Saints Sam Mills selected as HOF Finalist (1 Viewer)

[El Caliente]

If we get to the Super Bowl this year he will get in. If the Pats get to the Super Bowl I can see Seymour getting in.

 

[Merl]

I always felt It was strange for the Panthers to put up a statue for one of the greatest Saint player and Dome patrol member Sam Mills. That like the Ravens erecting a statue for Steve Smith.

He was also a great player AND coach for the Panthers. I believe his son is still employed in their front office.

 

[BiloxiSaint1]

From the HOF Website...

Hall of Famers who made the major part of their primary contribution for any one club are listed in bold. In cases where a player contributed about equally and/or in a major way to two or more clubs – he is listed in bold under both clubs (ie. Gary Zimmerman is listed with both the Vikings and the Broncos as his primary teams). Hall of Famers who spent only a minor portion of their career with any club are listed under that club in normal font.

For example, here is the Saints HOF listing:





FYI, Morten Andersen is listed in bold under the Falcons too.

 

[Trev]

Wow I remember we had no HOF players now that would be 4 in 10 years.


Panthers will claim this one hard

 

[BiloxiSaint1]

Wow I remember we had no HOF players now that would be 4 in 10 years.


Panthers will claim this one hard

See my above post. The HOF will probably list him as BOLD under both the Saints and Panthers or BOLD under the Saints and regular font under the Panthers.

 

[Cage1]

Keep Pounding! The Panthers are going to claim this as a big deal for their franchise. SMH. ?‍

Panthers can claim whatever they want as long as he gets in.

 

[Saintman2884]

I don't mind or take exception to Carolina wanting to honor Mills legacy, his career achievements, and contributions to help jumpstart and popularize the Panthers franchise in Carolina, he made an indelible impression on the team, city, region. Etc.


What I do have a problem with is this subtle or sometimes not-so-subtle inferences made by ex-teammates, coaches, Panthers fans, is that somehow Mills played his best and most memorable years as a Panther. I don't take kindly to bullshirt and I have low tolerance for revisionist history by some people in Carolinas trying to make it seem like Mills was there's and only there's. That's not being territorial, that's a team and organization making attempts to claim most of a great NFL player's accompllishments with their team even though that's not historically true or being fair to a generation of Saints fans, like me, who cheered our arses off for him and 3 other LB's as one of the greatest LB units in NFL history.

 

[Alan12]

Panthers will claim this one hard

They will try, but his plaque under his bust will always say...

Sam Mills
Linebacker
New Orleans Saints 1986-94
Carolina Panthers 1995-97

To my knowledge, they don’t include the years spent as a coach unless they’re inducted as a coach. For example, Ditka’s plaque only has the years and teams of his playing career.

Zero mention of his coaching career and he was a head coach, not a positional coach like Mills.

 

[Dan in Lafayette]

Keep Pounding! The Panthers are going to claim this as a big deal for their franchise. SMH. ?‍

He was a very big deal for their franchise. Hence the statue.

Sam Mills made his bones with the Saints. Nuff said!

No Saints there is no Sam Mills...forget the Carolina crap shall we lol

I am very proud and glad they are representing him as a Saint first and foremost that rocks

He also had a very strong presence as a player and a coach with the Panthers. Sam was a special player and a better man. If the Panthers want to claim him as one of theirs as well, I have no problem with it. He wouldn't either. He gave his all while he was there just he did when he was here.

I don’t disagree... but the freakin Panties erected a statue in the guy’s honor, and adopted his saying as their team mantra

This is correct. And it was for good reason. They recognized just as we did that he was special.

*****

Before we had the ring of honor, we had banners hanging in the dome. Sam was supposed to get his banner at the first home game of 2005. Then along came Katrina. When we came up with the ring of honor after the dome renovation, I assumed Sam would be on it. Sadly he wasn't and still isn't. Whether Sam makes the HOF this time around or not, he deserves to be in the ring of honor. It's way overdue by about 15 years. Make it happen Gayle and Mickey.

 

[Inimicus]

No need to be so territorial. There's enough of the little big man for both teams to honor.

This. I am perfectly fine with the Panthers celebrating him as one of their own as well.

So much this.

Any Panthers fan worth their salt knows that Sam was a Saint.

We dont have much in common, hate for the bucs and falcons are a given. But we can all celebrate the man and the player that Sam was and share in the celebration of him as a HOF quality contributor to both of our franchises.

 

[26ISTHEMAN]

This. I am perfectly fine with the Panthers celebrating him as one of their own as well.

He should be celebrated as much as possible.

 

[Grant Backer Two]

Awesome News!! It was a PLEASURE to grow up watching the field mouse in charge of the GREATEST group of Linebackers in the NFL! You talk about SPECIAL!!
I just last night put together two sets of Saints Football Cards for two of my nephews. The 4 Dome patrol cards are on top!!! I am taking them down to the coast this weekend.
I have a date in NOLA Sunday at noon.. I included in the groups the following players: GH5, MA7, AM8, DB9,TGJ10, MC12, MT13, LM16, DH19, DH21, TP22, MI22, RB25, DM26, AK41,EM84, WS91-RIP.. ---I only have one Willie Roalf card, and that's going with me in my coffin... LOL..
My Great nephews are seven and eight years old. I'm doing my part to continue the Who Dat Legacy!!!!

 

[No2DC]

Respect!

 

[Saint Greg]

So much this.

Any Panthers fan worth their salt knows that Sam was a Saint.

We dont have much in common, hate for the bucs and falcons are a given. But we can all celebrate the man and the player that Sam was and share in the celebration of him as a HOF quality contributor to both of our franchises.

You should read the thread on their board. Amazing how many of them don’t know players don’t go in as a member of a particular team. A lot of them saying “he better go in as a panther.” It’s ludicrous. He’d never get in for his three years in Carolina. He gets in for his nine years in New Orleans. It would be like us trying to claim Earl Campbell or Ken Stabler.

 

[Chopper Man]

I dont care if Carrolina honors him as long as he is inshrined into the HOF as a Saint