Does Steve Tasker belong in the Hall of Fame?

[Raptor]

Good read...It really bugs the **** out of me when people try and pretend that ST's should be excluded. Its part of the game and should be more represented in the HOF. Tasker was at a whole other level when he played and I still have yet to see any ST'er make the impact he did on covering and blocking kicks. Opposing teams HAD to account for him. He was a very unique and talented player and deserves to be in there


The NFL Network recently posted a list of the top ten players not in the Hall of Fame. Steve Tasker was listed as number 9 on the list. 2009 finalists Bob Hayes, Derrick Thomas, and Cris Carter are also on that list and Carter and possibly Thomas will be elected this year. So if the official network of the NFL thinks Tasker is worthy, how could he be left off of the list of finalists once again?....
http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2009/1/25/724380/does-steve-tasker-belong-i

[Uncle Jesse]

No. His time has passed anyway, he's not getting in.

[Night Train]

Veterans Committee will vote him in shortly, like they did Ray Guy.

[pmoon6]

Tasker weighs in on his induction. Class guy all the way.


There was much revelry among the Hall of Fame Bills from the early 90’s teams that won four consecutive AFC titles this past weekend as a fifth player from those teams will be added to their ranks in Canton in Andre Reedthis August. At the same time those players believe the final chapter on their team won’t be complete until one more player from that roster joins them.
“They talk about the big four and we finally got the fourth one in with Andre to join me, Bruce and Thurman,” said Jim Kelly while appearing on Bills flagship station WGR Sportsradio 550 Monday. “We have James Lofton as well, and now it’s time to start working on Steve Tasker to try to get him in one of these days. He’s definitely one of the greatest to ever play his position on special teams and now we have to start working on Steve.”

“It’s pretty much complete,” said Reed of the 90’s Bills Hall of Fame script. “But there’s one more guy… Steve. That would be great.”

Tasker, while certainly appreciative of the sentiments from his former teammates, is uneasy about being mentioned as a player of the same caliber.

“For me I’m uncomfortable being in the fraternity with those guys and other guys who have been there throughout the history of the league,” Tasker told Buffalobills.com. “You look at the guys in the Hall of Fame and in the football world it’s like being one of the 12 apostles. You don’t really put yourself in that group. You get chosen by somebody else. I’m very uncomfortable seeing myself as part of that group.”

Tasker, who has been a Hall of Fame semifinalist four of the last five years, feels that the halls of Canton are for the very best of the best. The Bills Wall of Famer isn’t sure his accomplishments during his time in the league put him in that class.

“I had a nice career and in some ways a unique career, but to be mentioned in a group with even the five guys I love so much in Bruce, Jim, Thurman, Andre and James, I’m uncomfortable because I was different,” he said. “And because I was different I don’t know if I belong in there.”

The seven-time Pro Bowl specialist also knows earning enough support from the Hall of Fame Selectors in a role like he had is very difficult.

“It’s a tough sell to have a guy that played primarily special team to get in the Hall of Fame,” he said. “And you can debate it and maybe it’s a debate worth having.”

The debate certainly appears to be more substantiated now that six-time All-Pro punter Ray Guy was selected for enshrinement for the 2014 Hall of Fame class. Guy became the first special teams player selected for induction in Canton as a Senior Committee nominee.

READ: Does Guy's induction open the door for Tasker?

“Now that Ray (Guy) is in there, that’s a little more of a leg to stand on,” said Reed. “The first punter ever to be enshrined, so for Steve it really opens up the door there for discussion for him.”

“It does raise a question because Ray Guy didn’t get in for a lot of years,” Tasker admitted. “There may be 50 punters since the time of Ray Guy that have better career numbers than Ray did, but the argument is those 50 guys, every one of them was inspired by Ray. Ray Guy was larger than the position that he played. He was larger than the role that he played for those Raiders teams.

“He’s responsible for the success of a generation of players that followed him. So it does raise a question of the criteria the panel uses to get him in and what is worthy of a Hall of Fame career?”

Long time NFL kicker Morten Andersen, the league’s all-time leading scorer, was also a Hall of Fame finalist this year.

