[Bender2]

Re: "I wouldn't have put Irvin in anyways..."

That may explain some of the Cowboy bias... (more at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1567387/posts )

When discussing Irvin's off field drugs use, there is not any excuse, but if Lawrence Taylor can get in with his very high profile drug use, then Irvin should be a lock!

[Tall_Texan]

Umm, while I wasn't thrilled to see LT put in the Hall (for just these sort of arguments "He's a druggie and HE still got in so MY favorite druggie should get in too"), I will say Taylor revolutionized a position and was critical to a success that was 75% built on defense. Keeping LT out of the Hall is a little like keeping Pete Rose out of the baseball hall. Keeping LT out is like keeping Jim Brown out.

Irvin, OTOH, couldn't carry Jerry Rice's jock (and still can't). ESPN just showed a series of Troy Aikman highlights and do you see where he's throwing? One to Emmitt, one to Novacek, one to Harper, one to Moose, etc. Notice somebody missing? Can you picture a Joe Montana highlight reel without Jerry Rice? No doubt Irvin was a talented player but he's a borderline - at best - HOF candidate. The only reason he gets consideration is that he dresses like a pimp and runs his yammer like his pal Deion so they put him on TV so white America can laugh at him and tell him to shut up.

[infidel29]

I don't hold Irvin's off the field problems against him, I don't think he was a HoFer. He was one of the many top recievers of his era, not dominant and never 'the best'. I feel he's borderline, I'd say NO, but if he went in I wouldn't say it's a travesty.

Irvin's contemporaries included Andre Reed, Andre Rison, Sterling Sharpe, Herman Moore, Drew Hill, Art Monk et al. If he is a HoFer then they all are.

They all aren't.