TAMPA -- When the 44 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors get together Saturday to choose the Class of 2009, the most hotly contested candidate is likely to be Cris Carter.
One Hall of Fame voter told me that there are a few people in the room who will be adamantly opposed to Carter, on the grounds that (in these voters' minds) he was basically just a possession receiver who lacked deep speed and big play ability. There are also voters who argue that Carter (who played three seasons with the Eagles, 12 with the Vikings and one with the Dolphins) was never the best wide receiver in football and for much of his career was not even the best wide receiver on his own team.
That's a minority viewpoint; the majority of Hall of Fame voters will argue on Saturday that Carter is worthy. But candidates need at least 80 percent of the vote to get selected, so all it takes is nine voters who take a negative view of Carter, and he's out of luck.
Carter's raw numbers are solid: he had 1,101 catches, putting him third on the all-time list, his 130 receiving touchdowns are good for fourth all time, and his 13,899 receiving yards ranks seventh in NFL history. But those numbers also point to one of the problems for Carter, according to the voter I talked to: Every year, the numbers look less impressive as more active wide receivers pass him.
Carter was voted down last year when he was second all-time in catches, third in touchdowns and sixth in yards. In 2008 Marvin Harrison passed Carter in catches, Randy Moss passed him in touchdowns and Terrell Owens passed him in yards. Seeing Carter drop in the all-time rankings might embolden some of the voters who were opposed to his candidacy a year ago.
Ultimately, I believe Carter will one day get a bust in Canton. My only question is whether it's going to happen for him this year, or whether he will, like Art Monk before him, be the wide receiver who spends a decade as a bridesmaid before the Hall of Fame voters make him a bride.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
1-27-2009 @ 6:50AM
Mike said...
Cris Carter was good for a long time, but is good for a long time enough to make someone a Hall of Famer? Carter wasn't a game changer and wasn't the best wide receiver in the NFL.
Reply
1-27-2009 @ 7:21AM
lelkell said...
The way a man conducted himself off the field should be taken into consideration also. Let's see, Randy Moss, Marvin Harrison, and Terrell Owens all passed him in one area or another. Those guys will probably all be in the hall one day. And I wouldn't say that they don't deserve to be. But they have all had off field issues that take away from a TEAM. I don't remember Chris Carter having these issues. Let him in....
Reply
1-27-2009 @ 8:05AM
Robert said...
He was a drunk that is why Buddy Ryan got rid of him from the eagles.
1-27-2009 @ 7:31AM
jyankeehater1 said...
First of all , you can't compare recievers in todays game with those of years past.Thanks to the "rule " changes implied after the constant whining from the Indianapolis Colts and rules comittee head JIM irsay,the game just isn't the same.What I find hilarious is sports writers voting to elect players .Most if not all, have never played or even came close to sniffing the field.It's been past due to put the voting into the hasnds of credible voters who niether have an agenda or an axe to grind.Carter is a hall of famer ,all these writers have to do is ask his peers and former players .They actually have a clue .
Reply
1-27-2009 @ 7:49AM
BlueStarDude said...
I'm borderline on Carter, but with only seven players max allowed to go in, I don't think he should go in this year for sure. Here's who I have:
Rod Woodson
Bruce Smith
Bob Hayes
Randall McDaniel
Dermontti Dawson
Shannnon Sharpe
and
Derrick Thomas, Charles Haley, or Richard Dent
Reply
1-27-2009 @ 9:10AM
Skrying said...
Shocking that Chris Carter could get passed up when he is up there in every major category. Here's something, ask his team mates if he doesn't deserve it. Take it a step further; ask Randy Moss how important Chris Carter was to him. I think the Hall of Fame voters would have an easier time then.
Chris Carter never even played with what could be considered a great quarterback, yet his numbers were always near or tops in the league. he always, always put up massive scoring numbers. The guy who did nothing but score for you, in a game about scoring. Seems rather ironic then that he'd have an issue getting in.
Reply
1-27-2009 @ 9:48AM
Brenda McConnell said...
