John Lynch Denied Again
February 3rd, 2018
The door to Canton is still closed to John Lynch.
Sadly, the results of today’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2018 vote didn’t really surprise Joe.
The “Custodian of Canton,” prized JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman, made his best sales pitch to get former Bucs great and Ring of Honor member John Lynch elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame today.
But competition was too steep for Lynch — and maybe too strong of an anti-Lynch cabal in the voting room today in Minneapolis.
It appears Lynch didn’t even make it to the top 10. In the voting process, which begins with 15 finalists, the first round is whittled down to a group of 10, of which five are voted from that group to be inducted into this year’s class.
Lynch didn’t get past the first round.
The 2018 Hall of Fame class includes linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher, wide receivers Randy Moss and Terrell Owens and safety Brian Dawkins. Lewis, Moss and Urlacher were elected in their first year of eligibility.
Why did Lynch getting the cold shoulder not surprise Joe? Well, as Joe has pointed out several times, the voting process is political. The northeastern writers (read: NFC East writers) were solidly behind Dawkins. To make up for that, Lynch, no matter what Ira could have sold, would have to receive massive support from writers from other areas of the country. The rest of the field apparently was too strong for Lynch to overcome.
Joe had spoken with a number of voters earlier in the week in Minneapolis about Lynch’s chances, including a few from the northeast. None Joe spoke to thought Lynch had good shot. In fact, one prominent voice in the room from New York (not Peter King) Joe told in jest that Ira was sweating Lynch’s chances.
The writer in question looked Joe straight in the eye and responded about Ira perspiring over Lynch, “He should be.”
It is not going to get any easier for Lynch (or Ira) in the coming years. Ed Reed is eligible in 2019. Troy Polamalu the following season.
Lynch might be waiting a long while.
February 3rd, 2018 at 8:44 pm
Would love to see Ira push for Ken Riley, I believe he lives in Lakeland
February 3rd, 2018 at 8:49 pm
Truly truly shameful. Instead they put a kicker in that wasn’t even clutch. Brian Dawkins didn’t have anywhere near as potent or renowned of a reputation as Lynch did among his peers, and the guy never won a championship.
The Hall needs to change it’s selection process quickly, or it will soon become as much of a joke as the Pro-bowl.
February 3rd, 2018 at 8:52 pm
Is anyone suprised that two prominent former Eagles are going in and they just happen to be playing in the Super Bowl tomorrow. And trust me for that awards show tonight it will be like our franchise doesn’t even exist. This is the problem with the NFL it is no longer about the greatest game in the world it is now 100% about money and who will sell the best, it is slowing destroying the game.
February 3rd, 2018 at 8:53 pm
Ira needs to be more convincing, how is Lynch not already inducted?
February 3rd, 2018 at 8:53 pm
Actually, the difficulty of getting into Canton keeps the Pro Football Hall of Fame from being a joke. Take the basketball hall of fame. Might as well be the “If you were just OK long enough you get in” Hall.
February 3rd, 2018 at 8:54 pm
I wouldn’t blame anybody for voting Dawkins over Lynch. I’d have to say they were both great and a tough call if your picking between the two. But as far as I know there is no rule against electing two safety’s.
Can’t blame them for putting Lewis Moss or Owens over Lynch. Urlacher? I kinda always thought he was overrated anytime I saw him. Admittedly I didn’t see him much so maybe I’m wrong.
Reed and Lynch is another tough call and so is Polomlu. Lynch might take a backseat to those two because I believe both of them played in more championship and super bowl games. That does have a big impact for voters which is fair when you consider the impact they had in those games.
February 3rd, 2018 at 8:58 pm
Lynch is a HOF’er in the hearts of all true B ucs fans that watched him deliver decleating slobberknockers to opposing WR’s. He is one of my favorite Buccaneers.
February 3rd, 2018 at 9:03 pm
Morten Anderson should not be in the Hall while Lynch is not.
And the way a guy like Ronde Barber, who is probably the best Nickel corner ever got so easily dismissed this year, tells me something is fishy with the current crop of HOF voters.
February 3rd, 2018 at 9:08 pm
I love Lynch but Ed Reed was the best safety ever and we all know the entire media had a hard on for Troy P. No way he gets in next year which is sad, he might have to wait till the veterans vote. Disgusting.
February 3rd, 2018 at 9:20 pm
A perfect ending to a perfect year….not. Par for the course this year.
