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pic.twitter.com/zRSYbjqHKf before this game he told the Oline, "I'm warning you my brakes don't work!" He ran over several of us that nite!
— Kendall Simmons (@bigk73) February 1, 2015
Probably the best Tweet of the night goes to former Steelers right guard Kendall Simmons for this great anecdote. These are the kinds of things fans love, a direct connection on an emotional level. Watching Bettis bash the hell out of a great run defense was pretty good too.
Congrats to my Bro @JeromeBettis36. Well deserved. I'm buying my tix now to Canton. I'm not missing this one. Hines http://t.co/ecldkHCBzx
— Hines Ward (@mvp86hinesward) February 1, 2015
You're next, Hines. How long will you have to wait? Considering Tim Brown just got in, and Marvin Harrison somehow wasn't a first ballot Hall of Famer, the ill-fated last-in-first-out system fails again.
Can’t critique HOF class without saying who should be out. Pace and Harrison far, far more deserving than Bettis, Brown.
— gregg rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) February 1, 2015
If you really want to get into critiques, you can't make them in 140 characters either, and you sure as hell can't do it using the ol' "far, far more" argument. This kind of opinion bothers me almost entirely because the presentation only suggests to those unaware of the process the decision is made in a vacuum. Dermontti Dawson had to wait several ballots to get into the Hall of Fame. He has very similar individual accolades as Orlando Pace - who absolutely will get in the Hall of Fame - and he led a few great ground games, like Pace did. Is Orlando Pace Jonathan Ogden? No. Is he Walter Jones? No. Is he Anthony Munoz? No. So why is he a first ballot player? Because something called Gregg Rosenthal uses two "far"s to describe his ability. Thanks for playing.
… Wolf is overwhelmingly deserving. As is Bettis. They all are. Days like this make me happy to be part of this process.
— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) February 1, 2015
This is more diplomatic, if not a little revealing. King, a man who has done actual journalism and votes on the committee, puts it the best way, even if it's perhaps self-serving; all of these guys deserve to be in the Hall of Fame, and most of them will eventually make it. Bettis waited five years. Some say that was too long. Some will say other deserving players waited even longer - just ask Mick Tinglehoff, Mike Webster's only rival, what it's like to be a Hall of Fame player who had to wait four decades to be placed among his peers.
Congratulations @JeromeBettis36 on your Hall of Fame selection. Well deserved. Happy for you.
— Mike Tomlin (@CoachTomlin) February 1, 2015
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin weighs in. Obviously. His Tampa Bay defensive backs saw the Bus in his prime. He knows what he did.
@JeromeBettis36...congrats on the HOF induction...#AKA...BUSSIE...a TRUE PROFESSIONAL...
— Ike Taylor (@Ike_SwagginU) February 1, 2015
Cornerback Ike Taylor saw Bettis in the early part of his career, and saw his approach to the game.
Congrats Bus. A true honor and joy to have coached a player who defined CLASS, CHARACTER & CONSISTENCY. Thanks for the memories.
— Bill Cowher (@CowherCBS) February 1, 2015
Class. Character and Consistency. The Bus comes before the three Cs.