Sharpe Falls Short In Bid For Hall Of Fame
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.
Random Sports Thoughts 7
Filed under: MLB, NBA, NFL, baseball, basketball, college basketball, football, sports
Around and about in the world of sports:
- Congratulations to the seven members of the newest class of the NFL Hall of Fame: Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, John Randle, Rickey Jackson, Russ Grimm, Dick LeBeau and Floyd Little. Rice and Smith were no-brainers of course, and the other candidates deserved their nods as well. There is a backlog of great players that are eligible for the Hall; it will take some time to get all of them in. I would just like to put in a few words for Grimm. Given the fact that the Hogs were one of the best offensive lines of the last 25-30 years, it’s actually about time one of them got some recognition by the Hall.
- There was talk last week of the NCAA opting out of their contract with CBS and possibly expanding the NCAA basketball tournament from it’s current 65 team format to 96 teams. Okay, let me get this straight. No action is necessary for a college football playoff, but the greatest college event ever needs to break up the current format to let more teams in? I don’t think so…this thing reeks of a money grab. Not to mention, that if they really want to fix the tournament they should get rid of the play-in game, or at the least let the last two at-large teams play in that game. Don’t put a small school automatic qualifier in the game-they deserve the opportunity to have the full tournament experience much more than some BCS school mediocrity. Not to mention, if the tournament did include 96 teams, most if not all of those spots would be to BCS schools with unimpressive resumes.
- The days are growing short leading into spring training for another baseball season, and I wonder what exactly will the Orioles look like this year. I’ll have more to say about them as the season gets closer, but it has been a pretty quiet offseason for Baltimore’s baseball birds. For some fans, it has been too quiet. I’ll reserve judgement until things get going, but once again, I am hoping for progress. I’m not expecting a worst-to-first season, but at least be competitive past the All-Star break, and if possible, make an approach to .500.
- Gilbert Arenas was suspended for the remainder of this season, and has probably seen his last days as a member of the Washington Wizards. Has there been a more stunning fall from grace? Arenas was once the prince of the city; his blog was popular and his skills on the court made fans sit up and take notice. His absence serves as just a symbol of the Wizards’ season; where they were counting on him to finally be healthy enough to play, he ends up missing another large chunk of a third consecutive season. I don’t see how the Wizards can keep this core of players together, with Arenas surely gone it may be time for Ernie Grunfeld (or someone else) to blow this team up and build it back from the ground up. It will definitely be interesting to see how the Wizards proceed from here.
Steve McNair: 1973-2009
Filed under: NFL, african-americans, blogs, college football, death, football, sports
RIP, great warrior (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
It is with unbelievable shock and sadness that I sit here and write the following words: Steve McNair is dead.
I was out celebrating the Fourth of July with family and friends when I switched my cell phone to receive Twitter updates. The live band perfoming at the cookout was about to take the stage and I had a spare moment to look at a few random tweets. The first one that came across was a re-tweet stating that McNair had been found shot to death in a Nashville condominium. News began to spread as more people arrived at the cookout about the tragic situation. Whenever an athlete or celebrity dies in circumstances like these, questions always arise. What was he doing there? Why was another woman (not his wife) there and shot as well? Those and many other questions are for police detectives and folks who love gossip and innuendo to deal with. Me, I can only deal with the sadness and sense of loss.
I think of Steve McNair the football player, and how the skeptics were out in full force when he was drafted, and even before then, when the big universities who loved his athletic ability were afraid to let him play quarterback. So McNair took his skills and desire to play quarterback to Alcorn State, where he fashioned an amazing career. The HBCU Sports Blog goes so far as to say that McNair was the best black college quarterback of all time. That post puts him in a class of black college football pillars that begins with Eddie Robinson, and includes Walter Payton and Jerry Rice. When the Houston Oilers drafted McNair in the 1995 draft, it was with the intention of letting him play quarterback, not turning him into a defensive back or wide receiver. McNair rewarded the franchise’s faith in him by leading them, at that time then known as the Tennessee Titans to its only Super Bowl appearance to date, rallying the team down the field and falling just one play short of sending the game into overtime.
Many fans of NFL football remember McNair as a great competitor, a tough player who always came to play despite injuries that would keep other players on the sidelines. The accolades he earned-the Pro Bowls, the MVP award he shared with Peyton Manning, the playoff appearances, the season he led the Ravens to the best regular season record in franchise history-burnish his resume. The word I keep using to describe McNair, and many others have as well, is warrior. To me, he was one of the greatest warriors I ever saw in watching pro football. He always seemed to be in control, and he always battled to the end, win or lose.
He will always be a beacon of light for black quarterbacks who came behind him, and those still to come, and he furthered the progress from black quarterbacks who came before, such as Joe Gilliam, Warren Moon, and Doug Williams. Steve McNair, along with those who arrived before him, helped to further diminish the stigma of the “black quarterback” in the game of pro football at the NFL level and for that, as well as his accomplishments, make him worthy to be celebrated.
Farewell, Mr. McNair. May you be at rest in a better place.
I have been reading other posts of McNair memories today; this one by The NFL Chick is one of the best I’ve read so far. To my blogging friend and fam-well said.
College Hoops: Bo Ryan Does The Soulja Boy
If there is video of Maryland basketball coach Gary Willams doing the soulja boy, I wouldn’t be surprised.
“Soulja Boy:” the dance that never dies! Bo Ryan (Wisconsin basketball coach) breaks out with the dance right here:
And I was hoping the dance was on its way out when Jerry Rice did it at Georgetown’s midnight madness. This thing may last throughout the season to the Final Four at this rate. Heaven help us all.
College Hoops: Midnight Madness Stunts
From the DC Sports Bog:
Purportedly from the Georgetown University Midnight Madness (which can only mean that the college basketball season is right around the corner), we have video of Jerry Rice dancing the Soulja Boy. Hopefully, it means that this dance is finally done.
If you are unfamiliar with the Soulja boy, the video for the song is below. It has been the #1 song in the country for the last three weeks.
Twitter: @mindpinball
- Scores: Sam Houston St. 31-Baylor 30; Kansas St. 12-N. Texas 8, Murray St. 42-Vanderbilt 36. #ncaa
- RT @carolinaware: @mindpinball Mr. Wright doesn't sweat much. <-if it were me, I'd have had one of those "Barry White" towels.
- Has Jay Wright broke a bead of sweat today? If he hasn't he's one cool SOB #RMU #Villanova
- Why didn't Redding score the layup?
- And don't look now, but Murray State is beating Vanderbilt 31-27 with just under 5 to go in the first half. #ncaa #marchmadness
- Robert Morris won't go away...might have to pick that lighter and bracket back up.
- LMAO...RT @12kyle: Florida loses. I blame Tim Tebow
- Putting down the lighter and the paper bracket...for now.
- @12kyle how 'bout them mormons, son? #BYU #Florida #ncaa #marchmadness
- I think this is what they mean by winning time for 'Nova #RMU #Villanova #ncaa #marchmadness
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