Good piece from Gretz

**chief31** · 01-31-2008, 10:22 AM

GRETZ: Time To Get It Right

Jan 30, 2008, 2:49:24 AM by Bob Gretz - FAQ

This Saturday could be one of the biggest days in Chiefs history.
If the board of selectors cooperate, the Pro Football Hall of Fame should have two more members wearing red and gold: Emmitt Thomas and Derrick Thomas.
There’s no doubting these Thomases. They have the credentials for busts in Canton. But having a Hall of Fame-type career and being a Hall of Famer are two very different things.

Especially, if you happen to play defense.

One of the great inequities among the Hall of Fame busts is this: defensive players are much less likely to gain admission than offensive players. Right now, it’s pretty much a 2-to-1 advantage for the guys on offense.
The Hall of Fame has 249 members. Let’s cut that number by the coaches, owners and administrators (38) and players from the earliest eras of the game, who frequently played both ways (another 47 members from 1920-50.)
That leaves 164 players. One was a kicker: the Chiefs’ Jan Stenerud. Among the remaining 163 members, the offense has 105, while 58 played defense.
That’s 64 percent vs. 35.3 percent.
As a member of the board of selectors, those numbers are an embarrassment. Admission to this voting group goes to media members with a long history of covering the professional game. Yet, as a group we fall victim to the same things that fans do: we get hung up on offensive numbers.
In the last four years, there have been five quarterbacks enshrined in the Hall and in last seven years there have been eight offensive linemen. Yet, in the last seven years there have been no safeties and only one cornerback, Roger Wehrli who went in last year.
In the last 10 Hall of Fame classes there have been 37 modern-day players inducted. Here’s how those numbers work out by position:

(Click this link for the numbers, and the entire article from the Chiefs page.)

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2008/01..._get_it_right/

Among the top five positions, four are on offense. Among the bottom seven positions, five are on defense. It breaks down over the last decade to 25 on offense, 12 on defense, again more than two to one.
Back in 1972, the Hall of Fame established a senior candidate each year. This was to be a player or coach who had fallen through the cracks in their first 20-year window for induction to the Hall. There have been 41 nominations, including this year’s duo of Emmitt Thomas and Marshall Goldberg. Two players – Jerry Kramer and Henry Jordan – were nominated twice.
So that’s 39 men. Five were owners or coaches, which leaves 34 players. Among that group 27 were offensive players and seven were defensive players. That’s 79 percent to 21 percent. In the last 20 years, there have been 25 senior nominations and only four went to defensive players. That’s 15 percent.
The board of selectors must soon realize that it is short-changing the guys on defense. An attempt to fix the inequity improves the chances of both Emmitt and Derrick Thomas. If the committee continues to follow it’s trend and put the emphasis on offensive players, it will be much more difficult for both men.
The old football saying is that offense sells tickets and defense wins championships. It’s time for the Hall of Fame board of selectors to stop selling tickets and start winning championships with more Hall of Famers from the defensive side of the game.

**hermhater** · 01-31-2008, 08:29 PM

Sounds like he is trying to get our guys voted for, and good for him!

The Thomases need to be in the HOF!

**Lazeye** · 01-31-2008, 09:47 PM

I 2nd that!

**Hayvern** · 02-01-2008, 02:09 AM

Its about time Greta wrote something useful instead of preaching Herm and Peterson praises everyday.

**chief31** · 02-05-2008, 11:41 AM

Emmitt Thomas Selected For Hall of Fame's Class of 2008

Feb 02, 2008, 3:50:08 PM

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee announced on Saturday that Chiefs CB Emmitt Thomas will be enshrined as part of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2008. The 2008 Hall of Fame Class will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio on Sunday, August 3rd.

Emmitt Thomas, who played 13 seasons for the Chiefs (1966-78) was one of two Senior’s Committee candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2008. One of the finest cornerbacks of his era, Thomas owns the Chiefs all-time interception record with 58.

That total places him ninth on the NFL’s all-time list and ranks fourth in NFL history among pure cornerbacks. A member of the Chiefs Hall of Fame, Thomas was named to four Pro Bowls and one AFL All-Star team.

“When you look at the vitality of the person’s career over that period of time and then you look at his high consistency, that’s why Emmitt is now in the Hall of Fame,” Hall of Fame LB Willie Lanier said. “That’s what it is; it’s the high consistency over the course of a career.

I always benefited from his skill because when I asked questions about the receivers’ routes and what things to expect, it allowed my job to be easier and I’m sure that kind of knowledge didn’t just improve my skill, but it improved the overall skill of our team.”

“My first question is why did it take so long for Emmitt Thomas to even be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame?” Hall of Fame QB Len Dawson commented. “This guy had a tremendous record, 58 interceptions.

That’s a ton of interceptions for a cornerback. Safeties, sometimes yes, because they are playing centerfield, but Emmitt was a cornerback for his entire career. A lot of guys are corners and when they get old they move to the safety position, but that was not Emmitt. He is very deserving of it. He is a very humble man and I know that he is very appreciative that he is getting this recognition.”

On two occasions Thomas led the league in interceptions, pacing the NFL with a team-record 12 in ‘74 and topping the AFL with nine picks in ‘69. The Angleton, Texas native had a knack for the big play, returning five interceptions for touchdowns and registering five postseason pickoffs, including one in the Chiefs Super Bowl IV victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Thomas was also a member of Kansas City’s Super Bowl I squad.

The undrafted free agent from Bishop College in Dallas, appeared in 181 career games, the seventh-highest total in club annals. Following his playing career, Thomas has spent 27 seasons in the NFL coaching ranks with six different teams. He currently serves as the assistant head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.