One could make the case that Tasker, who averaged between 24 to 30 plays a game on special teams, had an even greater impact on games than Guy, who participated in six to 10 plays a game. Tasker however, seems at peace with his place in NFL history especially after earning a spot on the NFL’s All-Time Team as voted by the Hall of Fame Selectors 14 years ago.

more....
http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-2/HOF-Bills-want-Tasker-in-next-but-specialist-unsure-he-fits/0a7d4832-a652-47c7-8ef1-69aa4a269cb3?campaign=fb_buf_article

[Meathead]

if you can demonstrate that you could repeatedly make plays on special teams over a long period then yeah you should be a hof candidate just like anybody else imo

tasker is sort of the premier example in that regard so yeah i think he certainly deserves it

[BidsJr]

Yes he does.

[kscdogbillsfan1221]

another person who I think is worthy is Kent Hull. may he rest in peace

[Turf]

Absolutely yes, and the only one so far. Guy opened the door for him. Tasker was a beast, no one has even come close to what he accomplished on ST's.

[coastal]

Without a doubt

[ticatfan]

His son ,if he keeps it up may make the hall up here, some day.
http://scratchingpost.thespec.com/
This is Luke Tasker's September, so far: Sixteen catches, 201 receiving yards, two touchdowns, four punt returns, holding for 11 Justin Medlock field goal attempts, nine of them good, and moving up to 13th in CFL reception yardage.

Oh yes, and he's one of the singers in the team band which was formed this month.

What? He doesn't cook the team meals? Slacker.

Tasker is the Tiger-Cats' second-leading receiver, 29 yards back of Andy Fantuz and 18 up on Greg Ellingson The Cats receivers are closely bunched, reflecting their spread-it-around philosophy.

Another Cat who could be called Mr. Versatility, Tasker is not one of those import receivers who initially wows you with one overriding asset: speed or height or size. He just does everything well, from getting open more rapidly than expected on blitzes, to coming back toward the quarterback as an outlet when Zach Collaros is forced to scramble, to inhaling tightly threaded passes in dangerous traffic, to averaging good yardage as an emergency punt-returner, to mastering how to hold the football for a left-footed place kicker who is one of the hardest-to-please in the game (he rescued a 50-yarder for Medlock off an inside snap two weeks ago).

"Luke does all the little things that people don't see, " says Kent Austin who, along with offensive co-ordinator Tommy Condell had Tasker for his final three years at Cornell.

"He's a great time-and-space guy. He knows how to position his body to take the ball away from DBs, he'll always come back for the ball, he'll get lower than the lowest man in zone. The quarterback knows … there's a trust factor in knowing that the positioning of the receiver is going to be consistent."

But don't confuse all-round skills with being spread too thin to excel at any. Tasker's hands are like crazy glue and it's usually a shock when he doesn't come down with the ball. He honed the catching skills with his father and brothers when he was young, craving the astounding grab, relishing the most impossible throw.

"People will say I'm a possession receiver, that I'm smart, with deceptive speed, " Tasker says. "And to a certain extent all those things are true.

"You have to know yourself and your strengths and weaknesses. But you also have to have an attitude that you're a playmaker, that you're capable of making the big play."

Because, put simply, he catches it, every quarterback who has thrown even a practice pass for the Cats over the past two years has loved tossing to the 23-year-old from East Aurora, New York, which is hard by Orchard Park, the Buffalo Bills' home.

His father Steve was a household word in Bills-ville, a special-teams legend and receiver who played in seven Pro Bowls during the Bills' only dominant NFL era.

More....

[THATHURMANATOR]

Don't care AT ALLL if he gets in.

It always annoyed me back in the day when he was everyone's favorite player when we had Thurman, Jim, Bruce, Andre, Cornelius, Daryl, James, etc etc......

[YardRat]

When you have an impact on how the entire league does business with their roster and on game days, yes, you belong in the HOF.

I don't really think Stenerud did much to change things, but players like Guy and Tasker had an impact on the NFL that carries on today.

[black N yellow]

until I had to listen to him on CBS and West Herr Ford commercials ALL the time, sure.

[imbondz]

Don't care AT ALLL if he gets in.

