Mt. Crushmore

by firstfan on Nov 26, 2008 11:54 AM MST Comment 33 comments

With one day left in the voting for the top four Broncos of all time to appear on the RMN Mt. Crushmore, it saddens me that Floyd Little will not even make it out of the first round. As of today Elway is rightfully in first place of the offensive players with 24% of the vote. The next three are Terrell Davis with 17%, Shannon Sharp with 16% and Rod Smith with 15%. Little is in fifth place with 10%.I will keep my thoughts to myself regarding the questionable timing of this poll but I will note that the vast majority of comments in the News regarding selection of players supported Little.

Something needs to be done to increase awareness of how important this man was/is to this franchise. The younger fans need to have a sense that this was a different era and running for 1,000 yards was much more like running for 2,000 yards today. The man was simply electrifying every time he touched the ball whether he was running, receiving or returning kicks. He did all three his entire career with no complaint.

I invite comments.

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR

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Floyd Little activist groups.

I did a little research on the internets, and I found two good websites dedicated to enshrining Floyd Little in the hall of fame. They can be found here and here. They have some good info on Little if anyone doesn’t know much about him. Also, the second one has a nice video gallery. I couldn’t find any video highlights, though. If anyone has some, please put them online!

If Mike Shanahan were a hotdog, would you eat him? I know I would. Hell, I'd eat him twice.

by papigrande on Nov 26, 2008 12:59 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Not a nice video gallery.

Just realized that my mistake— there are no videos, but there is a nice photo gallery.

If Mike Shanahan were a hotdog, would you eat him? I know I would. Hell, I'd eat him twice.

by papigrande on Nov 26, 2008 1:57 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks papi

These are great links. it was good to see MHR’s Trinidad Jack, Denver Diehard, and Claus along with myself on the petition.

It all starts in the trenches HT 11/11/08

by firstfan on Nov 26, 2008 2:41 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I added myself as well

My comment:

“Little’s worth to the Broncos and their fans is rivalled only by his worth as a human being. To say he is worthy of the Hall is an understatement. The Hall is worthy of him.”

Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.

by styg50 on Nov 27, 2008 2:26 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

The hall of shame will mean nothing to many Broncos fans...

…until Floyd gets in. There are many deserving players that won’t make it, but Floyd is the most deserving of all.

"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe

by hoosierteacher on Nov 26, 2008 1:26 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

The problem is--we are running out of fans that remember Floyd...

The best defense is a good defense!
And last week's young players. Yes!

by Mike Clark on Nov 26, 2008 4:13 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I guess the real question is

what can the MHR as a community do to help get Little into the hof?

It all starts in the trenches HT 11/11/08

by firstfan on Nov 26, 2008 2:43 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

The bigger problem...

I talked about this on MHR Radio last week. The fact that the “Mt. Crushmore” vote has Little in 5ht place tells me that the current fan base doesn’t know Little. I have long said the team and local media just doesn’t do enough to publicize the “older” players. Hell, the Broncos didn’t honor its past until 1984. If the Broncos fans and team cannot honor players like Little how can we expect anyone else to?

-TSG

SBNation's Denver Broncos Blogger
MileHighReport

Questions, Comments...E-Mail Me!
milehighreport@gmail.com

by John Bena (aka TheSportsGuru) on Nov 26, 2008 3:05 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed 100%

"It doesn't dissipate" ~ Mike Shanahan

Cutler's 4th qtr/OT game winning drives: 6

by weazel on Nov 26, 2008 4:27 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

If it makes you feel better firstfan...I made the same sad observation.

The bias, however, will always be towards the most recent players. I made sure Little was on my list…anyone with the nickname “The Franchise” is worthy of the Mt. Crushmore honor. He and John Elway are the giants of Bronco history in my opinion.

If God is not a Bronco fan, then WHY are sunsets Blue and Orange? - Jon Tollerud 5/22/08

by Zappa on Nov 26, 2008 3:43 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

I'm trying to remember, but

I think my votes were:

John Elway
Floyd Little
Randy Gradishar
Terrell Davis

If God is not a Bronco fan, then WHY are sunsets Blue and Orange? - Jon Tollerud 5/22/08

by Zappa on Nov 26, 2008 3:44 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

btw

I do not think ANY tight end, wide receiver, or defensive back is worthy of this kind of honor. It really boils down to quarterbacks, running backs, linebackers or safeties.

If God is not a Bronco fan, then WHY are sunsets Blue and Orange? - Jon Tollerud 5/22/08

by Zappa on Nov 26, 2008 3:45 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Disagree

You gotta put Rod Smith up there. Little, because he was the first absolutely terrific player the Broncos ever had. Then Tom Jackson, because he was the fire behind the Orange Crush that made the Broncos a legitimate team. Elway, of course. But Rod Smith, because he epitomized what a great team should be made of – not the best physically, but just the best on every damn play he was in on. I can’t say that about any one besides Rod Smith.

You've got to put it behind you, or you'll be walking backwards the rest of your life. Gus (Lonesome Dove)

by bradley on Nov 26, 2008 4:18 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Who do you kick off my list to add Rod Smith?

