Whitlock article on Willie Roaf (1 Viewer)

[Optimus Prime]

Willie Roaf is the reason I used to dream of being a Pro Football Hall of Fame voter.

I wanted to be in the room and make an effort to stop the injustice that is likely to transpire Saturday.

Roaf, the former Saints and Chiefs left tackle, is one of 15 modern-day finalists for this year’s Hall of Fame. He’s the second-best player on the ballot, behind only cornerback Deion Sanders. More than that, Roaf is the second-best offensive tackle of the modern era, finishing just behind Cincinnati left tackle Anthony Munoz.

Willie Roaf is one of the five best offensive linemen of all time — Dwight Stephenson, Munoz, John Hannah, Larry Allen and Roaf.

I’m going to cry Saturday when Roaf isn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I’m not joking. I’m going to cry.

I don’t respect the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection process. It’s rife with politics and cronyism. It’s not remotely transparent. The half-dozen selectors who have all the real power and influence have no interest in overhauling a system they know needs to be changed. They want to hold onto their power because it ensures their phone calls to NFL newsmakers get returned. The other selectors are just happy to be part of the fraternity and hope their prominent position protects them from a newspaper layoff...............




http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/willie-roaf-hall-of-fame-snub-is-going-to-make-me-cry-020311

 

[billinms]

Good read, Whitlock is kinda hit and miss. I wish the best of luck to Willie, he was one of my favorite players for years.

2. Willie Roaf: I’ll give Munoz the edge as a pass blocker and Big Willie the edge as a run blocker. When Willie retired, the Kansas City offense completely fell apart. Idiots believe Jonathan Ogden was a better player. Willie didn’t make the NFL Network’s Top 100 players. Clueless. Put the (bleeping) film on! I’m tearing up as I write this thinking about how ****** I’m going to be Saturday.

 

[Brock Meaux]

There's no doubt that Roaf should get in this year. I'll be incredibly disappointed if he doesn't.

 

[MsMSSaintsFan]

I hope he makes it. Two Saints in two years would be allsome!!

 

[Dragon]

He definitely deserves to get in this year.

 

[SaintJ]

I also look forward to Whitlock's columns -- yeah, sometimes he whiffs, but he's awful good, and as direct as they come. Look, it's not like the HoF is full of undeserving guys, while obvious choices languish outside with their noses pressed up against the window, but there are elements of politics, and IMO wayyyyy too much reflexive emphasis on guys from the top teams (e.g. Troy Aikman).

One of the few guys with the balls to bring up the Harry Carson debacle. Jesus, when he got in before Rickey, I almost had a ******* stroke.

My favorite point about Roaf -- he was on the All-Decade Team for both the 1990s and the 2000s. Some of that's luck of overlap, but on the other hand, his six years or so in each decade was better than anybody else's up-to-10 for that same 10-year stretch. He was arguably the most dominant player at his position, mind you a premium position, for 12 years. How is that not a first ballot Hall of Famer?

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

I havent been paying much attention but I had just assumed Roaf will make it into the Hall on his first try - in a walk. Is there really a chance he's not gonna make it?

 

[Dome50]

Yeah, so there is doubt that Roaf is a First Ballot HOF'er? This is news to me. I thought Roaf was a consensus best lineman ever type of player and that everyone was on board with this, all homerism aside.

 

[SaintJ]

I havent been paying much attention but I had just assumed Roaf will make it into the Hall on his first try - in a walk. Is there really a chance he's not gonna make it?

Sparkle, I'll be pleasantly surprised if he does.

1. With Rickey getting in last year, there may be Saints fatigue. Not trying to be funny.

2. Sanders and Faulk, IMO, just have to be first ballot guys, leaving three spots.

3. Depending on what happens to Ed Sabol (I can imagine that Cairo will have less conflict than that debate), that might leave two spots.

4. I think he beats out the "durable stats guys" like Tim Brown, Curtis Martin, Andre Reed and Jerome Bettis, way above average guys with long, healthy careers who were never truly transcendant as players.

5. Among the threats are Sharpe (so few TEs), Carter (all those TDs are just hard to ignore after a while), and what I call the sack specialist crowd, Doleman, Haley and Dent. Haley especially gets overvalued for being a sack specialist-for-hire on Super Bowl winners, while people ignore the fact that he was playing on teams the QBs/defenses they had.

So I am a little concerned, for both Roaf and for Cortez Kennedy, another dominant player for bad teams in a small market. IMO both those guys would go in this year, but no one's asking me. But I am worried for Willie.

 

[SaintJ]

Yeah, so there is doubt that Roaf is a First Ballot HOF'er? This is news to me. I thought Roaf was a consensus best lineman ever type of player and that everyone was on board with this, all homerism aside.

We are forgetting the fog created by the Jonathan Ogden/Walter Jones hype, which can confuse the issue.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Sparkle, I'll be pleasantly surprised if he does.

