Lynch Passed Over (Again)
February 4th, 2017
Snubbed.
UPDATED: 8:00 p.m. – The Pro Football Hall of Fame voters were again not won over by the merits of Bucs iconic safety John Lynch.
Lynch was passed over by the Pro Football Hall of Fame voters as the Class of 2017 was elected this evening. Lynch did not get his name called — again. He was a fourth-time finalist this year.
The sad thing about this is Lynch will have a tougher time the next two or three year because some slam dunk names will be eligible, such as Ray Lewis, Randy Moss and Brian Urlacher next year.
JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman made the presentation, and yet again the Hall voters frowned on voting in a safety.
Two-time all-decade kicker Morten Andersen got in. A kicker! And he rarely kicked in big games.
Jason Taylor, Kurt Warner, LaDainian Tomlinson and Terrell Davis round out the 2017 class of player.
February 4th, 2017 at 7:27 pm
Boo.
February 4th, 2017 at 7:31 pm
Please don’t tell me that Warner or Anderson got in over Lynch.
February 4th, 2017 at 7:33 pm
Blake_bucsfan:
Only three that are reportedly in (not official) are LT, Terrell Davis and Jason Taylor.
February 4th, 2017 at 7:33 pm
Try harder Ira.
February 4th, 2017 at 7:33 pm
I don’t believe John Lynch or Brian Dawkins had an Hall of Fame career.
February 4th, 2017 at 7:35 pm
This is a DAM SHAME if it’s true…Can’t believe I’m siding with T.O. but
#Flawedprocess INDEED.
February 4th, 2017 at 7:37 pm
Yes LakeLand you’re right….that’s why he keeps being put up for it.
February 4th, 2017 at 7:40 pm
Lynch is a borderline player. He might never get in.
February 4th, 2017 at 7:46 pm
I think he gets in, but it could be decades.
February 4th, 2017 at 7:51 pm
Ed Reed is a 1st ballot Safety with 64 INT. I believe Troy Polamalu will meet the same fate as Brian Dawkins and John Lynch. It takes more than hard hitting to get elected to the Hall of Fame.
February 4th, 2017 at 7:54 pm
Terrell Davis played behind a HOF QB, and great offensive line…he got in? Too short of a career, imo.
February 4th, 2017 at 7:54 pm
I think voters can not even consider john lynch until they put in the greatest Buc to ever wear the uniform,,,,, Rhonde Barber!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 4th, 2017 at 8:02 pm
@feelthepewterpower
Obviously, I’d prefer lynch over Davis. But Terrel Davis was a beast man. Came through in the Clutch for the Broncos in the Post season, One of Seven men to rush for 2 thousand yards, and Carried John Elway to his first Championship.
He was a great player, and classy guy.
February 4th, 2017 at 8:04 pm
Still my favorite Defender of all time.
February 4th, 2017 at 8:06 pm
Blake you are correct about TD carrying Elway. But I think it was to more than just One ship. Elway has a career 56% completion ratio.
February 4th, 2017 at 8:11 pm
Lynch made the final 10 cut for the second year in a row. Best we can reasonably hope ii he makes that far next year.
February 4th, 2017 at 8:15 pm
Three hofers from a d with one title? Never thought it would happen
Bucs just didn’t win enough to merit that kind of love
February 4th, 2017 at 8:16 pm
Steve Atwater Should be in before all these other safeties!!!!!!!!
February 4th, 2017 at 8:17 pm
Taylor over Lynch….really?
February 4th, 2017 at 8:19 pm
ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME!?!?! Jerrah man whore jones and kurt warner (nice guy but still) over John Lynch?!?! With all due respect to all the gold jackets greats that came before this year, the hall itself is not a farce, but much like the sanders, rice, irving pro bowls of the last few years, the HOF election process has become a joke. Popularity contest at best. LT was ONLY legit 1st ballot entry.
February 4th, 2017 at 8:21 pm
I know Terrell davis won Super Bowls and he had a great 4 year run. But there’s no way in hell, did he have a better career than Edgerrin James. And Jason Taylor didn’t win a Super Bowl and didn’t have the productive career that Simeon Rice had. Jason Taylor played more seasons than Simeon, but he only had 17 more sacks than him.
February 4th, 2017 at 8:23 pm
Jameis on NFl network right now
February 4th, 2017 at 8:24 pm
jason taylor and terrell davis?!?! OVER T.O.?!? WHAT A JOKE.
February 4th, 2017 at 8:36 pm
T.O not getting in, is just plain Ignorant.
February 4th, 2017 at 8:53 pm
Jason Taylor a first balloter is susprising
February 4th, 2017 at 8:55 pm
Mike Evans one handed catch is the play of the year. At least we won something tonight lol
February 4th, 2017 at 9:05 pm
Lynch was always border line but a kicker that missed the only big kick of his carreer getting in over him is crap!
