I was recently contacted by a longtime Oakland Raiders fan who informed me that he saw Guy numerous times during his illustrious fourteen-year career, including Super Bowl 18. I had asked David Winderbaum if he could share a story or two about Guy, and what stood out to him the most during his NFL tenure. He went on to say this:
'What always amazed me about Ray, was that during warm-ups, his punts actually reached the level of the stadium roof. This man was a weapon. What actually amazed me was that in many games the Raiders actually would play for the punt, pinning their opposition inside the 10. I remember him being the emergency quarterback versus the Steelers and contributing towards an upset win! I had the opportunity to meet Al Davis in 1984 at Soldier field, and Al shared with me that he thought Ray was the most influential player for the Raiders during the 70's'.
It was great to hear from a die-hard fan willing to share his stories, and I hope this will finally get to be the year I make the trip to Canton to see him elected into Pro Football Hall of Fame's immortality.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Advantage: Senior Committee
I was fortunate enough to have contacted some members of the Selection Committee recently, and they helped me to clarify the current status of Ray Guy and his chances of making it into the Hall.
One gentleman, who is very familiar with Bay Area sports, responded to my question on his chances quite simply:
"It is always better to enter the room with the backing of the Senior Committee".
Another member gave me three reasons to be very opportunistic about his chances:
1) Senior Committee voting is separate from the modern-day players vote.
2) He will not take away a spot from anybody else if inducted.
3) He thinks that the voters believe it is finally time to induct a punter into the Hall.
Peter King, who has been openly against Guy's induction, responded to many fans in his 'mailbag' section of work he does with Sports Illustrated. He responded to one gentleman, saying:
"Your comments about Guy echo what so many feel, and that's why he was nominated as a candidate for the Hall. He will get a very fair airing by the full committee"
It is clear that Ray's chances are the highest this year than ever before, and this point is acknowledged by supporters and adversaries alike.
One gentleman, who is very familiar with Bay Area sports, responded to my question on his chances quite simply:
"It is always better to enter the room with the backing of the Senior Committee".
Another member gave me three reasons to be very opportunistic about his chances:
1) Senior Committee voting is separate from the modern-day players vote.
2) He will not take away a spot from anybody else if inducted.
3) He thinks that the voters believe it is finally time to induct a punter into the Hall.
Peter King, who has been openly against Guy's induction, responded to many fans in his 'mailbag' section of work he does with Sports Illustrated. He responded to one gentleman, saying:
"Your comments about Guy echo what so many feel, and that's why he was nominated as a candidate for the Hall. He will get a very fair airing by the full committee"
It is clear that Ray's chances are the highest this year than ever before, and this point is acknowledged by supporters and adversaries alike.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Ray Guy Named 2014 Finalist...
On August 21st, 2013, Ray Guy (along with Claude Humphrey) was nominated by the Senior Selection Committee for the Professional Football Hall of Fame.
Could this be it? Could this finally be the year Guy goes into the Hall?
Maybe.
There is still the mandatory 80% approval by the entire committee come February, but there is plenty of reason to be optimistic:
The Hall's track record of voting in the Senior Committee's choices are extremely high, and the cause for Ray Guy has picked up significantly in the last few years. NFL fans, former players, current players as well as coaches have all thrown in their two cents on the matter. It was simple.
Put him in.
The argument that Guy is NOT a hall of famer usually goes one of two ways:
1) He was a punter
2) Statistics were not good enough
Juvenile?
To say the least.
For one, saying that one does not belong in the Hall of Fame due to his position is truly ridiculous. The fact that you would consider eliminating someone due to their position and fail to recognize their respective achievements in the league is egregious.
Any position on the field should be recognized. Especially when it is done with excellence.
As for the latter point, they have already contradicted themselves. Let's take Jan Stenerud for example:
As some of us know, Jan revolutionized how we saw the kicking game with his unique soccer-style approach. Although he was not the first one to introduce it, you could argue he was the first to do so with most efficiency. People began to see the advantages to such a style, and it is now practiced among 100% of today's place kickers.
