Super Bowl Prediction and Hall of Fame Thoughts

Superman Cam

The smart money is on the Carolina Panthers to win Super Bowl 50. If I was actually putting money down I would have to back the Panthers even though I don't like Cam Newton.

However, Super Bowl 50 has a Super Bowl III feel to me, if not to anyone else in punditry or the rest of the civilized world for that matter. The last line I've seen has the Panthers favored by 5.5 points and not many people are picking the Broncos.

For those of you born after 1980 the Packers had won the first two Super Bowls pretty handily and the Baltimore Colts (yes, there was a team in Baltimore before the Browns moved in the middle of the night to become the Ravens) were the Panthers of 1968-69 going 13-1 behind backup quarterback Earl Morrall, who had taken over for the legendary future Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas, who had injured his passing arm in the preseason.

The Packers were heavy favorites in the first two Super Bowls. In Super Bowl I Green Bay was 14-point favorites and beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. In Super Bowl II the Packers were 13.5-point favorites and beat the Raiders, 33-14. Heading into Super Bowl III the Colts were 18-point favorites over the New York Jets and it seemed like it was going to be another blowout.

Joe 'Willie' Namath - the Cam Newton of His Day

However, the brash young loud-mouth hipster Jets quarterback Joe Namath had other ideas not only predicting a Jets win, but guaranteeing it. In fact, that game and that game alone made Namath a Hall of Fame quarterback when his statistics don't warrant his selection.

Namath was the Cam Newton of his day without the athleticism. He was full of himself and was the toast of Broadway when Broadway was the place to be. Newton is the King of the World these days

The Jets won 16-7,so you see it wasn't really because of the play of Namath, but it was the Jet defense that put that game in the record books. The Jets led 16-0 before Unitas came off the bench and drove the Colts to their only score in the fourth quarter.

Namath completed 17-of-28 passes for 206 yards with no TDs and no interceptions. Morrell was held to 6-of-17 for 71 yards with 3 interceptions. Unitas finished 11-of-24 for 110 yards and 1 interception.

The hype leading into SB 50 is giving me the same sort of feel as SB 3. The Bronco defense is the best defense in the league by a wide margin and the Broncos offense is led by an old quarterback with a suspect arm. The Panther offense is led by a young loud-mouth self-advertising no-it-all quarterback who, while not saying he is guaranteeing a win most pundits are.

Send Peyton Out on a Rocky Mountain High

The key to the game is Wade Phillips' defense keeping Newton in the pocket and making him pass. The Panther defense is suspect, especially late in the game, see the Packers game, and if the defense can keep the score close then Peyton Manning has a chance to ride off in the sunset like his boss John Elway a winner, if indeed this is his last game.

One More Rodeo

So I will predict a major upset with the Broncos winning a close game. I will also predict the Rams will be able to talk Manning out of retirement and he will play for two more years in Los Angeles so he can break the completions and attempts records of Hall of Famer (that has a nice ring to it) Brett Favre.

HALL OF FAME

I have two things to say about the 2016 NFL Hall of Fame selection, or maybe four now that I think about it.

TO the Butt Hole

My first thought is taking just 6 seconds to elect first-time nominee was great as was Brett Favre as was Terrell Owens not making the cut. However, unless they ban him from football like baseball did with Pete Rose, he will get in. Outside behavior is not supposed to count towards induction, but his disruptive behavior on the field and in the locker room should be considered.

So I hope they make him wait for a few years and not put him in next year. And the longer it takes the more Owens will get mouthy and maybe that will delay it even more. I would love to see him unhappy (and it has nothing to do with him as a 49er catching the 25-yard TD pass with 3 seconds left that knocked the Packers out of the playoffs in Mike Holmgren's last game. Well maybe a little).

I live in Southern Illinois and the topic of former Rams, Giants, Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner as a member of the Hall of Fame is on everybody's lips down here. I think Warner, who only played 16 games only 3 times in his 12 year career, had only 9 productive seasons out the 12, finished with only 32,344 yards (Favre had 71,838), 208 TDs (Favre had 508) with 128 interceptions, doesn't have the stats or otherwise to be elected to the Hall of Fame. I don't think winning 1 Super Bowl is reason enough to elect him.

The quarterbacks just ahead of him in stats not in the Hall of Fame are Ken Anderson (Bengals), Phil Simms (Giants), John Hadl (Chargers), Steve DeBerg (Chiefs among 6 others), Jim Hart (Cardinals), Jim Everett (Rams), Donovan McNabb (Eagles), Boomer Esiason (Bengals), David Krieg (Seahawks), Kerry Collins (Panthers), Drew Bledsoe (Patriots) and Vinny Testaverde (Bucs). None of them deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, except maybe Simms, who won 2 Super Bowls.

One Super Bowl Does Not A Hall of Fame Career Make

I really don't see why Warner is even being considered unless it is him being a 2 times MVP with the Rams. Putting him in the Hall of Fame would be akin to having Elijah Pitts in the Packers Hall of Fame. I don't see why he and some others are there either, but that is a topic for another time.

My third thought on the 2016 Hall of Fame inductees is kudos to former Packer Assistant Coach Kevin Greene. I felt he should have replaced Dom Capers instead of quitting, but congrats to him for a well deserved election.

My fourth thought is the election of Raiders quarterback Kenny Stabler (forget his stints with the Oilers and Saints) and guard Dick Stanfel to Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee was terrible, but it has nothing to do with Stanfel or Stabler. I guess they deserve it, especially Stanfel.

Ken Stabler and Dick Stanfel

However, Stanfel being selected ahead of Jerry Kramer is a total miscarriage of justice. Stanfel only played seven seasons - four with the Lions (1952-55) and three with the Redskins (1956-58). He was a 5 time All-Pro and 2 time champion (1952 and 1953) and was elected to the NFL 1950's All-Decade Team.

Jerry Kramer played 11 seasons - all with the Packers. He was a 5 time All-Pro and 5 time champion (1961-62;  1965-66-67) and was elected to the NFL 1960's All-Decade Team and the NFL 50th Anniversary Team.

Time is Running Out For Jerry Kramer

In fact, Kramer is the only member of the 50th Anniversary Team that is not in the NFL Hall of Fame and no one knows why. As far as I know he never was a trouble maker. It used to bother him, but at the age of 80 he has given up hope. It is now up to the Packer Backers to get him elected before he dies.