February 4th, 2017 at 9:07 pm
Mortin Anderson in the Hall before John Lynch and T.O. is just pure Mularkey.
Ira’s new column should be a condemnation of the current state of the HOF election process. It’s become one big popularity contest.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Lynch is being snubbed due to his reputation as a brutal, heat-seeking missle of a hitter.
Pc Bulls(p)it.
February 4th, 2017 at 9:12 pm
I think this was his last real shot with all of the great players coming up to n the next few years. If Lynch can’t get in, how will Barber. I really think our next HOF’er will be Evans.
February 4th, 2017 at 9:13 pm
QB trumps safety EVERY time. Warner deserve to be in. So who would you guys rather have…Eric Berry…Ed Reed in his prime or our own #3. I’m going with Fameis every time.
Just the nature of the beast. Same for kickers. While everybody is gnashing teeth about Licht taking a kicker in the 2nd round…that was NOT a mistake…now the kicker he took MIGHT be a mistake…we’ll see this year. But aside from a QB who puts points on the board. Who has a game riding on him when it’s on the line. Great kickers are worth it…I concede Aguayo may not be “that guy” but if he is there is going to be a ton of crow eaten here.
It’s the freaking NFL…games are generally very close…who can impact our W’s and L’s more than #3…NOBODY….but next in line is our kicker. When there’ a few seconds on the clock and #3 has moved us inside the 30 and we trail by 2 or less…who ya gonna call…yeah I get it…not Ohnono at this point. He has ONE season to turn it around and become a Morten Anderson.
I love John Lynch!!! Great human being…great football player but he played a position that makes it hard to get numbers…CB’s get the int’s not the safeties.
Ronde had TWICE the number of int’s as Lynch. Ronde had 28 freaking sacks.
Again I LOVE Lynch as a human being and a player and he was a damn fine TV color guy…and I suspect he’ll be successful in SF but it’s Ronde who deserves the HOF not Lynch.
February 4th, 2017 at 9:26 pm
I love Lynch, but really, he does not deserve it. Barber does, but not Lynch. And I think he knows it and that’s why he took the 49ers job…hoping to accomplish more and earn that spot.
February 4th, 2017 at 9:26 pm
He DOES deserve the ring of honor though.
February 4th, 2017 at 9:30 pm
It’s needs to take a class on how to present information. How does he not get in????
February 4th, 2017 at 9:31 pm
Ira
February 4th, 2017 at 9:44 pm
What a joke. Davis was good for like 2 years in an offense that produced huge numbers for anyone put in his position – and Kurt Wanrner, really? If it was the HOF of grocery boy boys then he’d be a shoe-in, but without the refs giving them that NFC Championship game with the BS call on Bert’s catch (and it was a catch) he wouldn’t even make the first cut. What garbage – the news headlines trying to tie him to Matt Millen killed him – the garbage reporters don’t want to vote or a guy who might fail in a totally unrelated venture. Just garbage. Also if Lynch isn’t getting in don’t think Barber is a shoe-in either. Just a-holes.
February 4th, 2017 at 9:47 pm
That’s some BS.
Jason Taylor is a 1st ballot HOFer??? Nice player but still hard to imagine he goes straight in.
And Terrell Davis???????? C’mon maaaaan. Seriously??
Davis had 2 really good years (97 & 98). Only had 4 total years over 1000 yards and only had 7607 total career rushing yards (55th best all time). He didn’t have many reception yards either – 1280 total. So his running and receiving totals adds up to 8880 career yards from scrimmage. That’s good for 212th all time.
Davis went to 3 Pro Bowls. Lynch went to 9 Pro Bowls.
How the F does Davis get in over Lynch? Like I said – BS!!!
February 4th, 2017 at 9:49 pm
While Lynch was a great player and leader….we have a jaunduced view of his career. TO being left out is a much greater sham than 47 being left out.
February 4th, 2017 at 9:54 pm
Jason Taylor.. Seriously! As bad as Michael Strahan.
February 4th, 2017 at 9:58 pm
And agreed.. Steve Atwater should be in before Lynch or Dawkins. But I think the HoF is starting to get diluted.
February 4th, 2017 at 10:22 pm
Hey Rod….tonight we happen to be in agreement. Davis had a couple of great years but it was pretty much a plug and play RB’s with that Denver offense and their OL’s zone blocking. Back then it seemed Denver could line up anybody at RB and they’d be successful. If I had a gripe about this year’s class it’s Davis.
I’m not sure of the hate for Warner…he was a QB…the most important..by a mile..position on the field. He won big with two different franchises.
February 4th, 2017 at 10:40 pm
Jason Taylor?! Are you kidding me?! I think first ballot is reserved for the truly exceptional. That was Lynch’s spot. Maybe John and Ronde go in together next year. Wouldn’t that be something…
February 4th, 2017 at 11:00 pm
****
TO, the 3rd greatest wide receiver ever isn’t in … but a kicker and Jason Taylor are? Wow.
