Wide Receivers Get No Respect When It Comes To The NFL Hall Of Fame

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has been criticized for many perceived injustices in the past. Defensive players are woefully under-represented. Offensive Linemen in particular have gotten the shaft in the voting process - despite making up nearly half the offensive players on the field at one time, there are nonetheless fewer than two offensive linemen in the hall of fame for each QB, RB, or WR. Kickers and Punters of course do not exist in the Hall even though special teams can have an unbelievably significant effect on the outcome of games, and even seasons, in the NFL.

But one injustice that often goes unnoticed is the Hall of Fame's questionable record in inducting wide receivers. First, compared to quarterbacks and running backs, wide receivers are under-represented - there are fewer receivers in the hall of fame than QBs or RBs, despite more wide receivers seeing the field at any given time than either QBs or RBs.  I mean if you think about it there are always at least 2 Wide Receivers on the field, and for some teams you have as many as 4 on every down.

Stranger still is the relative number of wide receivers who played the bulk of their careers after the explosion of the passing game in 1978. There are just seven wide receivers from that era in the hall of fame (and two of them - Stallworth and Swann - built the majority their hall of fame resumes in the 70s), compared with 7 RBs and 8 QBs in that same era.

Click to read more ...

Like It Or Not: Terrell Owens Is Still A Force In This League

Like him or not, Terrell Owens made his point. He's nowhere near finished.

The 36-year-old receiver had trouble finding a team that would take him this off-season, something he took as a snub. The Cincinnati Bengals finally signed him, and now he's their leading receiver.

One of the league's best, too.

Owens has had a couple of very explosive games this year. Earlier this year Owens had 10 catches for 222 yards against Cleveland. In that game he also moved into second place on the career list for yards receiving, trailing only former 49ers teammate Jerry Rice. He became the oldest receiver in NFL history to have a 200-yard game, and the only one this season.

Owens performance has served as an eye-opener for a lot of people out there that have said a lot of negative things about him. I have heard everything about him from the fact that he has lost a step, or he just can't play.

Click to read more ...