The Man Who Met Andy Griffith
Footballguy
I think this will be one of the more interesting HOF debates in the coming years.
I think he should, and probably will. Here's my reasoning.
Against:
Hines has never put up prolific stats as a receiver. He has played in an era of great receivers, and there are three in particular (Moss, Harrison, Owens) who have dominated statistically and are shoo-ins at this point.
He only has three seasons as a top 10 fantasy WR, and none in the top 2 (He's finished #3, #6 and #10). His best season (112-1329-12) would be an average season for Moss/Harrison/Owens.
For:
Generally regarded as the best blocking WR in the league for most of his career. Has contributed to Pittsburgh having an elite running game with merely good running backs.
Extremely high-character guy in an era of showboats (Harrison being the other notable exception). Plays very hard, loves to hit and be hit. We've all seen dozens of clips of Ward getting drilled over the middle and bouncing up with a big smile on his face.
While not known as a deep threat, in my experience he rivals the best when needed. He isn't all that fast (nor is TO), but he has very sure hands and runs good routes.
While I don't put him in the Moss / Harrison / Owens tier as a pure receiver, I think he could put up consistent top 5 stats in a different offense.
Plays big in the playoffs: over ten games, his average is 5.7 receptions, 76.1 yards, 0.8 touchdowns, or 91-1217-13 over 16 games. This is worse than Moss (4.4 - 90.4 - 1.1) but better than Owens (5.0 - 70.2 - 0.4) and Harrison (4.3 - 59.6 - 0.15).
Super Bowl MVP.
I also think there's an interesting thought experiment. If you were building an NFL franchise from scratch and had to pick a WR, where would Ward go on your list? If you know that the surrounding offensive cast will be excellent, I think you would clearly take Moss / Harrison / Owens over Ward, and probably somebody like Steve Smith or Chad Johnson. But if you don't know anything else about the make-up of your team, and you want a well-rounded player who will be good on the field, in the locker room and off the field, and will play hard whether the team is 3-10 or 10-3, I think you could make a case for Ward over just about anybody.
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Those are my reasons for thinking he should make it. I also think he has some intangibles which increase the likelihood that he will make it, although I don't necessarily agree with these reasons. To wit:
-The media loves him because of his "clean-cut tough guy" image
-They will want to include him as a representative of one of the most consistently good offenses of this era.
I should note that he is probably my favorite player in the NFL, but I'm not a Steelers fan (restore the roar in 2008!).
I think he should, and probably will. Here's my reasoning.
Against:
Hines has never put up prolific stats as a receiver. He has played in an era of great receivers, and there are three in particular (Moss, Harrison, Owens) who have dominated statistically and are shoo-ins at this point.
He only has three seasons as a top 10 fantasy WR, and none in the top 2 (He's finished #3, #6 and #10). His best season (112-1329-12) would be an average season for Moss/Harrison/Owens.
For:
Generally regarded as the best blocking WR in the league for most of his career. Has contributed to Pittsburgh having an elite running game with merely good running backs.
Extremely high-character guy in an era of showboats (Harrison being the other notable exception). Plays very hard, loves to hit and be hit. We've all seen dozens of clips of Ward getting drilled over the middle and bouncing up with a big smile on his face.
While not known as a deep threat, in my experience he rivals the best when needed. He isn't all that fast (nor is TO), but he has very sure hands and runs good routes.
While I don't put him in the Moss / Harrison / Owens tier as a pure receiver, I think he could put up consistent top 5 stats in a different offense.
Plays big in the playoffs: over ten games, his average is 5.7 receptions, 76.1 yards, 0.8 touchdowns, or 91-1217-13 over 16 games. This is worse than Moss (4.4 - 90.4 - 1.1) but better than Owens (5.0 - 70.2 - 0.4) and Harrison (4.3 - 59.6 - 0.15).
Super Bowl MVP.
I also think there's an interesting thought experiment. If you were building an NFL franchise from scratch and had to pick a WR, where would Ward go on your list? If you know that the surrounding offensive cast will be excellent, I think you would clearly take Moss / Harrison / Owens over Ward, and probably somebody like Steve Smith or Chad Johnson. But if you don't know anything else about the make-up of your team, and you want a well-rounded player who will be good on the field, in the locker room and off the field, and will play hard whether the team is 3-10 or 10-3, I think you could make a case for Ward over just about anybody.
----------------------
Those are my reasons for thinking he should make it. I also think he has some intangibles which increase the likelihood that he will make it, although I don't necessarily agree with these reasons. To wit:
-The media loves him because of his "clean-cut tough guy" image
-They will want to include him as a representative of one of the most consistently good offenses of this era.
I should note that he is probably my favorite player in the NFL, but I'm not a Steelers fan (restore the roar in 2008!).
