No Jacket; Not Enough Respect
February 5th, 2018
The great Sage of Tampa Bay sports, columnist Ira Kaufman, now enters his third season covering the Buccaneers for JoeBucsFan.com. Tampa Bay’s lone Pro Football Hall of Fame voter fires away three times per week, plus two popular podcasts. You can also see Ira year-round on Spectrum Sports 360 on Mondays and Fridays at 10:30 p.m. And during football season he’s a fixture on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio and on FOX-13 with Scott Smith’s Tailgate Sunday.
BY IRA KAUFMAN
What happened?
John Lynch just got sacked, and it wasn’t a pretty sight.
In his fifth year as a finalist, the nine-time Pro Bowl safety took a major step back in his quest to join Derrick Brooks and Warren Sapp in the halls of Canton.
For two consecutive years, Lynch survived the initial cut from 15 to 10 before being eliminated in the final vote. This time around, he failed to make the final 10 because a room of 47 selectors failed to give him enough support.
Four of the final 10 were offensive linemen — and none of them are being fitted for a gold jacket. The other player who made it past the first cut and didn’t get in was Ty Law.
Lynch found himself in a group on the outs with Isaac Bruce, Joe Jacoby, Edgerrin James and Everson Walls.
These men and women love numbers, and a guy like safety Brian Dawkins is a walking statistic. Buc fans who take potshots at Dawkins are off base. He was a tremendous football player who impacted games in many ways. His numbers across the board are better than Lynch’s, but I tried to level the field by pointing out that Dawkins had free reign as a play-maker in Jim Johnson’s defense in Philadelphia.
Lynch had a specific role in the Tampa 2, and he played it to perfection. As Steve Young and Bill Polian point out, you don’t compile a lot of interceptions or sacks in that scheme.
I kept hammering home the point that Lynch deserves to join Sapp and Brooks because Tampa Bay’s iconic defense wouldn’t have worked without him. He was the crucial third piece of the puzzle for a defense that limited opponents to 17 points or less 64 percent of the time.
Think about that.
For an eight-year span, an eternity by NFL standards, an average of 10 Buc opponents every season were held to 17 points or less.
And Lynch was in the thick of the action, playing a hybrid safety-linebacker role and making sure everyone was on point.
In the end, they liked Dawkins more. End of story.
Odds Get Longer
The panel doesn’t want to hear about intangibles like leadership. They want the cold, hard facts and Dawkins has some rather unique stats for a safety.
I’m happy for Dawkins, but distraught about No. 47.
He’ll likely be back in the debate room next year in Atlanta, where Ed Reed, Tony Gonzalez and Champ Bailey are discussed for the first time.
Nobody would be shocked if all three make the Hall in their first year of eligibility. That would leave 12 finalists vying for only two spots because a maximum of five modern-era candidates can be elected in any class.
Law will also be back, along with Bruce, James, Tony Boselli, Alan Faneca, Steve Hutchinson and Kevin Mawae. It would be a travesty – again — if Ronde Barber doesn’t make the list of 15 finalists. These selectors can’t have it both ways — you can’t ding Lynch for not having stats while ignoring the astonishing numbers Barber put up as an All-Decade cornerback.
Reed is a sure bet for election in 2019, but that doesn’t mean the panel can’t put in two safeties from the same class. The same holds true in 2020, when Troy Polamalu becomes eligible for the first time.
Guess who Polamalu modeled his game after? That’s right, John Lynch.
“No Weaknesses”
Lynch’s numbers aren’t going to change. They are what they are and you have to remember these selectors didn’t see Lynch play like we did in Tampa Bay.
We saw the intimidation factor on a weekly basis.
When Tony Dungy says Lynch had more responsibility in that defense than anyone, including Sapp and Brooks, that has to mean something.
When a Barry Sanders says Lynch occupied a spot in your mind, that has to count.
Troubled after vote
When a Tony Gonzalez says Lynch had “no weaknesses,” that can’t be ignored.
Lynch is bloody, but unbowed. I talked to him a few minutes after he got the phone call from the Hall and he was naturally disappointed. So are the Glazers and Lynch’s former teammates in Tampa and Denver.
But history tells us Lynch will eventually be fitted for a gold jacket. He’s not the only stud player who had to wait. Just ask Cris Carter, Kevin Greene, Tim Brown, Richard Dent. Art Monk, Harry Carson and Andre Reed.
Buc fans don’t understand why Lynch is being kept waiting in the lobby. I share that frustration, but his day is coming. Nobody in that meeting room said one disparaging word about John Lynch, but Dawkins clearly had more support.
Brooks and Sapp are waiting for some company and I’m already working on my next presentation. The competition will be fierce, it always is, but Lynch was one fierce customer on the football field.
How about some more respect for the best defense of its time?
My job is to convince voters that defense should have been labeled the Tampa 3.
February 5th, 2018 at 3:42 pm
Feel for Lynch but Dawkins almost had twice the numbers and deserved to go before him. Yeah going to be tough with the next group of safties coming up next, could be a long wait
February 5th, 2018 at 3:51 pm
Or Tampa 4. Good job Ira. Like you said Dawkins deserved in. Also like you said Lynch does too and his time will come. It could be a few years but I’m sure he will appreciate it more when it does. Lynch and Sapp were my 2 favorite defensive players to watch live, ever. I am surprised he didnt make the cut to 10 but I guess Dawkins stole the votes. Anyway his time is coming. Keep it up Ira.
