Will Curtis Martin Be a First Ballot Hall of Famer?
by John B on Aug 8, 2010 11:26 AM EDT
Email
PrintSeven men were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last night. Next year sports an impressive batch of men appearing on the ballot for the first time including Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Willie Roaf, Jerome Bettis, and our own Curtis Martin.
By any logical measure, Martin should be a lock to make it on the first ballot. He is the fourth leading rusher of all-time. Only Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, and Jim Brown Barry Sanders rank above him. He ran for 1,000 yards in 10 straight seasons. He led the league in rushing at age 31, an age long after most backs have been put out to pasture.
The problem is we are dealing with football Hall of Fame voters, not logical people. I am concerned Curtis' consistent excellence might be held against him. He didn't self promote. He didn't cause problems with his teammates or generate headlines for the wrong reasons. He didn't have blazing speed or overwhelming power. Even though he put up a good chunk of his impressive numbers while playing through significant injuries, he never made a big deal about it. His unrivaled locker room leadership never got much publicity because he was quiet. I think there are writers out there who will hold these things against him. What players actually accomplish doesn't matter as much as their ridiculous made up criteria like looking flashy.
I think of Art Monk, a similar player. It took forever Monk to get into the Hall of Fame. The guy only had more receptions than anybody in the history of the league when he retired. Unlike Martin, he also played an integral role on three Super Bowl winners. It still took him years to get in because some writers weren't impressed by his consistent excellence.
Add in the fact there are two other backs on the ballot next year, Faulk and Bettis. Even if all three guys are deserving of making it, some writers will ridiculously claim that three guys at the same position shouldn't make it in at once. Faulk was part of the Greatest Show on Turf. While it's difficult to see where Bettis was better than Martin, he was a media magnet during his career with an affable personality, opposed to Martin whose quiet dignity led him to do all of his talking on the field, which will likely lead to an induction. He also had more of a signature battering ram style of play.
I fear we are looking at an injustice. Curtis Martin is a first ballot Hall of Famer by any legitimate measure on and off the field. I hope the writers see it that way too.
34 comments
|
4 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I voted no.
But only as you reasoned above, he will be snubbed. I can’t see them putting in three running backs in one class, which IMO is stupid and a plane old shame.
Only Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, and Jim Brown rank above him
Your mistaking Jim Brown with Barry Sanders.
by Bob_The_Friendly_Baker on Aug 8, 2010 11:56 AM EDT reply actions
Good piece. Rec'd.
I totally agree. CM should be a shoe-in, but he just wasn’t sexy enough. Not enough high-light reel runs. He wasn’t memorable if you didn’t watch him every week.
He always amazed me with how he could find and squeeze through the smallest cracks like they were a mile wide. He made the toughest runs look easy.
He was a great great back.
Martin Should Be First Ballot
His overall body of work is better than Bettis. Bettis admitted to faking an injury just so the Steelers wouldn’t cut him. Not a Hall worthy move in my eyes. I read an article on MSNBC about the same concerns about Martin that the voters had for Monk. It talked about maybe Chris Carter and some others that have been overlooked. But either in 20012 or 2013 Martin if he is not in will make it without a problem because those are some lean years.
I dunno, I have a feeling
I think that there’s gonna be a lot of “campaigning” for C-Mart to make the ballot this year. A lot of people are gonna be like “oh he should totally make it but the HoF voters are a bunch of idiots who don’t know anything about anything” and maybe that makes the voters be like “SURPRISE, C-MART’S IN!! pffffffft you thought we weren’t gonna pshhhh”
Also I gotta post my favorite quote from a guy in sports ever:
“I like it here. It’s my type of place. I wouldn’t want to play for anyone else. The Colts, I would rather play here this year with a 3-10 record than to be with the Colts right now. The Jets, they’ve been good to me and I appreciate them.”
-Curtis Martin, 2005 iirc
by Exystence on Aug 8, 2010 1:26 PM EDT reply actions 4 recs
great example using Art Monk
Its a shame how long he had to wait to get in. Micheal Irving did not had to wait and his and Monk’s numbers are very similar. So, how do you explain that. Charles Haley won five superbowls and contributed towards each one he won, but he’s not in because of his attitude towards reporters. Hall of fame voters are iddiots.
The 2011 HOF stage....
has a tough tough crowd.
GANG GREEN ALL DAY!
You see, it's not about how you won the game, it's about how you played the game.... there's a difference.
Should easily be first ballot
Just so good. The only reason he won’t be is because Curtis Martin is easily the most underrated RB in NY Sports History. Bettis and Faulk both had plenty of bad years, and were replaced on their first teams midway through their careers.Martin was poached by the Jets, and I can’t remember what we gave up for him but it was worth it. And how many RBs are winning the rushing title when they are over 30?
There’s a million reasons Martin should be first ballot, but the idiot voters are going to make this harder then it should be.
Wheel of Location, Turn Turn Turn. Tell us the location that we will play.
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
This guys a legend in my eyes.
He’ll skip into the HOF.
The best tattoo i ever got.
Curtis "my favorite" Martin - 1 of the best!
Where does this idea of having a limit to the number of players at a position to get voted in in one year come from? I have never heard of this before, and yet it is talked about here like its fact. This is not fielding a pro bowl team, where you need players at each position, THIS IS THE HALL OF FAME! There are no kickers in the hall of fame, so why hasn’t this magic rule (of having players from different positions get in) applied to kickers.
Martin is near the top all time in rushing. He will get in first ballot, period. No matter if there are 4,6 or 10 other running backs, he will get in.
The other idea that he wasn’t flashy or promotional as meaning that the writers won’t give him credit is weak also. Give them some credit for understanding the game. Now if the PUBLIC voted, that would be a different story.
