You had to know that leaks would happen. We know that LeRoy Butler will not be one of the five men inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  The news came from Butler himself

?? maybe next year!! ? plus it’s always a good thing, to be discussed with the best to ever play THE GAME!

— leroy butler (@leap36) January 27, 2021

Butler was one of fifteen players who were finalists, and this was his second year reaching this stage.  This news could bode well for John Lynch, a fellow defensive back who has been a finalists eight times.

We will continue to report on news as it comes.

We said yesterday that the omission of Curt Schilling would have to see the former pitcher go on a bit of an “apology tour” if he wants to make the Baseball Hall of Fame next year on his last year of eligibility.  Schilling fell 16 votes shy, finishing at 71%.  It is clear that statistically he belongs, but his politics and anti-media stance have seen voters openly state they would not vote for him.

In response, Schilling responded on his official Facebook page:

I can say at this point I am mentally done. I know math and I know trends and I know I will not attain the 75% threshold for induction. 

As I’ve stated often over the past years to those I’ve spoken with in my heart I am at peace. Nothing, zero, none of the claims being made by any of the writers hold merit. In my 22 years playing professional baseball in the most culturally diverse locker rooms in sports I’ve never said or acted in any capacity other than being a good teammate. 

I’ve certainly been exposed to racism and sexism and homophobia as it’s part of who human beings are. I’ve played with and talked with gay teammates. I’ve played with wife beaters, adulterers, assaulted, drug addicts and alcoholics. I’ve never hit a woman, driven drunk, done drugs, PEDs or otherwise, assaulted anyone or committed any sort of crime. 

But I’m now somehow in a conversation with two men who cheated, and instead of being accountable they chose to destroy others lives to protect their lie. 

Having said all that the media has created a Curt Schilling that does not and has never existed. It’s one of the things that has allowed me to sleep at night. Not an ounce of that is to absolve myself of sin, Lord knows I’ve committed my share and will do so again. Never malicious, never to willfully or intentionally hurt another person. I was 100% accountable and still am. Even the thought of responding to claims of “nazi” or “racist” or any other term so watered down and rendered meaningless by spineless cowards who have never met me makes me ill. In modern times responding to such drivel somehow validates the claim. 

My love of this country has always been worn on my sleeve. My desire to do the right thing and be a good person has driven most of my life choices. I stood at my locker 400+ times after my starts and took every question and answered honestly. Those people who stood there asking the questions KNOW what they are claiming is untrue yet they quote, re-quote and link to one another story after story that began as lies and grew into bigger ones. The game has made it clear it does not want me back and that’s fine, the game owes me exactly nothing. It gave a billion more times than it took and I’ll forever be deeply in debt to it. My desire to work with and teach young men the art of pitching will be tucked away. 

But as I watch my wife battle cancer and go through the grueling soul crushing process of chemotherapy and see her hurt every time some idiot writes another hit piece linking to other hit pieces, none rooted in any sort of truth but rather story after story of “what he meant was” and “what he’s saying is” and “that’s a dog whistle for” all the while providing zero actual acts or quotes of the claims being made I can’t help but to go into deep conversation with my father. 

“Never live your life trying to impress people you don’t know, or who don’t know you” and what that means in todays world. 

Being an aspie has allowed it to flow like water off a ducks back. But to see the hurt I’m causing my wife and to have my children read and hear this stuff and then look at me and try and match a public “image” that in no way aligns with the man their father is , has been something I never considered. 

I do not and never will “scoreboard” the cowards but if I’m not mistaken only Jamie Moyer and I “swept” the humanitarian awards players can win. Awards meant to define who the true man is apart from the player. These same writers voted on those awards. Do those awards and 22 years absent of a single validating event to support their claims define me? Or does a “what he meant to say” tweet? Based on the vote and the pike of dung authored by morally decrepit men like Dan Shaughnessy it’s the latter. I cannot and will not say or do anything to possibly soften a weak willed mans opinion of me if it is not something I believe. Just or not. I’ve chosen Arizona as the team I would have represented if I had been inducted and even though I heard someone there is calling for the DBacks front office to “meet” should the induction happen I’ll stand with that decision as I know Mr Kendrick to be an honorable and kind man. 