February 5th, 2018 at 3:52 pm
^^^ Peter King, is that you?
Ira JUST finished mentioning how numbers are great, but greatness and HOF worthiness isn’t defined by numbers alone. Yet the first poster says what? Dawkins “DeSeRvEd To Go BeFoRe HiM.”
*eyeroll*
Lynch is a HOFer, the voters just haven’t realized it yet. This legendary defense, one with sustained excellence over 8-years in the NFL, doesn’t work without Sapp (HOF), Brooks (HOF), and Lynch.
February 5th, 2018 at 3:55 pm
I wish the NFL kept a stat for WRs going over the middle who soiled themselves because of the Safety’s presence. No doubt Lynch would be “the sh!t” in that category.
February 5th, 2018 at 3:56 pm
Way to get back on the horse Ira! Sooner or later he will get his due, but Ed Reed is first ballot.
February 5th, 2018 at 4:01 pm
Thanks for trying Ira. Lynch will get his day I’m sure.
Appreciate the good words of Dawkins who was a well deserving member. I know some Buc fans hate anybody that didn’t play in Tampa but ya gotta give credit where it’s due. Even saw one loon on here saying T.O. Wasn’t worthy hahahahaha
February 5th, 2018 at 4:04 pm
Simeon, more deserving, he sure as hell occupied the other teams mind. I know it’s only a popularity contest and Rices comments brushed ypu journalists the wrong way, but, if you can elect and (alleged) murderer in Lewis and a crack smoking underage prostitute harrasing LT, ehhh whatever, anyone who plays in NY and wins a Super Bowl gets in. Opularity contesr elected by guys who never played high school football.
February 5th, 2018 at 4:06 pm
John Lynch is good lpoking, on tv, Stanford educated, no way should be hoisting him above Rice, Rice was dominant on a hideous Cardinals team before he joined Tampa.
February 5th, 2018 at 4:31 pm
I hear the Fat Lady humming in the background…..
February 5th, 2018 at 4:38 pm
For an eight-year span, an eternity by NFL standards, an average of 10 Buc opponents every season were held to 17 points or less.
lynch can blame dungy for not being able to field a complete team and a messly 2 playoff victories in 6 years.
great defense on a horrible team simple as that. 5 playoff wins for that defense is simply underachieving period.
February 5th, 2018 at 5:18 pm
Tampa 5 – Sapp, Brooks, Barber, Lynch and Rice
February 5th, 2018 at 5:37 pm
At some point shouldn’t all the TB experts realize that they really don’t know a darn thing. News flash what you consider great the rest of the country doesn’t even realize it exists. None of the choir boys (barber + Lynch) are HOF’ers. Only in the mind of you pathetic fools. #GoBucs
February 5th, 2018 at 5:57 pm
Got to love blind loyalty
February 5th, 2018 at 7:10 pm
Lee Roy Selmon didn’t get in until 11 years after he retired, hopefully Lynch will make it in sooner than that. As for Barber it’s ridiculous that he wasn’t in the conversation, and for people that try to paint him as a “system” player, well he is the best player ever at his position in that system which was important defensive scheme of his era. People saying system player as an insult or put down are truly clueless and should be shipped off to ISIS for reeducation.
February 5th, 2018 at 7:39 pm
Oh well, have fun in San Fran
February 5th, 2018 at 9:06 pm
Dam DB………..You Continue to lose my respect weekly. Smh. Used to really enjoy your posts.
February 5th, 2018 at 10:14 pm
@Ira Dont forget to mention he was known by Die Hards… AKA the 12th Man, as The Scud Missile for a reason!!!!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v
February 5th, 2018 at 10:15 pm
Love Lynch and he is a great all-time Buc….but if you have to make an argument for someone to be a Hall of Famer….then he is not a Hall of Famer.
February 5th, 2018 at 10:22 pm
@DBags,
I like your mouth too…
Can I give you my address or would you preffer I swing by your hotel like @TMax?
Keep flapping them gums and working them fingers (on the keyboard) woman, big things are headed your way if I have anything to do with it…
Im excited to live in your world now!!!
Thanks @Joe
(Be fair Joe, these flunkies deserve me and are Egale fan rejects)
February 6th, 2018 at 12:10 am
wish you’d fight for the more deserving simeon rice as hard as you do lynch
February 6th, 2018 at 7:38 am
@grafikdetail
Ira can’t do anything till Rice makes the final fifteen.
February 6th, 2018 at 1:00 pm
Well good attempt Ira to all these other media people who are hating they may not be in the room and this is a fact in a stronger class Dawkins got in the HOF but last year in a weaker class Don Ira used John Lynch’s intangibles to split those votes and keep Dawkins out last year. Just keep doing what you are doing and we will see Lynch in Canton.
February 6th, 2018 at 10:36 pm
Free rein, not free reign.
Think of the opposite usage: If a player is freelancing too much, his coach will try to rein him in (not reign) i.e. to try to control him. (My God, look at all those homonyms!)
Just my opinion.
tickrdr