And … we all now live in a world where Matt Ryan won an NFL MVP … and Drew Brees has not … crazy.
****
February 5th, 2017 at 5:52 am
Stpetebucsfan – The grocery store bagger won with one team, and in that case only because the refs completely and totally ripped off the Bucs… which they tried to cover-up by coming up with new rules on what a catch was and wasn’t, which in turn lead to the mess we have today trying to figure out what a catch is. Warner was in a system with the Rams with a bunch of great players – and those that all-time “great” offense put up 11 points versus that Bucs legit all-time great defense. Heck the Rams TD in that game wasn’t even legit as the dude wasn’t even in bounds when he caught it, then later in the game – after the NFL spent the entire season blowing the Rams and saying how they were the best to watch every, the Bucs have a chance to win the game – until suddenly a catch, it’s a catch. The Bucs call a timeout as the clock was running, then during that timeout they review the play without even telling the Bucs the play was under review, then they somehow on film find evidence to overturn the call on the field – which they don’t announce until they’re coming back from a TV break, they then, again without even telling the Bucs anything has happened yet, they respot the ball and start the clock. The Bucs think they have a 3rd and short (I believe) and suddenly it’s 3rd and 17 and they don’t even have the correct play in. The league screwed the Bucs and Warner got a SB trophy out of it. Warner peaked early, they didn’t even bother to resign him (or cut him, I forget), he goes to New York and is awful, then finally he goes to Arizona where he has a couple of good years.
Much like with Rodgers right now, if the Bucs don’t screw the Bucs in 2010 and cost the Bucs the game against Detroit with a BS call (they they sent an apology letting for) then the Bucs make the playoffs, GB is out, and Rodgers isn’t doing discount double check commercials and is having a Dan Marino career.
For all the hate I see for Jason Taylor I have less of a problem with him as he was one of the top guys, if not ever THE top guy, for a number of years.
John Lynch absolutely should have made it in and that might have been his last chance. Also this really makes me worried for Ronde – that he’s going to be called a system player and nothing really special. I would not assume at all, certainly after seeing this disgrace going on with Lynch, that he’s a shoe-in.
And Davis… really? Warrick Dunn has better career stats than him – and that’s if you only count Warrick’s Bucs years alone! Give me a break with Davis. He was a really good running back – in a system that produces really good running backs. He wasn’t Emmitt Smith as in he had amazing vision or anything, he certainly wasn’t like Barry Sanders (but who is), he had a couple of excellent years. A couple. Despite the stats he wasn’t a dominate player, at least I certainly don’t recall that. Speaking of Dunn his career stats are insane – I really don’t get how him or Simeon Rice don’t at least get their names mentioned for the HOF. In fact if Taylor goes in why doesn’t Rice go in? Rice was a much better player at his peak than Taylor was at his peak, and while Taylor played longer, Rice was dominant – Taylor never was. Also Rice did play for a while, it wasn’t like he had a Davis type of career.
February 5th, 2017 at 7:42 am
Morton Anderson should step up and be a man. He should decline the honor, telling the committee I appreciate the nod but I DON’T DESERVE IT !!!!
Then he should throw his support to Lynch. Anderson would gain far more respect then he will have as a non deserving member of the hall.
February 5th, 2017 at 9:49 am
I don’t have a Problem with Taylor LT or Davis. Davis ran for 2k in a season. And Carried the Great John Elway to 2 ‘chips. The only reason he retired so early was due to his migraine problems ( which could become crippling in some instances ).
Plus there’s the Gale Sayers argument, because he had a short, but still great career.
I do however have a problem with Mortin Anderson and Kurt Warner getting in before John. Less so with Warner, although he didnt come close to the sustained excellence of Lynch’s career, he was still a great player.
But Mortin Anderson? Boo. So you played a part time position for a long time, Big freaking whoop. Kickers should get in the hall only if they have reputation for being Clutch on the biggest stage. And Mortin Anderson was never on a superbowl winning team.
All those guys, Save Lt, getting in over TO is the real travesty here however.
February 5th, 2017 at 11:35 am
Don’t give me this crock that a kicker should not get in. There will always, always be someone who looks better than a kicker, but Morton deserves it as much as anyone.
Bottom line is this…there were others who deserved it more than John did. You may not agree with who those people are, but you all know they exist.
February 5th, 2017 at 3:52 pm
Respectfully disagree Bonzai. I would pick a bag of potato chips over a kicker or punter to get into the Hall of Fame.
February 5th, 2017 at 4:34 pm
We’ll never know, of course, but I stand by my speculation that our guy threw in the towel on the Hall when he took the job on the west coast. He was borderline anyway and it would seem there were some hard feelings both ways in the conference room as neither modern day safety made it in and they all compromised on the old farts’ safety instead.