Jerry Kramer Passed Over By Hall of Fame...Again

In what has become a depressing ritual, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Seniors Committee passed over the Packers great once again. 

This is depressing on a bunch of levels. 

The obvious reason this is depressing is it means that, once again, Packers great Jerry Kramer has been passed over by the Seniors Committee.

Another reason? Kramer being passed over for a guy who, like Kramer, should have been in long ago, former Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler. Stabler passed away earlier this year.

Which brings us to yet another reason for depression: It seems more and more clear that Kramer won't be going into the Hall until he passes away, if he ever gets in at all.

Many Packers fans ask why such an obvious candidate for enshrinement has never made it in. There are several reasons, but one of the biggest ones is that Kramer never had a "champion" among Pro Football Hall of Fame voters when his candidacy was up for discussion. Kramer has been a finalist a whopping 10 times, the most ever for any player not inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Cliff Christl, who was the Packers representative on the selection committee for 13 years until he went to work for the team (Pete Dougherty holds the position now) has also cited Bart Starr's public stumping for Bob Skoronski instead of Kramer as one reasons the Seniors Committee has shied away from Kramer. Christl actually wrote on why Kramer isn't in the Hall of Fame last year on the Packers' website.

None of these reasons, in my mind, excuse Kramer's exclusion. The man is a five-time First Team All Pro. He is a five-time NFL champion. He took part in and helped his team win the first two Super Bowls. He was named to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1960's. He was named to the NFL's 50th Anniversary Team. 

But he's not worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame? 

I'll just never understand. 

 

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Comments (10)

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JerseyAl's picture

August 19, 2015 at 03:26 pm

Extra insulting and disheartening that they pick another guard from the 50's when Kramer was voted best guard of the first 50 years. Senior committee twists the knife some more - just for fun.

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ray nichkee's picture

August 19, 2015 at 04:31 pm

I wasnt around back then but i like to enrich myself in packers history any chance i get. Books, articles, documentaries, etc. is all i have to go on. All the stories and everybody says why isnt he in. The most common answer i hear is they dont want all the packers from the lombardi era in the hall of fame. Some people who do the dirty work will never get the credit they deserve.

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egbertsouse's picture

August 19, 2015 at 04:53 pm

I was around to see Kramer play and think he deserves to be in the HOF. He was a good guard and he even did a good job kicking when Hornung got suspended.

He's got 2 things going against him; the Committee thinks there are too many Lombardi-team Packers in the Hall already and he pissed some people off with his books. For example, Starr lobbies for Skoronski over Kramer and former center Ken Bowman thinks he hogged too much glory for "the Block" in the Ice Bowl and shafted the rest of the O-line.

He'll most likely gets in when he dies, like the nominees this year.

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ivo610's picture

August 19, 2015 at 09:16 pm

Well dave robinson just got in so that theory doesnt hold up

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egbertsouse's picture

August 20, 2015 at 12:05 pm

Read my whole post before you dismiss it. I made two points; Committee members who don't like to put Lombardi era Packers in the HOF and Kramer's rep for pissing people off by his books. Robinson is well-liked and, as far as I know, never wrote a tell-all book.

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lou's picture

August 20, 2015 at 07:47 pm

I agree that at that time his book was not well received by either the NFL or the players (especially the players he played directly against) and that is a factor as well as an attempt to limit the number of Lombardi players enshrined even though those teams dominated the NFL like never before or since. I also feel a factor is no one to date has squeezed more money out of being a Lombardi player than Kramer and that rubs many the wrong way. Yes he is Hall worthy but unless there were issues like I just commented on he would have been enshrined within his first 10 years of eligibility. Another worthy candidate overlooked is safety Bobby Dillon who on poor Packer teams was as good a secondary player as the team has ever had.

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Since'61's picture

August 19, 2015 at 06:14 pm

Once again the NFL HOF disappoints when it comes to Jerry Kramer. Like many of the other bloggers here I was fortunate to see Kramer play. He played through many injuries in addition to taking the place kicking and even the kickoff duties for Lombardi's Packers from time to time. He kicked 3 FGs in frigid and extremely windy conditions at the original Yankee Stadium in NY which were the difference in the 1962 NFL championship game against the NY Giants. GB 16 - NY 7. Also he threw probably the most famous block in NFL history on Bart Starr's winning QB sneak in the Ice Bowl. Yes, Center Ken Bowman assisted on the block, but without Kramer Starr probably does not get in. This is unnecessary and unfair treatment of Kramer, preventing an all time NFL great from receiving the recognition he deserves and depriving thousands of younger fans who visit the NFL HOF from learning about Kramer's career and exploits. All we can do is hope that someday the Kramer haters get over it. Thanks, Since '61

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lou's picture

August 22, 2015 at 05:06 pm

Love the comments "Since 61", here is a local story that supports your comments. As a kid growing up in Green Bay, I made my first trip to Austin Strable Airport to see my 1st cousin off on his first flight as the St. Norberts team was flying to Minnnesota to play St. Thomas (Vince Lombardi Jr. was a fullback on the St. Thomas team) In the airport was Jerry Kramer and his first wife hugging and with tears in their eyes as he was headed on a flight to Mayo Clinic where they eventually found the wooden splinters that were lodged in his stomach (on display at the Packer Hall of Fame), he looked half the size he was because of all the health issues and my father said it doesn't look like he will make it. He BELONGS in the Hall of Fame, no question. For long time fans, my 1st cousin Holllis had a full ride scholarship out of Green Bay East High School to Marquette then coached by Liz Blackburn the former Packer coach but they dropped football after his freshman year and then he got a scholarship from St. Norberts where he played for 3 years. On that Marquette squad were future NFLers Dave Kopay, Georger Andre, and Tom Braaatz.

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John Galt III's picture

August 19, 2015 at 07:44 pm

Sports writers, politicians and used car salesmen. Can't tell them apart much but if I had a choice at least I need a car.

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Allan Murphy's picture

August 20, 2015 at 11:12 pm

NFL For ya bs.....

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