Committee Chairman
Sapp sounds off on Strahan in the HOF again
Do you get the feeling that Warren Sapp really hates Michael Strahan? Sapp has been on the record for his dislike of Strahan for years, seemingly stemming from when he earned the Quarterback Sack record in a season in 2001 when Brett Favre appeared to lay down for him.
Sapp sounded off again today against Strahan saying the following:
“I don’t think his resume stacks up. Tony Dungy, Walter Jones, Marvin Harrison and Derrick Brooks are more deserving. Four straight Pro Bowls and a mythical sack record. When you really measure it up, he comes short except you all are giving it to him. When you talk about stacking it up, it just don't stack that high, except y'all are giving to him. Y'all don't take that same critical eye as when you're looking at somebody else. Oh, it's Michael. Awww, he's our guy. He's on TV with Kelly (Ripa)' and 'Oh, he's such a good guy!
Hmmmm. Does Sapp have a point about the “mythical” sack record?
Let’s say that is. This still gives Strahan two seasons where he led the NFL in Sacks and taking the one that may be have been a “gimme” he still has 140.5 Sacks in his career which puts him at number five at all time.
As for the “Four straight Pro Bowls”, Sapp had it wrong as Strahan was in three straight Pro Bowls twcie and another one on top of that totalling seven; the same amount that Sapp has.
Maybe he meant the four First Team All Pro selections; which again is the same amount that Sapp has. Both were also Second Team selections twice and chosen for the NFL 2000’s All Decade Team.
The similarities don’t end there. Both Sapp and Strahan won a Super Bowl (Sapp with Tampa, Strahan with the New York Giants) and they both won the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
So if we listen to Sapp, who claims that the resume of Michael Strahan does not measure up, what does this say about Warren whose resume is similar? Strahan usually has not responded to Sapp’s taunting, but this time he shot back:
“"Football was part of my life, but it is not my entire life. So for some guys, maybe that's their entire life and that's all they have to hold onto. Playing football, sacking quarterbacks, that was part of my life, and I did it and I moved on. The tiger does not pay attention to the opinion of the sheep. I am. I'm all hype," Strahan said. "I lasted 15 years, all hype. I had 141.5 career sacks, all hype. I was always a starter. I played left end, and that made me get sacks. My coaches kept putting me in the game because they felt it gave us the best chance to win, and that was all hype."
Strahan is correct and many former Football players have struggled letting go of the past. He has become one of the most recognizable former NFL players in the last ten years; not only securing a coveted spot on the FOX NFL panel but more recently going mainstream co-hosting the very popular morning talk show with Kelly Ripa, now titled “Live, with Michael and Kelly”. Warren Sapp has been active after his career ended, appearing as an analyst on the NFL Network and appearing on Dancing With the Stars, but for all intents and purposes, Strahan has the post playing career that makes athletes drool, and you have to wonder if Sapp, who filed for bankruptcy two years ago despite making six figures a month has a bit of envy in his voice.
On our Football list, we currently have Strahan listed at number four which was higher than we had Sapp who got in on his first year on the ballot. If Strahan does get in, we will be waiting to hear what Sapp has to say next.
Jake Roberts to the WWE HOF
Tonight on Monday Night RAW Jake “The Snake” Roberts has been named the second inductee to the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2014. Roberts; career began in 1974, and he would find success by the early 80’s in the Georgia Territory, as well as a successful run for Bill Watts in Mid South.
In early 1986, he made the jump to the World Wrestling Federation, though this time he was not just billed as “The Snake”, he carried one with him to the ring. On the May edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event, Jake entered into his first feud in the WWF when he DDT’s Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. Roberts may have been the “bad guy” in the rivalry but slowly the fans wanted to cheer him.
It was not just the reptile that made him different. Jake was a master psychologist in the ring and was able to toy with emotions of the fans with ease. He eschewed the standard yelling that wrestlers did in interviews in favor of an ominous and soft spoken word. It was chilling and it forced viewers to turn up the volume rather than turn it down; basically he made you pay attention!
Roberts would turn “face” by the will of the fans and would have high level feuds with the Honky Tonk Man, “Ravishing” Rick Rude, Andre The Giant, Ted DiBiase and Rick Martel and return to as a methodical heel when he turned on Randy “Macho Man” Savage.
His first run in the WWF ended in 1992, after which he had a short stint in WCW, main eventing the Halloween Havoc Pay Per View and setting a buy rate record for the company at the time. Due to cutbacks, he left WCW shortly after and worked in regionals and in Mexico before returning to the WWF in 1996, where this time he lasted a year and a half, but was released after his issues with substance abuse returned.
The last ten years, fans awaited the news of his death as he was often doing appearances in no condition to work, and his segment in the wrestling documentary; “Beyond the Mat” was horrifying. Thankfully, with the help of Diamond Dallas Page, “The Snake” has kicked the demons that plagued for decades and on “Old School RAW” he made a surprise and triumphant return to the WWE, fueling speculation that the WWE would be ready to induct him feeling that he finally had gotten his life in order.
Jake will be inducted along with the Ultimate Warrior in New Orleans, the night before Wrestlemania XXX.
Omar Vizquel to the Indians HOF
The Cleveland Indians have announced that former Shortstop, Omar Vizquel, will become the 40th member of their club’s Hall of Fame. He will not be going in alone as they will posthumously induct long time broadcaster, Jimmy Dudley.
Vizquel played for the Indians between 1994 and 2004. He was named to three All Star Games and won eight Gold Glove Awards while playing in Cleveland. He would have a WAR of 30.1 with 1,616 Hits and 279 Stolen Bases there.
He may be a fringe Cooperstown Hall of Fame player, but he does deserve merit in the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame and we congratulate him on this accolade.
A ceremony for Vizquel and Dudley will take place on June 21st, prior to their game against the Detroit Tigers.
Chuck Knoblauch to the Twins HOF
The Minnesota Twins have announced their latest entrant into their Hall of Fame. Chuck Knoblauch who played Second Base for Minnesota from 1991 to 1997 is the latest addition to their institution which began in 2000.
Knoblauch was a very productive player for Minnesota. He was the 1991 American League Rookie of the Year and won the World Series that year. Four times, he would be selected to the All-Star Game, contributing 1,197 Hits with a .304 Batting Average, 276 Stolen Bases and won two Silver Slugger Awards. He would have a 37.8 WAR as a Twin.
His time in Minnesota ended badly as he requested a trade incurring the wrath of the wins fans. He would win three World Series with his new team, The New York Yankees, but he was never again an All Star, and his defensive skills appeared to leave him completely necessitating a move to Leftfield. Knoblauch was heckled mercilessly upon his return to the Twin Cities and appeared unlikely that he would ever be forgiven.
Saying all of this, Knoblauch was a star while in Minnesota and his contributions while playing with the Twins were worthy of this accolade. The ceremony will take place before a game against the Detroit Tigers on August 23.