February 3rd, 2018 at 9:23 pm
Blake I think you are taking it too personally. Lynch just played in a rare era with this many Safteys that were HOFers. Dawkins,Reed,Palamulo.
He might have to wait a bit. Calm down he will get in.
Barber is a tough one because of his job here in Tampa. When people think HOF corner they think blanket coverage. Hopefully he does get in but Ira has to get voters seeing outside the box…..Might be a tough task.
February 3rd, 2018 at 9:24 pm
Joe…if we could just wake up in a cold sweat, and find out this last year was a terrible nightmare and not real.
February 3rd, 2018 at 9:35 pm
And why you hating on Morten Anderson? Don’t he score something like the most points then anybody that ever played in the history of the NFL?
February 3rd, 2018 at 9:56 pm
Yeah you cant fault them for putting in any of the guys who made it. Lynch deserves in but so did the others. He will have to wait longer. Not like he has been out of the game a long time. I’m sure Ira will keep at it. N if Garapolo gets the niners in the playoffs lynch will be brought up more n more. They go off playing careers of course but it will only help if n when the 9ers start winning. Good job Ira. Read an article earlier lynch is one of 2 broncos in the history of the team to play at least 4 seasons and make the pro bowl in all all them. Great career even after he left. He will get in eventually
February 3rd, 2018 at 10:04 pm
Blake,
Watch the tape on Dawkins. He deserves to get in. Lynch will get in eventually but to be frank – Dawk was better.
February 3rd, 2018 at 10:04 pm
Im about to say F the NFL this is ridiculous. Fing Brain Dawkins over Lynch.
February 3rd, 2018 at 10:11 pm
Put down the danish, Peter King, and get Lynch in the HOF.
No shot Lynch gets in bed year over Ed reeed.
February 3rd, 2018 at 10:28 pm
Jeez Ndog. Sour grapes bro? Lynch and Dawkins were both great players who both had different skill sets. You can make an argument either way for the two.
Just like you I would cast my vote for Lynch over Dawkins but calling the election of Dawkins “ridicilous” is uneducated at best.
February 3rd, 2018 at 10:30 pm
SR from Pewter Report said he would gotten both Lynch and Barber in this year. LOL
February 3rd, 2018 at 10:33 pm
He probably did.
When he’s not drunk on FSU bias, he’s throwing barbs.
Newsflash PR, you don’t have the HOF vote bc your Bucs Website is second fiddle to JBF.com
February 3rd, 2018 at 10:49 pm
Owens is not a HOF player, the guy could be easily shut down – the Bucs did it all the time and would make him a non-factor. A guy who you couldn’t shutdown was Randy Moss. That’s the difference between a HOFer and a non-HOFer.
Disgraceful that Lynch again got bypassed.
February 3rd, 2018 at 11:06 pm
SteveK to be fair SR is a KState honk not FSU. You have the wrong writer sir Mark Cook is a good dude.
February 3rd, 2018 at 11:10 pm
Lol Munch…..Owens how did Owens get, what?, top 3 top 5 receiving yards in the history of football if he was easily shut down?
Some of the greatest numbers ever put up and he didn’t deserve it? Give me a break.
I can understand we all have different opinions about these players but calling it disgraceful is a bit…….out there.
February 3rd, 2018 at 11:30 pm
I think the whole argument about Lynch and Barber getting is is a very hard one to have with us being Buc fans.
We know how great those two were but you have to take an outsiders view a little bit here. When they remember that Buc defense they will mostly remember Brooks and Sapp. When you think about Phillys defense back then you really remember Dawkins. He was one of their leaders and stood out because of it. That’s a big part of why he got elected over Lynch. When Reed and Polamalu are getting votes they will probably get more then Lynch because they stood out on those defenses.
It will just take a few years for Lynch. Anybody that saw our defense will remember him but there are just others who stand out more. Give Lynch some time and when you get safety’s who stand out much less being considered and Lynch is still remembered from so many more years ago the voters will realize how impactful Lynch really was. Great players don’t get forgotten.
February 3rd, 2018 at 11:35 pm
Barber will have a much tougher time IMO because of his position. There are just so many game changing corner in the league that trump Barber in coverage skills.
It just makes it very hard to get a voter to realize how great Barber was when your talking about something like tackling for example.
February 3rd, 2018 at 11:40 pm
No great players from the NE don’t get forgotten. Lynch will not get in now till he gets his shot as a verteran. Urlacher a 1st ballet guy really? So if had played for the Bengals you think he’s first ballet? Heck he might not even get in. Just like most of the NFL this whole deal is a sham.
