Good Luck Eli Manning

[MrGap92]

I think those guys are listed for comparison purposes of all the 1st time eligible guys.  I think LeSean McCoy falls in the same category. 

I don't think the 33rd is by any stretch suggesting any of those guys belong in the HOF.

I understand, but I feel like mentioning them does at least suggest it some, if they aren't deserving, i feel there should not be a mention to begin with, cause it isnt like they are mentioning Kelvin Benjamin, Bishop Sankey or Ted Ginn as eligible, they all retired the same year.

I just feel the HoF has lost some of its prestige.

[Gmo11]

I understand, but I feel like mentioning them does at least suggest it some, if they aren't deserving, i feel there should not be a mention to begin with, cause it isnt like they are mentioning Kelvin Benjamin, Bishop Sankey or Ted Ginn as eligible, they all retired the same year.

I just feel the HoF has lost some of its prestige.

It certainly lost some credibility last night.  If Eli Manning isn't hall of fame worthy then they can go ahead and remove Troy Aikman too. 

[LennG]

as much as we may like it, Eli will have a tough time getting in for the next 5 years, with several 'automatic' guys coming up.

[kingm56]

as much as we may like it, Eli will have a tough time getting in for the next 5 years, with several 'automatic' guys coming up.

I agree, Lenn. I thought this was his best shot; contemporaries like Brees, Brady, and Big Ben will become eligible over the next few seasons. It's going to be tough to put Eli in over these candidates.

[DaveBrown74]

The "1st ballot" argument is the dumbest part of all of this.  Is the guy a hall of famer in 5 years having played no football between then and now?  If the answer is yes, then he's a hall of famer now! If you don't think he's worthy now, then don't vote for him in 5 or 10 years either.  It's absurd to me to think there's a difference between 1st ballot hall of famer and just a regular hall of famer.

We normally agree on most subjects GMO, but I don't fully agree with this. I think it is perfectly plausible to have different levels within the Hall of Fame. You have your Bradys, your Jim Browns, your Dick Butkuses, your LTs..  guys who are true luminaries of the game. Those are the guys the first ballot is for.

Then you have guys who are absolutely worthy of the Hall but are not quite in that level. That is Eli. And that is plenty of others who are in. I don't think there is anything absurd about that.

It's true in other sports too. Is it not fair to say there is a clear big difference between Babe Ruth and Scott Rolen? Both are Hall of Famers. Are they not on clear, different planes though?

[Topshelf21]

I'd like him to get it because I believe he deserves it, but he'll always be OUR Eli regardless.

He's the gift we were given and I'll go to my grave knowing he's Big Blue always and forever!

I route for the laundry & not the name on the back of the shirt....but he's the man with the last name that did what no one else has, and no one else ever will do.

We're lucky to have had this man represent us!

He'll get in, but if he doesn't, the voting for the hall of fame is a farce.

[Gman329]

I blame the Giants for putting such a shitty team around him for too many years, particularly the OL. 

[uconnjack8]

I always look at a couple of things for HOF, one is whether a player was the best or among the best at his position for a period.  When removing my blue glasses I can see Eli was never considered a top 3 QB (maybe even top 5) during his career. 

Not sure that perception will change among voters

[DaveBrown74]

I blame the Giants for putting such a shitty team around him for too many years, particularly the OL. 

Was it really that bad of a team? It was in Eli's last 2-3 years, and I would agree that the line was an issue from 2013 onward, but it was a great line before that, and he generally had good if not great defenses, running backs, receivers, and tight ends.

I'm a big Eli fan, but I do not think it is close to accurate to say that the rosters around him were bad overall throughout his career. In fact, before your post I don't think I have ever heard a single person, even the most blue-goggled Giants fan, make such a claim.

[PSUBeirut]

I know it's an unpopular opinion among Giants fans, but I don't think comparatively speaking with modern QBs that Eli deserves to get in anytime soon, if at all.  2 magical runs + longevity don't necessarily cut it, for as much as I love the guy. 

[Trench]

Was it really that bad of a team? It was in Eli's last 2-3 years, and I would agree that the line was an issue from 2013 onward, but it was a great line before that, and he generally had good if not great defenses, running backs, receivers, and tight ends.

I'm a big Eli fan, but I do not think it is close to accurate to say that the rosters around him were bad overall throughout his career. In fact, before your post I don't think I have ever heard a single person, even the most blue-goggled Giants fan, make such a claim.

I read somewhere that Eli Super Bowl teams had defenses ranked down in the 20s among all teams. If that's true it adds to his position

[Gman329]

Was it really that bad of a team? It was in Eli's last 2-3 years, and I would agree that the line was an issue from 2013 onward, but it was a great line before that, and he generally had good if not great defenses, running backs, receivers, and tight ends.

I'm a big Eli fan, but I do not think it is close to accurate to say that the rosters around him were bad overall throughout his career. In fact, before your post I don't think I have ever heard a single person, even the most blue-goggled Giants fan, make such a claim.

From 2013 onward represent his last five or six years - that's a lot of career!  Had they been able to field a better team around Eli in those years, especially OL, I think he would have made it this year. 

[Shoelessjoe]

They say that 2 Super Bowl runs, 8 games, don't make you HOF-worthy.

Then how do you reconcile the fact that Joe Nameth is in the HOF with a 64-61-1 record as a starter, who threw 173 touchdowns and 220 interceptions? The answer is Super Bowl III and only Super Bowl III.

[Gmo11]

We normally agree on most subjects GMO, but I don't fully agree with this. I think it is perfectly plausible to have different levels within the Hall of Fame. You have your Bradys, your Jim Browns, your Dick Butkuses, your LTs..  guys who are true luminaries of the game. Those are the guys the first ballot is for.

Then you have guys who are absolutely worthy of the Hall but are not quite in that level. That is Eli. And that is plenty of others who are in. I don't think there is anything absurd about that.

It's true in other sports too. Is it not fair to say there is a clear big difference between Babe Ruth and Scott Rolen? Both are Hall of Famers. Are they not on clear, different planes though?

But they don't have separate rooms or hallways to distinguish the Tom Brady's from Troy Aikman's of the world do they?  There's not a section where it says "these guys were hall of famers but not GREAT hall of famers". Or a sign that says see the best of the best over in the east wing.  It's just a museum. Once you're in you're a hall of famer.  One of the greats.  I understand that Eli isn't Tom Brady or even his brother in terms of skill, but he's a hall of famer nonetheless.

If a person is under the wrong impression that Eli doesn't belong in the hall of fame that's one thing.  But if you're going to vote for him next year or 5 years from now and didn't vote for him this year I think it's silly posturing.  But that's just me.

[DaveBrown74]

But they don't have separate rooms or hallways to distinguish the Tom Brady's from Troy Aikman's of the world do they?  There's not a section where it says "these guys were hall of famers but not GREAT hall of famers". Or a sign that says see the best of the best over in the east wing.  It's just a museum. Once you're in you're a hall of famer.  One of the greats.  I understand that Eli isn't Tom Brady or even his brother in terms of skill, but he's a hall of famer nonetheless.

If a person is under the wrong impression that Eli doesn't belong in the hall of fame that's one thing.  But if you're going to vote for him next year or 5 years from now and didn't vote for him this year I think it's silly posturing.  But that's just me.

I totally get what you're saying. The Hall is the Hall. I agree. I just think some of these writers are reluctant to vote for guys in year one who aren't in that top level, Brady/Montana/LT type status, which Eli is not. I get your point, but this is always how it's been.

Keeping in mind that they can only let in a max of five per year, I sort of get it myself.