1. With Rickey getting in last year, there may be Saints fatigue. Not trying to be funny.

2. Sanders and Faulk, IMO, just have to be first ballot guys, leaving three spots.

3. Depending on what happens to Ed Sabol (I can imagine that Cairo will have less conflict than that debate), that might leave two spots.

4. I think he beats out the "durable stats guys" like Tim Brown, Curtis Martin, Andre Reed and Jerome Bettis, way above average guys with long, healthy careers who were never truly transcendant as players.

5. Among the threats are Sharpe (so few TEs), Carter (all those TDs are just hard to ignore after a while), and what I call the sack specialist crowd, Doleman, Haley and Dent. Haley especially gets overvalued for being a sack specialist-for-hire on Super Bowl winners, while people ignore the fact that he was playing on teams the QBs/defenses they had.

So I am a little concerned, for both Roaf and for Cortez Kennedy, another dominant player for bad teams in a small market. IMO both those guys would go in this year, but no one's asking me. But I am worried for Willie.

Aside from Marshall, Deion and Roaf, the only surefire HOFer I see in there is Cris Carter.

Doleman, Haley and Dent = Pat Swilling. And Pat has no shot.

I know the HOF process can be squirelly, but there's just no way in hell that Wille is not among the top 5 in that group.

 

[Shawn]

I also look forward to Whitlock's columns -- yeah, sometimes he whiffs, but he's awful good, and as direct as they come. Look, it's not like the HoF is full of undeserving guys, while obvious choices languish outside with their noses pressed up against the window, but there are elements of politics, and IMO wayyyyy too much reflexive emphasis on guys from the top teams (e.g. Troy Aikman).

One of the few guys with the balls to bring up the Harry Carson debacle. Jesus, when he got in before Rickey, I almost had a ******* stroke.

My favorite point about Roaf -- he was on the All-Decade Team for both the 1990s and the 2000s. Some of that's luck of overlap, but on the other hand, his six years or so in each decade was better than anybody else's up-to-10 for that same 10-year stretch. He was arguably the most dominant player at his position, mind you a premium position, for 12 years. How is that not a first ballot Hall of Famer?

In one of Roaf's first games against the Falcons, the Falcons blitzed over Roaf on a pass play. Roaf drove a lineman inside, then as a defensive back came screaming into what appeared to be a vacated hole, Roaf slipped outside, got underneath the defensive back and literally lifted him into the air WWF style and body slammed the guy onto his back.

It was an incredible play that left my jaw hanging, and I knew right then that we probably made the correct decision in releasing Tootie Robbins.

 

[Professor]

Willie Roaf is the reason I used to dream of being a Pro Football Hall of Fame voter.

I wanted to be in the room and make an effort to stop the injustice that is likely to transpire Saturday.

Roaf, the former Saints and Chiefs left tackle, is one of 15 modern-day finalists for this year’s Hall of Fame. He’s the second-best player on the ballot, behind only cornerback Deion Sanders. More than that, Roaf is the second-best offensive tackle of the modern era, finishing just behind Cincinnati left tackle Anthony Munoz.

Willie Roaf is one of the five best offensive linemen of all time — Dwight Stephenson, Munoz, John Hannah, Larry Allen and Roaf.

I’m going to cry Saturday when Roaf isn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I’m not joking. I’m going to cry.

I don’t respect the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection process. It’s rife with politics and cronyism. It’s not remotely transparent. The half-dozen selectors who have all the real power and influence have no interest in overhauling a system they know needs to be changed. They want to hold onto their power because it ensures their phone calls to NFL newsmakers get returned. The other selectors are just happy to be part of the fraternity and hope their prominent position protects them from a newspaper layoff...............




http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/willie-roaf-hall-of-fame-snub-is-going-to-make-me-cry-020311

What's really scary is how much this sounds like American politics.

 

[SaintJ]

I recall seeing him on TV over here in his rookie year (doubtless the only Saints game broadcast all season), watching him closely for a while and being stuck by his balance and quick feet. Then realising that the guy he was blocking was Reggie White, and thinking "If this lad stays healthy, he's going to the hall of fame".

He absolutely deserves to be a first ballot Hall of Famer, and I wouldn't much have minded keeping Rickey Jackson waiting a couple of years more to give Willie Roaf the honour of being the first Saint to make it.

Not sure I'd want the honor of authoring that quote....unless perhaps Willie was already standing between me and Rickey.

Classic irresistable force/immovable object right there.

 

[MLU]

In one of Roaf's first games against the Falcons, the Falcons blitzed over Roaf on a pass play. Roaf drove a lineman inside, then as a defensive back came screaming into what appeared to be a vacated hole, Roaf slipped outside, got underneath the defensive back and literally lifted him into the air WWF style and body slammed the guy onto his back.

It was an incredible play that left my jaw hanging, and I knew right then that we probably made the correct decision in releasing Tootie Robbins.

I remember thinking the Saints had made yet another terrible draft day decision shipping Pat Swilling to Detroit for the pick that selected Willie Roaf.