It always annoyed me back in the day when he was everyone's favorite player when we had Thurman, Jim, Bruce, Andre, Cornelius, Daryl, James, etc etc......

Lol!

[The Jokeman]

No. Tasker himself doesn't think he deserves to be in it. Call him humble but I call is he realizes that his impact on games wasn't as significant as we like to think he is. The fact is he's a product of the Sports Center culture ie people remember most of his plays because it made a highlight reel. Yet what about all the plays he didn't make? I mean the guy played in 160 NFL games, to me he would have had to make a significant impact in about 90 of those games to think he was HOF worthy and honestly I don't think anyone can admit he was that dominant. I mean how many games did he really end up making a big play here? I'd say 20 at most and that's being polite about it.

[RandolphDuke]

Don't care AT ALLL if he gets in.

It always annoyed me back in the day when he was everyone's favorite player when we had Thurman, Jim, Bruce, Andre, Cornelius, Daryl, James, etc etc......
Yeah, it annoys me when everyone is like "I like cookie dough ice cream" when you can have chocolate chip, chocolate, maple walnut, vanilla, butter pecan, etc etc.....

[Woodman]

He's a dead cinch lock.

[Topas]

I am torn.
The Bills fan in me says he is a lock.
And I also think he passess the "dominant" criteria, because we was dominant on his position.
But in the end I still think he does not deserve it because his position was not impactful enough.

There might exist an strength and conditioning coach, that is the best ever and head and shoulders above all other strength and conditioning coaches. And he will not be in the hall of fame. Only head coaches and owners get in as non-owners.

That said, I think it is sad that he wont get in.

[Topas]

His father Steve was a household word in Bills-ville, a special-teams legend and receiver who played in seven Pro Bowls during the Bills' only dominant NFL era.

Ouch, that bolded part hurt ... so true (considering only the NFL period)

[Fletch]

another person who I think is worthy is Kent Hull. may he rest in peace

Agree

I'm a little surprised that Tasker hasn't made it already since he was an all-around player. He had 51 receptions, 9 of them were TDs. He was a decent returner too, not spectacular but solid. Talk about having to see someone to understand how they played, he made his mark on kick and punt coverages and I can't think of anyone better in that department ever. It seemed like the ball was kicked and Tasker was standing right in front of the fielding player. A number of times he leveled them. I guess those things don't show up very well as stats but they're very important. They often seemed to be at really critical times too.

[Historian]

Tasker weighs in on his induction. Class guy all the way.




It'a an act. He's a douchebag in real life.

That being said however, the HOF is reserved for people who dominated their position, or broke new ground in the league.

My feeling is that he did both of those, and deserves a spot.

It seems the selection committee really goes for these jock turned announcer types.

He even qualifies in that respect.

[Forward_Lateral]

It'a an act. He's a douchebag in real life.

That being said however, the HOF is reserved for people who dominated their position, or broke new ground in the league.

My feeling is that he did both of those, and deserves a spot.

It seems the selection committee really goes for these jock turned announcer types.

He even qualifies in that respect.

I've heard that certain other HOF Bills players are d-bags in real life as well, from people that used to be bouncers at the ballet in Niagara Falls, Canada.

[Fletch]

It'a an act. He's a douchebag in real life.

Tasker?

Why do you say that?

[Historian]

I met him. Couple times.

He's a pompous ass.

He plays this "man of the people" role on tv, but he's really not that nice.

[Fletch]

Like what did he do to be not that nice?

I guess I'm asking because a lot of people in celebrity roles avoid the mobs and many perceive that as not being nice. I guess I'm just surprised to hear that, he always seemed to be cool with the fans when he was a player. It's disappointing.

[Historian]

Just my perceptions of him on the little league football field Fletch....doesn't mean I'm right.

It's just that I've met a lot of players over the years, from all the eras, and most understand what the team means to the community, and their standing in it.

Used to run into Booker Edgerson in Topps a lot. He would talk all day with you if you had questions. Same with Rutkowski, Devlin, Piccone, Brammer, Maguire, Hull...the list goes on.

Tasker doesn't want to be bothered with anyone.

[Ingtar33]

he also blocked a number of field goals as well.

