TANGENT ALERT: The football hall of fame is a different animal compared to the baseball hall of fame. In baseball, you have benchmarks, milestones and long standing history. But it's also a hack of an institution that has nothing to do with baseball. You have protests (see, writer that questions entire era). You have head scratching reasons why some are kept out (see, Jim Rice) and hypocrites on "cheating" (see, Phil Niekro). You have redefining the purpose of the institution. Whereas it was once meant to be a museum of rich baseball history, it's now an institution of moral greatness -- based off a writer's view of right and wrong (see, Mark McGwire). If it's true, that the baseball hall of fame defines baseball's history, then to keep Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson out, is a failure of baseball today to honor the greats of baseball yesterday.
The bigger question is: can you have a tangent alert on the first paragraph of a post?
Segue, nominations for the 2007 class of the football hall of fame.
- Fred Dean – Defensive End – 1975-1981 San Diego Chargers, 1981-1985 San Francisco 49ers
- Richard Dent – Defensive End – 1983-1993, 1995 Chicago Bears, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1996 Indianapolis Colts, 1997 Philadelphia Eagles
- Russ Grimm – Guard – 1981-1991 Washington Redskins
- Ray Guy – Punter – 1973-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
- Gene Hickerson – Guard – 1958-1973 Cleveland Browns
- Michael Irvin – Wide Receiver – 1988-1999 Dallas Cowboys
- Bob Kuechenberg – Guard – 1970-1984 Miami Dolphins
- Bruce Matthews – Guard, Tackle, Center – 1983-2001 Houston Oilers/Tennessee Oilers/Titans
- Art Monk – Wide Receiver – 1980-1993 Washington Redskins, 1994 New York Jets, 1995 Philadelphia Eagles
- Andre Reed – Wide Receiver – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins
- Charlie Sanders – Tight End – 1968-1977 Detroit Lions
- Paul Tagliabue – NFL Commissioner – 1989-2006
- Derrick Thomas – Linebacker – 1989-1999 Kansas City Chiefs
- Thurman Thomas – Running Back – 1988-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Miami Dolphins
- Andre Tippett – Linebacker – 1982-1993 New England Patriots
- Roger Wehrli – Cornerback – 1969-1982 St. Louis Cardinals
- Gary Zimmerman – Tackle – 1986-1992 Minnesota Vikings, 1993-1997 Denver Broncos