Some of Stenerud's NFL career statistics and notables are as follows:
- 66.8 Field Goal Percentage
- 1,699 Points Scored
- 4X Pro Bowl Selection
- Super Bowl Champion.
Let's first examine the field goal percentage. By today's standards, 66.8% is poor. There are countless kickers whom most would not even begin to think of including in the Hall of Fame discussion with that number alone.
1,699 points scored? There are 11 placekickers in front of him.
4X Pro Bowl selection? I guess Guy's 7 Pro Bowl's are not enough.
As for Super Bowl's, Guy has won two more than Jan.
Now what is the point of me saying all of this? Is it to argue that Jan Stenerud is not a Hall of Fame kicker?
Not at all.
He was a revolutionary, and played the game at the highest level from the time he was playing, until he retired. Times change, players get bigger and records were once seen as untouchable fall.
Sound familiar?
Ray Guy may not have a greater average as some of today's punters, but the statistics do not tell the full story. The statistics do not tell of the man who revolutionized the position. The statistics do not tell of the man who put 'hang time' into the modern-day football lexicon. The statistics do not tell of the comfort level the Raiders had in Guy that they felt so comfortable in letting their quarterback throw it out of bounds if nothing is there.
The difference is that he was the revolutionary of the punting position.
Just like Stenerud.
This is the year. I truly feel it is. The train has gained speed, and it's not slowing down. The committee is set to meet the day before the Super Bowl and they will conduct a vote.
This is a no-brainer.
Put him in.
Could this be it? Could this finally be the year Guy goes into the Hall?
Maybe.
There is still the mandatory 80% approval by the entire committee come February, but there is plenty of reason to be optimistic:
The Hall's track record of voting in the Senior Committee's choices are extremely high, and the cause for Ray Guy has picked up significantly in the last few years. NFL fans, former players, current players as well as coaches have all thrown in their two cents on the matter. It was simple.
Put him in.
The argument that Guy is NOT a hall of famer usually goes one of two ways:
1) He was a punter
2) Statistics were not good enough
Juvenile?
To say the least.
For one, saying that one does not belong in the Hall of Fame due to his position is truly ridiculous. The fact that you would consider eliminating someone due to their position and fail to recognize their respective achievements in the league is egregious.
Any position on the field should be recognized. Especially when it is done with excellence.
As for the latter point, they have already contradicted themselves. Let's take Jan Stenerud for example:
As some of us know, Jan revolutionized how we saw the kicking game with his unique soccer-style approach. Although he was not the first one to introduce it, you could argue he was the first to do so with most efficiency. People began to see the advantages to such a style, and it is now practiced among 100% of today's place kickers.
Some of Stenerud's NFL career statistics and notables are as follows:
- 66.8 Field Goal Percentage
- 1,699 Points Scored
- 4X Pro Bowl Selection
- Super Bowl Champion.
Let's first examine the field goal percentage. By today's standards, 66.8% is poor. There are countless kickers whom most would not even begin to think of including in the Hall of Fame discussion with that number alone.
1,699 points scored? There are 11 placekickers in front of him.
4X Pro Bowl selection? I guess Guy's 7 Pro Bowl's are not enough.
As for Super Bowl's, Guy has won two more than Jan.
Now what is the point of me saying all of this? Is it to argue that Jan Stenerud is not a Hall of Fame kicker?
Not at all.
He was a revolutionary, and played the game at the highest level from the time he was playing, until he retired. Times change, players get bigger and records were once seen as untouchable fall.
Sound familiar?
Ray Guy may not have a greater average as some of today's punters, but the statistics do not tell the full story. The statistics do not tell of the man who revolutionized the position. The statistics do not tell of the man who put 'hang time' into the modern-day football lexicon. The statistics do not tell of the comfort level the Raiders had in Guy that they felt so comfortable in letting their quarterback throw it out of bounds if nothing is there.
The difference is that he was the revolutionary of the punting position.
Just like Stenerud.
This is the year. I truly feel it is. The train has gained speed, and it's not slowing down. The committee is set to meet the day before the Super Bowl and they will conduct a vote.
This is a no-brainer.
Put him in.
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