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Thoughts on the Shannon Sharpe Hall of Fame Snub
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In Denver at least there is little debate that Shannon Sharpe was the best tight end in the game, especially in the modern era. He holds all-time records for receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and receptions for a tight end and is the proud owner of three Super Bowl rings from two different teams. So why in his first year of eligibility for the Football Hall of Fame was Sharpe almost inexplicably snubbed?
Part of it may have had to do with the derth of Denver Bronco's players who have made it to Canton. Only John Elway and Gary Zimmerman have received this honor, not Floyd Little, Randy Gradishar, Dennis Smith, Steve Atwater, Rick Upchurch, Karl Mecklenberg, obviously I could go on. Some readers who left comments on the Rocky Mountain News website are of the belief that of all NFL franchises, Denver alone is so badly overlooked. While that may have betrayed just a bit too much paranoia, observations that big market teams, east coast teams or teams from either coast receive more consideration than the most deserving Broncos seemed at least partially plausible.
Might it be, as one RMN reader suggested, that Shannon's mouth and particularly his more recent on-air comments might have irritated some Hall voters? Hopefully, this rejection in his first year of eligibility will not cause Shannon to start looking over his shoulder and toning down his often colorful remarks. Another reason which could have been cited and so far has not been was Sharpe's once vigorous defense of former teammate Ray Lewis. It will also be interesting to see how long it takes Lewis to get to Canton once he is eligible.
Perhaps a case can be made that there were just more deserving candidates than Sharpe this year. Certainly the Bill's Bruce Smith was extremely deserving. As the NFL's all time sack leader and twice Defensive Player of the Year it was nice to see him in Canton's Class of '09. Certainly Smith did not come from either a big market or a coast or do the Great Lakes count as a coast these days? And for my money Rod Woodson was an excellent pick as well. The inclusion of Randall McDaniel seemed to argue against those who believed that tight end is not a glamorous enough position to merit Hall attention. That is unless you believe that the Hall is bending over backwards to reward the unheralded guys in the trenches.
More controversial is the Bob Hayes pick, particularly given his off-field problems. But the most inexplicable Hall of Fame pick was that of Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson. That pick would only make sense if the sport is not in fact a true sport where the bottom line is the thrill of athletic competition at its highest level, the camaraderie of a team and its fans, or even the glory of a Super Bowl trophy, but rather just another (albeit entertaining) business, where the bottom line is the pursuit of the almighty dollar. Oh wait.
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