[stuckincincy]

he also blocked a number of field goals as well.

He will eventually get in, only if it is to complete the positional collection of bronze statuary.

[TacklingDummy]

Does Steve Tasker belong in the Hall of Fame?]
Only as an Announcer.

[BertSquirtgum]

No. His time has passed anyway, he's not getting in.

Wrongamundo

[BertSquirtgum]

Don't care AT ALLL if he gets in.

It always annoyed me back in the day when he was everyone's favorite player when we had Thurman, Jim, Bruce, Andre, Cornelius, Daryl, James, etc etc......

You're ****ed up.

[pmoon6]

These hall of fames and walls of fame are getting to be a joke.How the hell does Andre Reed or Jim Kelly belong in the Hall next to the likes of a Jerry Rice or Joe Montana?4 superbowls, lost ALL of them!Thats pretty damning evidence that you weren't good enough. As far as the local wall of fame sure Tasker belongs there.No superbowl victories but nice guy.Well, we know you're a troll, but Super Bowls are a team accomplishment.

Now, run along, Son. The adults were talking.

[TacklingDummy]

Well, we know you're a troll, but Super Bowls are a team accomplishment.

Now, run along, Son. The adults were talking.

Not sure how many teams made it without an above average QB the year they made it.

[pmoon6]

Not sure how many teams made it without an above average QB the year they made it.OK, but how many QB's are in the Hall that didn't win the Super Bowl? We are talking about entry, not what teams did it without a world class QB and if SB wins are or should be part of the criteria. Marino and Kelly certainly belong. Does Jim McMahon, Mark Rypien, Jeff Hostetler, Trent Dilfer, Doug Williams, Brad Johnson, and Jim Plunkett? Phil Simms and Ken Stabler belong IMO and haven't made it yet. Namath doesn't belong IMO, but he called and won one of the most storied SB games in history.

Still a team game, no matter how much the NFL wants to change it to be all about the QB.........as you constantly point out.

[imbondz]

I've always thought Trent Dilfer had the luckiest SuperBowl run ever. He literally just had to hand the ball off and hope they scored 10 points and they were going to win the game, with the insane defense they had that year.


yes Tasker deserves HOF

[SpikedLemonade]

Tasker does not deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

A Special Team Gunner?

Really?

There isn't even a Kicker in yet.

Hull belongs in but not Tasker.

Unless they open a HoF wing for fast white guys, Tasker and Beebe don't belong in Canton.

[pmoon6]

Tasker does not deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

A Special Team Gunner?

Really?

There isn't even a Kicker in yet.

Hull belongs in but not Tasker.

Unless they open a HoF wing for fast white guys, Tasker and Beebe don't belong in Canton.Ray Guy (punter) and Jan Stenerud (place kicker) are in.

[imbondz]

Vinatieri will be in in a few years

[IlluminatusUIUC]

It seems like most of the arguments against Tasker in the hall aren't about Tasker but about including special teamers at all. I think ST is overrated in this fanbase, but I still think guys who are elite ST guys deserve recognition. Tasker, Hester, etc.

[SpikedLemonade]

Ray Guy (punter) and Jan Stenerud (place kicker) are in.

I knew about Ray Guy, but the article I was reading did not mention Stenerud.

Did he only kick or was he like Blanda?

Still don't think a ST Gunner should be in the HoF.

[SpikedLemonade]

It seems like most of the arguments against Tasker in the hall aren't about Tasker but about including special teamers at all. I think ST is overrated in this fanbase, but I still think guys who are elite ST guys deserve recognition. Tasker, Hester, etc.

I would have no problem with a returner being in the HoF.

Hester eventually -- sure.

Maybe Billy "White Shoes" Johnson.

[djjimkelly]

read thread title didnt read anyones views sorry

but anyone who doesnt think tasker is a HOFer doesnt get football he was a game changer on multiple levels

[DraftBoy]

I don't pay attention to other fan bases much but do they spend as much time as we do debating the HOF status of every player we ever liked?

I just don't get it. Then again baseball is about a billion times worse.

[ticatfan]

http://www.ticats.ca/article/tasker-thriving-in-sophomore-season