By Marvin Moore October 13, 2023
The NFL Hall of Fame was created as a tribute to football’s greatest players, coaches, and other individuals who significantly impacted the game. However, Deion Sanders was right when he said the Hall of Fame had lost its luster. This once prestigious memorial has become a collection of good but not great players.
The Hall of Fame used to be reserved for the best of the best. It was an exclusive club for the legendary greats who changed the game with their superior talents. But those days are long gone. The NFL has a ridiculous quota requiring a certain number of individuals to be inducted yearly.
Sanders was criticized when he said out loud what many Hall of Famers think silently. Too many above-average players are getting golden jackets with careers lacking Hall of Fame credentials. It’s a fact that the flamboyant Sanders was not afraid to acknowledge publicly.
I agree with Deion, arguably the best cornerback to ever play the game, that the Hall of Fame should have an “upper room” for the elite among the elites. A first-team All-Pro a whopping six times, Sanders also feels that the top-tier Hall of Famers should get a different colored jacket. Why should economy class get the same treatment as first class?
It’s shameful that the league has a mandatory four to eight Hall of Fame spots to fill each year. Twenty individuals were honored in 2020 – five from the class of 2020 and 15 from the Centennial class as part of the NFL’s 100th anniversary last year. The Hall of Fame has become a country club instead of an exclusive one.
Sanders was correct that the criteria for induction to the Hall of Fame should be reserved for players who “changed the game.” The Hall of Fame should be for game-changers, not players with a good 4-5 years run. It should be a place for the greatest players in the history of the game, not a showcase of good players.
The Hall of Fame system is all about the money. The league collects lots of revenue annually during its induction ceremony in Canton. If you know anything about the NFL, you know money is its top priority.
Joe Namath enjoyed a 13-year career and won a Super Bowl. But he finished with a 62−63−4 record and threw more interceptions than touchdown passes. He became a Hall of Famer in 1985. Marcus Allen played in the NFL for 16 seasons but had just three Hall-of-Fame-caliber seasons. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.
Russ Grimm posted four All-Pro seasons with the Washington Redskins. Ray Guy’s 42.4-yard average ranks 76th all-time. Jackie Smith caught 50-plus passes and tallied more than four touchdowns in only one season. Paul Hornung failed to gain as many as 1,000 total yards in any season. They’re all in the Hall of Fame.
Besides adding players who are not worthy of being in the Hall of Fame, the NFL also favors certain positions. Devin Hester is regarded as one of the greatest return specialists in NFL history. He holds the NFL record for most all-time return touchdowns (punt and kickoff combined) and most all-time punt return touchdowns.
Hester was a game-changer that forced teams to make game plans to stop him from making big plays. He boasts an impressive 11 NFL records. Still, he is not deemed a good fit for the Hall of Fame. That’s not just a travesty; it’s downright criminal.
The NFL Hall of Fame has become a joke. It’s too easy for players to get into the once-exclusive place. Sanders is correct when he says his bust belongs in a different room than others.
