Sigh. Do you really think Bettis' ring as a backup is going to push him in over Martin? The HOF voting can be weird at times, but I don't see that happening. If anything, maybe they both go in on the same ballot. Forget about the lowly Jets and the magnificent, can do no wrong, shit doesn't smell Steelers and forget about the stats. These players played in recent times. I'm sure everyone here saw them play. Does anybody here actually think Bettis was the better player? Anybody?
Who outside of the stupid sector of the dolphin fanbase thinks the 4th all time leading rusher isn't HOF worthy?
Screw that. Bettis had better teammates and coaches and they won him a ring in Detroit. And Bettis is from Detroit. That's like big and stuff. So there!
LOL. Bettis was 24% of the Rams offense from 1993-95 and only 21.1% of the Steelers offense during his time there.
I know this has been addressed before, but it's a pet peeve of mine. His name is spelled Cris Carter.
I really think no more needs to be said its just a pissing contest now, and ANYONE who thinks Curtis Martin isn't HOF worthy or that Bettis is a more accomplished RUNNING BACK is stupid plain and simple, just look at his stats after 2002 at this point he was no more than a glorified goal line back.. thats it (spare 2004 when he rushed for 941yds, the same year Martin lead the league) and I have nothing but love for the Bus untill crazy notions that he is in some way a better more deserving football player than Curtis Martin start swirling about, ridiculous...
I thought that it would be unusual for the PFHOF to induct 2 players of the same position in the same year.
I've heard it on national radio shows.....saying he belongs in the "Hall of Very Good". He is viewed by some as a compiler. To be clear, I totally disagree. However, if the sentiment is out there (even by a small minority) , it means he is not a slam dunk first-ballot. Even as a Jet fan, I think I would have a hard time voting him as a first ballot. Great player...definite HOFer, but not one of the greatest of all time (i.e. 1st ballot). EDIT - It is actually somewhat similar to the thinking keeping Klecko out of the HOF. It isn't a question of how good he was, it is how is perceived by the public and media.
I know that you disagree with it, but why do you think those radio people called Martin a compiler? The term is really a baseball term and it is used to describe guys like Don Sutton and Phil Niekro. They were never really great, but were usually always pretty good and they hung around long enough to put up impressive career totals. It is hard to call Martin a compiler considering he only played 11 years. Bettis played in two more seasons and 24 more regular season games than did Martin. Yet Martin still had 2,319 more career scrimmage yards. Statistically speaking, Martin was more outstanding than Bettis in less action, so if Martin is to be called a compiler, then Bettis deserves a worse derogatory term.
The perception around Bettis is going to give him an edge i.m.o.That includes the s.b. ring. If Martin was a sure fire first ballot this thread wouldn't exist.
I still think he is going to be a first ballot, I mean he will be get in which is ultimately the most important thing
All those guys will be in before him. Bettis has the SB and he was a steeler. He'll be in before Martin.
I think it is what I said earlier about never being viewed as the best RB in the league. If you look at the seasons he played, there was always somebody that was viewed as better ("viewed" being the operative word): 1995: Smith, Sanders 1996: Watters, Davis, George, Smith, Sanders 1997: Davis, Bettis, George, Sanders 1998: Anderson, Davis, George, Sanders 1999: James, George, Faulk 2000: James, George 2001: Holmes, Green, Faulk 2002: Williams, Tomlinson, Holmes 2003: Tomlinson, Williams, Green, Lewis 2004: James, Barber (even when he led the league in rushing, he wasn't viewed as the best RB) 2005: Johnson, James, Barber, Alexander, Tomlinson I'm not saying that all of these guys are better, but I think they were viewed to be. Clearly this is an arguable point....but he just isn't recognized nationally the way other RBs are viewed. In the time he played Smith, Sanders, Davis, George, Faulk, Tomlinson, James, and Johnson were all considered better at one point or another. Martin's plus is that he was among the top 3-10 running backs for 11 years running. But since he was never THE best, he is kinda smacked with the compiler label.
I definately think Martin is first ballot. Bettis admitted that he fake an injury so that the Steelers wouldn't cut him. But I think Faulk will go first and they will put either Chris Carter or Shannon Sharpe in next year. Martin should be a shoo in the following two years when it will be lean.
Who said he wasn't "viewed" as the best RB that year??? Martin was 1st team All-NFL in 2004. The various All-NFL (aka All-Pro) selection services (AP, PFW, TSN) include many of the same people who vote on the potential Hall of Famers. They decided Martin was one of the top two backs in 2004 (and also 2001). The opinion of some nitwit in section 230 in Heinz Field or some a'hole on a message board is not the issue here.
