Bosseli on Hall's nominee list
The Pro Football Hall of Fame released its initial nominee list for the Hall's 2008 class and former Jaguars tackle Tony Bosseli is on it.
Do you guys think he did enough to merit induction? Is eight years a long enough career?
Below is the entire list.
http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/story.jsp?story_id=2583
Do you guys think he did enough to merit induction? Is eight years a long enough career?
Below is the entire list.
http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/story.jsp?story_id=2583
posted by Michael C. Wright at
6:36 AM
7 Comments:
Honestly, around Jacksonville Tony Boselli is probably a shoe-in for HOF induction. Outside of Duval county his merit is questionable.
For example, there was a 1997 game against Derrick Thomas, the fabulous Kansas City Chiefs pass-rushing LB. Boselli was out due to injury. Guard Ben Coleman shifted to left tackle and effectively shut down Thomas the entire game.
Unfortunately, I think Tony may have been a victim of NSAIDs.
Being in Texas back in the day, I didn't know much about the Jags beyond Fred Taylor, Mark Brunell, Jimmy Smith and Boselli.
But I do remember when Boselli was playing people always called him a Hall of Famer, even back then. I think Boselli's a tough one to gauge because during the time he played, he completely dominated at the position. He and Jonathan Ogden were the cream. I spoke with Vito Stellino (an at-large voter) today about it and I asked if dominance could win out over longevity in Hall of Fame voting. He said, yes, in some cases (he mentioned Dwight Stephenson).
What would likely keep him out is the presentation given by whoever nominates him. The voter that nominates him has to present a convincing case for induction. So that person would have to do his homework, talk to several people about Boselli and present a convincing case.
Vito won't be the one presenting him because he's an at-large voter. The voter from Jacksonville will have to present Boselli. I'd venture to guess that Boselli will make Vito's list when the narrow it down to 25.
When I think of a HOF I think being a team guy has to count somewhere. Sure the team afforded Boselli and Brunell, but didn't their lifestyle requirements spell ruin for the team concept?
Between Boselli and Brunell their high salary demands and yearly restructuring deals created a lot of front money for themselves, but the Jaguars lost a load of talented players, and the salary cap boiled over.
If you look back at the numbers Boselli and Brunell had something like twenty-five percent of the cap tied up.
Excellent players, guys who were very solid team mates doing whatever it took to help keep the team and the community spirit together, were shoved out the door to afford another year of Boselli.
Time may have changed things, but the resentment the multi-millionaire "God Squad" created among Jaguar players and the Jaguar fan base directly resulted in years of salary cap purgatory and empty seats.
Tell Vito, one 2000 season game I remember was when Freddie Taylor gained 233 yards against the Steelers at Three Rivers.
Freddie gained most of his yardage running right, not left. That would have been Brendan Stai and Zach Wiegert's side of the ball and not Boselli's.
Boselli should have been a HOFer but it will be difficult. He didn't play long enough. I could see him getting in in 30 years on a veterans commitee.
Mike, why don't you say the name of the presenter? We all know Sam Kouvaris is the presenter and understand that he will be a weak presenter for Tony.
To the blogger that stated that in 2000 the jags ran to the right, he should be aware that practically all of Taylor's big gains were on cut backs that would have taken him back to Boselli's side, and that Weigert was on IR by that time and the right tackle was Todd Fordham.
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