Last I checked, Rod Smith had zero catches in the Super Bowl against Green Bay…TD had 150 yards and 3 TDs. :)

If God is not a Bronco fan, then WHY are sunsets Blue and Orange? - Jon Tollerud 5/22/08

by Zappa on Nov 27, 2008 9:50 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Well..

..I’d have to get rid of Gradishar and Davis from your list to put in Jackson and Smith. My criteria for being on Mt. Crushmore is not necessarily the best player with the best stats, but who best epitomizes the Broncos. And I think Smith is maybe the best of all at that – undrafted, worked his butt off constantly, never made a fuss, never showboated, made some of the most amazing catches I’ve seen. as far as no catches against Green Bay, it certainly wasn’t because he wasn’t any good that day. Packers paid so much attention to him that Sharpe and McCaffrey caught a lot of balls, and his down field blocking was a huge part of Davis’ MVP game. And Smith had a lot of catches against the Falcons.
I take Jackson over Gradishar because, as I said, he was the fire on that defensive team. If you want the best LB from that team, take Bob Swenson, whose career was cut short by injury, but was consistently voted the defensive MVP by his teammates.

You've got to put it behind you, or you'll be walking backwards the rest of your life. Gus (Lonesome Dove)

by bradley on Nov 27, 2008 10:56 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Here is who we write to, we can do it if we flood em with E-mails with no body, just FLOYD LITTLE in the subject line!

Arizona Kent Somers, Arizona Republic
Atlanta Len Pasquarelli, ESPN.com
Baltimore Scott Garceau, WMAR-TV
Buffalo Mark Gaughan, Buffalo News
Carolina Charles Chandler, Charlotte Observer
Chicago Dan Pompei, Chicago Tribune
Cincinnati Chick Ludwig, Dayton Daily News
Cleveland Tony Grossi, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Dallas Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News*
Denver Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News
Detroit Mike O’Hara, The Detroit News
Green Bay Cliff Christl, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Houston John McClain, Houston Chronicle*
Indianapolis Mike Chappell, Indianapolis Star
Jacksonville Sam Kouvaris, WJXT-TV
Kansas City Bob Gretz, KCFX Overland Park, KS
Miami Edwin Pope, Miami Herald*
Minnesota Sid Hartman, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune
New England Ron Borges, HBO Sports/Pro Football Weekly
New Orleans Pete Finney, Times-Picayune
New York (Giants) Vinny DiTrani, Bergen Record
New York (Jets) Paul Zimmerman, Sports Illustrated
Oakland Frank Cooney, The Sports Xchange
Philadelphia Paul Domowitch, Philadelphia Daily News
Pittsburgh Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
St. Louis Bernie Miklasz, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
San Diego Jerry Magee, San Diego Union Tribune*
San Francisco Ira Miller, The Sports Xchange*
Seattle Clare Farnsworth, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Tampa Bay Ira Kaufman, Tampa Tribune
Tennessee David Climer, The Tennessean
Washington David Elfin, Washington Times
PFWA Charean Williams, Ft. Worth Star Telegram
At Large Howard Balzer, The Sports Xchange
At Large Jarrett Bell, USA Today
At Large John Clayton, ESPN/ESPN Magazine
At Large John Czarnecki, FoxSports.com
At Large Nancy Gay, San Francisco Chronicle
At Large Dave Goldberg, Associated Press*
At Large Peter King, Sports Illustrated
At Large Bob Oates, Los Angeles Times
At Large Len Shapiro, Miami Herald*
At Large Vito Stellino, Florida Times Union
At Large Jim Trotter, Sports Illustrated

Win or lose, it's always it a great day to be a Bronco fan!

by Steve O' on Nov 26, 2008 5:15 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

The guys with asteriks next to their names

are the seniors committee, and they would be the ones to approach first. The seniors committee will be selecting their next two senior nominations for the 2010 class, and that is the timeline for activism. Their submission gets considered by Selectors at large (the list above).

The largest class that can be inducted at one time is five players, but the good thing about the senior nomination is that if both are accepted, they can push the size up to seven.

Mountains, forest, sea: these render man fierce, but yet do not destroy the man.

by styg50 on Nov 26, 2008 6:50 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I meant to say

that Aug 20th or so will be the deadline for the Senior Committee to nominate Little for the 2010 class. One thing to remember is that the senior committee is in no hurry to nominate Floyd Little, and they have no intention of nominating Gradishar. It is a fact that cannot be wished, dreamed, whimmed or ranted away. It just is, and it is where the heart of the push needs to begin.

This will be a major topic of discussion for MHR during the offseason, and rest assured that we are formulating a plan of attack to render justice for Broncos’ History. There is, of course, no guarantee of success, and no reason to believe that the struggle will be anything but long.

For any of those taking up the long call to see this task, Little, through to the Hall will know this is not for those of faint heart, and know Mile High Report will do its part!

