Ward’s spot in Canton should be a matter of when not if

Posted by Mike Florio

With receiver Hines Ward retiring after 14 NFL seasons, all with the Steelers, the obvious question becomes whether he has done enough to secure a bronze bust in Canton. Surprisingly, plenty of fans presume he has no shot, given an ever-growing logjam of wideout whose numbers have been pumped up by a proliferation of passing.

But Ward’s credentials include something the Andre Reeds and Cris Carters and Tim Browns and (in time) Terrell Owens and Randy Mosses don’t: a Super Bowl ring. More accurately, two of them. (Having a Super Bowl MVP trophy doesn’t hurt, either.)

The fact that he generated 1,000 receptions (eighth on the all-time list) for 12,083 yards (18th) and 85 touchdowns (13th) despite playing for a team that doesn’t exactly air it out makes his numbers more impressive.

Them there’s the fact that Ward has more career catches that Steelers Hall of Fame wideouts John Stallworth and Lynn Swann, combined.

Throw in a reputation for being a tenacious blocker with an infectious smile and no inclination to act like a diva, and Ward becomes a legitimate candidate for Canton.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/20/wards-spot-in-canton-should-be-a-matter-of-when-not-if/

He was an influential trailblazer at the WR position with his hard-nosed workmanship and love for the game's physicality. He deserves to enter Canton at some point for that as well as his statistics.

He's the most decorated Steelers WR in history and that says a lot.

It would be a travesty if he were not to make it in.

On top of everything else,Hines and Rice are the only two WRs with multiple Super Bowl rings
he'll make it in but it'll take a little longer IMO

I don't think there's any way he'll get in early. But he'll get in eventually.

Here's someone who disagrees ...

Ward Was Good, but Not a Hall of Famer

Hank Koebler
Sports Writer

Former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward announced the ending of a great career today, but not a Hall of Fame career.

Fans of Ward will surely cite his 1,000 career receptions, over 12,000 receiving yards, 85 receiving touchdowns, two Super Bowl titles, and a Super Bowl MVP as reasons why he should be enshrined in Canton.

Such statistics are misleading because they fail to provide any context whatsoever. Super Bowl MVPs only mean so much because they're subjective. Deion Branch won a Super Bowl MVP the year before Ward did, but sportswriters across the country aren't campaigning to call him a Hall of Famer. In an X's and O's discussion, Hines Ward isn't a Hall of Famer, and in a statistical discussion that actually applies an understanding of what the statistics mean, Hines Ward isn't a Hall of Famer either.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hank-koebler/hines-ward-hall-of-fame_b_1368419.html
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Koebler is right that Ward's "statistics are misleading because they fail to provide any context whatsoever." But not for the reasons he suggests. Ward is the most prolific receiver in Steelers history, and for most of his career, he played in a run-oriented offense. And you also have to take into account the QBs who were throwing to him for more than half of his career. As good as Ward's stats are, just imagine what they'd look like if he would have played his entire career in Indianapolis ... a pass-first offense with Manning at QB. To judge a player, you have to look beyond the statistics, just like they did with Swann. Statistically speaking, Swann didn't deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. But his body of work was worthy of the induction. And the same goes for Ward. If Hines Ward never gets inducted into the Hall of Fame, they might as well just tear it down and do away with it.

If Ward doesn't make it, then the HOF balloting and voting is a farce.

Ward may not have the statistics that everyone creams themselves over, but what he does have is the living legacy that he played the game under. When teams played the Steelers, and the opposing defenses did game study, I'm sure one of their top concerns was, "Where is Ward?"

He's the subject of many debates? But regardless, he personafied the Steelers attitude on and off the field. Anyone who can't see that is definitely blind!

If Ray Lewis is a HOF LB, then Hines Ward is most definitely a HOF WR!

The problem with Hines is that he isn't a typical WR. He was an in-your-face, most likely to lay a big hit than run a fly route WR. People will argue that because of that, he isn't a HOF player.

I, too, think you need to look at his entire body of work and his impact on the game and the team he played for.

Plus, he was a DWTS champion

BGSU A Dub wrote:

The problem with Hines is that he isn't a typical WR. He was an in-your-face, most likely to lay a big hit than run a fly route WR. People will argue that because of that, he isn't a HOF player.

I, too, think you need to look at his entire body of work and his impact on the game and the team he played for.

Plus, he was a DWTS champion

If a player comes in and achieves a high level of success in a way that has never been done before (or rarely done before), I think that automatically makes them worthy of the Hall of Fame. I've heard people say that Hines redefined the receiver postion. No he didn't ... we'll likely never see another receiver like him.

BGSU A Dub wrote:

And he did it every down, every game for his entire career. I'm with you, I think he should be a HOFer,I was just posing the potential argument.

Hopefully, Cris Carter and other worthy and eligible receivers get in soon, as well as Bettis. A logjam of worthy receivers and Steelers players won't help him.

Former Steelers receiver Hines Ward is a solid Pro Football Hall of Fame candidate for reasons that go beyond statistics, according to voters who cited his blocking, leadership and character.

"I would think his chances are pretty good," Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic said. "I know his numbers won't be as sparkling as some of the receivers under consideration, but you have to think of what he did for the organization, in the locker room, as a leader of the team.

"He'll get a lot of credit for his blocking. You might not be able to cite this statistic or that statistic, but you have to believe what you saw. "

Ward retired Tuesday, three weeks after his release. He played 14 seasons, all with the Steelers, leading the club in receptions, yards and touchdown catches. He caught exactly 1,000 passes, eighth in league history.

Former San Francisco Chronicle writer Ira Miller termed Ward a "very interesting candidate" when he becomes eligible in five years.

"You have a lot of players in the Hall who are 'very good', and he's at the upper end of 'very good' and he might meet the criteria," said Miller, who noted that Ward's all-around play, Super Bowl wins and positive attitude are major pluses compared with flashy but controversial receivers Randy Moss and Terrell Owens.

"He's a guy that played hard all the time," Miller said. "He played on teams that won championships. He was a Super Bowl MVP, and you didn't have his team try to get rid of him. ... The Hall of Fame would not be diminished by having Hines Ward in it."

Some voters cited the logjam that has kept such talented receivers as Cris Carter, Tim Brown and Andre Reed out of the Hall as possibly working against Ward. Another factor is who else will be on the ballot five years from now.

"I think he has a very good chance, but it might take a while," former Washington Post writer Len Shapiro said.

"It won't be a first-ballot thing," Somers said.

"Hines Ward definitely deserves a spot in Canton, for reasons that exceed 140 characters," tweeted Sports Illustrated's Jim Trotter. "But the wait will be long."

Vito Stellino of Jacksonville's Florida Times-Union said Ward will be "in the conversation," adding that rules changes have helped inflate the numbers and made evaluating receivers more difficult.

"It's hard to figure out what makes a Hall of Fame (receiver) under these rules," he said



Retired Steelers WR Ward receives vote of confidence for Canton - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_787524.html#ixzz1plMHpCtq

Hey, when you get a rule named after you -- that should secure your place in the HOF.

You better believe that I'll be there in Canton when he does!

Quote :

That means Brady AND Manning will be in the HOF for sure (hell, they might change the name

So instead of HOF standing for "Hall of Fame", it will stand for the "Hall of Fairies"????

I have no problem with Ward being a HOFer but you absolutely have to put guys leik Carter and Reed in first.

jjmjmay wrote:

I have no problem with Ward being a HOFer but you absolutely have to put guys leik Carter and Reed in first.

OMFG... A JJ SIGHTING! Welcome back, my friend. :cheers:

You're right, Carter and Reed should probably get in before Hines since they've been waiting, but there's no denying Ward IMHO.

Buddha Bus wrote:

jjmjmay wrote:

I have no problem with Ward being a HOFer but you absolutely have to put guys leik Carter and Reed in first.

OMFG... A JJ SIGHTING! Welcome back, my friend. :cheers:

You're right, Carter and Reed should probably get in before Hines since they've been waiting, but there's no denying Ward IMHO.

Hey man! Sorry I missed you guys last night.

jjmjmay wrote:

Buddha Bus wrote:

jjmjmay wrote:

I have no problem with Ward being a HOFer but you absolutely have to put guys leik Carter and Reed in first.

OMFG... A JJ SIGHTING! Welcome back, my friend. :cheers:

You're right, Carter and Reed should probably get in before Hines since they've been waiting, but there's no denying Ward IMHO.

Hey man! Sorry I missed you guys last night.

No worries. You only missed a rousing game of Scattergories.