Marshall Goldberg, Emmitt Thomas Named Pro Football Hall of Fame Senior Nominees
by 
David Kindervater on August 23rd, 2007
Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
It seems like I just left the 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony (it was about three weeks ago), but next year’s class is already being discussed. Today, Chicago Cardinals back Marshall Goldberg and Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Emmitt Thomas were selected by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Seniors Committee as finalists for election into the Hall of Fame with the Class of 2008. The duo will join 15 still-to-be-named modern-era candidates on the list of finalists from which the Class of 2008 will be selected. The Hall of Fame selection meeting will be held on February 2, 2008, the day before Super Bowl XLII in Arizona. To be elected, Marshall Goldberg and Emmitt Thomas must each receive the same 80% voting support that is required of all finalists. The Hall’s Board of Selectors can elect a maximum of two senior candidates and five modern-era candidates for a class no smaller than four or larger than seven during next February’s meeting.
Tags: emmitt_thomas, kansas_city_chiefs, marshall_goldberg, pro_football_hall_of_fame| 2.5 |
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13 opinions for Marshall Goldberg, Emmitt Thomas Named Pro Football Hall of Fame Senior Nominees
Pro Football Hall of Fame Announces Nominations for Class of 2008
Oct 30, 2007 at 8:09 pm
[…] The final list for Hall of Fame consideration will consist of those 15 modern-era nominees plus two previously announced senior nominees, Marshall Goldberg and Emmitt […]
Nov 19, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Sheila Rhodes and Ken Stabler belong in the
hall of fame now.
Nov 26, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Neither Marshall Goldberg nor Emmitt Thomas belong in the HoF — terrible choices both to put forth. Re Goldberg: he played 8 years, about half of it during WWII against a depleted talent pool. And even then, his numbers look like Hall of the Very Good, and that is being really charitable. He never was a first team all pro and is not on any all decade teams (there was no pro bowl back then). And he had already come up as a Seniors candidate in 1979 and was voted down. Why choose him when they could have picked 40s linemen Al Wistert or Riley Matheson, both named to several all pro teams? Or 20s lineman Duke Slater, a fine player whose career was hurt as badly by racism as that of Fritz Pollard? Or 20s end Lavie Dilweg? Or if they needed a back, why not Dilweg’s teammate Verne Lewellen?
More re Thomas shortly.
Nov 26, 2007 at 6:54 pm
Re Emmitt Thomas: please tell me why Thomas was chosen ahead of other DBs who are equally or more deserving, including (deep breath) Cliff Harris, Johnny Robinson, Lemar Parrish, Bobby Dillon, Bob Boyd, Abe Woodson, Jack Butler, and Jim Patton. Sure, Thomas has lots of interceptions — but so do Robinson and Boyd. Thomas was an all pro twice, but except for Robinson, who spent almost all his career in the AFL, every one of these players made more such teams: Parrish and Butler 3, Boyd, Harris, and Woodson 4, Patton and Dillon 5. If you compare pro bowl appearances (or AFL equivalents), Thomas has 5 but so do Woodson and Patton, while Harris has 6, Robinson has 7, and Parrish 8. Dillon has 4. Butler also has 4 and Boyd only 2, but both are on their respective all-decade teams. And lots of INTs can mean several things, from the good (like a good cover guy with a good nose for the ball) to the bad (like a guy who gets thrown on a lot because he’s the weakest DB or a gambling cover guy who gets lots of picks but also gets toasted for big gainers and TDs). What I’ve seen written about Thomas suggests he was likely the gambling coverage DB type. I don’t get this choice, either.
Nov 26, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Ken Stabler isn’t eligible as a Senior’s candidate yet. As far as I can tell, he’s got two more years of regular candidacy left.
But I don’t see that Stabler is any better than a bubble candidate at best. Stabler had about 4 great years surrounded by about 11 mediocre to bad years. I’d sooner see Ken Anderson get in.
Feb 2, 2008 at 8:54 pm
dude, you have to be kidding me . Emmitt Thomas made the AFL defense what it became, he played legt defense. played it well, did not use stickium, coached at various levels of play, : He could play man to man with the best of them. Whatever the best player , Emmitt took him . Man Emmitt coud play some d…
Feb 3, 2008 at 8:21 pm
johhny j:
No dude, not kidding you. Would you care to address the points made above directly instead of playing cheerleader with vague observations? Why does Emmitt Thomas belong in the HoF ahead of Cliff Harris, Johnny Robinson, Lemar Parrish, Bobby Dillon, Bob Boyd, Abe Woodson, Jack Butler, and Jim Patton? BTW, coaching doesn’t enter into it here.
Feb 4, 2008 at 1:56 pm
To bachslunch,
I am very disappointed in your comments regarding Emmitt Thomas being selected to the Hall of Fame. However it shows that you are not as football oriented as you think you are. Emmitt is very deserving of this award. You need to check the stats and do some long research.
I am very proud to have known Emmitt Thomas and he is one of the best that played the came.
Not only was he an excellent cornerback, he also was a great coach.
Debra Thomas Jones-Williams
West Columbia, Texas
PS: Congragulation to Emmitt Thomas!!!
