02/03/2007 -
MIAMI (AP) -Thurman Thomas hardly needed to wait for a phone call. His mother - screaming as she ran down a hotel hallway - was more than enough to bring him the good news.
``She was yelling, 'We're in, we're in,''' said Thomas, who was watching college basketball on TV at the time. ``At that moment, I knew I had made it.''
The former Buffalo Bills running back was among six players elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Thomas, in his second year as a finalist, was disappointed he was edged out by an impressive class of inductees last year that featured Troy Aikman, Reggie White, Warren Moon and John Madden. But just like his old Bills' teams, which lost four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s, Thomas simply shrugged off the setback.
``Like I've always said, we didn't win a Super Bowl, but this is my Super Bowl gift to the Buffalo Bills fans,'' he said. ``I'm happy to be among the NFL greats.''
Thomas retired in 2000 after 13 seasons in the NFL, 12 with Buffalo. The shifty back played on a Bills team that won four consecutive AFC championships. He was the league's MVP in 1991 when he gained more than 2,000 yards. He went to five Pro Bowls and rushed for more than 1,000 yards in eight consecutive seasons from 1989-96.
``I've never been a stat guy,'' said Thomas, the seventh Bills player to be elected to the Hall. ``Just playing in the NFL for 13 years was my biggest accomplishment.''
This, after all, is a player who was skipped over by every team in the first round of the 1988 draft because of questions about a knee injury during his senior year at Oklahoma State. Buffalo chose him in the second round.
He set several Bills records, including most rushing yards (11,938), rushing touchdowns (65) and carries (2,849). His 16,532 career yards from scrimmage ranks eighth in the NFL and his 12,074 yards rushing ranks 12th.
He also led the league in yards from scrimmage for four consecutive seasons, and only Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders rushed for more yards than Thomas in the '90s.
``When you're growing up and when you're playing, my thing was always about the Super Bowl and not making it to the Hall of Fame,'' he said. ``I just wanted to win. But now that this opportunity has come, it's exciting.''
Thomas was part of a Bills team that already features three Hall of Famers - coach Marv Levy, quarterback Jim Kelly and receiver James Lofton. Levy and Kelly were present at the announcement. Thomas said many former teammates, including Bruce Smith and Darryl Talley, called him when they found out.
``They're a great group of guys I went to war with every weekend,'' Thomas said. ``They know that I struggled in the last two or three Super Bowls, but those guys were always there to pick me up.''
The honor comes after an emotional few weeks for Thomas. His father-in-law, Bob Mariacher, is in a Buffalo hospital recovering from a battle with encephalitis, a potentially life-threatening brain inflammation.
Receiver Andre Reed was also part of the final 17 that were eligible to be elected Saturday, but did not make the cut to 11.
Thomas will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in August, along with receiver Michael Irvin, offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, defensive back Roger Wehrli and two nominees of the veterans' committee - tight end Charlie Sanders and guard Gene Hickerson.
Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Capitals-Penguins, Sums
Washington 0 0 0-0Pittsburgh 0 1 1-2First Period-None. Penalties-Eaton, Pit (hooking), 4:41; Clark, Was (hooking), 8:00; Staal, Pit (tripping), 11:46; Eminger, Was (hooking), 16:18.Second Period-1, Pittsburgh, Petrovicky 2, 10:09. Penalties-Gonchar,
<< Islanders' Martinek leaves game with apparent ankle injury
MONTREAL (AP) -New York Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek was taken off the ice on a stretcher with an apparent left ankle injury in the first period of Saturday's game against Montreal.Martinek remained on the ice after he was checked into the bo
<< Bears playing 'no respect' card
MIAMI (AP) -Forget the perception that the Chicago Bears are mere patsies for Peyton Manning.They have a decent chance at winning Sunday's Super Bowl against the Colts. Really.Maybe these guys aren't quite the Monsters of the Midway - under today's
<< 'Yeah, but we knocked 15 Lions out of the game'
MIAMI (AP) -Teams keep score in different ways.The Chicago Bears will not always beat you.But they will always beat you up.Few stories illustrate that better than the tale former linebacker Doug Buffone told on the eve of the Super Bowl.``We'd just
Irvin, five others elected to Hall of Fame >>
MIAMI (AP) -Michael Irvin was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday despite a troubled past, though voters denied entry to retired NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue.The former Dallas Cowboys receiver, who won three Super Bowls in the 19
Oilers-Avalanche, Sums >>
Edmonton 0 1 2-3Colorado 1 0 1-2First Period-1, Colorado, Richardson 6 (Guite, Rycroft), 12:49. Penalties-Greene, Edm, minor-major-misconduct (instigator, fighting), 10:29; Laperriere, Col, major (fighting), 10:29; Wolski, Col (hooking), 14:56; Sa
Reaction to Saturday's Pro Football Hall of Fame election >>
MIAMI (AP) -Reaction to the announcement Saturday that Michael Irvin, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Matthews, Gene Hickerson, Charlie Sanders and Roger Wehrli will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame:---``I was fortunate to play on some great foo
Georgia Tech 80, No. 25 Clemson 62 >>
ATLANTA (AP) -Coach Paul Hewitt never lost faith in Javaris Crittenton. He only wanted Georgia Tech's big men to offer more support.``We gave Javaris help by screening and getting the wings open or flashing,'' Hewitt said. ``That released the pressu
MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds:
Saints +6 @ Colts -6
Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em)
Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em)
Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5
Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1
Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3
Patriots -5 @ Jets +5
Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5
Steelers -4 @ Browns +4
Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6
Bears +6 @ Chargers -6
Lions +3 @ Raiders -3
Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5
Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4
Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3
Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3
Super Bowl line (2008)
NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5
MySportsbook is a large, publicly traded company with strong financial backing. You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
MySportsbook.com Releases World Series Championship Lines
New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox early favorites to win 2008 World Series
The Major League Baseball season starts this weekend and MySportsbook.com, a leading online sportsbook for over 8 years, is the first to offer baseball sports betting lines on who will win the 2007 World Series.
"The World Series is the biggest baseball event in the sports betting world and MySportsbook.com is excited that we are first to market with betting lines on every team," says Tim Dalton, Marketing Director, MySportsbook.com. "We are getting things ready for a great baseball season and our members are looking forward to our Player Payback Bonuses, as well as Dime Lines, all season long."
Going in to this weekend, MySportsbook.com's favorites to win the World Series are the New York Yankees at 7-2 and last year’s winners the Chicago White Sox at 9-2.
"These betting lines are ripe for the picking," Dalton added, "baseball fans know that the season is long and many factors, including players staying healthy, will affect these Future odds as the baseball season progresses. Betting on your favorite team in the beginning of the season could prove quite lucrative. We are seeing examples of this right now in the NCAA College Basketball Tournament with a lucky few that placed pre-season bets on George Mason to win it all. Anything can happen."
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Mastercard needs..
About www.MySportsbook.com
MySportsbook.com is the foremost online sportsbook offering Internet wagering to its worldwide customers. Fully licensed and regulated in St. John’s, Antigua since 1997, MySportsbook.com offers a complete range of online casino games, sports betting lines, poker tournaments and horse racing offtrack betting daily through its portfolio of companies and managed services. With over 7 years of experience, MySportsbook.com has become one of the most respected companies in the gaming industry by providing unparalleled 24/7 customer support and timely payouts. MySportsbook.com is part of the SportingBet PLC group of companies that is publicly-traded on the London Stock Exchange ( LSE ) under the symbol SBT.L. MySportsbook.com provides a secure environment for sports and casino wagering and has been featured in numerous media outlets, including MAXIM Magazine, Cigar Aficionado, and CNN’s Paula Zahn Now among others.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting