Watch Ira Kaufman Present Rondé Barber To Selectors For The Pro Football Hall Of Fame
January 19th, 2021
Rondé Barber’s Hall presentation.
Normally a class of Pro Football Hall of Famers is selected and announced the day before the Super Bowl.
We do not live in normal times.
Because of The Sickness, the Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors, of which JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman is the only Tampa Bay representative, met virtually today to present the 15 finalists that will become the five members of the Class of 2021.
Joe cannot imagine enduring an 8-10-hour Zoom call, but such is life in 2021.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame was kind enough to release video of Ira presenting Hall of Fame finalist and former Bucs corner Rondé Barber.
You can watch the video clip of Ira’s presentation of Barber below. (It represents about 80% of Ira’s speech.)
The HOF Selection Committee is meeting virtually today to discuss the candidates for the #PFHOF21 Class.
Next up: Selector @IKaufman76 presented on behalf of Modern-Era Player Finalist @rondebarber.@Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/2Ftm4MAESW
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) January 19, 2021
January 19th, 2021 at 3:18 pm
If anyone deserves to get in it is Ronde. My favorite player of all time a real class act that put it all on the line every time he took the field.
January 19th, 2021 at 3:26 pm
I still don’t see how Ira or any HOF voter could justify voting in more than 2 defenders from a defense that only won one championship. I love Ronde and Lynch and Simeon but I just don’t see national sports writers from NYC, Chicago, LA, or other major metro areas voting in 1 or 2 more defenders from the Tampa 2 defense.
Barber played 9 years without Sapp and Lynch. NINE. His career stands on its own, and voters who don’t see that are close-minded. –Joe
I’ve chatted with a few voters prior to last year’s Super Bowl and this was the feedback I got. So fingers crossed they are wrong, but I don’t envy Ira’s uphill battle
January 19th, 2021 at 3:28 pm
Chills! Wow, thanks for letting us peak behind the curtain, Ira & Joes.
January 19th, 2021 at 3:30 pm
Hope it works
January 19th, 2021 at 3:38 pm
All those things ought to add up to slam dunk…
January 19th, 2021 at 3:38 pm
@Buc Bro
Just my opinion but….
Inductees should be judged by their contribution to the game, not by which team or squad they played with. That should be immaterial.
January 19th, 2021 at 3:41 pm
@68%fraud
Great name
Careful, you may get “cancelled”
January 19th, 2021 at 3:41 pm
@Joe, I completely agree, I think Barber deserves it, so does Lynch. But that’s the fan in me seeing him play every week. Based on the conversations I’ve had I don’t see it happening, sadly. Gonna be hard to change voters minds, especially when I can almost guarantee you those voters already come into the room (or zoom) with an idea who they are gonna vote for.
January 19th, 2021 at 3:45 pm
Excellent job, Ira!! I rewatched the game before this season and yeah, he was EVERYWHERE! Sim too!
January 19th, 2021 at 3:45 pm
I would add that Simeon Rice was a complete terror BEFORE the Bucs. Simeon is a weird cat but he was a monster in his prime. Getting a Superbowl was well deserved and he also belongs in the HOF.
January 19th, 2021 at 3:48 pm
The best corner who ever played. Should have been in already. Hope he makes it this time. The second best player all time in Buccaneer history after Lee Roy Selmon. And yes, he was a better CB than Brooks (3) was a linebacker or Evans (4) is a WR.
January 19th, 2021 at 3:53 pm
Awesome presentation Ira.
January 19th, 2021 at 4:14 pm
“I still don’t see how Ira or any HOF voter could justify voting in more than 2 defenders from a defense that only won one championship.”
Both sides of the ball win championships.
January 19th, 2021 at 4:16 pm
Bro, it’s the Hall of Fame, not the hall of fame from only multiple super bowl winning teams. Seriously.
January 19th, 2021 at 4:21 pm
When you listen to those stats, how can you not vote him in?
January 19th, 2021 at 4:26 pm
Here is Ronde’s Int highlight….
January 19th, 2021 at 4:30 pm
ronde is a HOFer…he’ll get in…
GO BUCS!!!!
January 19th, 2021 at 4:45 pm
If Ronde Barber played for the Steelers, patriots or cowboys with these stats he’d be in the HOF already
January 19th, 2021 at 4:59 pm
AJ Turnup-
Darren Woodson , former Cowboy , had a similar career and impact as Ronde and he’s not in the HOF either.
January 19th, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Buc Bro can you imagine how many Super Bowls that defense could have won with a head coach that knew just a little about offense. Dungy was fired 5 years too late. Too many missed opportunities because of his offensive incompetence.
January 19th, 2021 at 5:06 pm
He deserves it, and that’s not just me being a homer.
January 19th, 2021 at 5:44 pm
The HoF lost credibility with me when Strahan and Taylor got in before Rice, It is a popularity contest just like the pro bowl!
January 19th, 2021 at 5:49 pm
Great stuff, Ira.