Feb 4, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Debra–
Please tell me which stats for Thomas I need to check besides these:
–2 first team all pro selections (1974, 1975)
–5 pro bowls (1968, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975)
–no all decade team memberships
In the post above, I’ve compared Thomas’s numbers on these parameters to Cliff Harris, Abe Woodson, Jim Patton, Johnny Robinson, Bob Boyd, Lemar Parrish, Bobby Dillon, and Jack Butler. Would you please explain to me why he’s more deserving than all of them?
–currently 9th all time in interceptions (58)
If interceptions are so important, please tell me why Dick LeBeau, Dave Brown, and Ken Riley aren’t more deserving since they have more interceptions than Thomas. And please tell me why seemingly very deserving DBs like Jack Christiansen, Herb Adderley, Mike Haynes, Jim Johnson, Ken Houston, Willie Wood, and Roger Wehrli, all of whom have fewer INTs, are in the HoF?
Please also explain why you think I am not “football oriented.” And please describe in detail what made Thomas an excellent cornerback. I’m happy to be enlightened using in particular all the numbers in good context you can.
Feb 5, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Debra–
You also said:
“I am very disappointed in your comments regarding Emmitt Thomas being selected to the Hall of Fame.”
In fact, my observations regarding Thomas on this thread date back to November, well before his election in February. So my comments are actually not regarding his “being selected to the Hall of Fame” — they were made well before then. For whatever reason, johhny j decided to dredge up my 2+ month old post on the day Thomas got elected and squawk about it. Feel free to complain to him about the circumstance if you like.
Apr 5, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Emmitt Thomas was an excellent player and rightfully so belongs in the HOF; I’m just disappointed that the greatest Giants Defensive back, Jim Patton is not in the HOF; his numbers are equal to those of Thomas’s. I watched Jimmy Patton when I was young; he was all over the field, hit hard when tackling his foe in the open field, had great hands receiving kickoffs, punts, and was great intercepting passes. It’s a travesty that he has not been elected to the HOF up to now. I just hope the Senior Committee brings his name up again and really delve into his playing days and his greatness with the New York Giants.
Apr 18, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Thomas was a great athlete, but Johnny Robinson was the AFL’s All Time Safety as selected by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was also selected by the HOF to the All Decade Team of the 60’s. Check out the names on that team. Full of HOFers. Robinson redefined the role of safety in professional football. His own coach Hank Stram lobbied for him to be in the HOF. Sadly, Coach Stram passed away. Johnny Robinson was so valuable to the Chiefs that on their own HOF website for him they state that the Chiefs were 35-1-1 when Robinson made an interception in the game. That is a “Real” impact player. Also, Robinson ony played safety for ten of his twelve year career. He accomplished a great deal in that time helping his team win 8 division titles, 3 league championships, two Super Bowl appearences with one Super Bowl Championship. Yes Thomas should have a place someday, but not before Robinson who paid his dues.
May 9, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Emmitt Thomas, in the mid 1970s, was clearly the best cornerback in the NFL at that time…a much, MUCH better DB than the slow footed Cliff Harris. Harris just screamed more than other players. So, he was seen more on those Cowboys teams.
I remember Emmitt Thomas intercepting 12 passes in 1974, even as the once great Chiefs began to get old. So, despite not having any pass rush that year, Thomas seem to catch as many balls (if not more) than the receivers he defended.
The list of guys he had to take on that year: Fred Belitnikoff, Cliff Branch, Paul Warfield, Isaac Curtis, Mel Gray, John Gilliam, etc, etc., some of the best ever.
If you are stupid enough to think that Thomas does not belong in the Hall, YOU TRY COVERING THE AFOREMENTIONED!
Thomas could run a 4.3 40 year yard dash in 1974! Most corners TODAY are not THAT fast. Cliff Harris would have a heart attack back then if he even tried! Harris would be dead right now.
But the reason why it does not matter; the reason why the NFL Hall of Fame is a complete farce with zero credibility is the omission of one of one of Thomas’ teammates: Otis Taylor.
If there was a player that resembled Julius Erving or Roberto Clemente in pro football, it was Taylor. He was (according to every other wide receiver of his era in the late sixties and early seventies…the guys who compared his game to theirs) the best in the game…period.
He is likely one of the five top receivers in the entire history of pro football. His stats lie like a con-man cause the Chiefs had an offensive line that would (literally) move a United States tank battallion….they ran the football all day long.
Otis Taylor was better than Terrell Owens or Michael Irvin or Lynn Swann or John Stallworth. He was a combination of Jerry Rice and Kellen Winslow…yup, THIS guy is not in the Hall of Shame!
That’s how good he was. And, because of some geeky stat nerds that know nothing about football, one of the greatest if not the very best receiver ever is NOT in the “Hall of Shame.”
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is a joke. It’s their loss if guys like Otis Taylor are not in.
Most guys that played against him or saw him play….Most coaches like John Madden….would have voted Taylor in 25 years ago.
Bottom line: Don’t lose any sleep over this disgrace of an organization.
They don’t know what they are doing. Your mom or 5 year old daughter knows more about the game.
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