February 3rd, 2018 at 11:56 pm
I don’t know Ndog. I also had stated that I thought Urlacher was overrated. But I think a lot of people would disagree.
I think you would have a hard time selling anybody outside of Tampa that Lynch deserved to be in ahead of Urlacher…….He was the leader of pretty darn good Bears defense and the biggest name you remember from that team.
Some players just have to wait longer then others. Urlacher is just a guy that almost anybody outside Tampa remembers more then Lynch. No reason to be bitter. Be patient man
February 4th, 2018 at 12:24 am
Disapointing. I agree that Lewis, Urlacher, Moss and TO were on another level. But Dawins was not. And I just think that Lynch was the better player. Not by a whole lot, but better nonetheless. And Lynch has been waiting longer too. Heaven forbid the spoiled north easterners have to wait behind Tampa.
February 4th, 2018 at 12:57 am
Sucks but its not like this result should have been unexpected.
All who were voted in were deserving.
In fairness – if you pull up stat sheets on both Lynch and Dawkins and look at them side by side – its not really even close. Exact same # of games played – yet Dawkins #s are far superior. He’s ahead of Lynch in every single measurable category. Way ahead in the important categories of Ints, PDs, FFs and Sacks.
Lynch will get in one day – but it might be awhile at this point.
Hopefully Ira will have more success getting Barber through the process at some point over the next few years. However, Ronde not even making the final 15 his 1st year of eligibility is a pretty strong signal that it won’t be an easy task.
February 4th, 2018 at 2:10 am
JimmyJack – If you want to talk just stats then why isn’t Warrick Dunn getting into the HOF? Dunn is a top 20 all-time player in yards from scrimmage, 22nd all-time leading rusher, 23 all-time in all-purpose yards and 16th all time in touches (rushing+receiving).
Those numbers are better than Jerome Bettis, Terrell Davis, Jim Brown, Franco Harris, OJ Simpson, John Riggins – just to name some HOF running backs.
However Dunn isn’t in the HOF talk despite those stats… so you see the point is you don’t get in based on stats, you get in based on production. As Ira said, and he put it perfectly, the way you should vote is if you can tell the story of the game or not without that player.
Owens is a guy who got stats, like Dunn did. However Owens was not a HOF level talent, he was a stats guy. He could be shutdown. Meanwhile a real HOFer is someone like Randy Moss, he single handedly could take over games and was unstoppable. That’s a HOF player – that’s someone who was a special talent, who when you’re mentioning how to play WR, you look at in awe. Owens is just a guy who had some good stats.
February 4th, 2018 at 3:02 am
Ray Lewis and Randy Moss made it on their first try … that makes me happy … the others I don’t care about and I was honestly sort of hoping T.O. would have to wait one more year just so I could see how he reacted to Moss getting in ahead of him …
February 4th, 2018 at 4:14 am
2nd all time receiving yards + 9th all time receptions + 5th all time TDs (all positions, 3rd receiving) = HOF.
Anyone truly arguing that TO doesn’t deserve to go in or was „easily“ shutdown is not being genuine. You can argue his personality but not his production.
February 4th, 2018 at 5:38 am
Your either an idiot or just have pure hatred if you think Owens doesn’t deserve to be in the hall of fame.
February 4th, 2018 at 6:08 am
“Owens was not a HOF level talent”
How old are you Rod?? Did you watch the man play? Geez
February 4th, 2018 at 7:26 am
Ndog,
Thanks for correcting me! My apologies to the FSU homer on PR, no love lost for the K State Honk and his Anti-Ira agenda.
I would love an opportunity to debate all things Bucs with some of these delusional (non-JBF.com) scribes.
February 4th, 2018 at 7:27 am
Terrell Owens was just as good of a physical talent as he was an arse hole. He was easily one of the best WRs of all time.
To say otherwise sis ludicrous.
February 4th, 2018 at 7:29 am
Rod Munch,
Watch the highlights from the Eagles last super bowl. Terrell Owens cane off a broken leg for 200 yards receiving. Smdh, TO > talent than Warrick Dunn.
Warrick Dunn is leaps and bounds a better person.
