Patriots 2008 Hall of Fame Nominees - Vote Now!

The finalists for this year's induction in the Patriots Hall of Fame have been announced today.

One of the following three finalists will earn induction into the Hall, with the choice made by you -- the fans. Voting begins today on Patriots.com, the official, team-operated site of the Patriots.

The finalists (in alphabetical order):

And I still want my fudge cake.

I was looking for the checkbox, and didn't see my option.

I'M VOTING FOR DAWNIEBRAT!!!!

Fan of the year!

I meet your fudge cake and two fudge brownies and raise you a thing of fries at Gillette Stadium. They taste like they've been injected with salt. Blood pressure through the roof.

I say Ben!  And I'll meet your fries, fudge cake and brownies and raise you twin lobsters.  Loser has to go to Maine to get them. 

Jim Nance.  You'd see him hit the line.  A huge pile would form at the point of the tackle--and then the pile would slowly move three or four yards more.

It may be tough for present-day fans who weren't around then to get the significance of a 240-lb. runner in those days.  At that time, there were many defensive linemen who weighed 240-245 pounds; three of the four men on the famous Vikings "Purple Gang" were no bigger than Nance.  His effect on a game was roughly that of having a 290-lb runner today.  Of course with present workout regimens, he probably would have muscled up to something between 270 and 290 pounds.

The closest thing the present generation of football fans has seen to Jim Nance was Jerome Bettis, who retired just a couple of years ago from the Steelers.  At about 255 pounds, Bettis would move the pile in similar fashion.