(for anyone who cares, the last line was iambic pentameter…)

Mountains, forest, sea: these render man fierce, but yet do not destroy the man.

by styg50 on Nov 26, 2008 7:17 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think it will ever happen...

…….“Floyd WHO?” After all these years, and so few Broncos in the Hall, and so many New elligible players with"WOW" stats, it just makes you wonder if anyone from the “Yester years” will make it in.

Does the NFL HOF have an “Old Codgers” slot, where they take only players that have been retired for 60, 50 & 40 years? They really should put one in for each of those catigories, at least every other year!

by metalman5050 on Nov 26, 2008 5:56 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

I did

Elway,
Floyd,
Sharp,
and Rod Smith

I troubled myself with Terrell—but he just wasn’t here long enough.

I wanted to do Meck, Grad, Den Smith, Atwater,—Orange crush is really what built this team. I have nothing but distain how this league has ignored our players—when we were one of the best—and have been for a long time.

Oh well, I vented.

The best defense is a good defense!
And last week's young players. Yes!

by Mike Clark on Nov 26, 2008 7:16 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

I just want to see Karl Meck in there! He was a FORCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by metalman5050 on Nov 26, 2008 8:35 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

He was awesome...

I had a huge Mecklenburg poster on my wall as a kid. Also, let us not forget the Man that Was Steve Atwater!

Grammar is not a time of waste

by Patrick517 on Nov 29, 2008 4:23 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Mecklenburg and Atwater

Yes. Let’s don’t lose sight of the fact that Mt. Rushmore has four of forty or so presidents. And we’re talking about four of the best Broncos out of hundreds.

Without heroes, we are all plain people and don’t know how far we can go. Bernard Malamud

by bradley on Nov 29, 2008 6:01 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Where is Simon Fletcher?

He was a QB sacking guru.

If Mike Shanahan were a hotdog, would you eat him? I know I would. Hell, I'd eat him twice.

by papigrande on Nov 26, 2008 10:48 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

ok

first of all Little and Randy are not eligible for induction, unless it is from the vets commitee. So lets use our power to get the best RB in the history of Bronco hsitory to get in. TD. Shannon will get in. I want TD in. Rod wontbe eligible for 5 more years. Lets work on what we as Bronco loyalists can can get in. TD

somethings wrong, Trying to conquer these fears i thought were gone. And it's been so long, I'm dying to live in a world i don't belong

by broncfanstuckinsd on Nov 27, 2008 3:20 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

Players

Does anyone else find it odd that the greatest linebacker (in my opinion) the Broncos ever had, is not even mentioned in the defense. Al Wilson, he was the heart and soul of that defense for many years. The Broncos are lacking an emotional leader, and the defense has not been good since he has left. He is still a free agent and why would we not give him a look, with our injuries. Can anyone tell me?

by Tomeboy58801 on Nov 27, 2008 8:23 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

he is a medical liability

iagree that the defense could use him, but the chance of him being paralyzed outweighs everything

somethings wrong, Trying to conquer these fears i thought were gone. And it's been so long, I'm dying to live in a world i don't belong

by broncfanstuckinsd on Nov 27, 2008 10:38 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

OK

I know his neck is hurt, but he has tried out for other teams, so I would say he still wants to play, and assume his doctor has cleared him

by Tomeboy58801 on Nov 30, 2008 8:02 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

he has been cleared

but no team is willing to take a chance on him. I think the risk is too great

somethings wrong, Trying to conquer these fears i thought were gone. And it's been so long, I'm dying to live in a world i don't belong

by broncfanstuckinsd on Dec 1, 2008 4:44 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Floyd Little

should absolutely no doubt be on Mt. Crushmore. If he didn’t come along their wouldn’t be any Broncos for us to root for.

"His incredible impact during the late '60s and early-to-mid-'70s saved the franchise from relocation and helped the Broncos become the marquee organization it is today." Floyd Little's Tales From The Broncos Sideline

by Steve O' on Nov 29, 2008 5:09 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Nice sig

I just ordered the book from Amazon. Early Christmas present….to myself. :)

Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.

by styg50 on Nov 29, 2008 5:53 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks styg

I often wonder how the older generation players feel, having to work so hard, like writing books, to maintain a lifestyle due to the fact that their salaries were not what they are today. Do you think guys like Gradishar and Little are a little ticked off that guys like Jarvis Moss are set for life and haven’t had to sacrifice life and limb to earn it?

by Steve O' on Nov 29, 2008 9:21 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Not at all

I am positive that 99% of them are just happy to have been payed anything to play professional football. What pisses them off is probably when a player with all the talent in the world, someone who can write their ticket anyway they please in the league end up flushing it down the toilet. Travis Henry comes to mind, as far as a Bronco (if you want to call him that, at this point).

And I can’t let a Jarvis Moss comment go without repping him a little here. With some of the adversity he has faced, if he becomes a star in this league he will have earned every second of his fame. If he fades out, it will be the end of the NFL for him, but with the character he has shown to date, he will have opportunities elsewhere in life.

Concision in style, precision in thought, decision in life.

by styg50 on Nov 29, 2008 10:39 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs