For the second year in a row, former Baltimore Raven and Denver Bronco tight end Shannon Sharpe was denied election into Pro Football’s Hall of Fame. Sharpe made the first cut from 15 to 10, but was not in the final cutdown from 10 to 5 among the modern-era players who were eligible.
The news that Sharpe fell short was somewhat surprising, but when looking at the list of candidates who were eligible for this year’s class, not overwhelmingly so. Everyone knew that Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith were locks to be inducted in the first year of eligibility for each. Also, Sharpe is in a pool of pass catchers that are also in line for induction: Andre Reed, Cris Carter and Tim Brown. Brown and Carter failed to make the first cut, while Reed fell short with Sharpe.
In addition, the Hall had a backlog of candidates that have been on the list for years and have been denied by candidates who were deemed more deserving. Some of those candidates finally were elected on Saturday. Russ Grimm had been eligible for years, and becomes the first member of the famed “Hogs” offensive line of the Washington Redskins of the ’80s and early ’90s to get into the Hall. Rickey Jackson, for years one of the best pass rushing linebackers for the New Orleans Saints and later the San Francisco 49ers had also been on the line for a few years. The same can also be said for the two senior candidates who were elected: Floyd Little and Dick LeBeau. With only a maximum of seven slots, there are going to be a number of candidates who are going to have to wait their turn. Sharpe just happens to be one of them.
I have no doubt that Sharpe, as well as Carter and Tim Brown, and perhaps even Reed will all eventually get in. It’s just going to take some time, particularly with a lot of deserving players on the list now and in years to come. Remember, in a few years Jonathan Ogden will be eligible. Will he have to wait a few years, or is he a first year lock to get in? Time will tell.
Bullet point response!
1. The voting process and rules for the Pro Football HOF are awful. There should be no minimum (currently 4) amount of inductees per year. To me a HOF should be reserved for the best of the best. I went up to Cooperstown to see Eddie Murray get inducted into the Baseball HOF. The only other player getting inducted was Gary Carter. Some years the Baseball HOF has only had one inductee.
2. Why is there always a push to induct a guy who's been on the list for a long time. His play on the field and statistics have not changed have they? I've never understood that line of thinking.
3. Any voter who openly admits that he or she will not vote for a player (in any HOF) on the first ballot should have their voting privileges stripped. Willie Mayes didn't get 100% of the votes on the first ballot. That's embarrassing.
4. The Pro Football HOF itself is very disappointing to visit. Then again it is in Ohio and like my friend says…"The only good thing to ever come from Ohio was the Ravens"…..
5. Rickey Jackson gets in when Sharpe and Carter are on the ballot? There is no logical or acceptable reason for Carter to be left off the list this year. 3rd in all time receptions. 8th in total TDs and 4th in receiving TDs. Yea, Rickey Jackson deserves it over him alright!!!
Shannon will get in. He's been the victim of the numbers game two years in a row. He is more than deserving as the All-time receiving leader as a TE.
I thought he would make it this season. I remember thinking of how badly he was snubbed last go around. The guy is clearly a HOFer.
Mark is right though, too many agendas in the voting process. Rod Woodson did an interview on the radio the other day talking about Art Modell and how ridiculous it is that he hasn't made it. That story alone is proof that the process should be carefully reviewed.
I would argue that the numbers game is a BS game.
Rickey Jackson prevents Sharpe and/or Carter from getting in?
And I can't believe I spelled The Say Hey Kid's last name wrong. Willie MAYS. And I call myself a sports fan.
I don't think it's a case of Rickey Jackson deserving it more over Sharpe. I think both are equally worthy. I just think that the limit (which I believe is five modern-era candidates and two senior candidates for a total of seven) causes some players to be squeezed out when they become eligible. Sharpe is certainly going to get in, perhaps as soon as next year.
Jackson certainly had a Hall of Fame career; his stats were just a shade under Lawrence Taylor's during roughly the same era. If you saw him play (and I did as he helped bring the Saints up to respectability along with Sam Mills as part of the "Dome Patrol" defense) he certainly belongs. Grimm only anchored perhaps the best offensive line of the last 30 years; he too had to wait several years to get in as other supposedly more deserving candidates were elected.
I will say that perhaps the process needs to change; but at least the NFL does get more than one actual inductee per season; I think Baseball's snub of Roberto Alomar is more of an injustice as opposed to Shannon Sharpe.
Alomar spit on an umpire, for Chrissake. While its great that Hirschbeck has forgiven him, that doesn't excuse the vile act. For those voters who held that against Alomar this go 'round, I have no problem with that. That said, his clutch 9th inning at bat in the playoffs at Cleveland was probably the best I've ever seen. Remember, he didn't get shafted. He spit out his first ballot chance. Note…While I'll take my chances with Mark in in the Inaugural BSR Fantasy Baseball League, I hope not to draw his table in the opening round of the first-ever BSR Texas Hold 'Em Tournament. Seems like every time I'd have two pair, he'd have a flush. 🙂
Mark, I agree that stats don't tell the whole story. That said, I agree with your assessment re: Sharpe and Carter in that they may have been "better players" than Jackson. But I disagree with your assessment of Jackson. In my view, he's a Hall of Famer. On that we will have to agree to disagree. I don't believe that he got in because he was on the list longer. It just happened that way. Certainly his being on the list longer didn't stop the voters from putting in Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith. I just think that because they are limited to seven, some players have to wait.
I have no idea what goes on in the room when they discuss the finalists, or how they cut down the numbers. But I'm sure each of the candidates have their own passionate backers, and apparently each finalist has to garner (I believe) 80% of the votes in the room. So several someones held back Sharpe and thought Jackson was deserving. Of course, if Jackson didn't get the necessary votes, he could've gotten in like LeBeau and Little did this year on the Seniors vote.
Perhaps the Football HOF is a bit more lenient as regards all-time greats.