The Pro Football Hall of Fame (From My Perspective)

***This is an updated article that I released about 2 years ago.***

The Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are just days away. I’ll be going on behalf of the Sports History Network, along with two others from the Network. Hopefully, the three of us will have much to share with fans of the show when we get back home.
But the induction ceremonies will soon be just a memory, and it will be time again for the endless debate about who is worthy of putting on the gold jacket in 2024.

“_______ (fill in the blank) should be in the Hall of Fame” It’s a phrase I’ve heard more times than I care to remember. It seems just about everyone has an opinion on who’s worthy of having their bust placed in the hallowed Hall. If the HOF voting committee took these opinions seriously, half the players who ever stepped on the field would be in Canton.

Fans must understand that not everyone can be in the Hall of Fame. There is a limit of no more than nine inductees each year; in my opinion, nine might be too many. I’ve always believed that the Hall of Fame should only be reserved for dominant players. These days I see a lot of guys getting inducted that I never thought were dominant, and it’s too late to go back once you start letting in very good players instead of the truly dominant players.

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But of course, you can argue that the Hall of Fame is not for players only. I’m not saying that coaches, owners, GMs, and other non-players shouldn’t have a place in Canton, but I think the players should take precedence over non-players. The voting committee does seem to do a pretty good job concerning that.

How It Used To Be

Years ago, getting inducted wasn’t easy, no matter how deserving you were. Take Green Bay’s Herb Adderley, who played from 1961–1972. He’s considered by many to be the best all-around cornerback ever to play the game. But Adderley wasn’t voted into the Hall until his third year of eligibility.

Mel Renfro is another example. Renfro, who played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1964–1977, played in eight NFL/NFC Championships (winning four) while also winning two Super Bowls. He played cornerback, safety, punt returner, kick returner and even had a brief stint at RB in 1966.

In his rookie year, he not only led the team with seven interceptions, but he also led the NFL in return yardage. He had 52 career interceptions, was voted All-Pro five times, was voted to the Pro Bowl ten years in a row (winning Pro Bowl MVP in 1970), and was only the fifth player in Dallas Cowboys history inducted into that team’s Ring of Honor (1981).

Yet, somehow, even with those impressive credentials, he had to wait 14 years to get his bust in Canton!

Why The Rush?

In my opinion, the voting committee’s biggest mistake is letting the modern-day players in too quickly, many in only their first or second year of eligibility. What’s the big rush? Let them wait their turn so the guys from yesteryear don’t get swept under the rug and forgotten about. Is it because they have impressive stats and big numbers? Is it because many are still in the limelight, or is there another reason? Perhaps it’s revenue?

I first went to the induction ceremonies in 2001. That was the last year the induction ceremonies were held in front of the museum. I went again the following year, but the ceremonies were moved (due to increased attendance) from the museum to Fawcett Stadium (renamed Tom Benson Stadium in 2017).

The ceremonies have been held at the stadium ever since, and they now charge fans to attend (it used to be free). My point is that the Hall of Fame enshrinement week has become an enormous event that generates a lot of revenue, and names from pro football’s past that the average fan has never heard of aren’t going to draw fans to Canton.

I would consider myself an NFL historian to some degree, but honestly, even I don’t know much about the guys who played 80,90, or 100 years ago. Sure, I know the big names like Sammy Baugh, Marion Motley, Chuck Bednarik, and Don Hutson, but how many of us know about the lineman that played during that era? There isn’t much game footage or information on players from that era, and most people who saw them play have died.

The Voting Committee

It’s easy to criticize the guys on the voting committee, but theirs is not an easy job. As an old-school football fan, I’d like to see more of the guys I grew up watching as a kid (1969–1977) get inducted, but I don’t think opening the floodgates like they did in 2020 (twenty new inductees) is the answer. The Seniors Committee can now select three players or coaches each year who retired before 1985, and that’s a big step in the right direction.

Is The Hall of Fame Overhyped?

How often have you heard someone say, “It’s a travesty that ……… is not in the Hall of Fame?” A travesty? Isn’t that overstating it a little? Why do we make it so important, like the Hall of Fame is the end all be all?

What about all the great players and coaches who may never get inducted? Are their contributions to pro football and their respective teams any less important or impressive just because they’re not in the Hall? Certainly not!

I’ve visited both the football and baseball Hall of Fame several times. They are terrific places to learn the history of two great sports and learn about great players and coaches. While I’d recommend visiting the Hall of Fame to any sports fan, I also wonder if we overhype its importance.

In the end, who gets in and doesn’t get in is always a matter of opinion. Each year the debate begins anew.

As for me, I’d prefer to cherish the memories of watching all these guys play.

Mark Morthier is the host of Yesterday’s Sports, a podcast dedicated to reliving memorable sports moments from his childhood days and beyond. He grew up in New Jersey just across from New York City, so many of his episodes revolve around the great sport’s teams of the 70s for the New York area.

He is also an author of No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training (Second Edition): A Guide for People with Limited Time and Running Wild: (Growing Up in the 1970s)