Post by TheShadow on Feb 2, 2007 18:02:47 GMT -5
www.insidebayarea.com
Column by Monte Poole
Inside Bay Area
THE RAIDERS are known for wailing about the injustices thrown their way, often painting themselves as victims. Sometimes they are laughably off base, perhaps damaging the credibility of legitimate beefs.
Other times, though, the Raiders are precisely on point.
One such case is their complaints over the years regarding Ray Guy's exclusion from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Guy, generally considered the best punter ever, is among the 17 finalists from which three to six will be chosen for enshrinement. The 40 members of the voting committee will meet Saturday morning in Miami, make their choices and emerge to announce the Class of 2007.
This is the sixth time Guy has made it to the final ballot. This may be his last best chance, given the list of candidates approaching eligibility. Yet with several voters firmly opposed to Guy, there is no reason for him to go to bed tonight convinced this result will turn out any better than the first five.
Best punter ever has not, so far, been enough.
Guy was named as the punter on the 75th Anniversary team, making him only one of three members of that team not in the Hall. The others? Defensive back Rod Woodson, who is not yet eligible. And Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, who, like Guy, is saddled with the stigma of being a special teams player.
That any imaginary Hall of Fame roster likely would list a quarterback, Sammy Baugh, as its punter, says more about the voters than it does about Guy or, for that matter, Johnson. There is considerable debate about the value of special teams players.
Considering no punter has been voted to the Hall, Guy, who in 1994 became the first to be nominated, likely is a victim of position discrimination.
The list of other formerRaiders eligible for the Hall and worthy of consideration is long and distinguished, from Kenny Stabler and Cliff Branch, to Jim Plunkett and Ray Chester, to Lester Hayes and Todd Christensen and Steve Wisniewski. Not one is a more obvious candidate than Guy.
Arguments can be made for and against each of the others. All were special players, exceptional in their own right, but none was widely considered superior to his contemporaries.
Guy, however, was. His right foot should be enough to boot argument out of the building. His punting combined elements of art, science and brute strength. He was a genuine weapon, respected by teammates and feared by opponents. He was the player's player and the punter's punter.
His statistics were good enough to place him in seven Pro Bowls. More than any other punter, Guy's presence was instrumental for creating the "hangtime" statistic. So he passes the "numbers" test.
As a member of three Super Bowl champions and a team with only one losing season in his 14-year career, Guy also passes the "winner" test.
Guy's crafty work in Super Bowl XVIII help blow open the game. His punt late in the second-quarter pinned Washington on its 12. On first down, quarterback Joe Theismann lofted a swing pass that linebacker Jack Squirek read, intercepted and returned for a touchdown, giving the Raiders a 21-3 halftime lead. They won 38-9.
"He's the first punter you could look at and say, 'He wins games,'" Hall of Fame historian Joe Horrigan once said.
Another test easily passed by Guy is that of charisma. He was that rare punter who routinely captivated the audience. Opponents, amazed at the lift on his punts, tested the balls for helium. When Guy trotted onto the field, it was a must-see event.
For those who downplay the numbers to ask if an athlete won and if he possessed the magnetism of greatness, Guy is an obvious choice.
Which makes his continued omission is so glaring.
And leaves the Raiders feeling disrespected.
The 2007 finalists are not especially impressive: Defensive linemen Fred Dean and Richard Dent; offensive linemen Russ Grimm, Gene Hickerson, Bob Kuechenberg, Bruce Matthews and Gary Zimmerman; wide receivers Michael Irvin, Art Monk and Andre Reed; tight end Charlie Sanders; linebackers Derrick Thomas and Andre Tippett; running back Thurman Thomas; defensive back Roger Wehrli; commissioner Paul Tagliabue; and Guy.
Because debate rages on every nominee, leaving the class without a sure thing, this may be Guy's best chance yet. There are no locks.
Because the likes of greats such as Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Cris Carter, Bruce Smith, Darrell Green, Jerome Bettis, Woodson and others are biding their time until becoming eligible, this may be Guy's best chance for a while.
The Raiders have not been especially vocal this time around. Team owner Al Davis last week noted that Plunkett and Branch have credentials comparable to current Hall of Famers and expressed his belief that they deserve enshrinement.
Maybe they do.
With Guy, there should be no "maybe."