Should that change it most certainly would be the Phillies. What Mr Henry and Mr Werner did to my family and I in my final year has been forgiven but will never be forgotten. One thing this text certifies is that I talk way too much but I know I was never a yes/no answer guy. I apologize for the insane length of this but I guess I needed an outlet and I sure as hell don’t want to dump any of this on a woman who just ended her 3rd chemo and provides the reasons I eat sleep and breathe everyday. Why the text? If by some miracle this would happen I have zero interest in taking questions from the very group who lined up to destroy my character with no regard to anyone in my life or being held to account for their lies. I would and will talk with the guys on the MLB network if you want that, but no one else. 

I wanted to reiterate this final point. I will not participate in the final year of voting. I am requesting to be removed from the ballot. I’ll defer to the veterans committee and men whose opinions actually matter and who are in a position to actually judge a player. I don’t think I’m a hall of famer as I’ve often stated but if former players think I am then I’ll accept that with honor. 

Again, I won’t be able to thank you for your kindness and sincere interest in this process as it pertains to me. I’ll be forever grateful. God Bless you all again and one more time a final thank you for all your efforts to help my family and I.

We thought it was important to post the full letter, rather than cherry-pick.  Regardless of what you think of Schilling, the emotion in this open letter is clear.

There is never been a case where a player has been asked to be removed from a ballot.  We don’t expect the Hall to comply with this request, but we know this, Curt Schilling is a bigger name than ever.  The concern over his platform rising over gaining HOF induction is incorrect, as we also wrote yesterday:

Here is what many voters and fans don’t seem to understand.  Once a player is retired, unless they are managing or broadcasting, they only have one more hurdle to climb; Cooperstown.  Pete Rose, by his own admission, is more known today because he is not inducted. When Dick Allen recently passed, it gained more attention because he was a Hall of Fame snub then he would have if it he was a Hall of Fame inductee.  An Induction for Schilling does not raise his platform at all, it actually decreases it, as the public knows that it is his politics that kept him out, and not his statistics.

Schilling received more press today then he would have if he got selected, and that was before he announced he wanted off of the ballot.

We call this the “Hall of Fame Season”, and this is annually part one of a two-part apex where the Baseball Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame announces their new classes, although COVID-19 might have played an integral part in what transpired today in the baseball vote.

As it was projected by Ryan Thibodeau @NotMrTibbs, the 2021 Baseball Hall of Fame did not select anyone.  As COVID-19 postponed the 2020 ceremony, the Class of 2020 (Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller) will be inducted on July 25.  This also meant that there was no urgency by any of the writers to induct anyone. Whether or not this played a part in the minds of voters to exclude a player is subject to conjecture, but it could have played a part.  

While nobody was chosen, there is a lot to unpack.

Had it not been for the anti-media stance of Curt Schilling, he likely would have been inducted years ago. Schilling has the stats and the post-season success that befits a Hall of Fame inductee, but it was four years ago where he supported a joke about lynching journalists.  That resulted in a drop of support from 52.3% to 45.0, and he had been relatively quiet since in regards to the media.  He made to an even 70.0% last year, but the last two months have been a very spicy political climate.  He inched forward to 71.1% this year.

Schilling supported the far right wing riots on January 6, and has again been very critical of the media. One voter, who checked Schilling’s box asked if could be changed.  Jay Jaffe openly said that he couldn’t vote for Schilling because he feared it would give him a bigger platform.  With only one year remaining, Schilling would have to go on a serious “apology tour” to make it. 

However,

Here is what many voters and fans don’t seem to understand.  Once a player is retired, unless they are managing or broadcasting, they only have one more hurdle to climb; Cooperstown.  Pete Rose, by his own admission, is more known today because he is not inducted. When Dick Allen recently passed, it gained more attention because he was a Hall of Fame snub then he would have if it he was a Hall of Fame inductee.  An Induction for Schilling does not raise his platform at all, it actually decreases it, as the public knows that it is his politics that kept him out, and not his statistics.  How Schilling acts this year will be a must-watch for us.

