts in 1954.

Ewbank guided the Colts to back-to-back NFL Championships in 1958 and 1959, cementing Baltimore as a top franchise.  After falling out of favor with Colts management, he was let go in 1962, but went to the AFL to coach the New York Jets the following year.   Ewbank led New York to the 1968 AFL Title, and then they stunned the sporting world by winning Super Bowl III, defeating his old team. 

Ewbank remained with the Jets until 1974 and went down as the only man in football history to win an NFL and AFL Championship.

He retired with a record of 130-129-7.

Welcome back to the WNBA Cup!

In every WNBA regular-season game, we award descending points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five players.  At the end of the season, the player with the most points will be awarded the Notinhalloffame WNBA Cup. 

However, the winning player must accept their award in person in the Emerald City of Seattle.

Here is the current top ten as of games concluded on August 21:

1. A’Ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces, 125 Cup Points:  33 Games, 3.73 Cup Points per Game, 22.8 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.6 SPG, 2.2 BPG, 32.7 PER, 7.2 WS.  (#2 Last Week)

2. Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury, 107 Cup Points:  30 Games, 3.57 Cup Points per Game, 16.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 8.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 25.7 PER, 5.6 WS. (#3 Last Week)

3. Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx, 106 Cup Points:  26 Games, 4.08 Cup Points per Game, 23.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 31.1 PER, 7.0 WS.  (#1 Last Week)

4. Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm, 101 Cup Points:  36 Games, 2.81 Cup Points Per Game, 18.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 22.8 PER, 4.8 WS. (#4 Last Week)

5. Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream, 95 Cup Points:  36 Games, 2.64 Cup Points per Game, 18.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 19.8 PER, 6.6 WS. (#5 Last Week)

6. Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks, 93 Cup Points, 35 Games, 2.66 Cup Points per Game, 17.9, PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 23.2 PER, 4.3 WS. (#6 Last Week)

7. Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever, 81 Cup Points:  35 Games, 2.31 Cup Points per Game, 15.2 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 22.8 PER, 5.8 WS. (#7 Last Week)

8 (TIE). Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks, 76 Cup Points:  34 Games, 2.24 Cup Points Per Game, 20.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.1 BPG, 19.3 PER, 3.9 WS.  (Not in the Top Ten Last Week)

8 (TIE). Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty, 76 Cup Points:  35 Games, 2.08 Cup Points Per Game, 19.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 20.4 PER, 3.9 WS. (#9 Last Week)

10. Paige Buckers, Dallas Wings, 75 Cup Points: 29 Games, 2.58 Cup Points per Game, 19.7, PPG, 4.1 RPG, 5.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 22.0 PER, 3.7 WS. (Not in the Top Ten Last Week)

Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell and New York’s Breanna Stewart fell out of the top ten.

At present, 122 players have received at least one point, the same amount as last week.

Our next update will be up next Friday.

It is with great pleasure that we have brought back the Notinhalloffame MLB Regular Cup, and let us explain how this works:

For every regular-season game, we anointed the top five players with the most points, in descending order: 5-4-3-2-1. 

We know the following:

• The top players for the MLB NIHOF Cup are not always the best in the league, as injuries keep players out of games, and a premium on staying healthy can help pile up points. It also does not hurt to be a top player on an average or mediocre team, as they can amass Cup points more easily than elite players on loaded squads.
• In Baseball, it is more common than in Basketball and Hockey for a player to accrue points with a single Home Run in a game, which favors position players. Starting Pitchers have a hard time with approximately 30-35 Starts and throwing fewer innings than previous generations. This is also true for closers not made for this process.
• Please remember that this is NOT necessarily who we think were the best players this year and does not reflect overall consistency. Treat this the way we did: as a fun process and more of a compilation of temporary statistical domination.

Here is the current top ten after games concluded on August 21.

1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers:  168 Cup Points in 125 Games.  (#1 Last Week).  5.7 bWAR, 120 Runs, 138 Hits, 44 Home Runs, 83 Runs Batted In, .285/.393/.625 Slash Line, 1.018 OPS & 181 OPS+.

2. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees: 163 Cup Points in 116 Games. (#2 Last Week).  6.9 bWAR, 99 Runs, 139 Hits, 40 Home Runs, 92 Runs Batted In, .330/.445/.684 Slash Line, 1.129 OPS & 209 OPS+.

3. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners: 151 Cup Points in 125 Games. (#4 Last Week).   5.6 bWAR, 83 Runs, 116 Hits, 47 Home Runs, 102 Runs Batted In, .247/.355/.588 Slash Line, .944 OPS & 167 OPS+.

4. Pete Alonso, New York Mets: 147 Cup Points in 121 Games. (#3 Last Week).   2.9 bWAR, 65 Runs, 126 Hits, 28 Home Runs, 101 Runs Batted In, .264/.347/.510 Slash Line, .858 OPS & 143 OPS+.

5. Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies: 140 Cup Points in 127 Games.  (#5 Last Week).  4.2 bWAR, 89 Runs, 120 Hits, 45 Home Runs, 109 Runs Batted In, .253/.373/.584 Slash Line, .957 OPS & 157 OPS+.

6. Manny Machado, San Diego Padres: 136 Cup Points in 128 Games. (#6 Last Week).   4.0 bWAR, 74 Runs, 145 Hits, 21 Home Runs, 77 Runs Batted In, .294/.354/.486 Slash Line, .840 OPS & 130 OPS+.

7. Francisco Lindor, New York Mets: 134 Cup Points in 125 Games. (#10 Last Week).   3.7 bWAR, 85 Runs, 133 Hits, 25 Home Runs, 72 Runs Batted In, .262/.329/.461 Slash Line, .790 OPS & 124 OPS+.

8. Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians:  133 Cup Points in 123 Games.  (#7 Last Week).  5.1 bWAR, 81 Runs, 135 Hits, 26 Home Runs, 66 Runs Batted In, .291/.366/.517 Slash Line, .883 OPS & 141 OPS+.

9. Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals: 129 Cup Points in 126 Games. (#8 Last Week).  5.5 bWAR, 81 Runs, 146 Hits, 18 Home Runs, 69 Runs Batted In, .295/.353/.501 Slash Line, .854 OPS & 135 OPS+.

10 (TIE). Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers:  127 Cup Points in 125 Games.  (#8 Last Week).  2.4 bWAR, 66 Runs, 126 Hits, 29 Home Runs, 92 Runs Batted In, .263/.317/.503 Slash Line, .820 OPS & 119 OPS+.

10 (TIE). Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers: 127 Cup Points in 120 Games. (Not in the Top Ten Last Week).   4.5 bWAR, 81 Runs, 136 Hits, 20 Home Runs, 67 Runs Batted In, .300/.397/.496 Slash Line, .893 OPS & 147 OPS+.

Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. fell out of the Top Ten.

Notably, 1,067 baseball players have earned at least 1 point, up from 1,051 last week.

Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB. Once that is done, we will examine how each team honors its past players, coaches, and executives. As such, it is important to us that the Washington Commanders announced that Art Monk’s number 81 will be retired on November 2 during Washington’s home game against the Seattle Seahawks.

A First Round Pick in 1980 (18th Overall), Monk played fourteen seasons with Washington, where he earned three Pro Bowls and compiled 12,026 Receiving Yards and 65 Touchdowns.  Monk also helped the team win three Super Bowls.

Monk becomes the sixth man to have his number retired by the franchise, joining Sammy Baugh, Bobby Mitchell, Darrell Green, Sonny Jurgensen, and Sean Taylor.

Monk was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Art Monk for his impending honor.