Righting “A Travesty”
February 10th, 2017
BY IRA KAUFMAN
There’s been a lot of chatter about the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2017, so let me add a little more controversy.
Where the heck is Simeon Rice?
The fact Jason Taylor just got in as a first-time eligible player has to enrage Rice, who turns 43 in two weeks. Ironically, Taylor’s pathway to the Hall was cleared because John Lynch and Brian Dawkins took votes away from each other after each made the initial cut from 15 nominees to 10.
Taylor, who ranks seventh on the all-time takedown list with 139.5, essentially sacked Lynch.
Many of the 48 selectors in that Houston conference room were surprised Taylor made it through. I dare say Taylor himself didn’t expect to be fitted for a gold jacket after his first time in the room.
Setting “The Mold”
With eight double-digit sack seasons and ranking 19th on the league’s career sack list with 122, Rice isn’t getting any traction among Hall of Fame voters. The dynamic right defensive end hasn’t even made the list of 25 semifinalists that comes out every November.
That’s a travesty.
Buc fans know the impact Rice made in Tampa after signing as a free agent from Arizona in 2001. A year later, Rice was a key component on one of the great defenses of the modern era.
After sacking Jeff Garcia and Donovan McNabb once each in the NFC playoffs, Rice dropped Rich Gannon twice in the Super Bowl. He could easily have been named MVP as Jon Gruden hoisted that Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Where is the love for No. 97?
“I know I was a Hall-of-Fame player,” Rice told the Talk of Fame Network. “If I could do it all over again and have a career like (I had), I would. I ushered in a whole other level of defense, with the Jason Taylors and Jevon Kearses and Dwight Freeneys … all those hybrid, fast-speed guys. I was the first one. And then that was the mold. And they looked for those guys after that.”
Rice was a master of the sack-and-strip move, closing in from the quarterback’s blind side and chopping the ball free. He finished his career with 28 forced fumbles and Rice reached the 100-sack plateau faster than any player besides Reggie White.
New Campaign Coming
Things didn’t end well for Rice in Tampa as he was released in 2007 training camp, following shoulder surgery. The Bucs were heavily criticized for the move, but they knew what they were doing because Rice was effectively done.
Warren Sapp was a great player before Rice became a Buc, but his job got significantly easier once Rice arrived because offensive coordinators had another force to worry about up front.
“Simeon was a better rusher than Michael Strahan any day of the week,” Sapp said, “and twice on Sunday.”
With Strahan and Taylor already boasting busts in Canton, it’s time to hear the case for Simeon Rice. The Glazers can’t understand why Rice isn’t generating more respect from Hall of Fame selectors and I’m planning a campaign in the fall designed to bring Rice’s accomplishments to the minds of Hall voters.
Rice has been eligible for the Hall since 2013 — but it’s been crickets for five years. According to Simeon, the Canton shrine isn’t complete without his powerful presence.
I’m sure most Buc fans would agree.
You couldn’t miss Simeon Rice’s chiseled 6-foot-5 frame on a football field, yet voters keep overlooking his resume.
Give the man his day in Hall of Fame court.
February 10th, 2017 at 1:13 pm
Maybe he don’t have the ” Personality” of an Hall of Famer. It’s seems like the Voters judge a player,on their personality instead of their performance.
February 10th, 2017 at 1:22 pm
Ira not sure I follow the cancelled votes. Maybe you can go into to that more in the next podcast but if each voter votes for 5 of the 10 finalists how do we assume a voter voted for either, none or both Lynch and Dawkins?
February 10th, 2017 at 1:24 pm
C’mon Ira! Pull your head out! There’s a travesty all right. And it has nothing to do with Rice. TO should be in the HOF yesterday! Stow your “off field” jibberish. You must have read Florio’s PFT piece. No one except some misguided HOF voters care about “what kind of teammate” he was. The fans want him in. Before Lynch, certainly way before Rice. You guys got to get over yourselves.
February 10th, 2017 at 1:26 pm
@Ira
You are getting side track by these fringe players!!!! Your only job right now is to get The Great Rhonde Barber in the Hall!!!!!! How many Bucs do you think they will let you jam in there!!!!!! Get the true hall of famer in, then worry about the lesser ones!!!!!!!!!
Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 10th, 2017 at 1:35 pm
Thank you Ira. Rice was a dominant force from the edge. He could hurt you with the rush and with the sack/ fumble. You could absolutely not block him one on one. Watch the three and compare, Rice came of the left side, Strahan, the rightso no comparison there. And where did Jason Taylor take any team anywhere? Ask your voters, if ypu were a Offensive Coordinator, who would keep you up late worrying to game plan for? I take back my ill words for you Ira.
February 10th, 2017 at 1:44 pm
Lol, fringe? Rice career cut short bu injury. If you minus is his last two years that he lost due to injury, he averaged 11.8 sacks per year, forced more fumble tha Strahan, 28-24. Strahan averaged less than 10 sacks a year for his career, as did Taylor. The fact they hung out for 4 more years than Rice, adding garbage years of production past their prime, shouldnt matter.
February 10th, 2017 at 3:57 pm
Rice, Lynch and Barber I think only 1 gets in. Maybe 2 but all 3 for a defense with one title? That’s asking a lot.
Compare that to the 85 Bears d that only has 3 HOFers and the 2000 Ravens with 1.
February 10th, 2017 at 5:26 pm
Tony again you show your lack of knowledge. Why do you think they are called the 85 Bears cause that was one of two years they were great. These Tampa 2 Defenses (sorry Realist) was great for 10 years. It take more thanks 3 players to keep a defense great for 10 years.
February 10th, 2017 at 5:39 pm
Way to go Ira. I’m with you on this one all the way.
February 10th, 2017 at 8:44 pm
Okay, now I’m pissed. TB is getting screwed in the HoF deal. Keep doing God’s work Ira….go after those bastards!
February 11th, 2017 at 9:15 am
ndog
The defense was great six years and good four more but unfortunately the TEAM was only good three years during that stretch. Dungy offenses were embarrassing but that is what you get with a overrated, one dimensional head coach with a career losing playoff record
The glory years were very mediocre in reality with one good season.
The legend of Dungy far surpassed his actual accomplishments.
Hall of fame with dungy in renders the entire hall of fame a complete and total joke.
February 11th, 2017 at 11:44 am
Simeon Rice was horrible vs the run. He never employed the basic skills of “angle of pursuit” to chase plays down from behind. If the play went to the opposite side of the field, he quit on the play. Most of Simon’s sacks came during garbage time. I distinctly remember 6 of his sacks in one season came during just 2 games when the Buccs had 3 TD leads. Rice is extremely overrated. However I will give credit where credit is due. He was a beast to begin the SuperBowl.