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are also one ballot away from elimination.  There is no fresh discussion here.  You are either vote for them, knowing they likely took PEDs, but did so in an era where baseball had no internal legislation to defy it.  Bud Selig, who presided over the era is in, as is manager, Tony LaRussa, who also was without a doubt aware what was transpiring. 

Bonds moved slightly from 60.7% to 61.8% and Clemens from 61.0% to 61.6%.  This is insignificant in regards to the elevation they need for induction.

Scott Rolen is rocketed up to 52.9% from 35.3% last year.  The infielder looks like he will be entering in the near future with his meteoric rise.

Omar Vizquel, who is embroiled in a domestic abuse allegation looks to have taken a tumble because of it.  He dropped from 52.6% to 49.1%   This was Vizquel’s fourth year on the ballot, and depending on what transpires in this accusation, he could fall out of what looked to be a Hall of Fame induction.

Billy Wagner made his second straight double-digit gain.  Wagner climbed from 16.7% to 31.7% from 2019 to 2020, and this year he is at 46.4%.  This was his sixth year on the ballot.

Todd Helton is in a similar state with Rolen, as he went from 29.2% to 44.9% on his third ballot.  It appears that Larry Walker will soon have Hall of Fame company wearing that Colorado Rockies hat.

Gary Sheffield, who was in limbo for years is making a move up the voting board.  He went from 13.6% to 40.6% in the last two years.

Andruw Jones, who was below 8% in his first two years, is now at 33.9% in his fourth year.

Former MVP, Jeff Kent is running out of time.  Last year was the first time he broke the 25% threshold, and now on year eight, he reached 32.4%.  This is not enough of a gain to see a plaque in Cooperstown in his near future.

Manny Ramirez, who has the Hall of Fame stats, WAS caught and suspended twice for PEDs, which could be the line for many voters.  He stayed the exact same at 28.2%, an indicator that he is moving nowhere.

Sammy Sosa was not suspended for PED use, but his performance in front of Congress where he forgot the English language clowns him to this day.  Sosa is at 17.0%, which is his highest to date, but he only has one year left. He has no chance at this time.

Andy Pettitte made a modest gain from 11.3% to 13.7%.  He is an admitted PED user, which might be enough to keep him out, though the way he handled it is the template for all athletes to follow.

Mark Buehrle is the highest first ballot inductee.  He received 11.0% of the ballot.  He was not the only debuts as Torii Hunter (9.5%) and Tim Hudson (5.2%) survive for another look.

Bobby Abreu remains alive at 8.7%.  

The other vote-getters were Aramis Ramirez (1.0%), LaTroy Hawkins (0.5%), Barry Zito (0.2%) Shane Victorino, A.J. Burnett, Nick Swisher, Dan Haren and Michael Cuddyer.

If the vote for 2021 was not dramatic enough, Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz are now eligible in 20222. 

The NFL post-season usually is when we see significant retirements, and following that of Quarterback, Philip Rivers, we see Tight End, Greg Olsen, call it a career today.

Greg Olsen played his college football at the University of Miami where he would become one of the top Tight Ends in the 2007 Draft, taken 31^stoverall by the Chicago Bears.  Olsen did well, peaking with 612 Yards in 2009, but he was traded to the Carolina Panthers for a Third Round pick before the 2011 season.

With the Panthers, Olsen continued his work catching passes and blocking potential tacklers.  Already good at both disciplines, Olsen took it to another level, recording three consecutive 1,000 Yard seasons, all of which earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl.  

Injuries took their toll on Olsen, and his production dipped.  He played with Carolina until 2019, and had one final season with the Seattle Seahawks.

Olsen leaves professional football with 8,683 Yards and 60 Touchdowns.

Olsen will be Hall of Fame eligible in 2026, but is unlikely to receive any serious consideration beyond a preliminary list.  We had him ranked #113 in our pre-season rank of active players for Hall of Fame consideration, and #7 overall among Tight Ends. 

We will soon be creating a profile for him on our pending 2026 future eligible section.

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