A little constructive feedback, and I only offer it as a means to help…
You didn’t mention his pro bowls etc. I took this from Wikipedia:
“Barber was selected to five Pro Bowls, accumulated three first team All-Pro selections, two second team All-Pro selections, and was selected to the National Football League 2000s All-Decade Team. Additionally, he led all NFL players in interceptions in 2001, is the Buccaneers all-time interceptions leader, and is one of the two members of the 40/20 club (40+ interceptions, 20+ quarterback sacks) alongside Charles Woodson.”
You didn’t mention he’s a Super Bowl Champion either.
Also, not sure if it’s common or considered bad form within this audience, but I love when you speak with more conviction on your podcast. “How can you not vote this guy in?!!!” is what I’d like to hear from you. Create urgency to your audience and create a “Duh, come on guys” moment.
Lastly, look into the camera. I know weird times with zoom and stuff but it also helps with speaking with conviction.
Thanks for championing his campaign for all of us! Go Bucs!!
January 19th, 2021 at 5:59 pm
Both sides of the ball are not being presented for a vote into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
January 19th, 2021 at 6:06 pm
Honestly i think popularity and big markets play a role in HOF votes and they souldnt. Nobody can look the career and stats of Ronde Barber and say he not belongs there. If he was a Cowboy or a Steeler he will be in HOF for sure, that is true. Ty Law who is in before Barber look their individual stats and they are not even close. Law only have 5 INT more than Barber and in all other categories he is miles away. Ronde has 400 more tackles, 23 sacks, about 70 more tackles for loss, 90 more passes break ups, 5 more TDS. I mean come on. Politics and popularity its a shame. Ronde is not only one of the greatest defencive backs or defenders to ever play the game but one of the best players.
January 19th, 2021 at 6:17 pm
Proud of Ira our Sage! Determined and forthright!
January 19th, 2021 at 7:38 pm
Good job, Ira. Always an excellent ambassador of Buc football. Now let’s get you into the National Sportswriter Hall of Fame…covering a once moribund franchise with class and dignity…while parlaying two players ( not sure if you helped Selmon too ) in on the first ballot ( Sapp & Brooks of course ). And as a victory lap…a king in online content…that to JBF’s key addition to their team. 🙂
January 19th, 2021 at 8:08 pm
Amazing job Sage!
January 19th, 2021 at 8:28 pm
People forget that the defense was championship caliber. Dungy was forced to fire his OC at the Pro Bowl, that’s how terrible they were.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:09 pm
Here come my tears. Thanks a lot, Ira. Luckily, nobody caught me. Ronde should be interested. . No question.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:53 pm
If you doubt the Sage, go back and rewatch (or watch for you young fans) that Championship game vs the Eagles. Dude dominated, and in the 1st quarter Aikman was calling the Bucs DB’s average zone CB’s that benefited from the pass rush. Ronde made Aikman look like the dumb a$$ he is. Ronde should have been 1st ballot, no doubt. Has all the numbers, signature plays, he is the prototypical nickel back. Teams were looking for the next Ronde Barber, just like they looked for the next Sapp (quick, high motored, pass rushing DT that brings the pressure straight into the QBs face) and the next Brooks (fast, smart, sure tackling, sideline to sideline under-sized LB). And Ronde Barber is an all around good guy of the field. Don’t punish him because he played in the NFL’s red-headed step child city of Tampa.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:55 pm
Perfect introduction Ira!
Hope it brings some love outside Tampa.
Anyone who wore a bucs jersey it´s a huge fan of Barber and think he deserves to be in Canton
January 19th, 2021 at 11:06 pm
Great job Ira! Integrity could punch the buffoons (most, not all) that vote on the HOF in the face and it still wouldn’t rub off on them. It’s an uphill climb for our guys to get in, but if they don’t, it certainly won’t be from any lack of effort or excellence in your part.
January 19th, 2021 at 11:24 pm
Hey Fake Ira….
How bout letting everyone know who you are🤔
Ira hates Bucs Fans🖕🏻💩
January 20th, 2021 at 12:00 am
I met Ronde briefly one night at 2am at the infamous Westshore Waffle House… Tampa’s original Halfway Home from Ybor destination.
January 20th, 2021 at 2:51 am
Nice work IRA nice work
January 20th, 2021 at 4:10 am
That was unreal ira bravo I hope gets in him and brooks were my favorite players growing up I would wear those red home jerseys on school picture days I’m from Long Island New York kinda weird I know but nothing made me prouder wearing those players jerseys stand up men and no doubt hall of famers
January 20th, 2021 at 8:18 am
Great presentation Ira. Awesome job.
January 20th, 2021 at 1:21 pm
#20 is a legend. He developed from a outmatched rookie to a player that defined his position and set an almost unreachable standard for clutch play, toughness, and smarts. He did it for multiple coaches, across different schemes and at different positions. He’s the ultimate Buccaneer on and off the field, right up there with 63 and 55, and alongside 99 and 47, one of the core parts of the greatest D of its era. He will get in. It might not be this year, but it will happen!
January 21st, 2021 at 7:42 am
That has First Ballot Hall of Fame Player written all over it. Lynch may have to wait for year 9. Great stuff Ira!