Nominees for the WDZ Ring of Honor

[Saint ATN 8,373]

So David are we going to do this as a poll with the names?

[David 195]

Yes exactly, checkbox style with multiples so we can get the top 15 most mutually agreed upon players.

[Haplo 35]

Interesting idea. In my mind a ring of honor is for retired players (for some specified amount of time?) Just a thought.

 

I picked my 5 players with this in mind, in no particular order:

 

Deuce

Hollywood

Mills

Rickey Jackson

Dalton Hilliard

 

 

[nolaspe 4,061]

6 hours ago, billyc said:

For the hell of it, lets start a ring of shame.

I'll kick it off.

1. Jason David

2. Brandon Browner

3. Johnathan Sullivan

4. All the Billy Joes

5. Mike Ditka

Top that!

You left off a certain punter turned career criminal...

[Dru 3,593]

Russell Erxleben

Shawn Knight

Albert Connell

Kendyl Jacox

Tebucky Jones

Gravy Jackson

[Dru 3,593]

4 minutes ago, billyc said:

Who can tell me what albert connell IS Infamous fOr?

 

Stealing cash money out of a young Deuce McAllister's locker.  To the tune of over $1,000 if I recall correctly.  His teammate no less.

[nolaspe 4,061]

Add Alex Molden and Je'Rod Cherry too... 

[nolaspe 4,061]

51 minutes ago, billyc said:

You got me thinking hard but I'm drawing a blank.

R. Erxleben, plus the ring of shame could go 'round the terlet bowl in the bathroom at Ms. Mae's...

Edited March 4, 2016 by nolaspe

[faceman 5,814]

39 minutes ago, nolaspe said:

Add Alex Molden and Je'Rod Cherry too... 

Cherry was a very good ST player. IIRC, he and Derrick Brooks were the only players in the league who had Masters degrees.  

[Slidell Saint 3,137]

2 hours ago, billyc said:

I was thinking he hit a guy In the face with a sock full of pennies. But I think you are correct.

He did that too. Cam Cleeland had to run the gauntlet in rookie hazing. Connell's sock of quarters fractured Cleeland's eye socket.

[Slidell Saint 3,137]

3 hours ago, billyc said:

You got me thinking hard but I'm drawing a blank.

I've been trying to forget Russell Erxleben for damn near 35 years.

[nolaspe 4,061]

51 minutes ago, Slidell Saint said:

I've been trying to forget Russell Erxleben for damn near 35 years.

Just think about the failturds, that'll erase any memory of R.E....

[faceman 5,814]

14 hours ago, Slidell Saint said:

He did that too. Cam Cleeland had to run the gauntlet in rookie hazing. Connell's sock of quarters fractured Cleeland's eye socket.

Andre Royal was thee one that actually fractured Cleeland's eye socket. It was literally a horror show during Ditka's tenure.

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/nov/07/sports/la-sp-farmer-cleeland-incognito-20131108

[Bonckers 3,164]

I was too young to understand Hazing, but goes to show how out of place Ditka really was. We did hazing when I was in high school, but it was head and shaving things to that nature. Nothing physical like that. 

[faceman 5,814]

57 minutes ago, Bonckers said:

I was too young to understand Hazing, but goes to show how out of place Ditka really was. We did hazing when I was in high school, but it was head and shaving things to that nature. Nothing physical like that. 

There is a segment on A Football Life starring Rickey Williams on NFLN. Williams said he went into Ditka's office and informed him the doctors diagnosed him with Turf Toe. Ditka said when I played there was no such thing as Turf Toe. We all know it's a serious injury It caused Jack Lambert, one of the toughest and meanest SOB's to ever play the game to retire early.

I also remember Ditka making a sarcastic remark to a reporter about receiver Michael Haynes Turf Toe injury. He told the reporter Haynes hasn't practiced because he has a sore toe.

I love and admire the toughness of earlier era players. What I don't admire is dinosaurs like Ditka who refuse to change with the times,and dismiss modern medical knowledge. 

[Dru 3,593]

Hokie Gajan, when asked about the severity of turf toe said, "I'd rather take a sharp stick in the eye."

IIRC, that office mtg between Ditka and Ricky was after Rick had sat out a few weeks.  So at least he had hopefully recovered some, but your point still stands.

I just watched the 30 for 30 on the 1985 Bears and it made me respect Ditka even less as a Coach.  As a player, I have nothing but the utmost admiration for him and his peers at that time.  They were true iron men, most of whom played for pennies and the love of the game.  But as a Coach, Ditka cannot hold a candle to some of the Super Bowl winning coaches he was compared to at the time.  He built his reputation as a coach off of the backs of some phenomenal players, Buddy Ryan and his tough guy persona that fans just couldn't wait to eat up.

[faceman 5,814]

1 hour ago, Dru said:

Hokie Gajan, when asked about the severity of turf toe said, "I'd rather take a sharp stick in the eye."

IIRC, that office mtg between Ditka and Ricky was after Rick had sat out a few weeks.  So at least he had hopefully recovered some, but your point still stands.

I just watched the 30 for 30 on the 1985 Bears and it made me respect Ditka even less as a Coach.  As a player, I have nothing but the utmost admiration for him and his peers at that time.  They were true iron men, most of whom played for pennies and the love of the game.  But as a Coach, Ditka cannot hold a candle to some of the Super Bowl winning coaches he was compared to at the time.  He built his reputation as a coach off of the backs of some phenomenal players, Buddy Ryan and his tough guy persona that fans just couldn't wait to eat up.

Imo, the Bears and Ditka caught lightning in a bottle in 1985. I still believe they would have lost that SB if Marino and the Dolphins had made it there. I don't believe the regular season game that ended the Bears perfect season was a fluke. Buddy's 46 defense had no answer for Marino's 3 step drop and quick release. The Bears were loaded with talent in the front seven,but had a very average secondary. Their Cb's couldn't cover Clayton,Duper,and Nat Moore. 

The 49'ers copied that plan the following season. Montana went to the three step drop and     got rid of the ball quickly. I  might be wrong,but I think the Niners never lost to the bears the rest of the decade. 

 

 

edit- I looked up the Bears/Niners games from 1985- 1991 ( Ditkas last game as HC for the Bears vs Niners ) I was wrong, The bears had a one point victory in 1988,but the rest were pretty much Niner blowouts.

12/23/1991	Chicago Bears	San Francisco 49ers	A	Candlestick Park (San Francisco, CA)	L 52-14	--
12/24/1989	Chicago Bears	San Francisco 49ers	A	Candlestick Park (San Francisco, CA)	L 26-0	--
01/08/1989 †	Chicago Bears	San Francisco 49ers	H	Soldier Field (Chicago, IL)	L 28-3	--
10/24/1988	Chicago Bears	San Francisco 49ers	H	Soldier Field (Chicago, IL)	W 10-9	--
12/14/1987	Chicago Bears	San Francisco 49ers	A	Candlestick Park (San Francisco, CA)	L 41-0	--
10/13/1985	Chicago Bears	San Francisco 49ers	A	Candlestick Park (San Francisco, CA)	W 26-10	--
01/06/1985 ‡	Chicago Bears	San Francisco 49ers	A	Candlestick Park (San Francisco, CA)	L 23-0

Edited March 5, 2016 by faceman

[Dru 3,593]

I agree with all of that except I do believe the Bears were a Super Bowl worthy team.  As you know, we can pick just about any team and say, if they had played so and so.... Just like if the Giants had to play us in the 2011 playoffs.  Marino and his release were special.  You add those WRs to the mix and look out.  By the way, Mark Super Duper played college ball with Bobby Hebert and Ed Orgeron at Northwestern State.

With Buddy Ryan leaving after the '85 season, we really don't know how much better they could have been as a defense, or how much they would have adjusted, if he had stayed on the next 5 years or so.

Bill Walsh's quick strike, three step, WCO was obvioulsy before its time.  He changed the way offense was played and he was able to protect the QB at the same time.  

[Slidell Saint 3,137]

On March 5, 2016 at 9:37 AM, faceman said:

Andre Royal was thee one that actually fractured Cleeland's eye socket. It was literally a horror show during Ditka's tenure.

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/nov/07/sports/la-sp-farmer-cleeland-incognito-20131108

That's right. Andre Royal. Trying hard to forget him too! Lol.

[Drew 1,436]

I'm a little late responding here but I think 15 might be too many for the initial selection especially if you plan to hat 3-5 more per year.  A ring of honor should be for the elite level players and if you add too many it really doesn't make it an honor to be in it.  I would suggest stating with 10 at most and then add only 3 at most per year. 

[Drew 1,436]

On 3/2/2016 at 0:05 PM, Dru said:

At first glance I thought you meant a WDZ HoF.  I was going to nominate Face, Coach L, ATN, Rap.... and 15 seemed like an awful lot.  Then I read further.  =)

Anyone ever know what happened to Coach L?  I certainly learned a lot from him way back when.

[phil 782]

On 3/6/2016 at 1:47 PM, Drew said:

I'm a little late responding here but I think 15 might be too many for the initial selection especially if you plan to hat 3-5 more per year.  A ring of honor should be for the elite level players and if you add too many it really doesn't make it an honor to be in it.  I would suggest stating with 10 at most and then add only 3 at most per year. 

 

You know, Drew, you make a really good point.

On my site I have some All-Time Lists for various categories. After looking at them you notice that outside of the team of the Sean Payton Era, there are only about 10-15 even worth considering.