OHHHHHH, now I understand why he made his comment about TO---"they should just put a bullet in him" (or something to that effect). TO passed him in total yards hehehe. Hardly a comment for a hopeful HOFamer to make!!
Have a great day,
Brenda (Go Cowboys)
Reply
1-27-2009 @ 10:03AM
gwm4gbmnova said...
Originally, I liked Cris Carter. But, after seeing him on TV for 2 years, NOPE! I'm sure he'll get in and we'll all have to hear the b.s. congrats.... but he sucks.
Reply
1-29-2009 @ 6:29PM
LeVan said...
what tv got to do with him secound to jerry rice , got good hands and can block. dont hate the game. u need to watch his game. come on read his stats.there is no reciever thats playing right now still not better than criss.
1-27-2009 @ 11:53AM
richcantwell109 said...
Having seen both Chris Carter & Michael Irvin play throughout their careers, I think they were equal in talent. Irvin is in with all his off-field stuff, so Carter should definitely be in. If you let in one mediocre guy, why not his equal. Numbers aren't everything, and Irvin was NOT THE BEST RECEIVER EITHER. A criteria that is very stupid! I guess it took Art Monk so long because he played during Jerry Rice's career. ABSURD!!
Reply
1-27-2009 @ 11:58AM
JJ The Third said...
If you're anti-Chris Carter, you have to be anti-Curtis Martin. Martin is the fourth all-time leading rusher yet he "wasn't the best running back in the league" at any point. Even when he won the rushing title in 2004, Sbaun Alexander was in his hey day and Priest Holmes was the best back in football for the half-season he played that year.
I don't know about you, but I'd put both Carter and Martin in the HOF...
Reply
1-27-2009 @ 8:55PM
rharrigfeld124 said...
Whether you think Carter is or isn't a Hall of Famer doesn't really matter. To me, it's far more interesting to see that there is not 1 single current or former coach or player on the selection committee, which to me, says that the Hall is a Joke!!! Nerdy Sportswriters, the majority of whom have never set foot on a football field as a player on any level, should not be making the selections for the NFL Hall of Fame! That Job should go to former players and coaches- PERIOD!!!
Reply
1-27-2009 @ 10:49PM
lelkell said...
Yeah, Buddy Ryan was quite the coach. Last time I saw him he was acting like he was trying to punch Kevin Gilbride. Fortunately for him (and he knew it) he was restrained by others. Gilbride would or should I say could have crushed him. Buddy was a joke. Ask Chris Carter...
Reply
1-28-2009 @ 12:42AM
junnie said...
let him in he did have off field problems too
Reply
1-28-2009 @ 12:47AM
YouFaceTheTick said...
Doesn't deserve it but they let anyone in now. Hell that dumb crackhead Irvin got in...
Reply
1-28-2009 @ 12:49AM
YouFaceTheTick said...
Why? What puts Martin on the HOF? What did he do that changed the game? How was he a major impact player? He was steady and reliable... that's not a qualification.
FWIW, Tiki better not sniff the HOF.
Reply
1-28-2009 @ 8:30PM
brownpride57 said...
all chris carter had was a big mouth like he has now so nothings changed with him,and when he is on one of the sports talk shows he just comes off as an ingrate cause he never was good enough like the rices and the swanns,well i know you get my drift to lift his team and take them to the promise land,he doesnt deserve to be in the hall he just sucks big time
Reply
1-30-2009 @ 1:10PM
LeVan said...
i hope u are not a clevenland brown fan . because there are not one reciver out there was better then criss carter. hey may have a big mouth but he back it up.i tell u again look at criss stats.
1-29-2009 @ 1:19PM
LeVan said...
he was the best . he even made randy moss look good. i dont think the vikeing will never have a reciever better than criss carter. he should been in the hall of fame.i have been a vikeing fan since jo kapp.
Reply
1-29-2009 @ 1:25PM
LeVan said...
look at number between swann and carter. swann years with the steelers and criss carter years with vikes. the only way swann got in the hall of fame because they won the super bowl. the numbers show that criss carter belongs in the hall of fame.
Reply