I am back from a road trip with my long-suffering wife where we mostly unplugged from the constant din of the 24-hour news cycle; it was a positive experience. But we are home now and it is time to get back into “the routine”. Today’s item has been on my clipboard for a while, but I never got around to it until now.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame has significantly pruned the cast of selectors for enshrining new members to the Hall of Fame. In the past, there were 50 selectors; at the moment, there are only 28. When I read the headline for this report, I was surprised that there were so many selectors and thought that paring that number down a bit made sense. Then I saw some of the people who will no longer chime in on new inductees:
- Mary Kay Cabot: she has been part of the selection committee for 11 years and is a highly regarded voice about NFL matters nationally.
- Tony Dungy: He has been a part of the Hall of Fame selection committee for 6 years and is in the Hall as a coach – – and he played in the league too.
- Rick Gosslein: He has been a part of the Hall of Fame selection committee for 31 years and is as eminent a historian of the NFL as anyone.
- John McClain: He has been on the selection committee for 33 years and is a recognized expert on the sport.
- Bill Polian: He has been part of the selection committee for 6 years and is in the Hall of Fame as a contributor to the league.
In addition to paring down the membership on the selection committee, the Hall decided to eliminate the “seniors’ category” which will make it much more difficult to recognize players from bygone eras. So, now I am not so sure that this decision by the people who run the Hall of Fame is a “great leap forward” as opposed to a “lateral arabesque”.
In the past, there was a representative vote from each city with an NFL franchise plus a bunch of people who were there for various other reasons. Now, that cannot be the case with only 28 members on the selection committee. And the number of people who are in the Hall of Fame who either played or coached the game is now smaller with the removal of Tony Dungy and Bill Polian. I believe the players who remain on the selection committee are:
- Jared Allen
- Dan Fouts
- Will Shields
There was an outcry last year when Bill Belichick was not elected to the Hall of Fame and there were calls for reforming the selection process. Obviously, I don’t know if these changes were meant to alleviate the criticism leveled last year; but somehow, I don’t think this change assures that such future “outrages” will never happen again.
Moving on to one other quick item from my clipboard… Scottie Scheffler eclipsed the career earning record for a PGA golfer this year passing Tiger Woods. Yes, the purses for the PGA tournaments have increased significantly in response to the existence of LIV Golf but that was a significant milestone for Scheffler. And yet, he does not seem to get nearly the recognition – – either positive or negative – – that Tiger Woods experienced. That shows the power of the media in terms of establishing the aura surrounding a pro athlete for better or worse.
Back in the day – – well before Tiger Woods exhibited significant negative behaviors that drew media attention – – he was treated by the media in an almost reverential manner. His accomplishments were heralded; his failures were excused. Scottie Schiffler never seems to have achieved a similar hagiography by the press. C’est la vie …
Finally, a thought from Ambrose Bierce:
“Saint, n: A dead sinner revised and edited.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………