2011 Semifinalists List

So the Class of 2011 list of Semifinalist candidates are out. Up to 5 of the following 26 players and coaches will be elected on February 5th and enshrined later next summer. There are 20 players and 6 coaches/administrators/NFL films members on the list. According to the list on the site the players would be ranked as such (NIHOF rank in par):1. Marshall Faulk (1)2. Deion Sanders (2)3. Shannon Sharpe (4)4. Willie Roaf (5)5. Curtis Martin (6)6. Cortez Kennedy (8)7. Cris Carter (9)8. Richard Dent (10)9. Jerome Bettis (14)10. Tim Brown (15)11. Roger Craig (17)12. Chris Doleman (19)13. Andre Reed (21)14. Dermontii Dawson (22)15. Aeneas Williams (25)16. Charles Haley (31)17. Ray Guy (36)18. Terrell Davis (40)19. Kevin Greene (50)20. Lester Hayes (51)Other semifinalists in no particular order:Coaches21. Don CoryellOwners22. Eddie DeBartolo Jr. 23. Art ModellAdministrators24. George YoungCommissioners25. Paul TagliabueNFL Films Founder26. Ed Sabol I guess the basic question is which 15 would you select as finalists and which of those 5 do you think should be enshrined. Then who do you think they will select and who do you think will be enshrined. Thoughts?

For me, the most surprising news is that Ed Sabol finally got nominated. He created NFL Films basically by himself and pretty much single handedly created and preserved the mystique of the NFL. Of course his son Steve has taken over and I severely doubt he will get into the HoF this year, it is nice to see him finally get some recognition for his actions. As for who I'd pick it is a process of elimination of who I don't want in as well at the bottom, since most should be in the HoF in my opinion. Modell can't get in because the city of Cleveland would rise up from their LeBron shirt burnings and set their torches to Canton. And Tagliabue's legacy will be undone as soon as the NFL has a work stoppage (which I really think is coming up seeing as they have no meetings even planned with the union yet). I also think that the number of Running Backs on this list of 26 is going to hurt the last two guys on your list above, Craig and Davis, mainly because the other 3 guys are all top 10 all time in yardage. And even though the NFL isn't really about numbers, if you are top 10 in an easily understandable and somewhat impressive category, that usually gets you votes over those who are not.So my 15 would be:Faulk, Sanders, Sharpe, Roaf, Martin, Kennedy, Carter, Dent,Bettis, Brown, Doleman, Dawson, Williams, Haley, and Sabol With Faulk, Sanders, Roaf, Martin, and Dent (who I still have no idea is still waiting while Fred Dean a far inferior player got in a couple of years ago) getting my votes (4 new guys plus my holdover "old guy")The fifteen I think will get selected are: Brown, Carter, Coryell, Craig, Dawson, Dent, Haley, Kennedy, Reed, and Sharpe (the 10 holdovers from last time) plus five newbies Faulk, Sanders, Martin, Roaf and Bettis. Most likely to fall out of that group ould be Haley and Craig, who fought for years to become semifinalists for the first time last year. Most likely to replace them would be Tagliabue and the forever candidate Ray Guy.The five they will select will likely be offense heavy with the numbers and all, so Faulk, Martin, Carter, and Bettis will get in (even though Bettis is not nearly as good as the other two RBs, but is intensely media friendly) and everyone patting themselves on the back for Sanders as evidence that a Defensive player can get in on the first ballot.

it is only five from this portion nominated isn't it? And then the two more from the veteran'. Good that reduces Roaf's chances of being elected. With that being said i believe that Faulk and Sanders are the shoeins. And then we drop to Reed finally getting in at receiver over Carter (but could go either way) and then Dent (I agree he deserves this more than Dean) and Sharpe. He has got to get in soon and would be a nice fit in the same year as Deion. Sad that Haley and Craig seem to be filtering out of contention. And Debartolo will never get the respect he deserves. Martin and Bettis will get in but hopefully not in their first year. Great backs for sure but not that great. Of course my bigest beef is that Roaf never gets in. If you truly look at his career and take away the pro bowls (which are based on past reputation more than anything espcially at the line positions) then he really is not a hall of famer. Great run blocker for sure but an average pass protector as a left tackle. Come on. Riddle me this why did New Orleans find it so easy to let him go if he was so great? Baltimore did not have any problem spending the money for Jonathan Ogden. And then of course there is the Chuck Smith thing.