So I guess it's okay to talk about the NFL. ESPN.com recently released a list of the 50 most likely current NFL players to make the Hall of Fame, as well as 10 guys on the bubble. For the most part, the list was pretty good. (The complete list can be found here, while there are also sections of 10 players at a time with explanations as to why the players were chosen.)
There was only one Eagle in the top 50, which honestly sounds about right. Anyone who really follows the NFL knows that the lone Iggle is not Donovan McNabb (he was listed as "On the bubble"). No, it is none other than Brian Dawkins, a man who is indeed a shoo in for the Hall. Destined to go down as one of the best safeties of all time, Dawk was number 25 on the list, with number 1 (Brett Favre) being the most deserving.
As for McNabb being on the bubble, I can't say I disagree. He certainly has Hall of Fame talent, but recent injuries and a certain elusive piece of gaudy jewelry might be blocking his path. That being said, he still has a few good years left and I'm confident Donovan will find his way into Canton.
My biggest complaint? Where's Brian Westbrook? I'm certainly not saying he's a shoo in for the Hall, but I do think he at least deserves bubble consideration. He's one of the most dynamic talents in the league, capable of taking the ball to the house any time he touches it, and last year he proved he can shoulder a full workload over the course of a season.
His career stats are pretty darn good - and bear in mind, he's only going to turn 28 in September. He has 3,452 career rushing yards on 736 attempts, giving him a very good 4.7 yards per carry. He has also recorded 20 rushing TDs. In addition, he has 2,436 receiving yards on 257 catches, with an average of 9.5 yards per catch to go along with 18 TDs.
Take away his rookie season, when he only gained 277 total yards (Duce Staley was still a Philly fixture at that point) and his per season totals (4 seasons) look like this: 815 rushing yards on 173 attempts for 4.7 yards per carry with 5 rushing TDs. 62 receptions a year for 588 yards and 4.5 TDs. So that's 1,400+ total yards a season with about 10 TDs a year. That's pretty darn good. Oh, and over the last 4 years, he's only got three fumbles. That is not a typo. Three. In Tiki Barber's first 4 seasons a feature back, he had 27 fumbles. Twenty. Fucking. Seven. That's a lot more than three.
And last year was Westbrook's best season by far. He gained 1,916 total yards (1,217 rushing, averaging 5.1 yards per carry) and scored 11 touchdowns. One must assume he is capable of replicating those numbers for at least three more years. If that doesn't make him Hall worthy, I don't know what does. Only time will tell, but at his current pace, I think Westbrook deserves legitimate Canton consideration.
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When ESPN compared McNabb to Ron and Cunniham, mCnABB already tops them in all stats, I beleieve it is the fact that the city is so hungry for a championship, and the fact that Mcnabb can't get us there puts him on the bubble for the hall of fame. When iun fact we would have no problem accepting Ron or Randall in the hall. Let's wait five years when Kevin Kalb is Qing and see how much we will certainly miss our McNabb.
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