I am saving this link and will post it on the day Martin is elected
All he does is catch Touchdowns!
Wheel of Location, Turn Turn Turn. Tell us the location that we will play.
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
by Mark D on Aug 9, 2010 5:42 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
He deserves it!
In my opinion the voters for the HoF get it wrong alot. Martin was Consistently good year in and year out, and they seem to overlook that, it almost seems you have a better chance having 2-4 Great seasons strung together to be a First Ballot. Martin was very good for 8+ years, and as the author pointed out, we was not a Flashy, Loud, or Arrogant person so he may be overlooked. That is just wrong.
he'll wait a while
Curtis was very good for a long time. he was never dominant. 1st-ballot entry should be reserved for the truly dominant. he’ll get it, but it’ll be a couple years down the road. Bettis is not a 1st ballot entry either. Faulk is. it’s not just about the numbers, it’s about impact. of these 3 backs, Faulk was the most impactful.
Never Dominant?
This ignores that he Lead the league in Rushing Once, Finished 2nd in Rushing twice and 3rd in Rushing once. Oh and he lead the league at an age that great RBs are supposed to disappear, when he was 31.
Wheel of Location, Turn Turn Turn. Tell us the location that we will play.
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
Rings get you In.
I think Martin is the better back of the three over their career (Bettis, and Faulk) but Rings get you into the Hall faster. Martin has 0 so I hate to say it, but I believe he’s going to wait. SMH.
Erik Manassy - @e_man
Jets Twit
http://jetstwit.com/ - @JetsTwit
"Enter my world that is my fascination with the New York Jets and Social Media"
--
JetsChant iPhone App
http://jetschant.com/
--
Nope, he wasn't better than Faulk
Faulk was electric – a spectacular player at his peak, who did things that no other back had done in terms of receiving and running combined (LT at his best was similar, and was also better than Martin, but for a shorter period of time – so far). Faulk is a first ballot back, as will be LT. Curtis Martin was very good for a long time. I think he’s slightly better than Bettis, but he’s exactly the sort of RB who deserves to go in to the HOF some time between his 2nd and 4th year of eligibility – so is Bettis.
When you think of Faulk, think of Gayle Sayers.
He should be a first ballot HOFer...
…but the HOF voters are pretty crazy sometimes. I like your term “consistent excellence.” That defined Martin to a tee. I fear that the voters won’t be “wowed” by him enough to make him a shoe in, because he has two things against him.
1) He never won a Super Bowl
2) He never had a “signature moment”
By #2, I mean that he never had a famous breakaway run, or a big catch for a TD, or anything like that. He was just a great running back who would give you 4-5 yards seemingly every time he touched the ball, and that kind of reliability is simply astonishing. I hope they’re smart enough to put him in.
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
Well, wait...
What about the pass he completed to Wayne Chrebet for the touchdown? I’m sorry but I would consider that to be a “signature moment”. I think the only reason why it wasn’t pushed so much was because of Martin being such a humble guy.
That's a good point
That was an incredible play. I also remember that long TD run he had against the Chiefs where he juked the guy out of his shorts at about the 15 yard line, and walked into the end zone while punching the air in front of him. But he was such a non self-promoter that it’s hard to remember his best moments at times.
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
Martin's Chances
Criticized me if you want since I’m not a Jets fans, but I’m just giving my perspective. While I think Martin was an outstanding player and think he may be in the Hall of Fame someday, I really don’t t hink he’d be a first ballot player. It seems players are hardly ever a lock for the hall of fame. As some of the voters have mentioned, they will not vote for a player during their first year of eligibility unless they were spectacular (like Smith and Rice). While I think Martin deserves it, he was never really the top RB in the league, which hurts his chances. He reminds me of Thurman Thomas (made it in his second year). His strength was the length of his of reliable seasons rather than having some years at the top of the league as a RB. Granted, given the rise (and eventual falls) of Emmit Smith, Edgerrin James, and LT, it was very tough competition to be considered the best during his run.
What also hurts Martin is the competition he is going up against. Chris Carter and Shannon Sharpe are also strong candidates and Deion Sanders is the closest thing of a “first ballot lock” as there is in the next class. The first round players are also made up of high profile RBs with Bettis, Faulk, and Martin. The debate between these three will probably divide a lot of voters and none of them are a lock to win.
So for my final opinion, Martin deserves to be there and I think he will be someday. I just don’t think that day will come next August.
I don't think that's an unfair assessment
The only thing that would bother me would be if Bettis got in on the first ballot and Martin did not. If one of them doesn’t get in right away, I’d rather NEITHER get in. Bettis was more of a personality, although Martin was a better pass-catcher and blocker (and Martin has more rushing yards).
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
A good assessment, but for one point
I don’t think that there is much debate that Faulk was the most HOF-worthy of the 3 RBs. I do believe that Martin and Bettis belong in, but I don’t think they are in Faulk’s class – I think Faulk is close to a Barry Sanders-caliber player. And as such, I think Faulk is a first ballot class of player, and Martin and Bettis are in the class of guys like Thurman Thomas. They’ll get in, but likely not the first year.
Zach Thomas said he was the toughest back he ever had to tackle.
“He could cut on a dime” he said.
Curtis "my favorite" Martin - 1 of the best!
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Gang Green Nation
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Former high-school star Brian Banks does serious time on trumped-up charge, now hopes for an NFL shot
- Former ‘idiot kicker’ Mike Vanderjagt in trouble after accosting junior-high heckler
- Adrian Peterson blows teammates away in footraces; appears to be on the mend
- UPDATE: Charlie Sheen didn’t buy Lawrence Taylor’s Super Bowl ring
- Alex Smith gets blown up by Jon Beason over Cam Newton comments