February 4th, 2018 at 7:58 am
Lynch was a really good safety on an extremely talented team however he wasn’t elite IMO. Bucs Ring of Honor….definitely. Hall of Fame….meh. Maybe his days as a GM will and commentator will eventually push him in but was he Randy Moss great…no. Was he as good as Polamalu…no. Hall of Fame players were the absolute best of their era….Lynch was maybe 3rd or 4th best at his position…a position that isn’t valued for Hall of Fame considerations
February 4th, 2018 at 8:31 am
id blame HOFer tony dungy on the lack of lynch rice and barber not being in the Hall, if dungy was a better coach the bucs are in maybe 4 super bowls and could have won 2and the the bucs D goes down in history where it deserves as one of best ever but dungy just wasnt that great of a head coach to fix the offense
February 4th, 2018 at 8:44 am
Lynch was obviously a great player and a all-time Buc…it is tough to say he is a slam dunk HOF compared to most of those that got in this year. He might get in eventually, but it will have to be a weak year. The fact that the Buccaneers organization screwed up so bad by letting the 49ers grab him is disheartening. He would have been a great “head of football operations” or whatever for us. Our ownership is so shortsighted and inept.
February 4th, 2018 at 9:42 am
How is it that the hall of fame is voted on by half wit “journalists” rather than actual football men? Most of these clowns are clueless hacks at best and unapologetic homers at worst. Uralacher on the first go around?!? Give me a break! Biggest games of Urlacher a life and he did nothing. His biggest moment was getting trucked by the Bus on his last tank of fuel.
February 4th, 2018 at 9:44 am
Well said Dusty
February 4th, 2018 at 10:22 am
Lynch may only make it next year IF the Bucs somehow go to the superbowl.
February 4th, 2018 at 10:25 am
Gman, the hiring of Lynch as a gm was a surprise to many. He had no experience.
And he may not even be a good gm when all is said and done. Just because he got the job does not mean he earned the job.
February 4th, 2018 at 10:30 am
Dusthty Rhothdes, I would argue that most good coaches do not excel on both sides of the ball. Dungy was hired BECAUSE he was defensive minded.
And hedid more for this team than Gruden did. Gruden gave us one great year, and then a roller coaster.
Dungy made us competitive nearly every year.
February 4th, 2018 at 10:30 am
Lynch will make it at some point. As for the Philly guys makin it? Start winning Bucs..and then you too..might get some recognition!
February 4th, 2018 at 10:31 am
And really, Jon Gruden is the one who should have done more.
February 4th, 2018 at 11:12 am
ALL HOF’s are based on subjectivity. I simply can’t get excited about any of them.
It’s not because Lynch didn’t make it…he’ll do fine thank you as GM of the Niners.
He can afford to buy a gold blazer. LOL
February 4th, 2018 at 12:32 pm
Maybe somebody new to pitch for him?
Just saying…
February 4th, 2018 at 1:01 pm
The only one you could possibly take out is Bryan Dawkins but he had better numbers and his team is in the super bowl. If he didn’t get in this year I’m ok with that because at least the other 4 were without a doubt better players. He’ll get in, last year he was snubbed but this year I can see why, Ronde Barber will have the same issue as Lynch
February 4th, 2018 at 2:19 pm
I’ve said it before, let Barry Sanders make the pitch for John Lynch.
February 4th, 2018 at 4:20 pm
I don’t care about Owens as a person, I think it’s hilarious what he said about Jeff Garcia and I personally loved his act as player – he was entertaining. But he’s not a HOFer, and yes, I watched him play his entire career. He got stats because he was fed the ball, but he wasn’t unstoppable, he could be shutdown. Putting him in the same class as Moss is a disgrace as Moss is a HOFer. Did you guys watch Owens AND watch Moss? If any of you dopes think the two were comparable, then you should have no say in ever spouting off about football again. I hated Moss as a player because he killed the Bucs, he was unstoppable, he’d have a group of guys around him and he’d leap over all their heads, catch the ball, Lynch would destroy him with a hit and the son of a gun would hold onto the ball anyways. Moss was a game changer, unstoppable. Owens just put up numbers when he played bad defenses. Go look at the 2002/03 Bucs playoff game versus the 49ers, what did Owens do in that game? 4 receptions, 35 yards. That’s your HOFer. Jerry Rice, who was much older at that point, he showed in the SB why he was a HOFer. To put Owens in that same class as Moss and Rice, it’s disgraceful. He’s the Warrick Dunn of WRs.
February 4th, 2018 at 10:41 pm
Anybody arguing that Lynch deserved it over Dawkins truly doesn’t get it. The numbers don’t lie and it ain’t even close