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Zach Thomas - HOF

Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:22 pm
Posted by ChiSaint
Silicon Valley, CA
Member since Feb 2008
375 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:22 pm
Why isn't Zach Thomas in the HOF? His accolades include:

5× First-team All-Pro (1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006)
2× Second-team All-Pro (2001, 2005)
7× Pro Bowl (1999–2003, 2005, 2006)
AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year (1996)
2× NFL Alumni Linebacker of the Year (1998, 2006)
NFL 2000s All-Decade Team

Compare that to Urlacher, who was a first ballot HOFer. Hell, Thomas was 1st Team All Pro over Ray Lewis a couple of times. Yet gets nowhere near the same love.

Thomas was basically a top 3 ILB in the league for a 7 year stretch. And yet we live in a world where a Phillip Rivers or Matt Ryan will probably make the HOF quicker than Thomas.
Posted by Caymus
Houston
Member since Jul 2015
1213 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:25 pm to
No rings no early fame.
Posted by saintsfan22
baton rouge
Member since May 2006
80006 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:25 pm to
quote:

Compare that to Urlacher, who was a first ballot HOFer. Hell, Thomas was 1st Team All Pro over Ray Lewis a couple of times. Yet gets nowhere near the same love.


Because he wasn't as good
Posted by ThePTExperience1969
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Apr 2016
13360 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:38 pm to
quote:

Why isn't Zach Thomas in the HOF?


Why isn't Ken Anderson in the HOF?
Posted by 1BamaRTR
In Your Head Blvd
Member since Apr 2015
24793 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:39 pm to
Because Bengals aren’t a big market team. Also no rings doesn’t help

For those who don’t know. You can see who I’m responding to here
quote:

re: Zach Thomas - HOFPosted on 4/28/21 at 1:39 pm to ThePTExperience1969
This post was edited on 4/28/21 at 3:28 pm
Posted by stlslick
St.Louis,Mo
Member since Nov 2012
14879 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:40 pm to
I really thought he was grossly overrated at the position, and as a player.


Posted by wildtigercat93
Member since Jul 2011
116066 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:42 pm to
quote:

Because Bengals aren’t a big market team.


I’m trying to figure out how the Bengals fit into this equation when he never played for them
Posted by 1BamaRTR
In Your Head Blvd
Member since Apr 2015
24793 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:44 pm to
quote:

I’m trying to figure out how the Bengals fit into this equation when he never played for them

I was responding to the Ken Anderson comment
Posted by KosmoCramer
Member since Dec 2007
80393 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:44 pm to
quote:

I’m trying to figure out how the Bengals fit into this equation when he never played for them


u need to learn how ppl respond on dis site. it would be easier if they just use the @ feature like @mister perfect has been suggesting for a while fr 100

he waz talkin about kenny anderson bro fr
Posted by ChiSaint
Silicon Valley, CA
Member since Feb 2008
375 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 1:59 pm to
quote:

Why isn't Ken Anderson in the HOF?


Is it really fair to compare a dude who made one first team all-pro team with a dude who made 5? Look at guys who have made the HOF recently and let me know how many were all pro five or more times.
Posted by wildtigercat93
Member since Jul 2011
116066 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 2:00 pm to
Ahh my bad I completely missed that
Posted by wildtigercat93
Member since Jul 2011
116066 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 2:01 pm to
quote:

Is it really fair to compare a dude who made one first team all-pro team with a dude who made 5?


Well making an all pro team as a line backer is infinitely easier to do than it is as a QB
Posted by ThePTExperience1969
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Apr 2016
13360 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 2:01 pm to
Why isn't Everson Walls in the HOF?

Why isn't Sam Mills in the HOF?

Why isn't Deron Cherry in the HOF?
Posted by ReauxlTide222
St. Petersburg
Member since Nov 2010
90558 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 2:03 pm to
quote:

No rings no early fame.
No rings?

He was a damn linebacker
Posted by ThePTExperience1969
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Apr 2016
13360 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 2:13 pm to
You put Thomas on the Ravens with all the talent they had at all 3 levels on the D, he wins a ring like Ray did, both were simply awesome and productive MIKE linebackers
Posted by ChiSaint
Silicon Valley, CA
Member since Feb 2008
375 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 2:43 pm to
quote:

Why isn't Everson Walls in the HOF?

Why isn't Sam Mills in the HOF?

Why isn't Deron Cherry in the HOF


Cherry is the only one of those guys with a resume even close to Thomas and still doesn't quite stack up.

I just am having a hard time thinking of another player who is a 7 time all pro and isn't in the Hall. Particularly when his contemporaries, Lewis and Urlacher, were both first ballot. And before you say, well Urlacher and Lewis were clearly much better players, the same media who votes for the HOF also deemed Thomas to be an equal or better player than Lewis or Urlacher for several years based on all-pro voting.
Posted by ThePTExperience1969
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Apr 2016
13360 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 2:50 pm to
quote:

And before you say, well Urlacher and Lewis were clearly much better players, the same media who votes for the HOF also deemed Thomas to be an equal or better player than Lewis or Urlacher for several years based on all-pro voting.



If Thomas was surrounded by the equivalent talent which surrounded Urlacher and Lewis, no doubt he gets in, the Dolphins simply weren't a great team during that time and weren't making noise in the playoffs and that reflects the lack of supporting talent for Thomas comparatively, he was fricked over
This post was edited on 4/28/21 at 3:05 pm
Posted by saintsfan22
baton rouge
Member since May 2006
80006 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 3:01 pm to
quote:

and that reflects the lack of supporting talent for Thomas comparatively, he was fricked over

It wasn't the 2000 Ravens but he did play with a HOF defender his whole career. Surtain and Sam Madison were multi-time probowlers as well. Their offense was pretty random but so was the Ravens.
Posted by LSU82BILL
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Member since Sep 2006
10938 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 3:07 pm to
quote:

Because he wasn't as good


bullshite.

Urlacher played in a bigger market, was the best player on that team and had tons of endorsements. Zach Thomas spent his entire career in the shadows of Dan Marino and Jason Taylor.

Only two LB's in NFL history have more combined tackles than Zach Thomas - Ray Lewis and Junior Seau. He was a production machine. Urlacher had the gift of media hype. Even after winning the DPOY award, he was ranked the 2nd most overrated player in the league by his peers.
Posted by ThePTExperience1969
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Apr 2016
13360 posts
Posted on 4/28/21 at 3:12 pm to
quote:

It wasn't the 2000 Ravens but he did play with a HOF defender his whole career. Surtain and Sam Madison were multi-time probowlers as well. Their offense was pretty random but so was the Ravens.


You switch players with teams does Lewis make the HOF? Moreover, postseason success helped Lewis and Urlacher along with them being the standouts of generational defenses, unfortunately Thomas wasn't blessed with that much and that's part of why (if not hugely why) he's waiting on the doorsteps.
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